...
Oh yeah...
We forgot to mention how we got to our hotel...
Well...by cab.
OH YOU MEANT BEFORE THAT...?
at the Greyhound station in Rochester?
OHHHH WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY BEFORE THAT?
at the Greyhound station in Buffalo...
OHHHHH YYOUU MEAN EVEN MOOOORE BACK THAN THAT?
At the US Customs border?
Oh yeah that.
As Mbula was flirting up a storm with Officer M and I was sending up prayers, another officer stepped into the picture and looked over Officer M's shoulder as he reviewed, inspected, double checked and scanned our passports.
RASSSS...
Folks,
There was literally a PAUSE where Mr. M looked at me and I KNEW HE KNEW THAT I KNEW THAT THE PASSPORT HE WAS HOLDING WAS EXPIRED.
I was sure he was going to say something at that moment. I was literally watching his lips.
Why he only chose to say "So Mbula, how long will you be in New York for?" we will never know.
He didn't even ask for the plethora of documents that I had stashed and prepared for this exact moment.
I was ready to prove my citizenship, birth certificate, place of residence, place of education, bills with current and former address... A WHOLE PORTFOLIO OF PREPARATION... AND NONE OF IT WAS NEEDED.
*claps hands*
THANK YOU JESUS
--) Before we continue we just need to take a moment and thank Jesus
Thank you:
For laying it in Jessica's spirit the desire to be in your presence this weekend
For allowing all of the arrangements to be financially possible
For showing us how to trust in you
For showing us the key to doing your perfect will
For allowing us to be free in the spirit
For allowing us to be in your presence
For helping us to step into a new year with a new understanding and appreciation for the intimacy we now have with you.
For bring us onto a NEXT a level
For teaching us that prayer and praise WORKS
For showing us that you will always make a way for those whose hearts are set apart for you.
Fast forward to getting back on the bus, our 2hr wait in Buffalo (Uhm never again), to our arrival in Rochester.
Can we just talk about how COLD IT WAS? RAWTID...
And on top of that, a certain conductor of the Greyhound bus (Buffalo to Rochester) by the name of JAMES, approached our cab window (Mbula's side to be exact), who then proceeded to POUND his fist against the cab window. As the window rolled down and Mr. James introduced himself
And I quote:
Him: Hi, I'm James. What's your name (as he looked in and stared at me expectantly and creepily)
Me: Jessica
Him to Mbula: Give this to her. This is my number. Call me anytime.
Mbula's thinking: when the RASSS did I become Jessica's personal secretary to be takin' mens numbers that are chopping her ?
So we're in the cabbie spelling our hotel address (a good 4 mins) for our INCOHERENT cab driver. Lets just say our efforts to understand each other was all in vain, as he turned off the GPS claiming to know EXACTLY where he's going...*Biggest sigh ever*
He knows where he's going alright....to another city! Henrietta to be exact.....We end up in the outskirts of Rochester @ 4:40am! After our slight indifferences with our cab driver and outbursts of frustration, we arrive at our hotel...in Greece! (about 20 mins from Downtown Rochester).
The hotel looked interesting as it was kinda in the middle of nowhere but had all the luxury anyone could want including kitchenette, dining room, cutlery, cooking and dining utensils as we mentionned above..
How about we tell you, we woke up BRIGHHHHT and perky @ 10:30am...only to find out we had missed the 1st service of the day! LAWDDDDD...
We're in Greece! Lets..............................UHMMM........ What DO people do out here...?
Mbula indecisively shifts her focus on getting her hair done to getting our nails done.....NONE OF WHICH HAPPENED...SHAME!
All in the same, we decide to get some food....sleep....and wake up in time for our service at 6:30pm.
Let me tell you from NOW.....Greece does not have a Pizza Pizza, Popeyes does not deliver and Chinese food is questionable....(As always)...But aye....Pizza Hut is familiar to us Canadians so we order our presumably delicious large vegetarian pizza, cheese sticks and soda.
PAUSE:
Tell me why this so called large vegetarian pizza, from the looks of it, turns out to be LAST NIGHT`S pizza, just reheated. The crust, cheese, tomatoes and greens all looked DRY!!
Clearly Jessie's stomach was not 'down' with that and decided to tell Jessica what was 'up' - true story
NEVER AGAIN
Fast forward to AFTER the service where Jessie was able to link up with our friend R.C (who 'happened' to be staying at the hotel across from where the service was being held) and spend time in fellowship
GOD IS GOOD
NO COINCIDENCES THERE
Then our 'designated' cabbie, came and picked us up from the hotel and drove us home.
SIDENOTE:
Our cabby was a very interesting character. On our first ride for the evening service, he drove us through some boricuan gueto (puerto-rican ghetto neighborhood) Honestly it was just awkward. He said he would give us a tour, not the opportunity to put our lives in danger yeesh!
And as we conversed with him he kept mentioning how when he visited Toronto he liked to visit the show girls and the strip clubs.
.... I'm sorry, were we supposed to say to him: yeah next time you visit we'll tag along and even show you a couple of our spots?
Then apparently when we went to withdrawl money, he asked Jess if we were lovers :| Really though?
Then after Saturday night's service when he came and picked us up from the hotel (mind you it was almost 2am), he asked us if we had been in the room with somebody :o I thinking: grandpa,you don't know me like that! If you think we're the kind of Christian girls that just 'act' Christian but are REALLY down low then you got another think comin!
Fast forward to Sunday morning service where we came in a bit late for worship but still caught the word. The message was calling us to chose who we would serve- God or the world.
After service we went to a grill restaurant ( I forget the name but they were PACKED) So we ordered the food to go.
I ordered a fish platter and Jess got some goooood chicken.
Sunday was my turn to have a churning belly that was disagreeing with the food.
Fast forward to us just sitting on our hotel bed, reminiscing and thanking the Lord for such a wonderful laid out experience
WE WANT MORE OF YOU JESUS
MORE EXPERIENCES LIKE THIS
TO SEE YOUR HAND MAKING ALL THINGS COME TOGETHER FOR GOOD AND FOR YOUR GLORY ALONE
Then we decided we would catch the midnight greyhound so we could well be back in Toronto by Monday afternoon and perhaps even on our way to Ottawa.
And indeed it was so.
I'm sorry if I've cut out so much of our experience in Rochester but needless to say, WE SERVE A GREAT BIG GOD THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE WORD IMPOSSIBLE IN HIS DICTIONARY OR VOCABULARY.
We learned that the key to getting in God's will for your life is to TRUST Him in all things and at all times.
proverbs 3:5-6
He taught us that as long as we keep praying, praising and steadfastly focusing on Him, He will do the rest.
He taught us that if He brings us to it, He will bring us through it.
The key to this whole weekend was that in our heart of hearts, he KNEW and SAW that we were seeking nothing but to be in His presence, not to receive some kind of blessing or healing, no JUST to be SOAKED in His presence was all we asked, and He honored it and went above and beyond to make our wildest dream come true.
Trust in Him my friends, whether it's a minute detail or the goriest most horrific thing that could happen to you in your life.
Let's leave it at daddy's feet and say " Honestly, I donno what to do about this" or " I can't seem to get up when I fall over this block"
No daddy can ever compare to this ONE. So take his hand, it's always outstretched, ready and willing to help you get up onto your feet.
He is so good.
We love you daddy Jesus xo <3
So we're in the cabbie spelling our hotel address (a good 4 mins) for our INCOHERENT cab driver. Lets just say our efforts to understand each other was all in vain, as he turned off the GPS claiming to know EXACTLY where he's going...*Biggest sigh ever*
He knows where he's going alright....to another city! Henrietta to be exact.....We end up in the outskirts of Rochester @ 4:40am! After our slight indifferences with our cab driver and outbursts of frustration, we arrive at our hotel...in Greece! (about 20 mins from Downtown Rochester).
The hotel looked interesting as it was kinda in the middle of nowhere but had all the luxury anyone could want including kitchenette, dining room, cutlery, cooking and dining utensils as we mentionned above..
How about we tell you, we woke up BRIGHHHHT and perky @ 10:30am...only to find out we had missed the 1st service of the day! LAWDDDDD...
We're in Greece! Lets..............................UHMMM........ What DO people do out here...?
Mbula indecisively shifts her focus on getting her hair done to getting our nails done.....NONE OF WHICH HAPPENED...SHAME!
All in the same, we decide to get some food....sleep....and wake up in time for our service at 6:30pm.
Let me tell you from NOW.....Greece does not have a Pizza Pizza, Popeyes does not deliver and Chinese food is questionable....(As always)...But aye....Pizza Hut is familiar to us Canadians so we order our presumably delicious large vegetarian pizza, cheese sticks and soda.
PAUSE:
Tell me why this so called large vegetarian pizza, from the looks of it, turns out to be LAST NIGHT`S pizza, just reheated. The crust, cheese, tomatoes and greens all looked DRY!!
Clearly Jessie's stomach was not 'down' with that and decided to tell Jessica what was 'up' - true story
NEVER AGAIN
Fast forward to AFTER the service where Jessie was able to link up with our friend R.C (who 'happened' to be staying at the hotel across from where the service was being held) and spend time in fellowship
GOD IS GOOD
NO COINCIDENCES THERE
Then our 'designated' cabbie, came and picked us up from the hotel and drove us home.
SIDENOTE:
Our cabby was a very interesting character. On our first ride for the evening service, he drove us through some boricuan gueto (puerto-rican ghetto neighborhood) Honestly it was just awkward. He said he would give us a tour, not the opportunity to put our lives in danger yeesh!
And as we conversed with him he kept mentioning how when he visited Toronto he liked to visit the show girls and the strip clubs.
.... I'm sorry, were we supposed to say to him: yeah next time you visit we'll tag along and even show you a couple of our spots?
Then apparently when we went to withdrawl money, he asked Jess if we were lovers :| Really though?
Then after Saturday night's service when he came and picked us up from the hotel (mind you it was almost 2am), he asked us if we had been in the room with somebody :o I thinking: grandpa,you don't know me like that! If you think we're the kind of Christian girls that just 'act' Christian but are REALLY down low then you got another think comin!
Fast forward to Sunday morning service where we came in a bit late for worship but still caught the word. The message was calling us to chose who we would serve- God or the world.
After service we went to a grill restaurant ( I forget the name but they were PACKED) So we ordered the food to go.
I ordered a fish platter and Jess got some goooood chicken.
Sunday was my turn to have a churning belly that was disagreeing with the food.
Fast forward to us just sitting on our hotel bed, reminiscing and thanking the Lord for such a wonderful laid out experience
WE WANT MORE OF YOU JESUS
MORE EXPERIENCES LIKE THIS
TO SEE YOUR HAND MAKING ALL THINGS COME TOGETHER FOR GOOD AND FOR YOUR GLORY ALONE
Then we decided we would catch the midnight greyhound so we could well be back in Toronto by Monday afternoon and perhaps even on our way to Ottawa.
And indeed it was so.
I'm sorry if I've cut out so much of our experience in Rochester but needless to say, WE SERVE A GREAT BIG GOD THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE WORD IMPOSSIBLE IN HIS DICTIONARY OR VOCABULARY.
We learned that the key to getting in God's will for your life is to TRUST Him in all things and at all times.
proverbs 3:5-6
He taught us that as long as we keep praying, praising and steadfastly focusing on Him, He will do the rest.
He taught us that if He brings us to it, He will bring us through it.
The key to this whole weekend was that in our heart of hearts, he KNEW and SAW that we were seeking nothing but to be in His presence, not to receive some kind of blessing or healing, no JUST to be SOAKED in His presence was all we asked, and He honored it and went above and beyond to make our wildest dream come true.
Trust in Him my friends, whether it's a minute detail or the goriest most horrific thing that could happen to you in your life.
Let's leave it at daddy's feet and say " Honestly, I donno what to do about this" or " I can't seem to get up when I fall over this block"
No daddy can ever compare to this ONE. So take his hand, it's always outstretched, ready and willing to help you get up onto your feet.
He is so good.
We love you daddy Jesus xo <3
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