Categories: uncategorized
Date: 24 November 2005 05:13:12
I must admit that this morning I felt fairly frustrated and angry about the whole thing. I mean, all the preparation we've been doing, all the praying and fundraising and mission courses and all the donations we've been collecting - was it all for nothing? It seemed too hard to believe that it would all just not happen. I kept thinking: in all the praying we've done, why didn't God tell us to book with a different airline? How would this display God's glory?
The whole airline collapse is another blow for the Balinese people too, the same person/company that owns the airline also owns a string of hotels and other venues all over the island, so there'll be lots more people out of work now - even more than after the last bombings and other things happening in Bali. Which means they'll be even poorer and in even more need of the donations and equipment we'd be taking over. There'll be even more orphans. They'll need even more help, and we can't go! How can there be any good in this at all?
Yet now, we've just come back from a meeting with the mission group and the church elders. There was press there: we should be appearing tomorrow in the Geelong Advertiser, the Age in Melbourne and tomorrow morning two of our crew will be appearing on Sunrise on channel nine. The publicity is far beyond what we would have got before. The news at the meeting was that the church has decided to cover the cost of the tickets, in the hope that it can be at least partially regained through insurance payouts (unlikely) or donations. In addition, hopefully the extra press coverage will bring in even more donations for the actual orphanages in Bali.
So it's quite possible that this has happened to show God's glory. The very argument I used against God this morning has been turned against me... and what can I do but rejoice to be proved wrong!
We are going at some stage this weekend with a different airline - not sure the exact flight details yet but we are booked for Sunday morning if nothing earlier becomes available. And who knows where the publicity might lead - not for us but for the people of Bali who will be suffering even more in the time to come.
UPDATE:
Qantas have donated all the flights! Good on you Qantas! In this case they deserve positive publicity. They rock. Not only us but the extra people in Bali we will be able to help thank you. Yay Qantas! (and Yay God! He rocks too.)
ANOTHER UPDATE:
The article appeared in the Addy but didn't make it into the Age. The two girls on Sunrise did a great job though! I should also clear up another fact: Australian Airlines are the ones who donated the tickets, we fly with Qantas to Sydney first, then Aus. Air. to Denpasar. I think Australian Airlines is what Qantas is called internationally. Whoever it was, we're still thankful!