banhocheiroso

7th October 2006: Teresina to Florianópolis: An eventful trip home

My return journey from Teresina was an interesting one. When I bought the ticket there had been some humming and hoing about which flight to get back – 7.00 in the morning or 3 in the afternoon. In the end I went for the morning, hoping to be home for the best part of the afternoon.

I rose early on the Saturday morning, and Maely took me to the airport. Check-in seemed to be progressing normally when the guy told me that there was a problem with my flight from Brasília southwards. After some delay for phone calls I was told that there was an overbook, and I could not get on the Brasília flight. I had various choices: fly now and spend a large part of the day in a hotel either in São Paulo or Brasília, getting home at 10.30, or wait till the afternoon flight, and get home at 10.30. Given the good fellowship of the Seminary, I opted to hang around.

I was not pleased, but not particularly fed up either, with the situation. I had a good chat with Cora, and enjoyed a final morning of the humour fellowship at the Seminary. Then an uneventful flight to Brasília, where I had a two hour wait.

I was a bit peckish on arrival in Brasilia, so headed to the food court. Suddenly I became aware of someone calling my name: Ederson and Kalisandra, ex-students of the Maranata Bible Institute, and now pastoring in the interior of Goiás state. They were on their way to Tefé to see her parents: a long bus ride to Brasília, a plane to Manaus and then three days by boat. It was Ederson’s first chance to see his in-laws, although they have already seen their granddaughter, Abigail. We had a good conversation over a snack, catching up after 2 years. (This couple have actually been in our home in Florianópolis, having dropped in while on their honeymoon, the only Maranata contacts ever to come here!)

This encouraged me no end. The Lord new I would meet them – it was worth missing that flight. I caught my flight to Florianópolis a happy man.

Next to me were two teachers from the Federal University in Manaus. At first I thought them a couple, and then realised they were simply colleagues from the same University who happened to be going to Florianópolis, for separate events. The lady, a nursing instructor, was just asking me what I did, when the man said – “You’re Andrew King, aren’t you?” He is a teacher of Quantum Mechanics at the University, and a member of Cidade Nova Presbyterian Church, the church we know best in Manaus. He had seen me at three Encounters of the Reformed faith, although we had never spoken.

Sandra, the nursing instructor, a spiritualist-leaning catholic (like so many Brazilians) was slightly bemused by these reformed evangelicals who have “freaky coincidences” too. The conversation was really good, and the time shot by. Having discovered that Kelsom had been a staff worker for ABU, the Brazilian UCCF, I asked him if he could address our students while he was at his scientific conference. This he did, on the Tuesday night, and it was a great help to all who came.

So God is in control right down to the details. He always is of course – we don’t need such coincidences to know that. But all the same, moments like these make you stop and think, and give thanks.


Ederson and Kalisandra and their little girl, Abigail.


Kelsom, in our home, where he stayed on the Thursday night of his week in Floripa.