I am in my last year of a doctor of physical therapy school and in my time there I have had the incredible opportunity of starting a physical and occupational therapy focused mission trip for students in these respective fields. The Lord started this vision in my heart several years ago, but our first trip was this past March. There are so many stories and details that show how evidently God is in every single minute detail, but I will hit on this specific one. Our team of 12 finally arrived at the New Orleans airport from Jackson at 5AM for our 6:45 flight to start our journey to the Dominican Republic. We board the plane, super excited, seatbelts on, phones turned off, on the taxiway ready to take off; when the pilot comes over the speaker and says there is some system malfunction and they need to reset it, don't worry it will take 20 minutes. After 40 minutes on the taxiway, he comes back on and says we’re returning the gate, they have to have a technician come reset the system, but for us to stay on the plane. Another 40 minutes goes by and he comes back on and says we have to deboard the plane…me responsible for 12 other people internally freaking out. At this point there was no way we were going to make our next flight in Miami to the DR. So I immediately start calling our travel agent, tell everyone on the team to start texting and calling everyone they know to pray our plane either gets fixed or for other flights to work for us to get the DR. The travel agent told me to get in the ticket line and to literally NO MATTER WHAT do not get out of line. And I did just that. Our travel agent started checking other flight options which all resulted in an overnight stay in the Arizona airport and/or our team having to split up because no flights had 12 empty seats…I finally worked my way up to the ticket counter and at that point 2 and half hours have gone by and they just announced that our plane was somehow reset and ready to fly to Miami…
I get to the counter and say I need 12 tickets from Miami to the Dominican Republic and I know no flights have that many available seats but I need a miracle. The lady behind the counter chuckled and said “yeah okay.” I noticed she had a playing card of a soccer player in her lanyard, so I asked while she was typing “is that your daughter playing soccer?” She lit up and said yes, told me her name and that she was a senior in high school. I asked where she went to high school (in Louisiana) and if she wanted to play college ball… Her mother (this random American Airlines worker) said yes she has a scholarship to play at a place called Milsaps in Mississippi… Me: jaw to the floor, “shut the front door that school is 5 minutes up the road from my house!” She was stunned as well and then asked what me and my team were doing in the DR - now just depending on when and where based off of our training somewhat you don’t say the explicits of your mission you know - but I had a peace and a nudge in my gut that said tell this woman what you are doing. So I told her we are a group of physical and occupational therapy students going to treat people in the DR who do not have access to the care they need as an avenue to share the gospel and love of Jesus with them. She immediately teared up and said she was a believer and was so touched that so many young people would give up their spring break to serve in that way. She then told me to wait one minute and she walked over to a phone called I have no idea who and talked for probably 10 minutes, then came back to me and said I have got you and your team booked ALL TOGETHER and will get you to the DR only 2 hours later than we were originally supposed to. I wholeheartedly believe that is the Lord moving through and using His people in very intricate ways, there were no flights available anywhere with 12 open seats, NONE. We were about to be split up and flown all around the country and overnight to get to the DR… seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. Once she was getting all of our passport information I got to hear more of her and her daughter’s story of coming from Nigeria for education and how her faith and the Lord carried her through some hard times. She gave me her number and asked me to look out for her daughter in Jackson (she’ll start class in a couple of weeks now). Even if she had not been able to get us on a flight together, I still had an open door to share the gospel and love of Christ with - to follow the Spirit’s prompting and be bold in my faith and the mission He had called me to. I could talk for hours on God’s provision and faithfulness in bringing this trip to fruition and now another trip this December!
As I continue to go forward and plan for future trips, I am constantly reminded of why, why would I ever doubt - seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be provided for me. The Lord has gone before me and continues to do so, He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow; He is pruning me to sit and rest in that truth. God has given me a place to come alongside Him in His mission, not the other way around. My God, our God, is so incredibly kind to us, to see us and allow us small parts in His much bigger plan and for that I am beyond humbled and grateful. I hope this story of God’s faithfulness is encouraging to you and reminds you even in our humanly doubt, fear and worries, He is always there going before us and preparing a way for us in what can seem like a huge red sea moment, but to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you - taking one step of faith at a time.
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