Prayer and Partnership in Christ

At 4:45 AM this morning my alarm went off. I rolled out of bed (pretty literally), put in my contacts, and brushed my teeth. I grabbed my 49 lb. backpack, smaller but no less stuffed backpack, and timbuk2 and headed downstairs. I met Seth, who was driving me to the airport in the kitchen. One nectarine later it was time to say goodbye to my parents. Sleepy eyed they stumbled down the stairs to send me off. The real goodbyes had been said the night before along with a time of family prayer. Once I was able to convince my mom to let go, we loaded up the car and were on our way. I fought back the tears as we pulled out and I watched my parents hugging in the drive way and Dakota’s head peeking out the bottom corner of the window in the front door. It’s my last picture of home but an image that I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

The drive to the airport was long and quiet. The silence in part due to the little sleep and early hour, but also in part do to the anticipation of the hardest goodbye yet. We pulled up, parked, grabbed my bags, and headed to the desk to check in. After some confusion about why there was no American Airlines desk, we decided that “American Eagle” was not just a hip clothing store, but also potentially the same as American Airlines. After all, it had the same first word in it. On further observation, Seth pointed out the base of one of their signs, which read “American Airlines.” I held my breath as my bag was weighed, unsure if it was actually less than 50 lbs but it must have been because the man at the desk didn’t say anything. I grabbed my boarding pass and carry-on’s and walked towards security. After passing up a pair of chairs due to fingernails left on the seat, we found another pair in the corner by the escalator leading up to security. Time before I needed to go was quickly winding down. Words again were hard to find. “I’ll miss you” just didn’t seem to do the feelings justice, but when the tears started coming, nothing more needed to be said. After another time of prayer and many more tears, the time came for me to turn my back and just go. After one last glance back at the top of the elevator I took a deep breath and fought back the tears that wanted so badly to come, and got in line at security.

Pulling my timbuck2 off the conveyor belt, the man checking my bag asked if it was mine and then proceeded to ask if it was full of cheese. I wasn’t sure where this idea would have come from besides that it was heavy and I’m a Wisconsin girl. But I assured him it was just books. He opened it up, took out a book or two, finally determined that no, I wasn’t hiding any cheese under all those books and handed it back. He asked where I was going and as he turned to go back to his post he said, “Vaya con Dios.” (Go with God.) I wasn’t sure where that had come from. I had only said El Salvador was my destination and had mentioned nothing about what I would be doing. Maybe it was just a phrase he had learned in Spanish at some point. But I suspect that while searching my bag he had seen my bible. He’ll never know, but it was just what I needed to hear at that moment. Go with God. Follow Him. He’ll guide you and has great plans for you. I sat down at my gate and received a text from Seth saying, ”I’m glad God is already with you!!! Be strong and courageous. Jesus said blessed are those who leave their family for the sake of the gospel.” Another good reminder. Leave your friends and family. They’ll be here when you come back. Then I received another text. This one from my mom, “May God hold you in the palm of His hand.” After all this, it’s evident to me that he already is. He always has. He always will, whether with family and friends or in distant nations where I know no one.

Once on the plane and in the air I read a letter from Seth. As he usually does, which I’m so grateful for, he helped put my trip into perspective. He explained how when the apostle Paul was commissioned by the elders at Antioch to reach the Gentiles they told him to not neglect the widows and the poor. This is what he was eager to do as he set out on his journey. This gave me great comfort. I’m not the first to go. MANY have gone before me, and I won’t be the last. God was with Paul. God is with me. He’s gone before me and prepared the way. He’s with me as I travel and will be with me every minute in El Salvador. I began to think about all the people that will be praying for me. The past two days I’ve had many people pray over me. I know those prayers won’t stop when I’m gone. I don’t doubt I will be covered in prayer every day. This is such a comfort. It makes the world seem a little smaller, a little less intimidating.

I’ve only been gone from home, 5 ½ hours and God is already teaching me. I’m realizing the strength of our partnership in Christ and the role that prayer has in that. Prayer has no bounds. It knits us together even over seas. And our partnership in Christ is a link that cannot be broken. Thus, a random man in airport security, through our mutual connection to the Holy Spirit, can in one phrase, touch my soul. As I go into a country knowing nobody, this gives me encouragement. My friends and family, they’re with me as I go. I can feel the prayers being lifted. And my brothers and sisters in Christ in San Salvador, they’re just that: brothers and sisters. Rooted in Christ, we already have the deepest connection of all.

As I write this, I’m in the Dallas Airport. My journey has only just begun. I haven’t even left the country, and God is already teaching me. Amongst all the sadness of leaving people behind that I care deeply for, this gives me hope. I’m excited to see what God is doing down there that I get to be a part of.

I wrote that during my layover in Dallas. I’ll write more about the rest of the trip later but for now, know that I made it safely to my host home. I’ll jump right in tomorrow with soccer practice at 8 AM. Not sure what that all entails but I guess I’ll figure it out as I go!