Welcome to Moscow…
We were a little behind schedule, but not much, when we arrived in Moscow. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was not this little terminal that we landed at. After deboarding, we looked for any signs that would indicate where to go. There was this big red sign that said “International Transit” and then the equivelent in Russian. So. being the “rules” kinda girl I am, I asked some one nearby if this was the right place. I was assurd that it was so we waited in line. Welllll…when it was our turn, we were told to go downstairs and go thru passport controll and get our luggage. I kinda thought that was weird…but…
Downstairs is the typical passport control area. I went thru first and they freaked out when they saw my visa. The lady, of course, looked disgusted at me and then showed me the “error of my ways” when the date didn’t match for the visa and the entry date. Of course…I was “transit” coming in and “stopping” going out, so the dates actually matched.
Any way…I was told abruptly to move aside and let the others thru. They were in the wrong place and were sent up stairs again. I was then told to sit on a bench outside of an office and they would get to me. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the other three in my group left me there, by myself, and went back upstairs with words of comfort “I hope you don’t have to sleep in the airport for the next three weeks!” I was not amused.
In fact, I was a little scared. My passport was pulled, I didn’t have a boarding pass (I could only get it inside the air terminal), I didn’t speak the language, I didn’t have an interpreter, I didn’t have any friends by my side…BUT…I did have the Lord, God Almighty, holding my hand thru it all. I began to pray for a “no fear” attitude, and a quick resolution to my problem. He was there, and He never let me go. I wish I could say my fear immediately left me, it didn’t. My panicked feeling left me, and the fear subsided as I continued to pray.
Eventually, after much walking back and forth and shaking of their heads, they found a woman who spoke Russian. When I explained it all to her, she asked me, “did you tell them your story?”. (like it was that easy) I told her that I had tried…regardless…she helped me and I was able to meet up with the other three (who were being sent downstairs again, so they had not been able to completely leave me after all).
God is good.
till later
