In September 2007 God answered my prayers in a way that I never dreamed possible. I live in New Zealand and at 65 years of age I had not travelled beyond our shores. I had often seen family and friends off at our International Airport and wondered if one day I might go somewhere – ANYWHERE. In my heart I sent up a silent prayer that one day I might take a little trip too. But realistically I knew that wasn’t possible. I am a fulltime caregiver to my almost blind husband, and we exist on the pension, and live in a little Government rental property. Our savings amounted to about $200 at that time!

 

But one evening my Pastor was praying for my health and asked if there was anything else I’d like her to pray for. I replied, rather flippantly I’m afraid: “Yes, Please remind Him I haven’t had a world trip yet!” And Glynda prayed, fervently reminding God of His promise in His Word, to give us the desires of our heart!

 

And I think that this seemingly irreverent request was a ‘God thought’, because the very next day, an online promotion for $10,000 world travel (that I could not even remember entering) was drawn, and I was the winner!

And I knew this was God, without a doubt.

 

I got to plan where I would like to travel, and there was never any doubt that I would visit USA and Canada, as I had many cyber friends there  that I had never expected to meet this side of Heaven! I needed spending money and that too appeared in miraculous ways, as friends and family got on board with my budget plans.

 

And so I booked my tickets, packed my bags and got on that airplane.. never fully realizing that this was actually happening, until I saw the “Welcome to The United States” sign at the Los Angeles airport.

And then I knew that  I really was in America!

 

From then on, it was all new and exciting. This old Grandma who had never travelled outside of New Zealand, was riding on God’s free ticket into a whole new world of unimagined adventures.

 

I flew from LA to Las Vegas, where I began my 1st Tour into the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon, Glen Canyon, and Zion National Park. A true Wilderness experience. Then followed a flight up through Denver, and down to Internet friends in Tulsa, where I  tangled with a tornado in an overnight visit to a friend, in small town Bristow.

 

A flight up to Chicago and across to New York began my 2nd Tour  through North East USA and Canada. After journeying up to Quebec, we returned  down through Ontario to Niagara Falls, through Amish Pennsylvania to Washington DC  and Philadelphia,  to finish the Tour at Newark Airport.

 

Following this tour I flew back to Canada to visit with friends in Winnipeg before  finally arriving in Longview Washington, to meet and hug Jeanene,  my dear cyber friend of ten years.

 

We had originally ‘met’ in 1998, when we worked together as counsellors on a Christian Internet chat site and never imagined in our wildest dreams that either of us would get to travel to the other side of the world for this hug.

We had talked on the internet most evenings, prayed together, laughed together, and cried together, dreamed and planned together, and we had comforted and encouraged one another when each of us was bereaved. This was a God ordained friendship, and in His time God also ordained that we should meet.

 

Ten days in Longview, allowed me to meet not only Jeanine’s extended family, but also her Church family, both of which took me into their hearts and are now firmly etched in mine! But too soon it was over and we made the journey to Portland  where I began the last leg of my journey home to New Zealand.

 

Ten thousand dollars, six busy weeks, fourteen air flights, thousands of kilometers of road travel, eighteen US States and four Canadian States, six customs checks, and I made it safely back to New Zealand. My health issues that concerned me caused no problems, I did not become weary, or stressed, never missed a flight, or a bus. Never lost anything, and only became temporarily separated from one luggage bag for a few hours.

 

When God does something, He does a good job. No half measures. He fills the cup to overflowing! If I ever doubted that God would answer any of my prayers... that doubt is GONE!

 

I sometimes wonder why He answered this frivolous request, but I think it was just because He is God, and because He can! Certainly not because I deserved it, but just because He decided to bless me, and in blessing me, I am sure that He blessed many of my friends in USA and Canada.  He also knows how I love to talk and how many people would hear this testimony, of God’s goodness to His children. And nobody can dispute the fact, that today, God still answers prayer! I know, because He answered mine.

Jill – shemac42@clear.nz