Well, that was fun. Amidst hurricane Sandy’s cancellation of over 7,000 flights out of the US, ours remained, as we’re set to flight over the North Pole into Dubai. The flight (all 15.5 hours) was uneventful and full of laughter and anticipation for what’s about to come. The long long layover in Dubai proved to be a time of rest for Glenn (on the floor behind a row of chairs) and a last opportunity for Starbucks.

When we arrived in Chennai, we happily collected our luggage and proceeded to the JetAirways gate, and I watched with great pleasure as the rest of the LoveManifest team experienced walking out the doors and into India for the first time.

Then we were met by the threats of Cyclone Nilam. Not sure what “Nilam” means, but it must be along the lines of “poor attempt to stop an unstoppable God” because flight after flight was cancelled, but ours remained all systems go, without regard for what appeared to be the hesitancy of the flight crew.

As we sat in the airport, the winds bent the trees outside the window as the rain was blown sideways. We went upstairs for really no reason other than to escape the cockroach infestation downstairs, and Mimi prayed, and I hear her say “Lord, shut up the wind and the rain”.

When we walked back downstairs to board, just ten minutes later, it was completely calm. No wind. No rain.

The flight on this prop plane was one of the most intense flights I’ve ever been on, although any turbulence is very unsettling to me, but the look on the face of the flight attendant was not very reassuring. There was a man next to Caitlin who would vacillate between crying out and praying. She would calm him saying “it’s going to be okay. It’s only 10 more minutes”.

Glenn slept quietly in his seat. An empty seat beside him.

Or was it?

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” -Mark 4:35-41 NIV