Summary of The Trip & Ps 84

Summary of the BIG TRIP... AROUND THE WORLD with JESUS

Stats & Summaries below: 

All of this Blog has been written as a testimony of GOD's Amazing Goodness & Faithfulness in Ericka's life and experience... traveling around the world.

Who Ericka is: A girl who's Heavenly Dad is so proud of her (and everyone) who TRUSTS Him... so that we can take amazing adventures with Him... our Trust allows Him to work, BIG. Wow, thank you, Father, for your Grace to me, b/c many times I didn't think I could make it. But You are Faithful... and here we are, at the end, heading home tomorrow...and continuing... for the rest of my life!!! I love You, Father. Thank you for this Amazing Trip.

Began Journey: Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Journey will Finish (to be continued): Friday, December 14, 2007

Length of Time: 319 Days

No. of Countries (visited or passed thru): 24

Route: Indianapolis, Chicago, Miami, USA; Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Ouro, La Paz, Bolivia; Santiago, Pucon, Valdivia, Chile; Aukland, Oxford, New Zealand; Sydney, Cairns, Australia; Mumbai, Goa, Calcutta, Delhi, Jaipur, India; Hong Kong; Johannesburg, Cape Town, South Africa; Matola, Mozambique; Nairobi, Kenya; London, England; Cairo, Sharm el Sheik, Egypt; Eilat, Israel; Petra, Jordan; Eilat, Jerusalem, Tiberius, Israel; Madrid, Barcelona, Spain; train through France; Huemoz, Interlaken, Switzerland; Venice, Pisa, Rome, Italy; Athens, Corinth, Kos, Patmos, Thessalonika, Greece; train through Bulgaria, Romania, and Budapest, Hungary; Vienna, Innsbruck, Austria; train through Munich, Bonn, Germany; Belgium; London, England; Chicago, W. Lafaytette, Indianapolis, USA.

No. of Flights, Buses, Metros, Taxis, Trains: A lot. American Airlines & One World Alliance was my wonderful ticket provider for 20 stops, for $4000. It was the cheapest offer, by a couple thousand dollars. I highly recommend them. During the trip, I had to call quite a bit to rearrange my flight days, and they were very helpful. Thanks, American Airlines! 

Money: Saved up for grad school or down-payment on a house, but had impression that the Lord was releasing it as a gift to pay for the trip. I felt like I received an inheritance. Even with His provision, I still worried, and didn't know if the money would last. But I'm sitting here the day before flying home, and we made it, with $50 to spare. God truely is faithful; my CFO (Chief Financial Officer) to the END. 

Contacts: God provided along the way; sometimes through friends, other times, strangers. I saw the Lord open doors in each place. I never once slept on a sidewalk. And I never ran out of shampoo or conditioner.  

Protection: Nothing stolen, nothing major lost that wasn't found and even mailed to me (my plane tickets found in Australia and mailed by a stranger to India), nothing bad happend with guys (but had a scare in Jordan). AMAZING. The LORD truly is my protector. Thank you, ALL, for your prayers, and thank you, God, for your mighty angels assigned to this trip. They did great.  

Health: Nothing major... with all the water changes, climate changes, country changes, for one year... amazing. (Especially considering I was sick every other day when I visited China back in 2001.) I got lip blisters (probably from allergic reaction to mango) and lice (maybe from a train pillow) in India, and stomach sick for a day in Jerusalem. The entire journey He was my PROTECTOR and HEALER. It reminded me of the Israelites; the LORD guided, protected, provided, and healed them for 40 years in the desert - even their sandels did not wear out. 

Biggest Lesson Learned: My Heavenly Dad is SO FAITHFUL. Wow. I CAN REALLY REALLY TRUST IN HIM. WITH MY WHOLE LIFE. 100% Faithful. 100% TRACK record... not 75%, not 80%, not even 99%... BUT 100% FAITHFUL. WHO IS LIKE HIM????? WOW. I am SO GLAD TO HAVE HIM AS MY TRAVEL BUDDY. 

He doesn't leave me where I am. I have junk in my life... hurts, lies I believe, things that keep me bound and captive in my heart and mind, so I'm not living totally free... He knows this, because He knows me completely, and He wants to come in and set me free.  

But I have to trust Him. I have to trust that He is good, that He is God, and trust everything He says, completely. I can't pick and choose, as I like, or what's convenient for me, but believe everything He has graciously revealed in His word; it is true and will come to pass. 

God has the TRUE REALITY, because He is the CREATOR... who am I, that I think I have a better or more accurate reality of our world than the CREATOR? 

God, please give me humility before you and a deep, deep trust in who you say you are, and who you say I am, what my condition is, what I need to do and believe and be about... to trust your view of this world... give me great confidence in YOU, as revealed by your Son, Jesus, and in the Bible, the written word of God.

This Psalm God has given to me for this trip... He has given me strength for EACH step of the Journey... When I was overwhelmed, I cried out to Him, He heard,  answered, and rescued me.

He is GOD MOST HIGH and He is My God. I love Him and want to serve and walk with Him and TRUST HIM for my whole life. 

HE IS FAITHFUL TO THE END! LET THE MESSAGE AND TRUTH OF HIM BE SPOKEN TO THE NATIONS, and MAY WE HAVE SOFT HEARTS TO BELIEVE HIM and RECEIVE HIM. HE IS SO GOOD. HIS WORD IS TRUE; WE CAN TRUST HIM, COMPLETELY, ALWAYS, FOREVER. Amen. 

~Ericka

Psalm 84
For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!

2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.

3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Selah

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 

7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.

8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
Selah

9 Look upon our shield, O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.

10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
NO GOOD THING does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.

12 O LORD Almighty,
BLESSED is the man [or person] who TRUSTS IN YOU.

From Biblegateway.com
(New International Version)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society


AMEN! TO THE FINISH...