I've previously touched on this post back when it originally happened but think it's worth repeating and expanding on. It's an awesome testimony to God's perfect timing and a great reminder of how He allows people to go in and out of our lives at just the right time for a reason. I don't believe in coincidences just in miracles and God's perfect plan and provision.
As you may recall, our first trip to Russia started out with a bit of a snag. Due to severe weather at JFK airport they grounded all flights and closed the airport for a couple hours. That along with the fact that one of the runways at JFK is closed for maintenance created a long list of delays and cancellations. We arrived at JFK around 2:00 Saturday afternoon and our connecting flight didn't actually leave until after Midnight on Sunday (or Monday depending on how you look at it), delayed 30 hours. THAT is a long time to be stuck at JFK airport. While we haven't seen it, others have suggested we watch the Tom Hanks movie, Terminal. I'm sure we would relate to it and enjoy it after this experience.
A short while into our delay as passengers were gathering to find out information we met another couple from the U.S. Surprisingly, it's easy to find other Americans in a large group of passengers getting on a Russian flight. People with blue passports tend to stick out. We quickly learned that this couple was on their second trip to Russia for their court date. They live in Pennsylvania so they drove up to JFK to catch the flight. The four of us continued to hang out and visit throughout the day and into the night. Finding things to talk about was not a problem and actually we have several things in common.
As the clock approached 11:00 pm on Saturday the airline officials still kept telling us that our flight was going to leave that night. Finally around 2:00 am the announcement came that they were canceling the flight. By this time all the hotels close to the airport were full due to all the earlier flight cancellations plus it was so late that there was no shuttle service available as a means of transportation anyway. We were so exhausted and had such a long day, this was not good news. Our new found friends decided they were going to leave the airport and drive out to Long Island to find a hotel for the night. Thankfully they invited us to join them. This allowed us an opportunity to get at least a few good hours of sleep and a shower. By 4:00 am we were in a bed falling asleep instead of struggling to catch some rest on a chair at the airport.
We were told to return to the airport by noon on Sunday and that our flight would leave early afternoon. As with the day before, it was difficult finding anyone to answer questions or to get any kind of updates on the status of our flight. Whenever the airline would make an announcement it was typically in Russian so we didn't understand it. We spent another long day waiting and watching the other flights come and go on time. Finally about 10:00 pm we were told the plane we would be flying on had just arrived. Once it was fueled and cleaned we would begin loading. Of course that didn't happen timely and as I mentioned it was midnight the last time I looked at my watch while we sat on the plane out on the tarmac. But at least we were FINALLY on our way!
Meeting the Thomas family was such a blessing. Not only did it provide us with an opportunity to get out of the airport for a time, we began a friendship that we hope will continue as we both raise our little ones from Russia. As I write this update their little boy should be arriving home with his forever family! Another amazing thing about meeting this couple was the calmness it created in all four of us. We all agreed that our behavior during this whole ordeal was anything but normal. Even amidst all the confusion and tiredness and frustration our attitudes remained calm and our spirits positive. Thankfully we all knew that our time in Russia would not be affected by this glitch so we were able to make the best of it and use this time to get to know each other a little bit.
Once we arrived in Moscow we parted ways but agreed to meet back at the airport the following Saturday prior to our flight home. It was great seeing them again on Saturday and hearing about their court date and the time they had with their son. For them this was the second of three trips because they have another son at home. Since they didn't want to be away from him so long, Mrs. Thomas was going to return to Russia a third time after the10 days waiting period passed to bring their second son home. Our flight home went smoothly and as we parted ways hugs and information was exchanged by all. So, if you think about the Thomas family say a prayer for them and their growing family along with us. You might also keep an eye out the next time you're delayed at an airport. You never know what God might do and how He may use you and the people around you.
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