Partially Depraved

Although I am back in Skopje, FINALLY, I learned something about myself. Once I was totally depraved. Then I met Jesus and He delivered me from my sin. Hallelujah! However, this trip back from Colorado Springs convinced me that I am still partially depraved.

Adding two extra nights to my trip was only part of the problem. Being told that I had to pay extra for a bag that was already checked in at my first airport, that set me off. I was not only unpleasant to the ticket agents, but was pretty unpleasant with everyone thereafter. Especially when I was refused entrance into one of the lounges.

As I look back on my responses, I feel that I missed a huge opportunity to demonstrate grace and forgiveness. Oh well. Maybe next time things don't go so well I will remember this trip and learn to respond more appropriately.

Yup, partially depraved.

Trent

The Saga Continues

After spending many minutes on the phone trying to track down my luggage, I was told by United agents to call Lufthansa, as they had been turned over to them. They told me that I needed to go to the airport and talk to a ticket agent.

So, after making arrangements with my son in Wheaton, and booking a room at a cheaper hotel closer to Wheaton, I headed to the airport. There I was told that whoever re-booked my flight over the phone had done so incorrectly. I get a special missionary fare which is much harder to change when things go wrong.

She told me that there were not any flights available for several days. I asked her to keep checking. She managed to come up with a route that uses Swiss to Zurich and then Jugoslavian Air to Belgrade and then on to Skopje. However, there is an 8-9 hour layover here in Zurich, where I am typing this.

After all is said and done, instead of getting home on Satuurday at 4:00, I HOPE to get home Monday at 10:30 PM!

It WAS nice to spend the day with JAmes and Bethany. I got to attend church with them and meet some of their friends. We went out to a GREAT Asian restaurant after church. Yum.

Well, pray that I can actually make it home tonight!

Thanks.

Trent

Stranded in Chicago

It happened again. Flying through Chicago inevitably leaves me with a travel story. This time is no different. Thanks to inclement weather in San Francisco, my plane from Colorado Springs to Chicago was 2 hours late. I figured I still had 35-40 minutes, which is normally enough time.

I did not count on having to wait for 30 minutes in the temporary parking area called the "penalty box". Well, not being one to give up easily, I got off the plane and began running from one end of the "C" concourse to the far end of the "B" concourse. HAlfway to the gate, I got that sinking feeling. That feeling that comes when you think you left the oven on when you go on a trip. Or left the garage door open. Well in my case, I left my jacket, with my tickets, in the overhead bin of the plane I had just left. In my hurry to get off the plane, I fotgot about it.

So, I ran back to the gate. Huffing and puffing and out of breath, the gate agent assured me that they had not bgun boarding yet. I tried to explain, thorugh large gasps, probably resembling the air intake on the jet engines, that I left my jacket on the plane. They let me on and sure enough it was there.

So, I begin running AGAIN to the gate. About halfway there, I start coughing. The running triggered my asthma. I slow down to a fast walk. As I near the gate I can see it is empty. :-( I talk to an agent at an adjacent gate and am told that the plane actually left a bit early. So, even if I had not forgoten my jacket I would not have made the flight.

So, I then had to wait in a mile-long line with others who had missed other flights. After 45 minutes of waiting, we are told that the people we are waiting to see are going home for the night. It is 11:00 P.M. So, like sheep, we follow the agent to another part of the airport and get in another mile-long line. After waiting for another 30 minutes, we are told that ten people can go downstairs and get their tickets changed. I am one of the ten. Good? Not so good.

After waiting for my turn, the agent tells me that he is unable to rebook any tickets but can provide hotel vouchers. So he punches my flight in and discovers that there are two codes attached to my flight. He calls his supervisor and discovers that part of the flight is weather related and therefore not subject to any voucher. But the part where I was on the tarmac waiting to get to the gate is "voucherable." So they agree to give me a hotel voucher for the night plus $7 worht of food coupons for the next day at the aiport.

After waiting 30 minutes for the shuttle, I get to my hotel and wait for 20 minutes while other stranded passnegers check in. By now it is well after midnight.

Once I get to the room, I immediately call United and am placed on hold. I was on hold so long, I celebrated two birthdays.

I was told that there are no flights the next night and will have to wait one more night before I can fly back to Macedonia..

The good news in all this, is I get to spend a day and a half with my son who is a senior at Wheaton.

I will update this after I get back. IF I get back. :-)

Trent

Meetings...Can be Good

Making it to CO was no easy thing when confronted with a winter storm in IA. Thankfully, our plane made it out from Des Moines just minutes before they shut the airport down for a while. The connection time in Denver was so short that Doug Grogan and I just walked from one gate to the next and then got right on the plane! Nice!

Now we are in C. Springs for the BOD meetings. Meetings are not something we normally look forward to, right? But where would we be if God had not met us! Where would we be if we cancelled all meetings everywhere? Not a pretty sight. I don't always enjoy every meeting, but realize that even in the midst of a rather dull business meeting, God can show up and surprise you. Pray that these meetings go well.

I return to Skopje on Friday/Saturday (leave Friday and arrive Saturday). Pray for good connections all the way.

Thanks.

Trent

Metal Detector vs. Sin Detector

Well, I survived the long arduous trip to Thailand. I am re-adjusting to the Central European time zone once again. Just in time to go to the States for some meetings preceded by a ministry weekend in IA. As I went through the various security checks in the different airports, I got to thinking about something. The metal detectors.

What would happen if instead of checking for metal they were set to find sin? Ai-ya! (To coin an old Chinese phrase). Now THAT would be embarrassing. Just imagine being called aside to explain certain impure thoughts or words of gossip, or feelings of envy and jealousy. Oh my word! That thing would be beeping non-stop.

Aren't you glad that when we are IN Jesus, and our sin and sins are all confessed, that the detector wouldn't set off any alarms? I wish I were at that point all the time. Oh well.

Next time you go through a metal detector, why not think about what sin might be detected and do like I try to do now, offer up a prayer of forgiveness.

Just a thought.

Trent

Thailand to Skopje

I just returned from a leadership conference in Thailand. The week-long conference was certainly enjoyable. I only hope it proves to be profitable too. The last one of these world-wide conferences was also held in Thailand six years ago. MasterPlanning was introduced to the fields and that proved to be beneficial. This time a new assessment tool for helping missionaires grow was unveiled.

Rock Dillaman spoke prophetically as to where he sees the Church and the C&MA and where it needs to be. HArd words were shared.

The best part of the conference for me was the interaction with other FD's from our Europe and Middle East region. About the only thing we share in common is the name of the region. Nevertheless, there is great profit from bouncing ideas off others who have a similar responsibility.

To all of you who support the GCF, THANKS! I value your participation in the gospel!

More later. Gotta leave for Kosovo soon.

Trent