Sehnsucht Sojourner: Nomoshkar, Dhaka

I.e., Good Morning, Dhaka.

Currently in a sort of nice club in Dhaka with a family that works at LAMB. Finally have teh interwebz and enough time to post some things. However, like my last post, I'm operating on very little sleep (my ability to sleep on planes is quite close to 0... over the 29ish hours of travel, I got at most 4 hours of sleep). Therefore, this entry shall mainly be whatever I choose to share from what's happened so far this morning, and on the way here.

I don't know why, but the grace of God struck me as I was leaving DC. Not because I was living DC, but the sense that I was going here for Him, and even though I myself am a work in progress, He loves me. Perhaps some sort of overzealous work attitude had distanced my heart from the fact that God's love is with me because I am His, and am progressing in His light, not because I have everything perfect always. Not that I shouldn't aim for that, but if His love reaches to us in while we are still sinners, why should we ever think that now, as His children, His love does not reach us unless we perform to a certain standard? Things I need to keep hearing from God, and internalizing....

On the way from Doha to Dhaka, I sat beside a woman who was of Muslim background and spoke a little English. She had been with her family in Canada, but was returning to Bangladesh to be with her dying mother. I found it interesting how open she was about this, and I believe she accepted the promise that I would pray for her mother, even though a few moments before, she had asked me if I was a Christian (I said yes, though I wanted both sides to learn how the other looked and operated). Pray that God's grace would abound to her, and that I would make the most of other opportunities I have here to show God's love.

I expected Dhaka's airport to resemble Port-au-Prince in Haiti, though I was pleasantly surprised to find it rather modern. Praise God for safety in picking up luggage and exchanging currency, and also for the other two transfers before that. And for safety on the drive to the guesthouse (my mother would be terrified to know how traffic "works" here... plus they drive on the left side o' the road!).

Doha was interesting. While there was a strong Islamic presence, it also served as a hub for a variety of other flights (aside: Qatar Airways ROCKS! Great food, quality service, people with epic names like Dragos serving as flight attendants... just awesome). Thus, I saw a very diverse group on the plane ride from DC to Doha, which also appeared somewhat present at the actual airport. On the flight to Dhaka, however, there seemed to be less diversity among the passengers.

Wrestled with watching things on the screens on the flights (do I waste time doing this? But I can't access my books, so what can I do? And I'm too tired to think?). Complexity, complexity. Don't want to be mastered by anything, but also want to use my time wisely. Pray that I would use any free time I have here as unto God, and not human desires.

Don't really know a good way to conclude these thoughts other than to say I love you all a ton, and I pray all of you are well as well! AND HERE'S SOME RANDOM PICTURES!