Be Still My Soul

Be Still My Soul

As I write my first blog from a tiny hotel room in Johannesburg, South Africa, I’m not even sure where to begin. Frankly, I’m not even sure what kind of blog I wish to have. Should it be matter of fact? Funny? Serious? The reality is, I don’t know, so for now, I’ll just write as if I’m talking to a friend…(except there will be no “Um um um…I forgot,” phrases involved in the middle of my sentences—and those of you who know me well as a friend know exactly what I’m talking about).

It’s been 43 hours exactly since I stood at APU’s (Azusa Pacific University) trolley stop on East Campus in Azusa, CA, awaiting a large bus that would come and carry myself, along with 48 other students, to Los Angeles International Airport.  I stood there with my faithful roommate, Rachel Burnett, by my side, and waited for the bus to show. My other roommate who had accompanied us to the trolley stop had to stay in the car because she forgot to put on real pants (and who could blame her—it was 3:20 in the morning). I had stayed up almost all night (with the exception of a 20 minute nap thrown in there for good measure), and before I knew it, there I was, two suitcases in hand, ready to go.

The problem was, though, was I really ready? I sure didn’t feel like it. I’d had a full day of orientation and commissioning on September 5^th (the day before our departure on the 6^th), I’d cried plenty of tears, and I’d said goodbye to as many friends as possible—yet, unexpectedly, I did NOT want to leave. This was the opportunity of a lifetime!! How could I be feeling this way? I thought to myself. I slept on the bus to LAX and our crew of students made it to the airport in plenty of time. We boarded the plane at 7:30 AM and by 8 o’clock we were off the ground. Before I knew it, we were back on the ground, landing in Washington D.C.’s Dulles Airport at 3:50 P.M. I had slept almost the entire way thanks to my handy dandy pink neck pillow from R.E.I. that may or may not be my new best friend. As I made my way from terminal D, where we landed, to terminal A with my new friend Bethany that I had just met, I was still feeling a sense of sadness about leaving my APU family behind. I love that place and my school so much, that, as silly as it sounds, it really was the hardest thing to leave behind. I made a phone call to my other Bethany friend from high school and did what you do with best friends…I cried. She cried too as she said a little prayer for me (thanks for that, Beth), and I boarded the plane to Johannesburg.

As soon as I boarded that South African Airlines plane, something shifted. The sadness I felt began to subside and a bit of the excitement I expected to be there from the beginning began to well up. Maybe it was the good-looking black men with the accents that did it for me—or maybe it was the fact that every seat on the plane had a nice big TV on the back of it—or the fact that no one sat next to me and I had an entire row/bed to myself. Whatever it was, I felt happy. Joy began to rise up within me and I started thanking the Lord for this opportunity.

The seventeen-hour flight went by without a glitch, except for the fact that, at the climax of Wall-E (which I had never seen before and was thoroughly enjoying), our in-flight movie service ended in preparation for landing. It seems I will never find out if the little earth robot and Eve make it back to earth (but considering it’s Disney, I imagine there will be a happy ending).  We arrived in Johannesburg around 7 PM, and after a short ride on a very skinny bus to a nearby hotel, we were paired up with random room assignments for the next two nights (one of which has gone by), and we were sent to shower and head to bed. As I looked out the window (on a landscape that looked a lot like Azusa,CA), I couldn’t help but calculate the time back at APU. The students were just getting out of their first chapel, and instead of shedding tears, I smiled. J

To say I slept well would be a lie. I went to bed at 11 PM and woke up at 3 AM. I’ve been up ever since and it is currently 8 AM. I had a nice breakfast in the hotel lobby (that looks like a Courtyard Marriott), and I am currently scurrying to finishing this blog. Today and tomorrow are reserved for Johannesburg and then it’s back on a plane for a flight to Durban and then on to Pietermaritzburg where I will spend the majority of my time in South Africa. I’ll update again soon.

Until then, I pray “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”

- Ephesians 1:17-19.  

P.S. There will be pictures next time!