My Unique Trip to Baltimore: National ChristLife Conference September 28-30/2022

My trip to Baltimore excited me with a new opportunity to grow my faith and meet new people looking for the same thing. Yet it also had me concerned about the logistics of the hotel and transportation. It was the first time to travel alone to an unknown destination and new people.

What kept me going was that I would recognize some people from the ChristLife videos. That was a comforting thought!

But I never thought I was about to be thrown out of my comfort zone…and to what extent! The trip started perfect and ended perfect. But what happened in between was not so perfect. Let me explain:

Tuesday, September 27 Hotel room

It was a wonderful trip to Baltimore, MD from my home city of Rochester, NY. The flight included a stopover in Charlotte, NC, and from Charlotte to Baltimore

Both flights were on time with smooth rides. I had window seats both ways and no one seated next to me. The weather was perfect to fly. I couldn’t have asked for more!

Once I arrived, I called the Wingate Wyndham Hotel to get a ride from the airport to the hotel. The shuttle took a while to get me to the hotel. Once there, I had to decide what means of transportation were available to travel to Clarksville for the conference..

The hotel desk suggested I rent a car to go to the conference since it would be a 25 minute drive each way and cheaper. I had enough in my credit card, so I decided to rent. The hotel shuttle driver said he would take me to the car rental center where there many to choose from.

I rented a Toyota Corolla until Friday for $330.10. Nick the representative for Enterprise was extremely helpful and nice. Even after walking away to shop for a better deal elsewhere, he still took great care of me when I returned!

BUT: I lost my brown wallet with my Driver’s License, three credit cards and $20 dollars cash. Thank God I still had $60 cash in my coin purse. I spent three hours looking for it. I hoped no one would ever find it if I couldn’t get it back!

It was a relief when the hotel desk provided me with a copy of my Driver’s License that was on file. At least I had something if I got pulled over by the police. I mean, you never know!

Once I got to my hotel room – it hit me! – how am I supposed to go through TSA this coming Saturday on my flight home without my Driver’s License? No passport or state ID.? Then I prayed

Lord, Angels and Saints, Anyone up there!
Please help me find my wallet! Maybe a miracle – no questions asked. Just gratefulness forever! Amen!

I was hoping that eventually I would understand the purpose of this bumpy road during this journey of ChristLife. And it was only day one!

Wednesday, Sept. 28            On the road

GPS perfect to get to Clarksville, MD , St. Louis Church on Clarksville Pike Rd. It was a 25-minute ride, but I made it in time to have lunch before registering for the conference.

Everyone from the parking lot (Wayne) to the entrance gave me a warm welcome! The young lady at the registration desk was ever so kind! I remember meeting Dianne while she was attending the registration table by herself. I walked over to her to say Hi because she was the only one. Smiling, she said that it was okay because she was there for anyone still coming to the conference.

Each participant was to choose their own table and seat. I selected Table 5. It was not too far in the front and not too far back. Shawn Carlin chose a seat beside me, and we started to introduce ourselves. I mentioned the fact that I was a little worried about my situation

At that precise moment, a text alert from Capital One took me by surprise! It was  about a charge to my account that was denied because I had put a block on it. The text provided a link to unlock the card which I did not because it wasn’t my charge.

I mentioned it to Shawn, and he asked to see the message and recognized the  place as a gas station nearby. Fifteen minutes later, another alert from the same card but at another gas station which Shawn looked up on the GPS and it too was in the same neighborhood. Thank God I had blocked the cards earlier in the day!

I felt a burden was lifted. I thought to myself that I would never see my wallet again, but my cards were safe. I could stop thinking about looking for my wallet. I could move on: “out of sight – out of mind”!

When the first talk ended, there was a 10-minute break. Shawn handed me something to my hand a – $100 dollar bill. It was a nicely folded crisp bill. I asked him if it was real, and he said it was. I didn’t want to accept it, but I remembered I didn’t have too much cash for meals and gas. Besides, he said he would stick the bill into my pocket anyway…

I accepted it and thanked him! I said a prayer of thanks to God in my mind. He commented that it could be enough for all my meals and something more. But I was thinking more about the gas money I would need to replenish the rented car.

After coming back from the breakout session, Shawn offered to drive me halfway home up to Scranton, PA so my husband Dionisio could meet us. I did not know how to take this. I was genuinely concerned because nowadays you hear so many things happening! But I had to trust God and Shawn. Right away he clarified that only  if I needed a way home, he was free to do so on Saturday.

I still prayed that I could get passed TSA with a picture of my license and be on the flight on Saturday morning.

Some issues were starting to be resolved while other events came along. Tropical Storm Ian was going through Florida, and I was concerned for family that I have down there. Especially my youngest son and his little family of three. I whispered a pray for their safety.

Before going to bed, I prayed to God I could get home on Saturday. And day two ended…

Lord,
Thank you for resolving my problem of finding my wallet.
Bless whoever took it. ( As suggested by Nancy from my table)
Please keep my accounts safe until I get home to change passwords.
Amen!!

Thursday, September 29         On the road again

On this day, the GPS led me the long way to St. Louis parish even though it led me straight to the front street facing the church, it was longer. I was almost late for the Mass. I couldn’t make adjustments because I was new to the area.

What most spoke to me was the part about St. Raphael healing the body and  soul! Oh, I need healing of the soul. I think everyone does!

There were two songs that spoke to me more than ever during the Mass:

*Bless the Lord – a song I was humming while driving to the parish. I couldn’t remember the words.  However, when I heard the words at Mass, I cried. I felt a strong bond with God in that moment. *Build my Life –  words that resonated with me during Mass as a plea lifted up to heaven.

Later that day, during a talk about forgiveness, there was a moment in which we practiced the Forgiveness Ritual and prayed for each other in groups of 3 as part of the training for the ChristLife program. A wonderful spiritual moment shared by everyone.

The evening dinner was off-site. I had a dinner invite by the facilitators at my table Nancy and Ray. They knew about my situation and wanted me to save my cash. How God provides!

The place we went was Anthony’s  Pizza and Pasta. Nancy chose this place because they offer gluten free food. It’s also where I had lunched the day before. So, I knew we would have a nice meal and ambience. Afterwards I went for a short walk which led me to the chapel of St. Louis Parish.

Then we had adoration as a group at the chapel:

• Praise and Worship singing
• Adoration as a group and individually
• Opportunity of Confession

A supernatural spiritual experience not to be taken lightly. I’m sure we all had an encounter with the Lord that night.

Afterwards, at the hotel, my writing coach Jenelle sent me information about how to get through TSA without my Driver’s license which brought me some peace.

However, the remnants of Tropical Storm Ian were still a threat for my flight home on Saturday morning. I realized it was one of those times that if it isn’t one thing, it’s another. Just had to keep my faith that things would work out. The words: trust and patience echoed through my mind…

Still, I decided to leave it all up to God and to rest up for the next day. And the  third day ended!

Friday, September 30         Going Home

Last day and I was excited to get to the conference center. This time the GPS took me on the same route that of the first day which was shorter and easier to follow. Woohoo!

The conference day started wonderfully with an animated talk by Bishop Mike Saporito. It was a wonderful way to begin a Friday. He talked about the transformed lives of previous participants in the ChristLife program which was impactful to hear about the real-life transformations.

The closing conference Mass by the Bishop was so inspiring. The angelic voice singing the songs in which we all participated was surreal which added an extra “layer” of closeness with God.

After the Mass, while saying goodbye to some of the people from the conference, someone mentions Southwest Airlines has direct flights between Baltimore and Rochester. It’s amazing how God can lead you to solutions through someone else’s words!

It hit me like a lightbulb in cartoons …my daughter! Up to now I did not bother to call her about my dilemma. I remembered she has a Southwest credit card and rewards. She’s always looking for ways to getting more points. And maybe I can find out if she can get me home sooner. Again, God provides the moment!

So I called her, and she picked up right away. Fifteen minutes later I had a flight out of Baltimore booked to leave at 10:00 PM that very same day. This helped to avoid the effects of T. S. Ian and a possible cancellation for the next day’s trip home. She even did the Check-in for me! God is good!

My yearning and repeated request during the Mass came through:

Take Me Home,

Take Me Home,

Take Me Home today! Please!

What a sense of peace came over me when I knew I was going home in a few hours!

Going back to the hotel the first two days of the conference using the GPS was great. But Friday’s trip was complicated with rush hour traffic. I was missing the exits suggested by the GPS which kept it rerouting. The trip back took longer than expected.

I realized while driving that I should get the car back to the rental office first so I wouldn’t be charged an extra day. I decided to head out straight to the Enterprise car rental place.  

It was great to return the Toyota Corolla safe and sound without any incidents on the road! I thanked God for blessing me with the car during these past three days and for the opportunity to get back to Rochester that same night ahead of the storm.

The shuttle driver was the same person Laurence that had been helping me for the past three days. It was a pleasure to have my final ride to the airport with him. May God bless him and his family now and forever!

At the airport I asked how to get through TSA without ID. They treated me nicely and with respect at all times. They asked for 2 pieces of documents.

I showed them a copy of my driver’s license that the hotel desk provided, and my car rental documents. It was enough to get through, but I had to be patted down more than usual and swabs to my shoes and baggage were used to detect any explosives. I got through with flying colors!! Whew!

 TSA was only fifteen minutes, and I was ready to have a nice dinner. I felt I earned it after all I had been through.

The Silver Diner at the airport was opened. I loved it because they were playing all the songs I grew up with from the 70’s. What a trip down memory lane…!

The on-time flight literally rushed at full speed to Rochester, NY. there was a  “rushness” that I perceived while looking out the window of the plane. The rush of clouds and loud noise seemed to say

need to get there …

 need to get there fast …

 need to get there… need to get there fast!

The ride was bumpier than expected. but every time I looked at a young man sitting next to me, he would smile and say it’s OK.

I think he said his name was Jack. We met while in line to board the plane. He was behind me, and we were commenting if it was true that you could pick your own seat on Southwest flights. Jack said he believed so for it was his first time on Southwest also.

We marched straight towards the back of the plane looking for empty seats. He helped put my carry-on on top and I took the window seat. I felt grateful that he sat next to me leaving the middle seat empty.

I chatted about the conference and how God blessed me throughout the week. He commented what a terrific way to spend the week. Jack said he lives in Rochester and travels a lot. He reminded me of Christian Slater when he was younger man!

Once we got to Rochester, we said goodbye. Personally, I think he was a guardian Angel sent to accompany me to help me feel safe.…

What a reunion! My husband and sister-in-law were waiting for me. What a hug! I was able to “breathe” again. I was home just before midnight! I thanked God for being with me all week long while I was away from home.

What a peaceful rest I had that night!

Lessons…

Trust+Patience =Faith

I learned to trust our Lord more and to be patient. God resolved everything step by step, day by day. Moving pieces around so I could get the help he was sending me to resolve my trip’s issues.

Wednesday – Wallet issue resolved, and there was Shawn’s help

            Thursday –  Dinner invite, and Jenelle’s info about TSA

            Friday – Night flight home with my daughter’s help

All around? The trip was a mini journey of life with lessons:

• Let your soul pour itself unto the Lord with whatever is wrong.
• Pray and connect with him.
• Trust and wait with faith
• It will be resolved!

Now that I think about it, everything that happened between the perfect start and the perfect ending – went just the way God wanted. It had been a while that I was taking Life for granted.

This trip was a wakeup call. It was like God was saying, “Hey, don’t stray away from me!”. I have found that when we make decisions that lead us away from God, Life gets harder. When we have his back, Life is a bit easier knowing he’s there to support us. He gives us the strength and wisdom to deal with Life’s issues.

Thank you, God,

That through your son Jesus and the Holy Spirit,

I can let myself go

To serve you while serving others through the ChristLife program.

Thank you for your wisdom, strength and above all, your love!

Thank you for another chance at sharing your love with others!

Amen.

This whole series of events just touches the logistics and not about the “teachings” I received and want to share with others. (Stayed tuned)  This learning experience affirms how life can be made up of different moments that come together to create a journey. A journey full of growth in knowledge and faith. A journey led by God. It’s up to us to follow his lead.

Please read more about how different pieces of life puzzle are fitting together in my journey of discovering who I am! (About Me, Welcome to my Blog, Why Read my Blog?) Do you have any moments or “pieces” you would like to share? Share them below!