Providence

Well, my trip to Ethiopia got off to a bit of a rough start. In a potent combination of bad luck and bad planning, I manged to miss my flight out Thursday. Mon, Krista, Uncle Jonathan (who was on a brief visit and was now also departing from LAX, but for Alaska) and I started for LA late and then ran into heavy traffic which further cut down on our time cushion. But the real culprit was a confusing ticket that, among other eccentricities, had me departing from two airlines. We gambled on Continental and lost. Then we were faced with the prospect of getting to the other side of the airport with my 100 lbs. of luggage, half of which was a bulky Rubbermaid tub stuffed with things for the Beethams: books, American comfort food, toys, and other miscellany that you can't get in Ethiopia. The shuttle to the other terminal was maddeningly slow, stopping several minutes at each Terminal! Then, another blow - we found we had been directed to the wrong terminal and had to race back to one we had just passed on the shuttle! However, our sprinting was in vain: by the time we reached the counter it was less than an hour before the flight and they would not let me on. The soonest flight they could reschedule was the same time the next night, so it was back to Santa Barbara for me!

After a few minutes reflection, we realized that there was a silver lining - Jonathan's flight wouldn't leave for several hours so we could spend some time visiting with him before heading home. I had been preoccupied with packing most of his visit, so the chance to hang out with my jolly uncle without time pressure was a welcome relief.

We hit the town, looking for someplace to party - that is, some place we could get food and spend enough money to feel extravagant and carefree. LA seems to be an ideal place for finding just such a locale, since we found the most magnificent neon-lighted, gaudy, escalator-ridden affair our hearts could desire not 5 miles from the airport. After confirming that it wasn't actually a casino or UFO landing side, we took in some gourmet pizza and SpiderMan 3 on the big screen.

Then this morning I was able to enjoy a leisurely walk to the beach with Krista before finishing up the few chores I'd abandoned the day before. After having another night of sleep in my own bed and the opportunity to double check I had packed everything I needed, I now feel much more fit for international travel.



But I think there was also a higher purpose in all these messy details (there generally is). The past few days I have been working to make sure something happens in my absence. I want the Hispanic kids that I have gotten to know through tutoring this past year to be able to go to Noah's, my church's VBS, which happens in the end of June. Problem: they all live in Isla Vista; the church is in Monecito (some 18 miles apart), and their parents work full-time and don't have cars. A less concrete but no less real problem was making sure they are welcomed and feel comfortable when they actually make it there. Both parties (church and kids) were interested, but my matchmaking alone wasn't enough to make sure the event actually occurred. So part of my preoccupation had been trying to round up drivers, food for lunches and folks who were willing to hang out and interact with them during lunch. I also had to figure out how to communicate with the Spanish-speaking parents when my own 1 year of the language was more than 7 years distant. My attempt at a web-translation left me dubious; I had no way to judge wither what Babelfish had spit out was at all comprehensible, not to mention what I intended to convey. However, by the time I was ready to leave yesterday I had recruited drivers and people to find food - the basics for pulling it off. But there were still many pieces still to fall into place and I wasn't going to be around to do it! But with the additional breathing room today, I was able to find someone glad to take over my role. I am amazed by all the obstacles that this project has already overcome and overwhelmed by the way in which members of the church have materialized to graciously serve. I've concluded that God must really want those kids there in order for him to have orchestrated events so dramatically this week. And I am grateful for his generous, caring heart, one that does not stint in blessing his servants with good gifts even as he uses them to accomplish his purposes.