A year ago, after a layover that afforded us enough time in Atlanta to
grab a meal at the Café Intermezzo (which I highly recommend in ATL), we
boarded for our cross-country flight to Orange County for a Nuru summit. We were placed in a row
with plenty of space and we were able to board with the first group. I
personally loved the early boarding because it meant there was no question that
our bag would be able to be stowed onboard without being checked. Jamie and I
strive to travel light, and we had a brand new suitcase (an awesome Christmas
present from her mom and dad) that we shared as our carry on (along with our
backpacks).
We were seated, and then the in flight movie preview
commenced shortly after takeoff. The movie? The Good Lie, starring ReeseWitherspoon. I can honestly say I have not seen many, maybe zero movies with
Reese Witherspoon in it, but I can remember seeing the preview for this movie
when it was initially released. Because of the nature of the work we are doing
with Nuru, and the way God has opened our eyes to global issues, we were keenly
interested in this movie. It is a film based on true stories of Sudanese child
refugees who were named “The Lost Boys Of Sudan.” The film documents the 800+
mile trek of these children, who after losing their parents when warlords
attacked their village, traveled across Sudan and Ethiopia to Kenya, where they
spent 13 years in a refugee camp. They had to grow up way too fast—tens of
thousands of children—fleeing their homes, and struggling to survive, but
always holding on to their rich Christian faith.
The movie had us in tears. It was heartbreaking, inspiring,
and soul moving. I’m grateful to Delta for choosing that movie as our in flight entertainment. As refugees are offered
safe haven in our country, I can’t even imagine the difficulty of adjusting to
a new culture as they work to make life-long dreams a reality. The movie
stirred us in our mission to bring meaningful choices to people living in
extreme poverty through our work with Nuru International, and made us
appreciate Reese Witherspoons commitment to raise the profile of the challenges
experienced by refugee populations abroad and in the US. Most of us have very
little idea how incredibly blessed we are from a global perspective.
Delta could have shown us any film, but they chose The Good
Lie. Hat’s off to you Delta for choosing to show a film that celebrates faith,
perseverance, and family!
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