Life has a lot of twists and turns. When I was in college, I had a fellow student ask if I had ever thought of doing any foreign work. I said, "I hadn't really thought much about it, but if I did, I would want to do it in the Soviet Union." Little did I know that 25 years later that's exactly where I would end up. This is the story of my first visit.
In 1999, I started traveling to the Ukraine to teach intensives in a college. It was 
my first trip out of the western hemisphere. It was exciting. I was a little nervous. I didn't speak Russian. I had never taught with an interpreter. I didn't know anything about the Ukrainian culture or customs, and I was totally alone and without anyone to answer questions.
I took off from Regan National Airport, and changed planes at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Regan was busy. LaGuardia was twice as busy and confusing. I made it to my gate just in time to board Austrian Airlines and settled in for a 13 hour flight.
The flight to Vienna, Austria was excellent. I loved the Austrian Air crew, and I was ready to disembark and re-board an Austrian Air puddle jumper into Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Once in Dnepropetrovsk, I would meet an unknown driver who would carry me on to Zaporozhye, Ukraine where I had an apartment waiting.
When I landed in Vienna, I noticed that the landing was exceptionally rough. The plane tipped left and right as we touched down and the process of slowing was very rough. When I entered the 
airport the announcer came on the loudspeaker to announce that all Austrian Air flights had been canceled until further notice. The wind had become such a problem that it was too dangerous to take off.
They encouraged us to hang around the airport until further notice. I went to the luggage carousel to grab my luggage, and there was no luggage. It never arrived at the carousel. I checked with the lost baggage office, and no luggage was recorded in NY or Austria. What? I'm going to be in Ukraine for 21 days with no luggage? I had one suit, which I would have to wear a little more than eight hours a day, and the clothes on my back. It was going to be a long three weeks.
All flights were canceled for three days. I was put up in a hotel at the airport with notice not to leave the area in the event a flight could get me to Ukraine. So, now what? I have no clothes, I don't speak very good German, and I have no idea when I will end up at my destination.
The lovely ladies at Austrian Air adopted me. I didn't mind that a bit. They were truly delightful. They brought me clothes. The clothing was mostly promotional pieces that Austrian Air gave to their club members. No problem. I wasn't going anywhere anyway. It was fun. They checked in on me often and offered food and conversation. It was entertaining if nothing else.
At the beginning of the third day we were released to fly, and I boarded the small
uncomfortable plane and took off for Ukraine. When we approached the Dnepropetrovsk airport I could see what looked like miles of fields that had been on fire. I later found out that the Ukraine was famous for it's rich black soil. It was called the "bread basket of the Soviet Union."
My thoughts returned to my clothing dilemma, and I had some concern about how I was going to make this work out, but God has a way of working things out even when we can't figure it out. So, I shut my eyes and glidded to the tarmak. Fortunately, I had brought a full set of notes for my class on board the plane in my computer bag. I had my toiletries, the small selection of clothes in my carry-on and the clothes the girls at Austrian Air had given me.
Just before we touched down, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, "Your luggage is here. Go to the luggage pick-up." I entered the airport, passed through customs (a small miracle when I didn't speak Russian and the custom's agent didn't speak English) and proceeded to the luggage pick-up. There in the corner, sat my luggage. It had been there for three days. It had been passed on to a plane that took off before flights were canceled in Austria, and it had been sitting there the whole time.
My trip was a life changing event, and I have returned and taught many times, in many places in Ukraine. I've never lost my luggage since then, but I've never had a fear that it wouldn't make it either. I have known for over three decades that, "My God will meet all (my) needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" Phil 4.19, and He has.
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