We’ve learned a lot about travel over the years — much of it, unfortunately, through our own mistakes. One such mistake took place a few years ago, right at the start of a six-month filming trip. Our very first destination was Nepal.

In our effort to be good stewards of God’s finances, we decided to stay at a very inexpensive hotel. When we finally arrived in Nepal, it was 3 a.m. We were completely exhausted and ready for bed. Thankfully, we had booked a hotel just a ten-minute walk from the airport.

After passing through immigration and collecting our bags, we stepped out into the quiet, dimly lit streets and began walking toward the hotel. The kind of people on the street at that hour weren’t exactly used to seeing two foreigners wandering around with luggage.

Now, in many third-world countries, especially in budget hotels, the night clerk is often one person fast asleep behind the counter. This hotel was no exception. Although they knew we were arriving early, the front gate — a heavy steel door like a garage door — was pulled down and padlocked. Anyone inside was locked in, and anyone outside was locked out.

We knocked, then banged on the gate for several minutes before a very sleepy, grumpy man finally appeared and let us in. He didn’t speak a word of English, which made things interesting. After photocopying our passports, he handed us a key, and we made our way upstairs to the room.

Being seasoned travelers, we immediately pulled back the covers to inspect the sheets. Sure enough — bedbugs. Everywhere.

That was it. We weren’t staying. We went back downstairs to explain the situation, but our friend was already back asleep behind the desk. It took some effort to wake him up again and convince him to unlock the padlocked door.

Once again, we found ourselves standing on a dark, empty street — exhausted, disoriented, and now it was 4 a.m. With no taxis in sight, we trudged back to the airport. Miraculously, there was one lone taxi left parked outside. We negotiated a ride to a $60-per-night hotel — quite a nice one by Nepali standards — knowing at least they’d be open.

When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by an awake receptionist (a good sign). But as we reached for our passports, panic struck — Lexi’s was missing.

Losing your passport in a foreign country is one of the worst feelings imaginable. We feared it had fallen out in the taxi, which meant there was almost no chance of ever seeing it again. We prayed desperately, asking God to intervene.

Thankfully, the lady at the new hotel was kind and spoke English. She offered to help us call the first hotel. After several unanswered calls, our sleepy friend finally picked up — not thrilled to hear from us again. But after checking around, he found it! Praise the Lord! Somehow, it had fallen while we were leaving the hotel.

The relief we felt in that moment is hard to describe. Aaron immediately took a taxi back to retrieve the passport. By the time we finally crawled into bed, it was 5:30 a.m and we were scheduled to leave a few hours later for a three-day trip into western Nepal.

Despite challenges like this, God has always been so good to us. We truly believe He was with us through every step of that night — providing the only taxi outside the airport, a helpful receptionist at the second hotel (which doesn’t always happen), and the safe return of the passport.

We’re continually reminded that even in the chaos, God’s hand is steady, and His care never fails.