Happy New Year! To tell all that happened the last week or so of 2009 would take too much space here, but I will share the nutshell version. Be blessed!
India recently made a new law that all American tourists must stay out of India for at least 2 months before re-entering the country (at the end of each 6-month stay). My friend Sarah and I got news of this the day before we left for Thailand for the end of our 6-month stay. We were planning to be gone for a week and a half before flying back for a youth conference in Bangalore over Christmas. We had no idea how this would work, but we had no choice except to go ahead. While we were in Bangkok, we spent about 1/2 our time working on exams and classwork to send back, just in case we were not able to re-enter India. Just a day or so before we were to fly back to India, Sarah suggested a "fleece" (see Judges 6) for the Lord: if we were not going to be able to re-enter India, that the Lord would make us miss our flight from Bangkok, leaving us stranded in Thailand; but, if it was God's will that we try, that we would make our flight with plenty of time to spare. We tried our best to be at the airport with lots of time to spare, and we made it with no problem. We had the answer to our fleece! But then came the struggle of trust. When we flew into Calcutta, Sarah and I were praying the whole way through to customs. When we got to the customs officers, Sarah was sent to one man, and I was sent to another. The man who helped Sarah didn't ask her any questions, simply stamped her passport and waved her on. The man helping me asked me so many questions and told me that the 2-month law had gone into effect just the day before! I was trembling in my shoes and begging God for just a little of the favor He had impressed the prince of the eunuchs to show to Daniel. I told the man that I was with the group putting on this conference and asked if there was a way we could make an exception. Just before he gave his final "No!" he stopped and told me to go sit down. While I waited (and while Sarah and I both prayed hard!) he talked to the man who had taken care of Sarah. That other man told him basically "Let her be." When my customs officer waved me back over, he smiled, stamped my passport, and said, "We'll let it be this once. Have a nice trip!"
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow!"
God still parts the Jordan Rivers that we face, if we will just trust Him enough to put our feet into the water! :)
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