By: Chef Gohan
Today, I got up at 3:30 am excited to leave for my mission trip to Japan. The day had finally come. I’ve always dreamed of going to Japan for years now. It was a surreal feeling. I double checked my bags and I was off to the airport with the help of my roommate.
After arriving at the ATL airport, I met up with a few members of my team to travel together. My bag was checked, boarding pass in hand, went through the security check line, and was off to our gate. We had stand by tickets and were waiting to see if we would have room to board. Our 1st flight was full. We tried again hoping to catch our connecting flight but again the same result, full flight with no seats available. So, finally on the 3rd try we got on our 1st flight.
Though this caused a wrinkle in our travel plans, we would have to fly out to Japan on Wednesday instead. I’ll admit I was a little bummed but I knew God was in control. I trust in his plan for my life including this trip. I had to be flexible and patient with the Holy Spirit’s help of course. I had embarked on an adventure that had just begun.
So we’re in Minneapolis, MN for an overnight layover for an unexpected stop!!
With some time to spare, we ventured from our hotel to the infamous “Mall of America”. It was amazing how big it was, how many stores it had, and so many forms of entertainment. Truly an amazing human achievement.
It made me wonder about how we spend our time and money. What are our greatest desires and wants? Are they material things that will eventually perish or spiritual things that will ultimately last?
Both the US and Japan struggle with materialism. This experience gave me opportunity to reflect and to pray about the hearts of both Japanese and Americans. Plus, it allowed me time to slow down enough to enjoy the journey, laugh with good friends, and to reflect on all the blessings God has given me!!