On My Way... God is with me!

The last 24 hours have been a whirl of activity for us due to airline schedule changes. I received a call from a friend who is employed by the airlines and she alerted me to the possibility of not making my connections in Europe. So we set about making changes so as to make the necessary connection to the flight to Malabo. What ended up happening was my leaving a day sooner, and instead of a long layover in Atlanta, I would have a long layover (18 hrs.) in Paris.

So what we had planned to finish on Wednesday had to be finished on Tuesday. I would have to still go into a client’s office, meet with a group of employees, and then rush to the airport. I had to ask my employer for permission to leave earlier than planned. A surprise business dinner with the consulting firm’s owner and a client almost turned sour for me. It meant I had to take 2 additional hours to meat with them, and reduced the time on Tuesday to do all that had to be done. At dinner, I left the table to answer a call and while gone, a spinach dip was ordered as an appetizer. When I returned, I dug in. After a few minutes I felt my throat tightening. I looked in the menu, and saw that the “spinach dip” was really, “CRAB spinach dip”. I am extremely allergic to shellfish. I called Beverly and asked her to bring me some Benadryl immediately. As I explained what was happening, a waitress asked around the restaurant staff to see if anyone had any allergy medication. She came back with some Benadryl. I was able to swallow it. I am still here, because I received it very early in the reaction. After the reaction subsided and we finished the business dinner, I requested permission to leaver early today. I am so grateful for my employer and very glad that he granted the time, assuring me that what I would be doing in Africa was far more important than what I was doing on my job.

When we finally finished arranging and re-arranging, weighing and securing everything in my luggage, I was very tired and it was after midnight. I was moving slowly due to the effects of the allergy meds I had taken at dinner. I had to be at work at 5:30 a.m. and then go straight to the airport. The flight was departing at 11:30 a.m..

My flights to France are all set up on a friend’s “friends and family buddy pass”. These are given to airline employees to share with their friends and family. It allows for standby travel on the employee’s airline. To my chagrin, when I arrived at the airport today, I discovered that the previous flight had been cancelled and the 40 plus open seats on my flight (one of which I thought I would be sitting in) were now being taken by the passengers from the cancelled flight. I would have to wait and see, but there were many of the airline’s employees flying to Atlanta to go to work. They have priority status and would go before I did. There were 23 seats available and 40 persons on standby status. I was toward the bottom of the list. I called Beverly and asked her to pray. I prayed and asked God to give me peace about what I should do. I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt that I just needed to believe that I would be on this flight. So I just began believing. Typically, I just ask the Lord to lead and I go along with whatever happens, knowing that the Lord has allowed it. But this time as I prayed, I just KNEW I needed to be on this flight.

While I waited, as others names were called to board the flight, a friend called me and wanted to pray for God’s blessing on this trip. As we prayed over the phone, I became even more convinced that God wanted me to pray that I should be on this flight and believe He would put me on. So, I just believed God on this. When everyone was on board and all passengers were checked in, the agent began the paperwork to close the flight. He suddenly looked up and looked across the waiting area to where I was standing and said, “Mr. Starling, it is your lucky day!!! I looked at him smiling and said “I already knew that you were going to call my name, because God knows I need to get on my way to Africa today to begin to open an orphanage there”. I was the LAST person to get on the plane and took the last seat. Unbelievably, there was even room for my carryon luggage!

I am writing from the plane, in total awe at how God has worked. Please pray for everything to work according to His will. Bev and I are amazed at how he is working in us and through all these circumstances. I am looking forward to watching God at work these next two weeks.

I am landing in Atlanta, so I’ll update later!!!


I made it to Atlanta and then the flight to Paris was delayed almost an hour, but I was on it…. Most would say that it isn’t the best seat in the house, but, with the Lord in the “empty” seat beside me, I know it is the best. This is a long 8 hours. I’ll take some Tylenol PM and get some rest. It will be around 8 a.m. in Paris when I get out of the airport. I will head to the hotel at that point and try to update the blog and the myspace.

I met a very nice gentleman from north of Paris, who has a bakery in Atlanta. He is visiting his 84 year old mother. I told him of my mission and about the Love that will change Africa and the world, because it changes the heart of man. Of course you know who this love is…It is the Love of God incarnate, the One, the Light of the World – Jesus. We parted ways with the seed planted.

While waiting to occupy the restroom on board the flight to Paris, I met a young man from Alaska, He and his wife were traveling to Austria to cook and clean for 2 weeks at a seminary. We spoke about their mission and then I told him about A Place of Hope – Africa. He was excited about it and told me he was a Christian and would be praying for the ministry. Later in the flight, he came to my seat and offered me their email address and a financial gift. The gift was for $38 USD. That may not seem much to you, but for me….that was the beginning of a wonderful plan, a divine work of God to save the lives of African Children, not only physically, but more importantly, spiritually. It was another way God is confirming His desire for Beverly and me to live and bless the “least of these” in Africa with the most essential needs. We know we are not much in many ways, but we feel placed in God’s hands we can be His hands and feet. Pray for me, as today I am on a layover in Paris, and must continue my journey to Africa in a few hours.