Encounter:

to come upon face-to-face;

to meet with or experience, especially unexpectedly or by chance

Threshold:

the plank, stone, or piece of timber that lies under a door;

boundary;

the place or point of entering or beginning;

the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced;

the point at which you start to experience something, or at which something starts to happen;

at the start of a new and important time or development

            At such a threshold, it can be immensely helpful to encounter a guide, a supporter, a host, someone able and willing to accompany you into the unknown, someone with reliable experience in the very type of situation you are facing.