Moldova Missions Trip – Day 1 – Thursday

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En Route to Moldova…

We spent our entire first day flying to Moldova.  The first day officially ended somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.  The day started out a bit rocky, but the Lord always proves faithful.  We were registering at the desk at the Airport in Helena when we were informed that most of our tickets were made wrong and that our luggage would only be checked as far as Frankfurt Germany.  That meant that we would have to exit security, claim the luggage and send it on to Moldova.  It that were all, it would not be that big of a deal but from Germany, we would only be allowed one suit case weighing, at most, 44 pounds, while we had two suitcases with a max of 50 pounds each.  That means we would have to pay for the extra freight, which would cost as much as $200 dollars per person! Yes, you read that right!

With much finagling, and tremendous help from Jan, we were still not able to change things.  Here is what apparently happened:  Some of our flights were booked on an airline that has an agreement with Delta.  Those flights had an agreement with “Air Moldova” and those pieces of luggage would be checked all the way through.  Most of the other flights (Including Carol’s and mine) were booked through a different airline that does not have an agreement with Delta and therefore would not ship the luggage all the way through.  Here is the catch though, BOTH OF THOSE NON-DELTA AIRLINES WERE THE SAME PLANE! So, while I was not on an airline with an agreement with Delta, I could be sitting next to someone who was flying with another company, and on the same plane that did have an agreement with Delta!

God is so good! Immediately the word went out and people all over were praying for us! A member of our team came up with the idea of trying to get someone in Salt Lake City to try to intervene with us.  Instead of trying to get the company that did not have the agreement, to have our luggage checked in all the way to Moldova, what if we could switch which company we were flying with (but, again, on the same plane).  Ron and Sharon were able to get the assistance of a very kind lady who was willing to try to give us assistance.  This wonderful woman, tracked down each piece of luggage in a sea of luggage and re-routed them all.  She was fairly certain she got them all.  After we boarded the plane at Salt Lake, this kind lady, ran on board at the last minute, saying she thinks she did it.  What service!

At that point, we took a leap of faith and decided that no one would go out side of security at Frankfurt and look for any of our luggage.  We flew through the night, over the Atlantic, knowing well that God is, once again, faithful.