7/26/12

Well, today was my day to leave Orlando. While I was still at my mom's house I saw her crying and my younger brother Joshua. I patted my mom on the shoulder comforting her and I gave my Joshua a hug telling that everything is going to be ok and that I am coming back again to visit. It is definitely hard to say goodbye especially to family members, but even more for my mom because I barely ever see her the entire year. Once my stepdad arrived, he took a shower and then all of us got together and prayed that we would have a safe flight and that I would do well in college. Then we all left in the car to the airport and I was really nervous beforehand at home and even in the car. We had to go to the southwest line to print out my boarding pass when actually we printed out a slim security document for my first flight to Las Vegas. Then we left to the security line and waited there. Once I was close to the entrance of going in, I gave my mom, brother Joshua and my stepdad all a hug and they left. I came into airport security and there were two lines, one going left and the other going right. The one on the right was headed towards one of those full body scanners and I did not like those at all. So I avoided it by going to the right using the regular metal detector scanner. After that, I put my belt on and my shoes and ran over to the train that took me to where the gates were located. I got on safe and was waiting patiently until I got to the other side. Once I got out I was looking above on those signs that guide you to where the gates are located etc. I found my gate and then I went to the Southwest front desk and got my two boarding passes for both my flights. After that I sat down on a seat that was next to a gentleman who was in a semi-formal business suit. I decided to chat with him and his name was David. Me and him started talking about various things like where he was from and what he does. He told me that he works for fidelity investments and that he lives in Miami and was going back home there. I told him that I was going to college and about where I was going. Then later on I said "David, can I ask you an interesting question?" He said "go for it" then I asked "when you die, what do you think is on the other side? What do you think is out there when we walk out of here?" He told me that he did not know and that he has never thought about it before. Then I shared the tombstone example as used in the book One thing you can't do in Heaven to get him to think about eternity. After I told him that he said "good point", and I mentioned to him that we are going to be dead longer than we are going to be alive. I then showed him a proof for a God and he said to me the same thing "good point". He told me during the conversation that I was a deep thinker haha. Then I talked to him about sin by using the Ten Commandments, repentance, the cross, blood of Jesus Christ, etc. I then told David "David, the only reason I share all of this with you is because I care about your soul and where you will go when you die." He told me that he appreciated it and then I gave him a Mark Cahill booklet The most important question of all time. I then had to see if my flight was boarding and it was so I came back and said goodbye to David and left. Well, as you know I always pray for the person next to me on airplane flights before I board and Mark Cahill does the same thing as well, so I decided to try it. I have done it a couple of times in the past, but now I am getting into the habit of doing it. I came onto the flight and sat next to an African-American gentleman and another guy to my left. I was planning on talking to him and then I noticed that he was praying silently with his hands clasped and then he pointed to the sky signaling to the Lord. That gave me an opportunity to talk with the guy and I found out that his name was Allen and that he is a Christian. He currently coaches basketball in Wyoming and has been doing it for ten years. He told me that he struggled with his faith when he was in school back then. He committed his life to Christ but he just did not want to change, but he did of course eventually. I then shared my stories with Allen about me witnessing to others about Christ and he was interested and listened intentivally. I even told Allen at the beginning that I pray for the person next to me on the plane flight and said that it was no accident that it was accident I was sitting next to him. I wanted to talk with Allen more, but he was reading his book and did not want to disturb him. At the end of the plane flight I told him that I enjoyed chatting with him and he thanked me and said good luck. What I didn't realize until I landed in Las Vegas was that my flight from Orlando was scheduled to leave at 5:30, but left at 6:05. My next flight was from Las Vegas to San Jose at 8:05 and I arrived in Las Vegas at around 7:40. So as soon as I got off the plane I rushed from the B gate area all the way to the C gate area which was a long way off. I asked a guy where the gate C8 was and he guided me and I thanked him. I tried sprinting the best I could but I felt that my legs were going to give out and could not run anymore. But I kept going, I persevered the best I could. I was first rolling my bag and realized that it was not fast enough so I grabbed it by the handle, then finally I carried it in both my arms like it was a football. I was carrying my backpack on my back as well and there were people around me staring and looking at me but I didn't care, I was focused on my main goal. After running the best I could down this long hallway filled with people and gates, I arrived at the Southwest front desk and the people were calling me over and they confirmed that it was me. I then boarded my gate and the man said that I was good to go and then he announced my name on the intercom. I got on the plane and had to go all they way to the back row. As I was walking to the back all eyes were on me and it was awkward, but I got used to it of course haha. I came to the back and asked this young women if I could sit in her row and I sat down. She was really friendly and we started talking, I told her how exhausted I was from sprinting from my last gate to this gate and she understood completely. Me and her starting talking about various things. And near the end of the flight when we were landing soon I asked Meagan the question "when you die, what do you think is on the other side? What do you think is out there when you walk out of here?" She told me "that's a good question" and started thinking about it. She told me that she believes that there is something when she dies then she asked me "what about you?" I told her that I strongly believe that there is a Heaven and a Hell and then I asked her what the standard was for who gets one or the other. I went through the Ten  Commandments to show Meagan her sin and then at the end I asked Meagan if she would be guilty or not guilty on Judgment Day. She told me how God will forgive her of her sins and I said that is right, but then I told her at the moment. She said guilty, so I said would that mean Heaven or would that mean Hell and she told me Hell. I told her if you could go from being guilty to not guilty on Judgement Day, would that be a good thing? She told me yeah. Then I talked her about repentance, the cross, blood of Jesus Christ etc. I told her that I cared about her soul and that she appreciated it. Then she told me that it was really nice to talk with me and I the same. Then I got off the plane and had to go to the baggage claim and get my bag. After I got my bag I waited outside and my dad came and picked me up. We left to get Taco Bell for me and then we went home. Crazy adventures you can get yourself into when you trust Jesus completely. There are no accidents to things like this and know it wasn't. But man, the Lord does some pretty awesome and funny things! Praise the Lord!!!