"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?" [Part 3]

We'd accomplished half of our "to-do" list as a family.

We had at least an immediate partial answer to that nagging question.

What are you going to do?

 For now---- complete the rest of the to do list!

Travel is always exciting.  

Whether a vacation, a business trip, or an unexpected pause in plans, traveling is an exciting adventure.  Making international travel plans for a family of four within a mandatory 15 day window, well, that is exciting ---- in a stressful, expensive, chaotic adventure.  Seeing how the Lord orchestrates and provides for those same plans, that is exciting---- in an awestruck, thankful and fun adventure.  (Are you sensing the roller coaster ride yet?)  


I spent a literal whole day researching on many different travel sites, one stop comparison sites, and airline sites digging through the various day and flight combinations to find the best deal.  We enlisted the help of a few travel agents (one in the States and, through a couple of friends, two in Spain).  We looked to book flights in advance of that 15 day expiration because to depart after this date could result in a re-entry denial for up to three years.  We found round trip tickets to be several thousand dollars cheaper than one-way flights.  We found my diligent search gave us the best pricing- 4 round trip tickets leaving Spain on 25th of September and returning to Spain on the 11th of June for 3 adults and 1 child totaling $5000 (3500 Euros).  
Now that the stress of finding flights was over, the stress  and concern about how to pay for these flights began.

The Lord is the GREAT Provider!  We have seen Him move and provide over and over the last sixteen months in Spain. Let me share how He fails us not... 

With a drop in our monthly support after our arrival in Spain, our emergency money fund that was set aside became quickly depleted.  With an average monthly income the equivalent of $400, our ability to save back a new emergency fund was difficult.  With the mind set to use the next 10 months to save for a potential trip back to the states with my teaching income, we felt at ease for future travel plans.  Definitely, NOT immediate travel plans!  Each day (and at times, each hour) that passed, the flight prices continued to fluctuate higher, ever increasing, ever creeping upward.  EXCEPT the flights we had selected!!  


We prayed and shared our situation in Spain.  God answered, of course.  The Parque Victoria church elders and the community center board donated an equal amount to help offset the cost of our travel.  The Parque Victoria church members collected a generous love offering to help us pay for the flights.  Several people from the US who knew of our predicament deposited financial gifts into our account.  Even on the last day in Spain, our friends from ICE Victoria (the Calvary Chapel in Rincon del la Victoria) contributed an offering from their congregation.  

While we were being overwhelmingly blessed by these God inspired acts of giving, Greg and Katina continued administering God's provision by placing the cost of the flights on their card. The purchase allowed us to avoid an eventual price increase. (Immediately after the transaction, the cost of the flights increased 100 Euros each person!)  The purchased allowed us to get all the gifts in euros transferred from our bank account in Spain into dollars in our bank account in the States.  The purchase allowed us to get out of Spain in the designated time. The purchase allowed us to get settled back into the States. The purchase allowed us to get figured out how to pay for the tickets (a little over half the balance still remains after the transfer) once the ground stopped shifting.   




We have been astounded at the Lord's provision for our family throughout this entire experience---- the last 16 months in Spain and the quick departure to the States.  He is our Provider.

SURPRISE!

The Lord's faithful provision and good towards us should never surprise us--- BUT IT DOES!

How sweet are HIS ways to us. He provided a way for us to pull off some of the best surprises in which we have ever taken part.

With a quick exit and an unplanned trip, the seed was planted in our hearts and minds to make the most out of the situation, to make it as exciting as possible to see our friends and family for the first time in 16 months, and to make this travel a real adventure.

With our friends in Spain put on a gag order, no one posting online concerning our return to the States for 2-3 weeks.  With our friends in the States who knew about our return asked to keep silent, they were integral conspirators and prayer warriors.  We put in motion a week long stealth operation---- SURPRISE!!

• Getting picked up at the airport  by two unsuspecting little girls
• Knocking on my parent's door the night we landed & Giving my daddy a 60th Birthday Surprise 
• Jumping out of trunks to the soundtrack of best friends'screams and shouts of joy
• Walking into a Wednesday night church gathering to the reception of hugs and love
• Dropping in for a late night visit to Jared's parent's house
• Watching the blank, confused and then smiling faces of unsuspecting siblings brought under false pretenses to conspiring parent's homes
• Kissing the tear streamed faces and entering into the warm embraces of our Grandmas

                                                           Surprise Homecoming Video Link
(I've included the actual link...just in case. I couldn't get the video to play by clicking "play" button.)

WE LOVE SURPRISES!!

Thank you, Lord, for making it possible.  Thank you, co-conspirators, for helping us pull of our mission.  The Lord used you in such a fun way.

However, we were the ones surprised.  The Lord has had so many more surprises for us over the last 40 days of being back in the US.  

We have been surprisingly blessed by the invitations of lunch, dinner, and coffee at the treat of our friends and family. (While it doesn't sound like much, these invitations are a huge help financially.)  We have had amazing times thanking our friends for how God has used them to encourage, love and support us during our time in Spain.  We have had sweet times of reconnecting with beloved friends.  We have been blessed with a place to stay.  We have been surprised (twice) with a car to use.  We have been surprise guests at and participants in one of two weddings of life long friends.  We have been surprised by schooling and school supply needs for the girls being covered.  We have been surprised with a 10 day get away to the lake to relax, readjust, and refresh.  We have been surprised with a jar of change. We have enjoyed resting in fellowship and restoring relationships.  

The Lord continues to surprise us daily with a gesture, a gift card, a note, an offer, an invitation, a meeting, a development, a situation, a Word that exhibits HIS love, HIS care and HIS heart toward us.

Finding yourself in the middle of the story?  

PART 1

PART 2

Awaiting the answer?  What are you going to do?

Final post coming soon...