He is Faithful - Story of our Trip to Japan

Leaving Jacksonville, Fl on August 11th

It has only taken me 3 weeks to post our plane ride story but that is life.
For those of you who may not know this aspect of the story I am going to give you some history. I called, United, the airlines I was booked with before the movers ever came to pack up our home in Virginia. I needed to know how many bags we could each have so that I had some idea what Dylan and I were going to be living with for potentially a little over a month. I was told since we were traveling overseas we could each check 2 bags, and bring 1 personal item and 1 carry on with us on the plane. I also knew I was going to need Dylan's stroller and his car seat for the plane ride. I then asked if I would be able to get assistance on and off the plane since I was with an infant. For those of you who haven't flown recently or have been blessed to be on other airlines rather than ours, here is how it has gone ever since Dylan was born. We have not been allowed to pre board. Usually we have been allowed to board in section B. To my request for help I was told no the only people that are helped are those who need a wheelchair. I must admit when I got off the phone I was annoyed and angry. I knew there was no way that I could get Dylan, who couldn't walk by himself, 4 bags, a car seat and myself on a plane. I called back and requested a wheelchair. If they weren't going to help me I would help myself by loading up the wheel chair with my luggage, carrying Dylan and boarding the plane.
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So this was how I planned on making it up until August the 10th. I was then prompted when I first awoke that I was taking matters into my own hands - lacking faith. I was also leaning on my own understanding that I would not be able to do it. Proverbs tells us not to lean on our own understanding. Thankfully I said yes Lord, called the airlines and canceled my wheel chair request. I was at peace about the decision but was really wondering how in the world everything was going to work out. I was giving the Lord free rein to be creative in getting Dylan, our stuff and myself to Japan. He knows creativity - look around you at the world. Actually isn't He the definition of creative having created the heavens and the earth.

I also tried to check us in online for our flight the day prior. After entering all of our flight info and passport info I was told not happening. We could not check in online because our host country, Japan, would not allow it due to the fact that we have no returning or continuing flight.
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The morning of August 12th had arrived. Joanna was going to come wake me up so I didn't set an alarm waking sweet Dylan before I was ready for him to be up. She did come up ever so quietly but as you can imagine with such a momentous day looming ahead I had been awake for quite awhile. No longer was there an adventure coming up it was upon us. Pops, Mom, Joanna, Dylan and myself left for the Jacksonville airport at 6:45am.
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We arrived with plenty of time and let me tell you how nice it is to go through International Security at a small airport. I have never gone through an international security checkpoint at any other airport but others have. I had heard and was ready for all my bags to be opened and my body to be wanded due to the fact that I had a one way ticket.

After unloading at the curb we had to take pictures. You know me:) I had to document all the luggage that the Lord was going to handle. After we had taken pictures, a lady came up and asked if we wanted to use the luggage cart that she had. Praise the Lord it was beginning! We had a cart to use for free for getting all my luggage to the check in counter!

My family came with me to the counter and filled out United tags for all of my bags while I checked Dylan and myself in for our flights. Rory called from California at this same time. I was trying to talk with my honey which I wanted to do, checking in and hoping everything was going smoothly. At this point in time my insides started to knot up. I was trying to do too much. I am so blessed to say that this was the only time the whole day and next day depending on whose time zone you were in that my insides knotted up. I got off the phone with my sweetheart finished up checking in and I was good to go. A little sad, but that was to be expected
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We had some time to visit in the waiting area of the airport which was nice but tough. I am going to miss my family terribly!!!!! It was especially sweet and sad when Pops pulled Dylan's stroller over to him and began rubbing his fingers while chatting with him. We won't be able to see Pops until we return to the states.
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With our free cart we began our journey - pushing and pulling the baggage and Dylan's stroller into the security line. My family each found a place that they could see through the glass and watch me go through. A TSA agent helped me pull the cart up to an empty line, then another lady helped me continue to slide items down the conveyor belt. See I had many items to remove, juice, milk, hand sanitizer, DVD player, lap top, shoes, Dylan's shoes and Dylan. We made it through just fine and as I was packing us all back up a TSA agent came up and asked if I would like help getting to the gate. I almost refused but that was self thinking - my goodness the Lord had just provided more help - take it!!! I said oh yes that would be wonderful. As she pushed my luggage and I pushed my dear traveling companion, I turned back one last time to sign I Love You to my family who was faithfully watching. I found out that they were watching me all the way down the hall - I love you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Once at the gate I realized Dylan was at a wonderful developmental age to be traveling. I let him down from his stroller and he could walk around the two seats we were at holding on. There was no running around like a crazy man and I would not allow him to crawl. This is something that we do not do in public which I am sure you all understand. He walked circles around our chairs and luggage until it was time to board. As I was pushing and pulling, a lady asked if she could help me out to the plane. I was learning quickly and without hesitation said oh yes thank you. The plane was one of the puddle jumpers out on the tarmac. As she pulled my bags up an agent helped me unload then carried Dylan's car seat and diaper bag up into the plane. Thank you Lord!!! I was so thrilled at this point that the Lord was providing. I did my own struggling and straining carrying Dylan, the lap top and one other carry on bag down the small aisle trying not to give people concussions from being banged with the bags. We arrived at our seats and our flight attendant helped to set up Dylan's seat.
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We were off. This first leg of the trip was only 2 hours so I didn't want to pull out any of my tricks yet. The first hour Dylan was slightly irritable because he had been woken up early and it was past his morning nap time. He did end up sleeping the second hour. It was night and day from how he acted with his ear infection on the CA trip.
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As soon as the fasten seat belt was turned off, I popped out of my seat. It was time to grab all my carry ons, get the car seat in its travel bag and some how manage to get off. I sat Dylan down in my seat as I tried awkwardly to get his car seat into the travel bag. The gentleman sitting directly across from me offered to help get the seat into the bag as well as carry some of my baggage off the plane. Thank you Lord! What a blessing. Once again we were one the tarmac this time it meant we had to go up stairs to get into the airport. I stopped an airport employee. You know the guys with the knee pads on an the light wands. I asked about an elevator or ramp. He then explained that the stairs would have to be moved for a ramp to be set in place. This was to be done after everyone else had used the steps. Waiting was not an option, but before I could say a thing the same man and his wife offered to carry my luggage while the employee carried my stroller and I carried the most precious cargo of all our dear Dylan. Come to find out the man and his wife were both Christians
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Thankfully we had arrived early because it was 11:42am and our plane boung for Toyko was due to begin boarding at 12:03pm - time to put it in high gear. Never having flown internationally I thought I was going to have to get to another terminal. Thankfully I did not at least not at Washington/Dulles. I was at gate C1 and need to be at D something. Off we went Dylan was in his stroller, the gym bag carry on was under it in the basket, and the lap top hung over the handle of the stroller. I was pulling the rolling carry on which had the car seat strapped on it and had the diaper bag over my shoulder. Little did I know this was only the beginning of my new job title - pack horse. (this is due to the fact that I and Dylan's stroller = my vehicle) We made a bathroom stop along the way - a must for me when traveling.
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We then continued booking it down to C3 which I could have promised you was the gate I saw on the monitor for Tokyo. As we were waiting in line to board I asked an airlines attendant if the tag on the stroller (which has to be check at the plane) was OK. He read the tag which said Narita (that is the airport in Tokyo) and looked confused. I said oh I guess it is good because it has my final destination. It was then that I learned I was in the line boarding for Beijing, China. As much as I love the Olympics and would love to have attended I quickly removed myself from that line.

Once I reached the correct gate I went directly to the counter to let them know I was in need of assistance getting everything on board. The man pointed at all my stuff and said you want to bring all of that. I just smiled and said yes knowing that I had ammunition in my purse if needed. I had printed out the page that described what was considered a carry on, a personal item and how car seats were exempt. He told me to stand to the side of the entrance ramp. I then assumed that I was at least going to be allowed to board with first class versus my boarding number 2. But my Lord had something grander in plan for us. A few minutes later a man came up asked me my seat number, grabbed Dylan's car seat and my rolling suitcase and took off telling me to follow. Wow I was boarding before first class even had. We had the perfect seats all the way in the back next to the galley on the right side of the plane (as you face forward) Right behind us was an open area that we ended up utilizing to stretch our legs. It was also just the two of us since on the side there is only 2 seats in the row.
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The plane was huge - the largest I had ever been in. It was a Boeing 777. As you can see from the picture it had 3 rows and many many aisles. All seats had TVs and their were multiple lavatories. Two near us had changings areas for Dylan and I must say they were really convenient. A table folded down over the toilet for me to lay him on. Not surprising Dylan was beloved by the flight attendants and many of the passengers. One business man from the U.S. who had a British accent would walk back from first class just to visit with and hold Dylan. He currently has three grown sons and I am sure he was reminiscing. My "rules" of strangers and Dylan was so far out the window on this trip but it made life so much easier. Another Asian man would always hold his hand out to Dylan as we would exercising by walking up and down the aisles. He would also say things to Dylan what he said is a mystery since it was not in English.
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I found the flight plan to be most fascinating. On take off before we left the ground we reached 216mph and had 6745miles to go until our destination. We left Washington and headed diagonally for Canada then crossed Alaska continued across and down Russia at this point we angled down to enter Japanese airspace. I am guessing it was Russia. I am not so great at Geography and this was one land mass that was not named. The fact that it was connected to Siberia gave me the impression that it was Russia. The highest I saw that we flew was 35,000 ft with a speed equivalent to a ground speed of 562mph. The lowest temperature that I saw was negative 70 degrees this was when we were flying over the International Date Line. Which was strange because as I watched the shape of a plane, signifying us, fly over the imaginary line on the monitor BAM it was the next day and I had lost 13 hours of my life.
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Dylan did excellent and only whined a little before his bed time. He slept from 9pm to what would be his 2am. I on the other hand can never get comfortable on planes and slept 45min to maybe an hour. Once we arrived Dylan made a last minute present therefore when the fasten seat belt went off we were up to use the lavatory one more time. Of course the flight attendant had to unlock it for us:) After we were finished the plane was pretty empty - guess the Lord planned that one as well. Another flight attendant helped pack up Dylan's seat and carried that and one bag off the plane. The Lord had definitely provided so much better than if I had been waiting for a wheel chair, annoying people, juggling luggage and my son as I tried to make it on and off the planes.
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As I was about to enter the immigration line, a older Japanese man came from around the side of some offices and sent me to finish my forms. I thought I had been prepared filling out the forms while on the plane. I am not sure how he saw and believe that this point he didn't know but was directed by my Lord, but the back pages of one of my forms wasn't done. All it needed was a few checks to say I have never been arrest and charged with a felony. I could have done that while waiting in line. Instead I walk up to the form counter to check the boxes. After I finished I started to slowly maneuver my "get up" of luggage and child back to the end of the line when the same man stopped me. He then said "6 oh 7" motioning with his head to the counters 6 and 7. This meant I skipped the whole immigration line! That had to be what I call "A God Thing" there was no other reason I would have been allowed to skip ahead. Getting my stamps was a breeze and I was on to pick up my luggage.
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My luggage had already been removed from the conveyor belt so I loaded it on one of the free carts. At this point it was stacked so high I could not see over the luggage nor could I pull the cart due to the way the wheels were attached. I began to pull Dylan's stroller backwards and push the mountain of luggage. Every few seconds I would peek around the side praying I was not about to mow someone down. Rolling mountains of luggage are hard to stop. A Japanese man saw this funny sight and came rushing to my side shaking his head. I was heading away from the customs desk and exit. He pushed my cart to customs and from there another Japanese gentleman pushed my cart out to where my sponsor was waiting.
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Dylan and I had traveled safety in the loving arms of our Savior and arrived halfway around the world all in one piece and full of His peace.