Well, after managing to sort of live in a state of denial for a while, reality hit yesterday (which I guess was handy as I left early this morning). Yesterday was my last day at IHOP-KC (for now) and it was a really lovely, yet sad day. It was really special because I felt so loved all day. Getting numerous hugs from people I have only known a short while, and just feeling loved by the amazing people I’ve had the privelege to know during the past months was really precious.
Sad because it was time to say good-bye, and many I don’t know when, or even if, I’ll see again. Still, it was also a time of discovering God’s faithfulness and really seeing how my prayer for Him to give me friends while I was in Kansas City had been answered in abundance.
Spent the day in class, the prayer room and also just chatting to people and having final cups of coffee at “Higher Grounds”. I finished my evening off by going to the 10-12pm set in the prayer room (i.e. the prayer meeting), which was really lovely. My housemate Leah who does nightwatch (i.e. she basically prays through the night from 12-6am and has switched her day to be during the night if that makes sense) gave me a lift home and as we were talking I mentioned that when I come back at some point in the future we’d have to go to IHOP (as in the International House of Pancakes) for breakfast. To which she responded: “why don’t we go today?”. Knowing sleep would not be restful anyway, I agreed and she headed off to the prayer room while I got finished packing (as in packing, weighing my suitcase and bag, repacking, weighing again, and so on…you get the picture. I was allowed 2 times 50 pounds/22.5kg…and I still needed to take some stuff out at the airport, but anyways).
At 2 am I had a nap, and then at 4 am she came and got me and we went to IHOP and I had eggs, bacon, and buttermilk pancakes and coffee (to wake me up). When we were done eating we got in the car and headed off for a final little time in the prayer room (for those who haven’t got it yet- it is a 24 hour prayer room, so yes, it is open even at 5 am). On the way from IHOP to IHOP-KC we got pulled over by the police (it’s a 5 minute drive) and so I got to experience that too…it wasn’t anything serious, although I felt for the policelady as I think she was having a bad day/night. We had about half an hour in the prayer room and then headed home. As I walked out the door of the prayer room I started feeling a little tearyeyed as it struck me that it was really over. I miss it! I miss the focus on God and I miss being around people who just love God and are going hard after Him. Sat her I look at the time and realise that if it had been yesterday I would have already had 6 hours in the prayer room…
My lovely friends Robin and Carmen took me to the airport, and they nearly got towed had it not been for Carmen’s watchful eye. Check-in went fine, one of my bags was 51 pounds heavy, and so I had to take some peanut butter and a jar of marshmallow fluff out (we don’t have marshmallow fluff in Norway). Then they left and it was just me. I had a wee cry in the restroom (also known as the loo or toilet for those who speak British English). I’d managed to keep the tears in till then, but I got a bit overwhelmed and didn’t feel ready to leave. And then I went to wait for my first flight.
At the moment I am sat in the foodcourt of Atlanta Airport. I’ve just eaten a soggy cesar salad with some dry foccacia bread with sweet (note: very sweet) lemonade, and since I managed to find a free wireless network I figured now was as good a time as any to write an update (and also a good way to kill time as I still have a few hours till my next flight) + I need to charge my ipod ready for my 9 hour flight from here to Amsterdam. And now the internet isn’t working anymore, for google anyway. But I will post this when I get “connected” again.
So not quite halfway home yet, but already feeling the unsettledness of change. I still don’t know what the next steps are practically, but I continue to trust in a faithful God who knows. Watch this space to find out where the journey goes next…I am just as curious as you are.
Still travelling…
Well, the few hours to kill in Atlanta turned into many hours of waiting. Instead of leaving at 5.15 pm, it left closer to 9 pm. But that was fine. The flight in itself went ok, although I never quite managed to master the art of getting a good night’s sleep cramped into an airplane seat. Now I’m sat at the airport in Amsterdam. Waiting. My delay caused me to miss my connection twice (i.e. my original flight, and the next flight they booked me onto), so now I have yet another few hours to wait until I get on my final flight.
Home at last!
Sad because it was time to say good-bye, and many I don’t know when, or even if, I’ll see again. Still, it was also a time of discovering God’s faithfulness and really seeing how my prayer for Him to give me friends while I was in Kansas City had been answered in abundance.
Spent the day in class, the prayer room and also just chatting to people and having final cups of coffee at “Higher Grounds”. I finished my evening off by going to the 10-12pm set in the prayer room (i.e. the prayer meeting), which was really lovely. My housemate Leah who does nightwatch (i.e. she basically prays through the night from 12-6am and has switched her day to be during the night if that makes sense) gave me a lift home and as we were talking I mentioned that when I come back at some point in the future we’d have to go to IHOP (as in the International House of Pancakes) for breakfast. To which she responded: “why don’t we go today?”. Knowing sleep would not be restful anyway, I agreed and she headed off to the prayer room while I got finished packing (as in packing, weighing my suitcase and bag, repacking, weighing again, and so on…you get the picture. I was allowed 2 times 50 pounds/22.5kg…and I still needed to take some stuff out at the airport, but anyways).
At 2 am I had a nap, and then at 4 am she came and got me and we went to IHOP and I had eggs, bacon, and buttermilk pancakes and coffee (to wake me up). When we were done eating we got in the car and headed off for a final little time in the prayer room (for those who haven’t got it yet- it is a 24 hour prayer room, so yes, it is open even at 5 am). On the way from IHOP to IHOP-KC we got pulled over by the police (it’s a 5 minute drive) and so I got to experience that too…it wasn’t anything serious, although I felt for the policelady as I think she was having a bad day/night. We had about half an hour in the prayer room and then headed home. As I walked out the door of the prayer room I started feeling a little tearyeyed as it struck me that it was really over. I miss it! I miss the focus on God and I miss being around people who just love God and are going hard after Him. Sat her I look at the time and realise that if it had been yesterday I would have already had 6 hours in the prayer room…
My lovely friends Robin and Carmen took me to the airport, and they nearly got towed had it not been for Carmen’s watchful eye. Check-in went fine, one of my bags was 51 pounds heavy, and so I had to take some peanut butter and a jar of marshmallow fluff out (we don’t have marshmallow fluff in Norway). Then they left and it was just me. I had a wee cry in the restroom (also known as the loo or toilet for those who speak British English). I’d managed to keep the tears in till then, but I got a bit overwhelmed and didn’t feel ready to leave. And then I went to wait for my first flight.
At the moment I am sat in the foodcourt of Atlanta Airport. I’ve just eaten a soggy cesar salad with some dry foccacia bread with sweet (note: very sweet) lemonade, and since I managed to find a free wireless network I figured now was as good a time as any to write an update (and also a good way to kill time as I still have a few hours till my next flight) + I need to charge my ipod ready for my 9 hour flight from here to Amsterdam. And now the internet isn’t working anymore, for google anyway. But I will post this when I get “connected” again.
So not quite halfway home yet, but already feeling the unsettledness of change. I still don’t know what the next steps are practically, but I continue to trust in a faithful God who knows. Watch this space to find out where the journey goes next…I am just as curious as you are.
Still travelling…
Well, the few hours to kill in Atlanta turned into many hours of waiting. Instead of leaving at 5.15 pm, it left closer to 9 pm. But that was fine. The flight in itself went ok, although I never quite managed to master the art of getting a good night’s sleep cramped into an airplane seat. Now I’m sat at the airport in Amsterdam. Waiting. My delay caused me to miss my connection twice (i.e. my original flight, and the next flight they booked me onto), so now I have yet another few hours to wait until I get on my final flight.
Home at last!
With the wireless network in Amsterdam not being free, I finalise this post at home. After 29 hours of travelling I am finally home; tired, but glad to be done with my marathon travelling. And the sun is actually shining, just for a change (after me having told everyone that it always rains here). It’s lovely.