Emergency Landing

photo source

Thus says the Lord:

“The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when I went to give him rest.”

- Jeremiah 31:2




 This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, 
in quietness and trust is your strength.”
- Isaiah 30:15

"But for you who revere my name,
the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.
And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.
Then you will trample on the wicked;
they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,"
says the Lord Almighty.
"Remember the law of my servant Moses,
the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.
"See I will send the prophet Elijah to you
before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.

 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their parents;
or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.


- Malachi 4:2-6

 

My beloved blog friends, another month has come to an end... and my name for this month is Emergency Landing. If you keep reading what I've written on this post, you will soon find out why.


In my previous post, published over three weeks ago, I wrote:

For me, embarking on a new journey is true not only in the natural sense. I am embarking on a new spiritual journey as well.

When I wrote those lines, I had no idea what God was going to do, or how the events of the days and weeks to come were to unfold.

All I knew was that something beautiful was going to happen, but the specific details would be revealed only as I walked on the road that was being opened up before me.

It was another example of possessing the land... one step at a time.


On May 8, five of us -- Raffi, Honey, Gina, Tina and I -- boarded our flight out of Manila. It was going to be a long journey. Personally, the Lord had already emotionally prepared me for this trip, but a few others on the team were not as ready. When we met at the Manila International Airport at 4 a.m. that morning, one of them told me that she was leaving with a heavy heart. Another friend said that she was embarking on this trip with much hesitation and trepidation.

I listened quietly and understood their inner struggles, fully aware of my own reluctance just a few days before. It was an act of God's grace that He spoke directly to me just that Sunday at my friend Alberto's church. The footage we viewed of the Chinese Christians, so passionate about their relationship with God, was still clearly embedded on my mind.

With a clear sense of purpose, I went through the long process of checking in, having our bags weighed, going through passport control and the series of security check before we finally reached the pre-departure lounge.

"Make it all worthwhile... for all of us, dear Lord," was my unspoken prayer.


Before long we were airborne. Two hours later the plane reached Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, where we were to wait for twelve hours before boarding another plane that would take us to our intended destination.

Thanks to Raffi who needed to be on a wheelchair, we never had to line up for anything at the two airports. Because we were traveling as a group, we all received priority treatment accorded any passenger needing wheelchair assistance.

A shuttle bus took us to the hotel where we were booked for the duration of our layover in Brunei.

Gina had arranged for her friends Jess and Miks to pick us up from our hotel to give us a little tour of Brunei. Honey and I would have preferred to sleep that afternoon, but wanting to be polite, we went along with the plan.

We were not disappointed. Jess and Miks took us to the Empire Hotel, the grandest one in Brunei. Indeed, it was a sight to behold. Later that afternoon, we were invited to partake of high tea in the hotel's lobby. We took advantage of the soft armchairs, the unlimited herbal tea and freshly brewed coffee served with some delicious tea cakes, scones and biscuits.

Before returning to the Bandar airport, Gina's friends treated all of us to a delightful dinner.

We reached the pre-departure lounge in high spirits. And since there was still an hour left before boarding, we decided to spend the time in worship. Already our hearts were softened and encouraged by the goodness of Jess and Miks, and so far, everything had been going smoothly for all of us. Our group worship experience further set the tone for our trip.

Our flight took off at 9:30 p.m., and once on board, the captain announced that our destination was approximately eight hours away. Dinner was served shortly, after which we all hoped to settle down and get some badly-needed sleep.

Halfway through our meal, the flight stewards started collecting our dinner trays. I noticed that there was a sense of urgency in their movements. A few sleeping passengers were awakened and told to remain seated.

I grabbed Gina and Tina by their hands and said, "I think we're going to land. Notice how fast the stewards are moving, and why were our food trays collected when we hadn't finished eating yet? We better pray."

So we began to pray. While we were praying, the captain spoke.

As the pilot spoke, I couldn't believe my ears. I never thought I'd live to see the day when the words that I had only heard in movies would also become a real experience for me. I listened very carefully to his words that up to this day, I can still recall what I think he said, almost verbatim:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. The aircraft has developed an electrical problem and we have not determined the cause of it. In twenty minutes we will have an emergency landing in Ho Chi Minh airport. Listen carefully to my instructions.

"Tighten your seatbelts now. Ladies, remove your high heeled shoes. Everyone, remove all sharp objects from your bodies.  It is possible that we will have a double impact landing. At my word, everyone must assume first brace position, as shown on the safety card in the seat pocket in front of you.

"When I give the word, upon landing, unfasten your seatbelts as quickly as possible, and head to the exit nearest you. Leave all belongings behind."

There was no time to lose. Raffi and Honey were seated a few rows behind us. I knew they were praying. Gina, Tina and I huddled close together and began to pray in tongues. A few minutes later, I received an instruction from the Lord that we pray to awaken the intercessors, so I shared this with them. Sometime later again, I heard another clear instruction for us to pray for God to deploy huge angels to surround the aircraft, to carry it on their huge shoulders, and let them bring it down safely. Once again, I shared these instructions with my two praying friends.

I prayed in tongues, and I also prayed all the prayers I could think of. After a few minutes, Gina opened her iPod, and with one earphone each, we listened to Psalm 91 several times on her audio Bible.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
     will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD,
     "He is my refuge and my fortress,
     my God, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare...

He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart...

We also listened to Psalm 34.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers them...

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.

 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

The righteous person may have many troubles,

    but the Lord delivers him from them all;

he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.

What a sense of peace came over my heart as I heard these familiar words of Scripture!

After a few minutes, we also listened to the song, Mighty to Save.

Meanwhile, the smell of burning wires had intensified inside the aircraft, so we wet our blankets with water and put them over our eyes and noses.

I really had no idea how everything was going to end, but when I heard this question gently arise in my heart, "What are you afraid of?"... I knew it was the heavenly Father speaking to me.

I searched my heart for fear, but didn't find any. My reply to Him was quick: "Father, You know I am not afraid of death. I am ready to see You face to face... but please, for the sake of Raffi and Honey back there, their children are still very young, and they need their parents, dear Lord, please save us!"

This was when tears really started rolling down my cheeks. I pleaded with God to save us from a crash landing that could result in a fireball, knowing that only two hours' worth of fuel for an eight hour trip had been consumed.

At this point, the plane was descending very fast. Still praying, I craned my ears to listen if the landing gear would come out. I didn't hear the familiar thud. As I looked outside the window, I saw a long line of firetrucks and ambulances standing by. That was when the truth hit me ... I was prepared for the worst, but in my heart there was no fear... only peace.

And then, the plane touched down... ever so gently... there was no sudden stop. It really felt like heavens' giant angels had carried the huge Boeing 777-200 aircraft on their shoulders and landed it to safety.

I couldn't help but cry out, "Thank You, Father, for you have heard our prayers." Again and again, I thanked Him.

The sharp pungent smell of burning wires and the captain's voice brought us back to reality. "Ladies and gentlemen, please deplane immediately, and leave all belongings behind."

We disembarked in an orderly manner, clutching only our handbags, leaving behind our carry on bags without complaints... we were only too glad to be alive!

I don't have access to all the details. But I personally believe that things could have been much worse, and God did spare us from a possible crash landing.

We were shuttled to the pre-departure lounge of the Ho Chi Minh Tan Son Nhat International Airport where all 144 passengers, three of whom were babies and one was a three-year old girl, spent the night.

Our pilot, Capt. Jeremy Saap, updated us of the cause of the trouble. Some wires behind the kitchen ovens at the gallery catering equipment of the aircraft had overheated resulting in an electrical malfunction.

He didn't state it, but we all saw the wisdom of what he did. It was necessary for the aircraft to land for there was no way it could have survived the six more hours to our destination. As it was, Raffi, a former pilot, thinks that the airplane was already running on reserve power.

For those of us who understood, Capt. Saap was a hero. God guided him every step of the way, and he exercised quick thinking in the decision he made.  

It was near midnight when we landed. We were all uncomfortable as there was not enough space for all of us to stretch out on the seats, and the floor was too cold and hard for us to lie on. But nobody was complaining. We knew that negotiations were under way to transport us to a hotel, but this being an emergency situation, no one at the airport was prepared for the immigration issues that arose. Besides, as we found out later, the aircraft we were on had no landing rights in Vietnam. Clearly, we were on Vietnamese soil only as a sheer act of kindness.

At 7:30 a.m. of May 9 we were allowed to leave the airport. We lined up at the immigrations where our passports were taken in exchange for a numbered control card. Then we boarded several buses that were to take us to a hotel where we could finally freshen up and be served breakfast.

The rooms were very clean and the beds so inviting, but we really had no time to sleep on them. We only had time for a quick bath, and then breakfast.

New boarding passes were issued as we were informed that a new aircraft was arriving to pick us up before noon of that day. We were shuttled back to the airport where our passports were returned to us.

We were once again in high spirits as we thought that our long wait had finally come to an end.

But noontime came and went. Lunch was served at the restaurant on the second floor of the huge airport.

Still there was no sign of the new aircraft.

A few passengers started to complain. Many had already missed their connecting flights to various destinations. There was a growing sense of restlessness.

We in the team were not exempt from this. Some of us began to voice our doubts to one another, and the heart cry of the four of us women in team was: "I want to go back home..."

It was getting dark, and we had been in Ho Chi Minh for nearly 20 hours. We decided to once again come before the Lord and open our hearts to Him. We also waited to listen to what He had to speak to each one of us individually.

What an amazing time we had in His presence. Right in that pre-departure area, where others were waiting in agitation, some in quiet resignation, all of us unsure of when we were ever going to leave that place, God our Father met with us.

We were in a wilderness of sorts... like refugees with no legal status. We were out of our comfort zones. And we were uncertain of what was going to take place. But the Father spoke so gently that He was pruning us, allowing us a first hand experience of waiting on Him, learning endurance and perseverance, going through discomfort without a complaining spirit... because the work ahead of us required an undivided heart. He didn't want us to lose our focus, our upward gaze, for there was much work to be done in the days and weeks ahead.

We came out of that prayer time renewed and refreshed.

Dinner was served. But we as a team had had enough of airport meals. We decided to celebrate the fresh word God had spoken over Burger King and Illy coffee. One hour later, the new aircraft from Brunei had arrived, and by nine o'clock, we were once again airborne.

We had our belongings with us, and we all sat at our original seats. The flight stewards on board were very professional and catered to our every need. It was as if nothing happened. This new flight from Ho Chi Minh was God's beautiful and wise way of redeeming us from the trauma and anxiety we experienced on the earlier flight.

The flight was smooth and we landed at our destination past midnight of May 10, seven hours after we took off from Vietnam, exactly one day after we were supposed to have arrived.

What happened in the next eighteen days of ministry will forever be recorded in the annals of heaven. There were breakthroughs, deep level healing of emotional wounds, cleansing from demonic defilement, and cutting off of ungodly soul ties that have hindered God's people from moving forward in their destinies and kingdom assignments. Marriages were strengthened and families revived as Raffi and Honey shared the painful story of how God healed their broken marriage. Children who had dishonored their parents repented for doing so, and many of them called up a mother or a father and asked for forgiveness. There was instant reconciliation after years of being estranged from one another.


On the day of our return to the Philippines, we were all aware of the importance of the Vietnam experience to this ministry trip.


The emergency landing that we experienced was not an emergency landing for a malfunctioning aircraft. It was an emergency landing for a malfunctioning team who needed to be given focus, a vision, and a clear sense of calling for this season of their lives... that together we may be obedient to the assignment mapped out for us.

God wanted us to be his agents of healing and reconciliation, to prepare the Church, the bride... that she may stand before God spotless, without blemish, in all her radiant beauty.

Once again, it was all about obedience and God-focus.

Yes, true to what I had written, I am on a new spiritual journey. After what I have gone through this past month, I will never be the same again.

To Him alone be all the glory for what He has accomplished.

Official RBA Facebook update (May 8, 2012)
Local News on www.brudirect.com (May 10, 2012)


 Below is the song of worship that God has given to me for this stage of my journey.