LONG JOURNEY TO SCOTLAND

An hour before landing to Heathrow Airport in London, the Pilot of Etihad Airways announced that our landing shall be redirected to Paris, France. All airports all over the UK were closed due to the heavy cloud ashfall caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

On the airport ground of Paris, we stayed for a few minutes at the plane while waiting for further instruction from the pilot. Then, it was announced that all the passengers (we are more than 300)shall be picked up by a coach and checked in at a certain hotel while waiting for any updates from the airways. At the Paris Airport, all the British nationals were allowed to go first while the others with different nationalities were asked to standby. We are more than thirty and 8 are Filipinos, the others are Indonesians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Indians and Omanis etc...We have to wait for the issuance of our European Temporary Visas for a safe pass so we can get out of the Airport. We were so glad that the Etihad Airways personnel really looked after us and all our needs. After an hour, we were issued with our safe pass 72 hours temporary visa. Afterwhich, the Disneyland coach picked us up and brought us to the Santa Fe Hotel at Disneyland Resort Paris.

Our hotel accommodation for 2 nights and 2 days including the foods were all paid off by the Etihad Airways. We thank the Lord for being so good to us that He never left dus. We were all so comfortable as each passengers, couple or family, were given rooms. The eat all you can foods were so superb. We are even free to go around the Disneyland Resort because the ride on the coach is free.

God is so good because we were able to meet new friends, especially the Filipinos. We have seen the warmth and love of every Filipinos, that the "damayan" is always there wherever we are. Three of the Filipinos, Jean, Tessie and Jonathan are Christians and they were so blessed to hear our life testimonies. Tessie asked me a lot of things about the giving of tithes because it is her struggle...and I shared to her that it was my struggle before as well. We had nice and lovely fellowship just talking about the goodness of the Lord. Being in Paris and seeing Disneyland and the Eiffel tower (unexpectedly) was a big surprise to all of us.

Ptr. Danny, being so friendly, met the Sri Lankan, Indian businessman, professionals and Omani students who are Muslims. It was so funny that everytime they see Danny on the resto or hallway of the hotel, they call him Pastor Father. Ptr. Danny gave them gospel tracts, cards and key chains of Cornerstone Phils. and they gladly accepted it. We got their names and email addresses for future references.

On our second night in Paris, it was announced that a first batch will be leaving for UK by ground travel at 11pm and the second batch will be at 5am. We were on the second batch. A coach travelled all the way from Heathrow to picked us up. All airports are still closed and no definite updates when to open so we have no choice but to travel by ground to go to UK. But it was a very comfortable and exciting journey. Seeing new things along the road, passing by the immigration authorities in the border line, our coach being ferried on the Euro Tunnel (under the sea tunnel connecting Europe and Great Britain)...wasn't it too amazing that the Lord allowed us to experienced all these things? Finally, we reached the Heathrow Airport after 5 hours of ground travel. At the Heathrow Airport, a taxi picked us up. Thanks to David and Grace Strachan who have arranged everything for us and who have been so worried of us. We greatly appreciate their deep concern and their goodness. Surely, they never left us, through prayers and communication, all along our travel to Scotland. The taxi brought us to the King's Cross Station for a train ride going to Scotland. We were not able to catched up the 2pm train going straight to Aberdeen. We have no choice but to take the train going to Edinburgh. We know that the Lord is with us and He will give us the wisdom to reach our destination. Upon reaching Edinburgh after 5 hours travel by train, we were told by the train personnel that we can find the train going to Aberdeen in Dundee and we have to ride again on a train going to Dundee. Ptr. Danny and I do not know the train station going to Dundee although it was instructed to us by the train personnel. On our way looking for the station, we met a family passengers and they were bound for Dundee. We went along with them. Oh Praise the Lord! We reached Dundee and was able to catched the scheduled train going to Aberdeen. The Lord is so good. If we have'nt met the family going to Dundee, we won't be able to catched up the train going to Dundee as we have only 20 minutes left to look for the train station for the last travel or else we will stay overnight in Dundee. The train had a few passengers as it was already past 9pm. We were so "comfortable". FINALLY, we reached Aberdeen and what a joy it is to see David and Grace waving at us. We felt we were home at last! What a very long journey but we never get tired spiritually(only physically). God is so good that He allowed us to be stranded in a place where ground travel is possible...so amazing! The Lord provided all our needs, the accommodation, the foods, the comfort, the joy, the unforgettable experiences, and everything! The Lord is so good that He allowed us to have a ground travel to see the beauty of UK. We won't definitely see all of those if we are on the airplane. We have seen and tested that the Lord is good in this long journey.

May He alone be glorified in everything!


Posted by: Jane Mangadap