It Has Already Been An Adventure!!

            I have only been in Haiti for a month now, but arriving here was an adventure! Some of you who know me really well may know that I kind of live each day of like an adventure though. However, some of these adventures were a little more crazy then the normal adventures I experience. In fact, when I arrived in at the airport in KC I encountered the very first adventure. Everything was going as smoothly as things can go when you wake up at 4am to travel. My checked bags both weighed in at exactly 50 pounds each! PRAISE THE LORD! We won’t talk about how heavy my carry-on was…till later.

I was all set with my boarding pass, hugged my family really quick, and went through security just fine. Then at the gate, the trouble happened. They were already boarding people and I had to wait because I needed to have my seat assigned. Once the lady could help me at the gate, she almost did not let me on the plane! I was trying my best not to panic, at least on the outside, but I was mostly definitely panicking on the inside! She was upset because I did not have a visa. I was telling her that I didn’t need one because I will be traveling to the Dominican during my time in Haiti. She called another lady over, called her boss, and continued to check everyone onto the plane, except me! I could see my family outside of security through the window and I could tell that they were starting to panic…so I stopped looking that direction and prayed that I could keep my panic internal. After talking with her supervisor, the lady eventually and reluctantly let me go on the plane… The gate almost closed before I got in though… It was crazy! I tried to lug my backpack and carry-on into the plane as quickly as I could. I was, of course, seated at the VERRRRY back of the plane…On my way back to my seat, I asked one of the stewards to help me put my carry-on in the overhead compartment because I was pretty sure I would end up pelting someone with it if I tried….unfortunately he ended up slightly pelting someone anyways…oops.

After a few hours in the air, I arrived in Atlanta. PRAISE the LORD! When I arrived in Atlanta, I had a little over an hour then I was on my plane to Haiti. PRAISE THE LORD! Miss Beth reminded me during this hectic ticket adventure, that God goes before me and He fights for me. He prepared the way. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; He will NOT leave you or forsake you. Do NOT fear or be dismayed.”

I arrived safely in Port au Prince(PAP) that afternoon. It was so strange and lonely traveling alone. Although, getting through baggage claim and out of the airport was much simpler so that was about the only nice thing about it. I have definitely learned that being at a hotel by myself is not on the agenda for my next vacation!

The next morning my final adventure in reaching the Mole happened. My alarm did not go off because my phone died during the night! At 7, I heard a knock on the door. Praise the Lord I even heard it because I am not a light sleeper! I quickly popped my contacts in, zipped up my suitcases, and off we were to the little airport to fly to the Mole!

            Flying in the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) planes is always fun because you get to see the land below. And it is also SO much nicer on your bum then a 10+ hour bus or truck ride. Upon landing in the Mole, I was greeted by the Castillo kids, which was so fun! On the truck ride back to the Mole, Levi was telling me all sorts of stories. He even told me that there was ham, but I still haven’t seen any yet… Being reunited with Miss Beth was also so sweet. It was so great, SO GREAT to see all of the kids who live in the orphanage again! They all greeted me with so many hugs and kisses. Oh how I had missed those beautiful faces and their hugs. I was also definitely glad that one of the groups in the Mole when I arrived was a Pleasant Valley group and that Emily and others were on the trip! I had missed that girl for sure!

Although arriving in the Mole was quite the adventure, I cannot wait to see what other adventures God has planned for each day in the coming months as He continues to show and teach me that He is ALWAYS FAITHFUL in providing ALL that I need!