Dates

Strangely enough, it seems that this program is not fixing the dates right. It's not 06 January when this, and the previous blogs, were written. They were written on 02 July 2009.
Just thought I'd clarify!

Sitting in Hong Kong

Well, here I am in the Hong Kong International Airport at 2:55 AM Hong Kong Time (1:55 PM CST). I can't believe that only a few hours ago I was in Lincoln, Nebraska and now I'm half way around the world. 

I'm only 3/4 done with the trip but I have seen God's hand work as I've transited/transferred in Minneapolis and Tokyo. First of all, Minneapolis is one huge airport! We landed at Gate C and had to walk all the way to Gate G to board our international flight. I thought it was close . . . apparently not! I was definitely able to stretch my legs out before sitting down for 13 hours. We only had 40 minutes to reach our gate before boarding began and I was scared that we wouldn't make it. But, God is good and I (and my mom & sister) made it to the gate on time. And even though our seats got changed around Mimi was able to sit beside Mom and I was only one seat behind us. Then in Tokyo when I went to ask the lady at the boarding gate if the three of us could sit together she already had the boarding passes ready . . . with all of us next to each other! 

I don't think I've ever prayed so hard in my life before. Even though I've had months to prepare for the reality of flying out of the country without my dad, I didn't think I was ready to venture out on my own . . . and fly internationally the first time too! As much as I want to be treated like a grown up I realized, when I left, I didn't really know what being by myself was really like. And looking at it I wonder if I'm ready for the next year completely without my parents. I know that I will be surrounded by family but it's different from being around your family.
Well, I have another 4 hours here in Hong Kong. The airport is devoid of life except for the construction workers. It feels weird to be sitting here and noticing how different life is and how different people are. I've seen many travelers, and workers, wearing surgical masks in avoidance of the new strain of flu. How different it is from the States where travelers enjoy the security (or denial!) of the worries of sickness. I realize that living in the States has made me grow up overlooking so many things in life. It's going to be a challenging year for me. But, I enjoy challenges . . . they're great grounds for growth and maturity. 

So, goodbye for now (from Hong Kong)