Flying from South Africa to Ukraine

The anticipation was enormous... So was the stress... Sure, this was my first solo international flight EVER! The last time I went international was 11 years ago when our family came over to stay in South Africa - but then my parents arranged everything and I was just enjoying the view out the window...

I said good-bye to my friends and family, some were crying including my 10-year old brother. I guess I also wanted to shed a tear or two, because the stress of the many many many many weeks of fighting for something as big as God's call in your life was getting so unbearable. but I knew if I would let myself cry now, I would not be able to stop - so I was as dry as Sahara desert.

God has provided for me again: my friend had to go see a doctor in Pretoria that day, so she agreed to drop me off at the airport on her way back. Before we left, he asked if all was well with me packing and with my luggage. To which I replied and said that I was about 10 kg (20 lbs) overweight. This fact came up when I re=packed for like a 3rd time, but then I already threw out most of my stuff, making room only for the most essential things, like winter clothes, and gifts for my family and colleagues. Then my friend told me over the phone that before we would leave next day she would have me over at her house and she would re-pack my bags in a "woman" way! Hahaha! So when it all happened, my main luggage was just slightly over the allowed weight, and we hoped that they would give me grace and allow me through without having to pay for extra weight. My hand luggage was super heavy, but the customs do not weigh it so I was hoping to slip by unnoticed. Hmmm, maybe the Ukrainian mafia could use someone like me? :)


Anyway, here I was at the airport, with my 3 bags and a little backpack, hoping that a real miracle would happen and that I will not have to pay for extra weight. The thought of losing a sum equal to my monthly support was so intense that I could think of nothing else. My only hope was Exodus 14:13:

"Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today."

This verse is one of my favorites and God has been faithful every time to keep to this promise of His. so it was my comfort there and then, and as my heart was pounding I was whispering it.

As the line was getting shorter, we were getting closer and closer to the luggage checking. Finally it was my turn. I stood there before the guy. trying to look innocent, while inside I felt like I had all the sins of the world on me. I was so overweight. My friend had just left me with my super-heavy hand luggage and was standing so far away for me... So I was told to load my bags on the scales... and they were promptly overweight! The guy looked at the screen, then he looked at me and asked, pointing to my small backpack: "Is this your hand luggage?" I said "Yes". This was definitely NOT my ONLY hand luggage but he asked nothing like that so I just kept smiling, happy that he did not, because I do not lie. So he sighed and let it all through. Like in a dream, i got my luggage tags, my boarding pass and left the counter.

The joy in my heart was overwhelming! I was so proud that God is my Caretaker and that He came through for me again - He is just awesome! Its like He is letting me live my life and when I come to a brick wall situation and run out of options, He just steps in and solves it all! Truly He lives up to the title of the Savior! I just need to do the possible and He will do the impossible.

So now we were on our way to the boarding section. We still had about an hour before the boarding would begin, so we decided to go and drink some coffee and say all last good-byes! While we were sitting there resting, another one of my friends phoned me and said he is near the airport and he would love to come and say good-bye too! This was so special for me! By the time we finished drinking coffee and I went to board the plane, he was there, at the customs gates, waiting for me. We said by to each other and he prayed for me - I felt like God was really there! It was an amazing moment of encouragement!

When I went through to the customs, I realized something terrible. Although the boarding had already begun, I still had to stand in a long line for passport control, then I had to go through the X-ray gates for my hand luggage, and again for a passport control. Only then would I reach my boarding gates. This would mean three (!) awfully long lines, which I really had no time for! i had no idea this was the case because I never flew international before. I did not even have a chance to get scared or worried! My friends told me to run for it, so I did. Boldly I ran to each of the three lines, one by one, shouting to let me through because I was late for my flight! Embarrassing? Maybe, but I did not care! :) I just wanted to get on that plane!!! The people I guess had no choice but to let me to the front of the line each time. So instead of waiting for an hour, I was through in 5 minutes and was off to my boarding gates! Awesome!!

I boarded the plane, put all my things into the overhead compartments and just dissolved in my seat, still not fully able to believe that it was all over and that I was on the plane. :( After the first shock was over, I began to look around and to process the environment. The plane was full, like a can of sardines! The economy class as not a luxury place, and Turkish airlines here and now uses a bare minimum to accommodate its passengers. But I have to admit - the food was super-delicious! Also they had this great feature of digital tracking of our plane on screen, so any time you could look at the map of Africa and see where we are, how much further is left in time and distance, and what was the speed and the altitude of the plane. I liked it a lot, I like numbers! :)

I sat next to a young guy from Germany. He majored in geography and went to work in Swaziland in September. He was a great companion and we spoke about many things. Being a listener, I mostly let him have the reigns and just enjoyed the time we had. Interestingly, when we got to the subject of religion, he spoke a few things against Christians (not Christianity), the biggest one of them being hypocrites, living a life of double standards. I was glad that I did not tell him about my beliefs before hand, otherwise he would not be so open with me - truly Proverbs is so true when it says that silence is better than words! Well, I told him there and then that I was also very upset and annoyed about all the co-believers of mine and that they behaved like they did. I also told him about immorality in the church in particular and shared how it all disappointed me that people who said they believed in the same God I did had they day-to-day lives so radically different, and in fact nothing like the words that they spoke. In this regard, the people who believe that God does not exist are actually more upright, because at least their words and deeds are alike. And Christians fail here miserably. Also, after this conversation, I realized that our generation is being watched very very closely. People in the secular world are broken and empty and has no help or hope in life before and after death, and they are quietly looking for an answer, even though on the outside they might look super-cool. We have the answers because God gave it to us, yet our actions speak louder than words, and these actions show the opposite. So, knowing that someone somewhere is watching you, thinking about your words and actions, "searching for a hope that's tucked away in you and me" (Does anybody hear her, by Casting Crowns) - this all is a very humbling experience. Paul sums it up very well in 1 Peter 3: 16:

"Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ."

The whole trip on the plane was about 11 hours long and it was somewhat uncomfortable. I was so glad I brought a couple of books along to read, I read a lot on the plane. I also tried to sleep, but the seats were very uncomfortable and I could not put mine into horizontal position. I was on and off like Christmas lights and at the end of the journey my neck and back were hurting a lot! Thank God, after I prayed for them, it all went away and did not come back for the rest of the day. Lets say, I had worse days and the flight was OK. My primary goal was not to fly in style but to get to Ukraine and it was accomplished, so I am very grateful.

The landing was OK. We all got out of the plane and went into the building of Istanbul airport - Ataturk International. There some of us, including me, followed through to the transit hallway. and there I was getting ready to spend the next 10 hours in waiting. Actually 11 because our plane from South Africa arrived ahead of schedule, yippee!...... :\ I did my best to find a good plane ticket, and for the price that I was willing to pay this was the best deal I could find. I walked around the hall, pushing in front of me the little cart with my hand luggage, looking at the Turkish people, adverts and other stuff. By the way, try not to buy Turkish water, its really nasty, I bought juice and it was supposed to be fresh, but it did something to my tummy and I felt so sick! Fortunately I had some activated carbon with me but I had to use ALL of it! And the bread and pies there are very expensive, I paid like R70 ($10) for a pie. So try to have some food with you before you board the plane to Turkey.

My South African phone was set for roaming just before I left Johannesburg, and wonderfully Vodacom and Turkey had a contract together, so once I put it on I could send an sms to my mom and tell her I was OK. Then a whole flood of sms'es came through on my phone, from all my friends who said they were praying for me and wished me a safe journey further on. The reception of sms'es while on Vodacom roaming is free, but its R3 ($0.50) to send one, so I used words sparingly. :)


Then came the wait... I found for myself a spot near the announcement board with all the scheduled flights and waited... and waited... and waited... and waited... and waited a little longer... and a little more... and then I waited again... and again... and then I took a walk... and then I sat and waited again... and again... and then guess what? Yep! I waited just a little longer!! WOW! What an experience..... :| I brought some books with me but after about 7 hours of reading even child psychology becomes unattractive. But literally there was NOTHING for me to do. This was a very frustrating time. My butt was all sore from sitting and not moving, but I could not go too far to leave my luggage, and to take luggage with would mean to abandon my precious seat and I would have to wait standing. Add to this the anxiety that the enemy had been putting into my head: there were some announcements in Russian for Slavonic travelers and I thought - maybe one of those was for my flight, and maybe my flight was moved? So for a couple of hours I was really stressing out there, the devil got the best of me here. But then I became sick of being a victim! I said to Jesus, devil, myself and to whoever else was listening: "Listen, Jesus, I am worried sick about missing my flight and we both know it! Yet I know that You were in control for the past 3 months and that You brought me up to this point, and that you will not drop me like this in the middle of nowhere. So I just stop worrying and I let You do it all for me, since I know that You are better at this than me anyway!" Then I received peace, a lot of peace. Just knowing that someone stronger and better and wiser will now take care of all the things for me and will not let me down, just this thought already relieved me. I know He would make a way, even through the deepest sea.

And then, FINALLY!!!!!! My flight came up on the board!!! ODESSA 467!!! I was so exhausted from waiting any change was welcomed. I made a mistake with the boarding gates and walked all the way to one side of the airport, only to find out that the right spot was on the other end. But there and then I really welcomed the stretch! When I came to the right gate, I discovered that the boarding still had not begun, so I .... yeah you guessed it... sat down and waited another hour.... uuuughhhh!! Next to me were some people traveling to Odessa too, and they were speaking Russian. This was a little intro to my culture shock I will have to go through in the future and which I will write about later on. But now I just sat and listened and was amazed that the words sound nothing like English or Afrikaans and yet I am somehow able to understand it all! Hahaha!

The plane was late - is this some kind of stronghold on the Slavs?? When it docked and all was ready, all people just rose up and rushed through the doors to the boarding gate. There was something like a line (where I was one of the first in line, waiting faithfully), but in a few seconds it all disappeared and there was only a huge crowd trying to squeeze through the little gate.
>: shock :


But all my cares and worries faded away in an instant when I saw the vastness of the Black Sea beneath us! The thought of actually BEING there where I dreamed of being for so many years, of seeing things I missed so much, was overwhelming and I felt my eyes getting wet. I put on my iPod - the awesome little friend that kept me at the edge of boredom for the past 23 hours - I heard a song by Delirious "History Maker" and I felt like something really BIG was happening right now. It almost felt like all angels of heavens were watching me throughout my trip, and were so very excited about my decision to come to Ukraine. i can just imagine their innocent quarrels about who would be looking after my luggage!! :) Well, whoever it was, thank you, you did a good job guarding it, I haven't lost anything!

Finally, after about an hour, we were flying over Odessa, preparing for the landing. My city laid there, proud and vast in the orange rays of sunset and I felt so warm inside! We landed well and everyone rose and began to leave the plane. Since my bag was somewhat heavier than average, I decided to leave the plane last. This proved to be a good idea! Outside the plane there was a bus waiting for us that would take us to customs. Since I was the last one on the bus, I was the nearest to the door and when the bus arrived and all people started leaving the bus, I was the first one to enter the building and to stand in the line! Wow! Actually, I had so much on my mind that I never thought about this. But when people started coming out of the bus, everyone began running! Since the building was only a few steps away, I realized that I better run too! Things are not always what they seem and if the Ukrainians run, you better make a run for it too! Hahaha! So it all proved to be OK. I went through passport control and the guy was inspecting my visa very meticulously - but finally he let me pass. :) As I entered the luggage hall, my two bags were right there on the floor waiting for me. I went through the X-ray gates, expecting them to open my bags and to search me thoroughly, but no one said anything.... so I just took my bags and went out the door! (Side note: They should really think about upgrading that exit door, because a 1.5 meter wide door (5 foot wide) that opens in your face, by hand is a terrible inconvenience for someone like me who has tons of luggage on their hands!)

... to be continued ....