"God Loves Us" (copy of letter sent to sisters and JBR)

This is an email I wrote today and sent to JBR. Hope its not too boring and maybe it will help you also remember how much God loves you too.

Also, I wrote about almost dying near Bateman's Bay at the very end of the email. I'll recap the experience. JBR and I were driving in Australia after a long day of hiking down south a little. we saw kangaroos, etc. etc. They drive on left side of the road, opposite to us. We were driving and suddenly we saw these two headlights coming striagnt towards us as we turned around the corner. our reflexes were slow, we did nothing, that car did this miraculous swerve and barely missed us. We kept driving, in shock for a little then suddenly jeff said, "We're driving on the wrong side of the road!" and swer ved to the side we should have been driving. Our lives were saved. we had no clue. even after that car almost hit us. we were saved by God and the reflexes of that driver. WE should have died. The likelihood of us coming out of that was so small yet by some miracle we did. We were saved. Saved. it's hard to even express it in words how much we should have died and how miraculous it was we didn't.
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JBR,
I was just looking at all the receipts from returning those tickets to cities in Australia and felt sad. Especially Ayer's Rock and Hobart. I still really want to go to Ayer's Rock and Tazmania. Too bad I didn't have just a thousand more dollars saved up.

There was a BLIZZARD in the East Coast.

God really watches out for us.

I'll tell you how. (Maybe it will remind you of all the times he's watched out for you too.)

First off, Austin came over to europe with me on my Amsterdam trip. Sounds simple but it wasn't. I had to search and search for a trip that had ANY open seats and try to get it. (It's spring break and all our flights are full). I was able to trade for the Amsterdam trip. I felt very strongly I should keep it even when one or two other trips opened up. That day there were several cancellations on other airlines and so all the europe flights were over-sold with revenue standbys, including Amsterdam. I talked to the red coat (ticket agent supervisor) and told her my "boyfriend" was trying to get on the flight and that I'd appreciate whatever she could do to help him out. She said, "There's a seat in first class and we don't put coach people in first class even if over-sold . Why don't you change his listing to first class?" I said, "He's not on a Companion Pass so he's not elligble." She said, "Oh. Well, let me talk to the concierge and see what we can do." Next thing you know, Austin walks on the airplane with a first class ticket. He is a very lucky, very blessed Austin. We were lucky that particular Red Coat was working that flight because she could lose her job for that. So could I.

But here's where it gets really crazy and really serious: I prayed about what trip I should do this last week cause it was a really important one: Austin was coming back from Europe with me and he had to get on. He could not miss class. And I could not spare the time to go back and get him. This was when no one had any clue a big blizzard was coming. I(t was 65 degrees in New York! And the ten day forecast never mentioned anything.) I already had that one sunday off (that's when you called me) for Jennie Hsu's Patriarchial Blessing. Then I had a trip mon-wed and thurs-sat. That thurs-sat is the one Austin would be coming back on. I advertised the mon-wed and someone took it. I kept checking for trips and felt good about NONE of them. It was strange because I really need the money and this middle trip would not effect Austin. . .atleast so I thought. Next thing you know it was late monday morning, too late to pick up a trip for that day. Why?! What was I supposed to do?? I was a little upset and was thinking about this when a Copenhagen popped in for WEDNESDAY. I had a trip Thursday that I could trade for Wednesday. . .the trip Austin was coming back with me on. I was only eligible to trade for this copenhagen because I did not have a trip mon-wed because it LEFT on wednesday. Do you understand that? Problem is, If I picked up this trip, I'd have two days off before it (mon, tues) and one day off after it (satruday). it seemed like such a waste of time!! I looked up the loads coming back on all the europe destinations for saturday and all the europe destinations for friday. The Copenhagen for Friday did not look as good as the Copenhagen for Saturday or some other europe destinations. Me AND my mom prayed if I should pick up this Copenhagen and we felt that I should. It didn't make sense to me because then I'd have a whole day off (Saturday,today) in-between my next trip (which is an Oslo leaving on Sunday, tomorrow). I never do that. It doesn't make sense for me to do that. I can't change my sunday trip for Saturday because I have plans in Oslo! I hope this is making sense because it really is hard to explain.

So, long story short, instead of doing two trips this week, I did one. I visited Britain and Ben in DC monday and tuesday and flew back to Newark wednesday to do my trip. Off I went to Copenhagen and met up with Austin. We had a fabulous time there and left for the airport friday morning. When we got there there was news of a blizzard heading towards Newark. The flight was full at that point and about five or six people decided to not go because they were told they might miss their connections. So, there were five open seats and Austin got on. Halfway through the flight we were told that because of strong head winds and the potential blizzard conditions in Newark, we would have to stop off at Goose Bay Canada to refuel. We stopped. It was arctic and sharp and pretty much spectacular scenery. (customers were complaining a little and so were flight attendants but that's life with bad weather on an airplane. Plus, everyone was informed before the flight left that things may happen like this so they couldn't complain too much.)

Right, so we took off again and instead of getting in to Newark at noon, we got in at 3pm. We were amongst the last airplanes that were allowed to land and THE last to get a gate that wasn't occupied. (All other flights were diverted to who knows where or cancelled at the origin.) 4pm I met up with Austin at baggage claim. A friend of Austin's that he met while snow board instructing at the Canyons was picking him up and i asked if she could drive me to my crash pad since, at this point, it would be impossible to get a cab and most of the busses weren't running. She said yes. We slowly made our way trhough the snow to the Ironbound section of newark and with many, many expressions of gratitude, i left them and walked into my crash pad 5 hours late and feeling very, very blessed. All flights were cancelled for this morning as well and everyone who had a trip leaving today is getting thrown around by scheduling. My resented day off today has now turned into my thankful day off. I can rest and wait out all the dramas that I don't have to be involved in and get ready for my oslo tomorrow.

So, to recap the main points, doing this copenhagen trip at a very strange time during the week saved both Austin and me. Austin, because he never would've made it back in time for class (especially because the flights would be even more full after the cancellations.) (~speaking of Austin, he just called me and informed me that he has arrived home safe in Syracuse and thanked me again for the trip~) Austin and I had some good conversations that we needed to have, he's had some expreiences he's needed to have as he plans his future. He wants to live abroad and work doing conflict resolution. He took a tour of the Hague and was able to check out many parts of Europe he's never seen before. He's had other realizations as well which I dont need to go into. It was a trip that Austin needed and God loves him very, very much. He was looking out for him and guiding my actions the whole way.

This Copenhagen trip saved me because of allowing me to miss most of the blizzard dramas and also I was able to see Britain and Ben whom I love. Also, i don't have to worry about figuring out a time to pick Austin up. Also, I love Copenhagen, mostly the people, and I discovered one of my favorite European cafe's, Cafe Katz. Which I probably wouldn't have gone to if Austin wasn't with me. I had the best time.

And God Loves Us Very Very Much.
And God loves YOU very very much. I thank God I am alive. We could've died down there by Bateman's Bay.
oxo