The Nelson Family Indonesia

Today I left Nepal and headed back to more familiar stomping grounds of Kuala Lumpur. Hard to believe I can call Kuala Lumpur “familiar” at all when I couldn’t have found it on a map just a few years ago!

I was nervous about my trip to Nepal. Nervous in terms of safety. It seems so remote and exotic – both of which are true. And of course flying over hills and mountains to reach it is also a little intimidating. But my flight into Nepal was smooth. And God preserved me through four trips through the hills along small winding roads and large busses and seemingly only cursory knowledge of concepts such as lanes and safe passing procedures.

So the last objectively risky enterprise was to get out of the country safely. One flight to go.

I’m not very familiar with Tribhuvan International Airport. Signage is not always intuitive. I checked in smoothly enough for my flight but there was no gate assignment. I waited and waited but still no indication of which gate to go to. Finally, an hour before the flight the gate was announced. Normally that would mean I have another 30+ minutes before boarding starts. But here it meant everyone rushed to get in line. I got in line, had my passport and boarding pass checked and then was ushered onto a bus which drove us onto the tarmac to the plane.

I was settled into my seat for the five-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur. The safety briefing video had been shown and the flight attendants had been told to sit down and we were just about to push back from the gate. Suddenly, a woman two rows ahead of me was yelling at the man next to her. Then she was standing in front of him yelling. I can barely make out that he was trembling. She called for help and others joined the chorus and finally flight attendants arrived. It was clear the man was having some sort of seizure.

I began praying – for his safety and health and for the issue to be healed.

Two women who I assume were nurses or doctors came forward to assist. They all managed to get the still-convulsing man out of his seat and lay him in the aisle, just where economy and first class seating is separated. There he remained for 30 minutes or so while consultations were made. Finally some men came with a wheelchair and managed to help him to his feet and get him into the wheelchair and off the plane. I watched as they found his luggage and removed it from the baggage storage area under the plane. The man seemed dazed but his eyes were open.

So the plane was delayed by 90+ minutes. As disasters go it was not a difficult one, except for that man. Pray he is all right. Pray that he either knows Jesus already or perhaps met him during his seizure today. I can handle arriving at my hotel at midnight – that’s a small inconvenience. A reminder once again of how blessed I am and how God cares for me and how I shouldn’t worry about things.

Hopefully I remember that each and every day. Hopefully we all do!