Monday, February 17, 2014

Living the Dream

Living the dream of the CSI international director... Writing to you from the airport in Santiago, Chile after my first trip of the year to South America.

Yes I did hang out with friendly Latin Americans. Yes I did eat ceviche and other exotic food. Yes I did get a surf at Punta Rocas. Yes I did have many meetings encouraging CS leaders. You can see it all on Instagram and Facebook.

But..........

I arrived to Lima airport to go to our Brazil meeting and realised I had forgotten to arrange a visa.

I was rejected at the Brazilian embassy for an emergency visa.

I was told I could not adjust my ticket nor get a refund.

I spent a day beating myself up for being so stupid.

I decided to go home a day early only to discover that all three midnight flights were jammed due to a cancelled flight and no standby tickets.

I discovered there is no seating at the airport in Lima, Peru.

I spent a night sitting in a cafe chair under fluoro lights trying to sleep.

I was told next morning my first flight out was oversold.

I got a ticket for the next flight, then they told me the seat was broken and I could not have it, which made me late to Santiago.

I missed my direct flight to Sydney which was the whole reason for shifting to this time.

I have now been sitting for 10 hours in the transit area awaiting a ticket home, it's been 24 hours since I left the place I was staying in Lima. I cannot go back, I cannot get out. There is no food, water, WiFi, shops, friends, distractions - feels like a scene from the movie "The Terminal" without the people, dry wall opportunity...... and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

I do have Juanita the cleaner, whom I watch doing her rounds cleaning the toilets.

And I am reading Philippians 4:11-13 where Paul writes to his support team in Philippi and says, "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether is is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."

How many times is that verse 13, "I can do all everything through Christ who gives me strength," misquoted (by myself as well) as if the strength Christ gives is to pass over all obstacles, problems, barriers, weaknesses, opposition when in fact he is really saying the Christ-given strength is the strength to know contentment whilst I am going through them. So rather than thinking the battle is to see Christ change my circumstances to make me content, it's the battle to change me in the midst of circumstances to know contentment.

God is bigger than my mistakes, my circumstances and my feelings. My contentment needs to be bigger than all of these otherwise I am no different.

So I am learning a lesson in contentment. Focusing on thanking God, praying, reading, thinking, catching up on writing and smiling at Juanita as she passes by.

But for sure can't wait to get out of here either!

Another day living the dream as the International Director...

Oh, there's more, finally got on the plane after a half-hour delay, we taxied and waited half hour - then returned to gate, broken air-con. Now 1:30am, been travelling 28 hours and I'm still in South America. Being contentment tested. Stay tuned!


















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