July 16 - I have arrived safe and sound

Ministry Partners,

As I prepared to go to the airport on July 14, panic struck my heart. There are two things as I prepared to go that were extremely important to be done - one was to make sure that I had All my medications and that I had the credit card that I had paid for my ticket with and a second credit card, just in case I may need it. I have personal knowledge of someone previously that tried to fly and was able unable to and sent his friend went all the way back to his house and got hiscredit card and brought it to the airport. So those are the two things medications and my credit cards. Those two things had been sitting on my dining room table for more than a couple weeks along with my waist pack that carries my Tens unit, passport, some cash and a few other things.

Although I was not being picked up until 8:45 I was wide awake at 5:30 so I thought I would get up and get ready and then do some work on the blog. I had made a special satin pouch that attached to the inside of my bra to carry my credit cards in for safety. So I picked up my waist pack and put it on and as I reached for the credit cards to put them in their special hiding place, they were gone, nowhere to be seen. I can't tell you how much panic set in that moment. I took my waist pack completely apart searching every pocket and every item in it. Then I took everything out of my carry-on and searched every item and opened every zip lock. The credit cards were not to be found. I search my purse wondering if for some reason I had mistakenly put them back in there. I even turned the chair that I sit in next to my home computer upside down thinking perhaps I had been holding them in my hand and for some reason sent them on the seat  and they fallen down between the arm of the chair.

I called my neighbor at 7:30 and asked her to pray and she asked if I wanted her to come over and help me look but I told her no as I had so completely searched everywhere two times over and sometimes three times that I had absolutely no idea where to even look. I kept asking over and over again for the Holy Spirit to show me where they were but I now know that once again God wanted to use this opportunity for me to trust him. I decided to take the credit card bill showing that I had paid for the tickets with me, I took my driver’s license with me, my Northwest medical teams photo badge, my KLM card, my Delta SkyMiles card and my last two credit cards. I decided that if worse came to worse I would just pay for the ticket a second time with the new credit card I was taking.

The person that came to take me to the airport prayed with me about it, then we loaded the four large bags, my carry-on, brief case and ME and headed for the airport. Once inside, the line to go to the ticket counter was the longest I had seen so I was told by a gentleman at the end of the line that I needed to go to one of the kiosks and get my boarding pass before I got to the counter. The first thing that came up on the screen gave me three options to start and I can tell you I did not pick the credit card symbol but they actually had a symbol that said "Delta SkyMiles" which I swiped then it asked for my confirmation number, which I had finally it asked for my passport which I had when I pushed the finish button and heard my boarding pass start to print I can't tell you the relief that filled my heart and my head!

I had just watched God do the first miracle on this trip and when I got to the counter and paid for the two extra suitcases with the credit card I was carrying, nothing about the credit card I had purchased my ticket with was mentioned. Plus I noticed an extra gift from the Lord as both my PDX and Amsterdam boarding passes were marked TSA precheck!!!!!!!

PRAISE HIS NAME

In Amsterdam I met a number of people that were going toEntebbe, one of which was a Muslim lady who I had the opportunity to share the gospel with. I just know God is going to demonstrate more of  his power on this trip and I'm going to see him do many miracles.

It was quite late when we got into Entebbe but Pastor Geoffrey and Pastor Aaron and a lady named Peace were at the airport to meet me while Alfred was at our hotel making sure everyone's room is ready. It was after midnight by the time we arrived at the hotel and it was almost 3 o'clock before I pull down the mosquito net, slid under it and laid my head down on the pillow. Go figure then why my eyes were open before 7 AM. There was just so much to do today.

We took the drive into town to try to set up our bank account here but right after pulling out of the driveway discovered we had a flat tire which Pastor Aaron and Alfred changed, we left the tire to get fixed at a gas station and then proceeded to the bank but we were told that I needed to have a "work" visa. At first the gentleman was going to take the visa I had which was a special one, different than I've ever gotten before, as it covered not only Uganda but Kenya and other neighboring countries for a period of three months for which I could do my missionary work. Alfred had told me that we each needed 4 photos, small ones for the banks that they attache to our documents to open the account. I had printed 4 "head shots" of him and of myself but the man at the bank said they were too large a size and that we needed to go have new photos taken.

We were told that because it was Saturday the bank would close at 12:30 and since it was 11:30 we hurriedly went down the street to a place that said "20 min. passport photos". 50 min. later with new photos in hand we hurried back the three blocks to the bank before it closed and that's when we were told that the visa I had would not work for us to get a bank account. Work as a Missionary did not hold enough weight. She said I would have to get a document from the Commissioner of Prisons saying we were doing ministry within the prisons on their letterhead or we would have to get a letter from Pastor Geoffrey, on his letterhead, saying we were doing ministry with his church. We will have to come back now on Monday.

Then we were off to the Printerie to have our Discipleship Booklet printed to go with each Bible and some to go  with another small booklet for the graduating pastors of the Bible School where I will give the commencement message.

Aaron and I waited in the car while Alfred tried to take care of our electronic and modem issues so we can get on the Internet. We then met for a few minutes with Geoffery and Peace and there we were off to the grocery store to get the supplies for our daily lunches and bottled water, precious bottled water.

We arrived back at the hotel at 6:30 in time to order dinner while Alfred tried to find out why I had no electricity or hot water. One of the young men came right away saying that some people in the garden that were playing music had unplugged something so that they could plug their sound system in. After a few minutes I had electricity and hot water it will feel good to take a long hot soak before I go to bed tonight.

Please continue to pray, we meet with the Commissioner General of Prisons on Monday but tomorrow, Sunday, Pastor John from the Foursquare church here is taking us to one of the other churches he provides covering for.

Thank you for your continuing faithful prayers, comment here on this post if you like as it is an encouragement to us.

That none would be lost,

Arlene