I was worried about her trip yesterday. I still haven't heard that she made it, but I haven't heard that she didn't, so I'm taking a page from the book of Mary Louise (my mom) and just thinking that no news is good news. I was at work - waiting for a call from Pittsburgh - before her first flight, and she didn't call and she didn't call, then my son was sick and I needed to take him to the doctor and I just wanted to cry all the way from Scottsdale. As I walked in the door and got a phone call from an unfamiliar area code I was completely relieved (the fact that Coop was walking around and seeming fine helped too). Then when Shelby told me that she had tried to call from Pittsburgh, but couldn't get her calling card to work in the pay phone, so the nice man she sat by on the plane let her use his cell phone to call me, I just wanted to cry (in fact...I did). My little girl - flying from one big city to another - all by herself and getting ready to go to a country 5000 miles away from home where she barely speaks the language had found someone who would help her out. A friendly person - who I'm sure didn't understand why a 19 year old girl would not be able to speak to her family for 6 months, offered what he could to make this journey a little less difficult. When I texted this stranger to tell him thank you, his response was that she seems like a really good girl who has a lot of passion for what she is doing.
I loved my conversation with Shelby, but I think my favorite part was when she told me how she feels the Lord's protection over her. She said there were several times when she was walking with her companions in Pittsburgh and they would look at each other and realize that they should not go in that direction, so they would promptly turn around and go another route. That's when it really hit me that I can let her go into Hands of a loving Father who loves her and wants more for her than even I can imagine. He wants her to be safe and to feel loved and as I've been kind of forced to let her go, she has turned to Him and she feels His protection.
So as I was imagining what her day today must be like, she got to Sao Paulo this morning after an 11 hour flight, and had to go through customs in a strange country. Was she frustrated that she couldn't understand much of what was said to her? Did she feel lost? She then flew to Recife to finish of her 24 hours of travel. She must have been so tired. I'm sure her mission president and his wife kindly welcomed her and the other 3 missionaries from her district who got their visas and were able to start their Brazil serving time, but I don't even know if he speaks English (Jeff has since assured me that he most likely does). My worries about how frustrated she could become in this situation where there may not be people who she will be able to communicate with for a few months while she tries to get a better grasp on Portuguese, but then I remembered what I had felt yesterday. Since she can't turn to me or her friends, she can turn to the Lord. He always speaks her language and she has spent the past 12 weeks making Him her confidant and Friend.
I'm so glad to have that comfort. My heart still feels like it's being squeezed at the thought of her being so far away from me, but I'm so blessed to know that she is learning to turn to the One who wants the very best for her. Help and comfort could come through members in the ward she will be serving, or from a man sitting on the plane (or bus) next to her - just as she saw happen for the past 6 weeks in Pittsburgh, but there will be people put in her path for the next 15 months who will be instruments in Heavenly Father's hands to help her, just as she is being an instrument in His hands to bring the gospel of Love and Service to the people in the Brazil, Recife mission.
