Taiwan Travel Day

Sleeping in the airport.

The day started early on Tuesday the 15th. After double-checking for our passports and having final prayer, we left Verity at 5:30am. The first flight was a blur for everyone; I don't think anyone stayed awake. I personally enjoyed this first rest. When we arrived at Detroit, we located our gate and prepared for the final few hours in the States. A number of students continued their sleeping on the floor, while others went to find coffee. I chose the sleeping route and napped on the floor beside Ray Ma.  Eventually it was time for our flight to depart.

We walked onto the plane and surveyed the landscape we would be surviving in over the next 12+ hours... the flight went well. We filled our time with good conversation, planning for our responsibilities in Taiwan, and consuming the food and beverages steadily provided by the Delta flight attendants! It was really pretty flying over Siberia, it was clear and there were lots of snow covered mountains.

We arrived in Tokyo, and found out we were in a whole different world. I have never been in this part of the world before. The next flight to Taipei was around 3 hours, and just about everyone slept soundly the entirety of this flight.
Customs in Taiwan went smoothly, and we were able to exchange money once we retrieved our luggage. Immediately following this, we quickly found Timothy Chen and the other Taiwan IBLP staff waiting to welcome us and headed for the bus. Angela Hsu's grandparents were also waiting at the airport and were able to visit with her before we left! We jumped on the bus and traveled about half an hour to a Presbyterian Bible Seminary in Hsinchu to settle into our living quarters for our first week... After 26 hours of traveling, we eventually got to bed after 1:oo am, Taiwan time.

The day went seamlessly, without issue, proving yet again God's blessing on this journey! Please pray for quick recovery from jetlag and open hearts to see what God would have us to learn over the next four weeks - it will be an adventure to remember!



Joseph Samaha