May 20, 2008
Bethyl and I are waiting here at LAX to board the Cathay Pacific 747 to Dubai. People milling around me as I sit on the concrete terminal floor, plugged in, charging my laptop. Mothers and small children are pre-boarding. Peoples’ faces bemused, preoccupied, blank, avoidant of eye contact as I sit here foolishly smiling, feeling joyful about the upcoming huge opportunities lying before us to savor and share the love of Papa with those folks around me. It’s to be a focused discipline: scan people’s faces for whatever is true, noble, authentic, beautiful--the best in them and not the worst. It is only then that our lives, our journey, will work all together for good and we will be woven into His most excellent harmonies.
May 21, 2008
We are on a little break here at the Hong Kong airport after a delay and re-routing to Seoul, Korea, for re-fueling due to very strong headwinds crossing the Pacific (about 80 mph). We were on the ground in Korea for about an hour and then on for another 3 hours to Hong Kong, about 13 hrs total. Now, after a three hour layover, we are in the air again for an 8 hr flight to Dubai. Presently we are over Hanoi, 34,000 feet, heading west at 538 mph ground speed in the Airbus 330. We’ve done some reading, napping, listening to music. And, I, Bethyl might add ~ praying. We prayed that assignments against us, and which we made agreements with, would be broken in the strong Name of Jesus. Perhaps it’s not amazing, but quite jarring to recognize the power of the enemy to tear down What He ordains.
One particularly interesting conversation was with a Chinese woman, L. We were standing and I was stretching at the rear of the airplane; this 30ish woman was holding her 16 mo old baby. I, Vance, said , “what a beautiful baby.” That was all it took to begin an inspired conversation.
As we talked L. was amazingly open about her life. She shared that she was living now in Irvine but her family was going home for 2 months to visit her mother on the family’s annual pilgrimage. I stood, nodded, smiled, listened, asked open ended questions, prayed for an opening and guidance. She said she was often lonely and tended to isolate in her neighborhood. Her husband traveled a lot and she often felt overwhelmed with her two small children. I was silently sympathetic. She related that her own mother, who was recovering from depression, anorexia, even being suicidal, had visited from Hong Kong a year ago.
L. said she felt responsible for her mom’s depression by abandoning her. Now she herself was depressed, obsessive, compulsive, on and off medications, and her 5 yr old was talking about death. She said she was non-religious, but used the Mariner’s Church childcare facilities close to her home. She mentioned they were very hospitable, and she was curious about their teachings. I smiled and said, “I admire the Mariner’s work” and shared that I attend a very similar church in Fullerton.” I tell her, “I experience a very real and loving Father who directs my life and my chance meetings.” She said, “I think God sent you to talk with me.” What an amazing comment from a non-religious woman.
Someone prompted me to ask L. about her father. She said she had grown up outside Guangzhou and that her dad had left on business when she was three or four. She hadn’t seen much of him exception an occasional cameo appearance when he showed up and asked to be admired and respected. I felt her shrink and bristle as she spoke, eyes sparkly and contemptuous. My comment was how painful that must have been for her to be left by her daddy. Her mad crumpled into sad as she teared up and rocked her baby. I knew I must have been about her father’s age.
I say, “you’re an amazingly courageous woman to speak to a strange man in this way by the water fountain. But the blessing in this for you is that you get some hope. A bit of a good dad to give you a taste of the real Dad who loves and will not leave her--a little experience of what a loving father might be like—someone not so much interested in taking but in giving.” She nodded, wet eyed. Our conversation ended as I gave her my card and said, “feel free to email me if you would like to speak further. God is at work here. All the message of the Christian Bible is from a loving Father who says, in short, ‘come closer’. He loves you, L., and sent me to tell you that.”
A few hours later as everyone was disembarking, she passed by, smiling, baby-laden, and said I should bill her for a therapy session. I just smiled and pointed up.
“Jesus, bring this child and her children and her husband to know you as Savior and Lord. And, thank you for this little wayside chat.“
Soon we are to land in Dubai. We have sailed silently over Karachi after moving over Mumbai. Soon we will meet our dear friend and colleague, Mary. One of our last encounters was at Jonathan’s Memorial Service at Eastside early August 2007. It was at the time of Johnny’s death that I, Bethyl, saw the image of a door standing slightly open, and knew God was beginning to open the door of opportunities. As we’ve watched the monitor screen throughout the flights, we stand, I mean, sit amazed at the careful, attentive, care of our Lord in keeping these huge planes afloat in the air and guiding our path. We are thankful for Him. “By the Living Word of God we shall prevail, standing on the promises of God.”