The American Journey - In the Circle of His Promise (Part 3)
As we started the descent into Newark Airport, I was looking out of the window onto the clouds and saw outlined on the clouds several times, the shadow of the aeroplane surrounded by the circle of a rainbow.
It was comforting, as scared as I was of Customs and security again, and as worried and confused as I am over the decision I have to make. God had provided for me to get exactly to where I was, and there was His promise on the clouds - and I was in the centre.
Walking through the airport, I was next to a British chap and his lady friend who nearly tripped me up accidentally with his suitcase and we were making jokes about it down to Customs. Then we hit the queue...
I kept watching the video while we moved slowly but steadily through the rows, thinking about last time and praying constantly.
Finally, I got to the officer, Laslo. It was...amazing. The first thing he did was ask me if I'd worn my USA tshirt especially for the occasion, which I answered, yes I had as I'd already been there that year for a writers' conference. Then he commented on my dogtag...and then my Doctor Who necklace.
The rest of the conversation was filled with Doctor Who references...most of which he picked up. His arm started randomly bleeding, and he had to clean and put a plaster on it while talking to me. The telephone suddenly rang and he asked me if that was for me...and I said no, but as he may need a Doctor, it was probably for him. :D
He wasn't a Who fan though...he asked me if I liked classical or new...and he was a Walking Dead fan. And in the end? He asked me if I'd like to stamp my own passport to allow my entry into the USA, as he only let his favourite people do that. :D :D :D
Never a question about money. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!
Finally, picking up my blue suitcase....entering the USA...and onto handing the suitcase back to the right place...praying desperately for it to make the right destination as I put it in a pileup of other suitcases to be picked up...then onto the next security check through. I'd landed at just gone 12 (New York time) and my next flight to San Francisco left at 2:30ish, so I was panicking somewhat. Unsure where to be, I was kinda looking around for someone and wondering why God didn't send someone like He did the first year...and then realised that that had been my first trip, and I've been travelling...quite a bit since then. :P I suppose I've matured a bit. :P
I found the right queue, passed through security WITHOUT a pat down this time, collected my items and went on to find the gate. I slept through the flight, as I remember, and passed through San Francisco airport with little problem...my only memory of feelings is an overwhelming sense of relief that I hadn't got to go through any more security checks. And that of concern for a woman who was running past me sobbing...I hope she made it okay.
The ceiling of the area had planes - WWII planes, both German, British and Yank, I think - hanging from it. That was fun. :D I wasn't certain I'd got the right gate at first, but eventually figured out that I had, settled down and changed time zone on my phone and logged into the free Wifi on laptop and phone.
By this time, the tiredness hit me - and thirst. I shot a message off to Matthew begging him to bring me some water when he collected me, as I'd only had four drinks that day, and it was nearly 24 hours. Which he promised, very thankfully.
Signed in my carryon at this stop while they were still asking for volunteers...and took my laptop out, which I then carried for the reminder of the journey.
I slept all the way through to Oregon. I have no memory of that flight at all, apart from being stuck between two rather rude people. :P I was rather thankful, as it was a two hour flight and I had nothing to do apart from write...and I was extremely tired.
I remember staggering into the airport, thankful it was the last flight, and thinking that it was time to get up for work, back home.
I was so tired and befuddled looking for my luggage, I even walked past Matthew who simply followed, grinning, behind me until he spoke and I was like WUT and whirled around. Then he held out the water. And my hands were full. OUCH.
Finally we got to the carousel, and I drank that bottle in two and an eighth swallows. :P
Snapped the final photographs of Oregon at night and headed out with Matt.
Driving with Matt is...breathtakingly amazing. He takes curves at speed. It's amazing. XD :D We stopped over the Washougal River...yah. I wish my camera had a night-snapping ability. The view was fantastic.
Finally we reached his home...and I got introduced to all five of the girls...and another boy to the three I knew. It was confusing. *laughs* I remember asking if there were any more.
Phoebe showed me her room, which I'm sharing, and I...don't really remember anything else. Except I wanted to sleep. And slept.
Monday:
It was kind of awkward for all of us at first, as it usually is when totally random strangers have to get used to each other. But as the day wore on, the barriers began to collapse.
I woke in the morning to Christina (the baby) and Phoebe sitting opposite me on Phoebe's bed, with Phoebe trying to teach Christina to read - something which she eventually gave up in despair as I was creating far too much excitement for her to have any success.
Mrs Lauser came in then to offer me the use of her bathroom, and when I was dressed, she asked me to do the geography section of the homeschooling lesson - "Life in Britain" while I ate yoghurt and honey for breakfast. That was fun. :D
Phoebe was very excited to do my hair.
Joseph, Mary, Charity and Christina had a great time showing me different things. I got to try a spearmint purpley coloured drink...listen to them playing all varieties of musical instruments...carry Charity and then Mary piggyback on the tour around the house...and my word, they can do amazing gymnastics! Naomi is so flexible!
And by the way, I totally love letting the kids loose with my camera (minus battery usage). The photos they come back with are AMAZING.
I have about thirty pictures of Matt smiling or grinning or laughing on my computer. >:3
When Matt got home from work, we ended up going to see the horses...my first and hopefully NOT last wild ride without a seatbelt in the back of a pickup truck. Oh, it was awesome. Bumpy roads, hair flying, clear sharp air...
And after that? Matt took us to an open spot to the right of the house and gave me my promised shooting lesson. YAY. I GOT TO SHOOT. But I didn't hit anything. :3 Unless it was twigs at the top of the tree. Phoebe did better...she hit the target once. *grins*
Then I helped chop up some herbs? I think! For tea/supper while Matt played the piano...and Doctor Who. :3
To finish off, we played a card game where you had ten cards to make up a sentence. My last sentence was the funniest..."William Shakespeare tickled nurses early in the morning spilling slick juice." ...yep. XD
We had a fun, relaxing day. I can't help but thank God for how at home they've made me feel...and how restful it is, both in the nature around and the people I'm with.
Tuesday:
My Facebook status read: It's very amusing comparing the identities between the Lauser cousins.
Like, Nathaniel and Charity both love making things for visitors.
And the quietness extends to both sides of the family.
And Jay looks more like Mr. Mark than he does his own parents.
And Matt taught me to shoot yesterday and I had a wild ride in the back of the pickup truck WITH NO SEATBELT.
And it's one month exactly on the day I arrived here to the day I arrived in Ireland.
And I love it here. :D
Phoebe reminds me a lot of Rachel Garner...and Naomi looks like Taylor Gatley and reminds me of Grace Garner. :P It's really funny, though, the comparisons I can draw between the cousins.
I came out of the room to be offered something by Joseph that looked like mustard but turned out to be liquidated pumpkin. :D That was funny. It tasted...weird but nice!
Yoghurt with honey...and fresh coffee with honey and cream...YUM. I like my breakfasts here.
Mary made me a flower and attached it to a hairclip...so that's what I wore in my hair all day.
The rest of the day was divided between trying to clean up online stuff and pirate treasure hunts that Charity made - a map and paper treasures, such as a crown, a dog, a cat and accompanying accessories. Both sides of the Lauser family are so inventive!
I was helping to spice up the chicken when Matt came home...and then we left for the post office, the garage and finally, to meet Perry at the Olive Garden, plus Kellen, unseen baby and husband Tyler. It was an amazing time, though most of the time we were watching the baby. The visible one. ;) He was so adorable!
But then, so was Perry. :D
When I came home, we watched Doctor Who - Phoebe, Naomi, Joseph and Jacob... The Shakespeare Code. It was pretty awesome. ;)
It's so good to be here. So exciting. So different and yet...normally unnormal.
The release from the usual, daily pain is enough to let me step back and see fairly clearly how God has brought me this far, stepped back and allowed me to rest before hitting the cycle full speed again. Even the removal of some of the visiting plans has been more of a God-planned rest, because I'm a similar day-to-day cycle which is normal and restful.
To be honest, if I wasn't choosing to rest in Him, I would be using this time to be in a flat panic thinking about things that are going to hit from next week, but He's teaching me slowly but surely to give them to Him, to let go and to focus on the things to hand. And that's helping - a lot.
Yes, I'm right where I'm meant to be. In the circle of His promise. And learning the guidance of His Hand.
It was comforting, as scared as I was of Customs and security again, and as worried and confused as I am over the decision I have to make. God had provided for me to get exactly to where I was, and there was His promise on the clouds - and I was in the centre.
Walking through the airport, I was next to a British chap and his lady friend who nearly tripped me up accidentally with his suitcase and we were making jokes about it down to Customs. Then we hit the queue...
I kept watching the video while we moved slowly but steadily through the rows, thinking about last time and praying constantly.
Finally, I got to the officer, Laslo. It was...amazing. The first thing he did was ask me if I'd worn my USA tshirt especially for the occasion, which I answered, yes I had as I'd already been there that year for a writers' conference. Then he commented on my dogtag...and then my Doctor Who necklace.
The rest of the conversation was filled with Doctor Who references...most of which he picked up. His arm started randomly bleeding, and he had to clean and put a plaster on it while talking to me. The telephone suddenly rang and he asked me if that was for me...and I said no, but as he may need a Doctor, it was probably for him. :D
He wasn't a Who fan though...he asked me if I liked classical or new...and he was a Walking Dead fan. And in the end? He asked me if I'd like to stamp my own passport to allow my entry into the USA, as he only let his favourite people do that. :D :D :D
Never a question about money. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!
Finally, picking up my blue suitcase....entering the USA...and onto handing the suitcase back to the right place...praying desperately for it to make the right destination as I put it in a pileup of other suitcases to be picked up...then onto the next security check through. I'd landed at just gone 12 (New York time) and my next flight to San Francisco left at 2:30ish, so I was panicking somewhat. Unsure where to be, I was kinda looking around for someone and wondering why God didn't send someone like He did the first year...and then realised that that had been my first trip, and I've been travelling...quite a bit since then. :P I suppose I've matured a bit. :P
I found the right queue, passed through security WITHOUT a pat down this time, collected my items and went on to find the gate. I slept through the flight, as I remember, and passed through San Francisco airport with little problem...my only memory of feelings is an overwhelming sense of relief that I hadn't got to go through any more security checks. And that of concern for a woman who was running past me sobbing...I hope she made it okay.
The ceiling of the area had planes - WWII planes, both German, British and Yank, I think - hanging from it. That was fun. :D I wasn't certain I'd got the right gate at first, but eventually figured out that I had, settled down and changed time zone on my phone and logged into the free Wifi on laptop and phone.
By this time, the tiredness hit me - and thirst. I shot a message off to Matthew begging him to bring me some water when he collected me, as I'd only had four drinks that day, and it was nearly 24 hours. Which he promised, very thankfully.
Signed in my carryon at this stop while they were still asking for volunteers...and took my laptop out, which I then carried for the reminder of the journey.
I slept all the way through to Oregon. I have no memory of that flight at all, apart from being stuck between two rather rude people. :P I was rather thankful, as it was a two hour flight and I had nothing to do apart from write...and I was extremely tired.
I remember staggering into the airport, thankful it was the last flight, and thinking that it was time to get up for work, back home.
I was so tired and befuddled looking for my luggage, I even walked past Matthew who simply followed, grinning, behind me until he spoke and I was like WUT and whirled around. Then he held out the water. And my hands were full. OUCH.
Finally we got to the carousel, and I drank that bottle in two and an eighth swallows. :P
Snapped the final photographs of Oregon at night and headed out with Matt.
Driving with Matt is...breathtakingly amazing. He takes curves at speed. It's amazing. XD :D We stopped over the Washougal River...yah. I wish my camera had a night-snapping ability. The view was fantastic.
Finally we reached his home...and I got introduced to all five of the girls...and another boy to the three I knew. It was confusing. *laughs* I remember asking if there were any more.
Phoebe showed me her room, which I'm sharing, and I...don't really remember anything else. Except I wanted to sleep. And slept.
Monday:
It was kind of awkward for all of us at first, as it usually is when totally random strangers have to get used to each other. But as the day wore on, the barriers began to collapse.
I woke in the morning to Christina (the baby) and Phoebe sitting opposite me on Phoebe's bed, with Phoebe trying to teach Christina to read - something which she eventually gave up in despair as I was creating far too much excitement for her to have any success.
Mrs Lauser came in then to offer me the use of her bathroom, and when I was dressed, she asked me to do the geography section of the homeschooling lesson - "Life in Britain" while I ate yoghurt and honey for breakfast. That was fun. :D
Phoebe was very excited to do my hair.
Joseph, Mary, Charity and Christina had a great time showing me different things. I got to try a spearmint purpley coloured drink...listen to them playing all varieties of musical instruments...carry Charity and then Mary piggyback on the tour around the house...and my word, they can do amazing gymnastics! Naomi is so flexible!
And by the way, I totally love letting the kids loose with my camera (minus battery usage). The photos they come back with are AMAZING.
I have about thirty pictures of Matt smiling or grinning or laughing on my computer. >:3
When Matt got home from work, we ended up going to see the horses...my first and hopefully NOT last wild ride without a seatbelt in the back of a pickup truck. Oh, it was awesome. Bumpy roads, hair flying, clear sharp air...
And after that? Matt took us to an open spot to the right of the house and gave me my promised shooting lesson. YAY. I GOT TO SHOOT. But I didn't hit anything. :3 Unless it was twigs at the top of the tree. Phoebe did better...she hit the target once. *grins*
Then I helped chop up some herbs? I think! For tea/supper while Matt played the piano...and Doctor Who. :3
To finish off, we played a card game where you had ten cards to make up a sentence. My last sentence was the funniest..."William Shakespeare tickled nurses early in the morning spilling slick juice." ...yep. XD
We had a fun, relaxing day. I can't help but thank God for how at home they've made me feel...and how restful it is, both in the nature around and the people I'm with.
Tuesday:
My Facebook status read: It's very amusing comparing the identities between the Lauser cousins.
Like, Nathaniel and Charity both love making things for visitors.
And the quietness extends to both sides of the family.
And Jay looks more like Mr. Mark than he does his own parents.
And Matt taught me to shoot yesterday and I had a wild ride in the back of the pickup truck WITH NO SEATBELT.
And it's one month exactly on the day I arrived here to the day I arrived in Ireland.
And I love it here. :D
Phoebe reminds me a lot of Rachel Garner...and Naomi looks like Taylor Gatley and reminds me of Grace Garner. :P It's really funny, though, the comparisons I can draw between the cousins.
I came out of the room to be offered something by Joseph that looked like mustard but turned out to be liquidated pumpkin. :D That was funny. It tasted...weird but nice!
Yoghurt with honey...and fresh coffee with honey and cream...YUM. I like my breakfasts here.
Mary made me a flower and attached it to a hairclip...so that's what I wore in my hair all day.
The rest of the day was divided between trying to clean up online stuff and pirate treasure hunts that Charity made - a map and paper treasures, such as a crown, a dog, a cat and accompanying accessories. Both sides of the Lauser family are so inventive!
I was helping to spice up the chicken when Matt came home...and then we left for the post office, the garage and finally, to meet Perry at the Olive Garden, plus Kellen, unseen baby and husband Tyler. It was an amazing time, though most of the time we were watching the baby. The visible one. ;) He was so adorable!
But then, so was Perry. :D
When I came home, we watched Doctor Who - Phoebe, Naomi, Joseph and Jacob... The Shakespeare Code. It was pretty awesome. ;)
It's so good to be here. So exciting. So different and yet...normally unnormal.
The release from the usual, daily pain is enough to let me step back and see fairly clearly how God has brought me this far, stepped back and allowed me to rest before hitting the cycle full speed again. Even the removal of some of the visiting plans has been more of a God-planned rest, because I'm a similar day-to-day cycle which is normal and restful.
To be honest, if I wasn't choosing to rest in Him, I would be using this time to be in a flat panic thinking about things that are going to hit from next week, but He's teaching me slowly but surely to give them to Him, to let go and to focus on the things to hand. And that's helping - a lot.
Yes, I'm right where I'm meant to be. In the circle of His promise. And learning the guidance of His Hand.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts. :)