On the Icy Path with Purpose
by Gordon Walker
A Recap of Our Thailand Mission Trip
The tone of her voice got our attention.
At an October meeting to share details of an upcoming CRBC mission trip to Thailand, Makenzie Magnus played a voicemail from A. Our friend, A, along with her husband, M, and others, organized the missionary family retreat that was the center of our assignment that would bring in the new year.
As we listened, A was clearly winded, and not just because she was in the middle of a jog at the time of her call. Our family has known M and A for 30 years. Although there would have been plenty of reason for them to have been distraught in the middle of all the hurdles they have worked through in their two decades of service in Southeast Asia, not once had we ever heard either one of them show any hint of being troubled in their voices. This day was different.
During the six-minute recording, A shared how much the family retreats for team members serving in her region had meant to participants—adults and their children. Yet, with extreme isolation brought on by COVID, the annual retreats—a longtime staple that have brought refreshment, recharged spiritual batteries and old-fashioned fun for the kids—had been on hold since 2019. As A convincingly described, the extended seclusion was taking its toll. By the time A finished, the room at The Cube was stirred and a dry eye in the room of 20 or so was hard to find. One of our CRBC team members, a late addition for the trip who attended the meeting for information purposes—lured by the promise of Thai food—was instantly hooked. “I knew then that I had to go.” That same sentiment was shared by others.
With a clear understanding of the need, it’s no wonder that not one member of our group of 17 batted an eye when we ran into a series of obstacles just to make the U.S. portion of the outbound leg of the journey. We were ready to move with a sense of purpose that was emblazoned on our hearts and minds two months earlier.
With our group planning to depart on December 29, the Thursday after Christmas, a common sense of dread was geared toward the 18-hour flight from Los Angeles to Singapore. As matters evolved, that was the least of our challenges. On Monday, the day after Christmas, we began to hear rumblings of scores of flights being canceled on Southwest Airlines, which was our connection from OKC to LA. At 5:06 p.m. Tuesday, the official word came from Makenzie: our scheduled Thursday flight from OKC to LAX was among the casualties. With just over 48 hours before our 7:35 p.m. Thursday flight across the Pacific scheduled for departure, our ability to get there was in serious jeopardy. We all felt the anguish. So, when Makenzie told us to brace ourselves for our next step—to leave 24 hours earlier than planned and ride in three vehicles straight down Interstate 40—all 17 of us said “Yes!” without hesitation. (She did give us the option to attempt last-minute flight arrangements, but the few options available were very cost prohibitive.) There was not one single “You’ve got to be kidding me!” response on the GroupMe text thread. Instead, there was relief and a rallying spirit. As my wife, Beverly, noted, we were about to drive “halfway across the country to fly halfway around the world.”
We met at The Cube at 10:30 a.m. the next morning, spending our final hours at home hastily packing while postponing any final work plans we had scheduled for that day, a Wednesday. Maps showed that we could navigate the 1,345 miles from OKC to LAX in 19 hours of driving time. As we swiftly made our way from OKC to eastern New Mexico, we were on course for an eight-hour stop in Flagstaff, Arizona. But as we approached the middle of New Mexico, it became apparent that our projected 11 p.m. arrival in Flagstaff for pillow time was only wishful thinking. We ran into weather issues in western New Mexico that wiped out those plans. Through a series of icy roads and jackknifed semi-trucks, we learned there are a few hours each year that you can park your vehicle in either direction along I-40, smack dab in the middle of the road, for FREE. We were among the “lucky” ones. Our 11 p.m. Flagstaff sleep stop was shortened to a wave of arrivals there between 6:30-8:15 a.m. for a glorified bathroom stop.
Shortly after sunrise, the passengers of all three vehicles had finally been reunited at the Hotel Aspen in Flagstaff. After a brief prayer time, we hit the interstate again for the final 481 miles on the road to the West Coast. Our theme: no RELAX until LAX. But that moment at last did arrive, and an iconic sight for all of us came when the second vehicle arrived at the LAX car rental return. As the Chevy Malibu rolled in, Millicent Gillogly was standing up from the backseat peering through the moonroof, waving at a cheering crowd of seven who had arrived a few minutes earlier in the van. A few minutes later, the Chevy Silverado, carrying most of the luggage in its tarp-wrapped bed, rolled onto the lot. Millie’s gleeful wave was a sign of victory that we all shared, one that marked the moment that, somehow, we had made it in time for the once-dreaded long flight.
The challenges that came with the drive seemed to, oddly, work in our favor in many ways. Isn’t that just like the Lord, who works all things together for our good, time and again, just as He promised? While Makenzie (our unflappable and cheerful leader and CRBC’s Director of Missions) had been promised three vans, at pickup time that turned into one seven-passenger van, the five-passenger Chevy Malibu, and the five-passenger Chevy Silverado, each with their own little stories to add spice to the journey. The van had the most legroom and seats; the Silverado had ample space for most of our luggage—which included Bible school materials and other supplies for our camp, as well as our personal belongings; the Malibu won the MCV award—Most Cramped Vehicle. But its riders were the ones who had the best view of the magnificent astronomy show as its star-gazing crew peeled back the moonroof once the skies cleared and had a beautiful glimpse of a glorious sky. The 27-degree temps made that a short viewing experience, but a wonderful one, nonetheless. The unplanned cross-country drive gave our group ample time to get closely acquainted, with hours of laughing, praying, and story-telling. The interruption of the ice storm was bookended by two memorable glimpses of nature: a stunning sky to the west on Wednesday evening that seemed to hold a soothing orange glow for a full hour after sunset, and an 8 ½ inch blanket of snow on the ground at Flagstaff as we rolled through there at sunrise Thursday morning. The blessings continued once we reached LAX. On the heels of action-packed Christmas gatherings just ahead of the long haul out west, the Singapore Airlines flight was an opportunity for much-needed sleep that had evaded us for the most part for more than 36 hours. (Iron Man Nick Luttrull was behind the wheel of the pickup truck for every bit of the 21-hour gauntlet from OKC to Flagstaff.) Along with prayers from dozens of church members, friends and family back in OKC as well as us 17 travelers, our friend A had placed requests for intercession in front of the 500 missionaries serving in her region on the other side of the globe as our caravan hit the ice storm. All of those prayers were felt and answered favorably by our Lord.
The blessings once we finally reached the resort in Phuket were numerous. Organizers of the family retreat were relieved and made us to feel loved and appreciated. A noted that as she prayed with others for our deliverance along the treacherous course, she sought the Lord’s wisdom on a backup plan. The Lord provided no Plan B. We were honored to be a part of Plan A (Plan Only) as we were quickly drawn to the missionaries and their wonderful children from the very outset. Thanks to the lead work of M and A and their team on the ground ahead of us as well as that of Makenzie, Sarah Hagar and Millicent Gillogly, the only thing required for the rest of us was to simply show up for duty. Of course, that was a little more difficult than anyone had imagined. We had three groups of tasks: leading worship, security and leading Bible school and childcare each day, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We also had inspirational and informative prayer meetings and missionary testimonies in the evenings. The devotion of the missionaries was appropriately celebrated. The 70 or so children under our care were easy to love and a joy to spend each day with. We often lament the spiritual darkness in our own culture here at home, but songs that invite the Holy Spirit to “shine through the darkness” take on a whole new level of meaning for those serving in Southeast Asia, places where villagers are tormented nightly by demons and other evil spirits through dreams. So, when we gathered for worship on Thursday evening, the last night before camp broke the next afternoon, the worship was sincere and intensely focused on the Light of the World.
It amazes us still that all 17 people chose to accept the extra burden of that grueling drive before we ever stepped on an airplane. The weather reports before we left OKC indicated that the storm that eventually glazed our path was expected to stay south of I-40. Obviously, it didn’t. We believe this was just part of the Lord’s wild and wonderful plan for our journey, a testament of our devotion to bring short-term assistance and long-term friendship and encouragement to our brothers and sisters who dwell there. I’m betting none of us would sign up for that car ride again. Yet, at the same time, none of us would change one thing about our trip.
What an unforgettable treasure to see the Lord’s mighty hand at work all throughout this 13-day adventure.
Author Bio
Gordon Walker and his wife, Beverly, serve as directors of the TBD Connection Class. They have been members at Council Road since 2008. During the week, they operate NightOWL Publications. They have three children: Brooks, (and wife, Dru), Memphis, Tenn.; Annie, Yukon; and Clay, (1991-1997), Heaven.