Time to leave

Sorry - no pictures - only a monologue. The cameras are put away.

We awake on Sunday and get the word that Kaitlin is on the way home. She is very sore but there are no severe injuries – praise be to God. We are all very relieved and you can see everyone’s spirits lift. Breakfast tastes better and the air is cleaner.

We have to start the task of packing. It is much easier than packing to leave for Uganda. We have left most of what we brought. Debbie and I have everything packed in our two small carry-on suitcases, everything EXCEPT the mats. We have collected quite a few mats and baskets over the past two weeks. Every village that we went to presented us with these items. We went to the villages to give but left with more than what we took, both in terms of physical and spiritual gifts.

We have come up with the idea to take these items back to Liberal. We are going to offer them for sale and then send the money back to Uganda. That’s the funny thing about giving a blessing – God returns it many times over. The entire team decides that we should take their items as well. Now we have a dilemma – how are we going to get all this back? We rummage through the various bags that the team was going to leave and find two duffel bags. We manage to get every mat into them. We fill a suitcase with the baskets. Somehow they all fit.

We are scheduled to leave for the airport at 5pm. Our plane leaves at 8pm for Nairobi. Ben and Melody have told us that we will have a final team meeting before we leave for a time of reflection and final thoughts. The rest of the day is spent packing, sharing pictures, sharing thoughts and trying not to think about leaving – all except JJ. She wants desperately to stay for another two weeks. She is trying to make arrangements back home. I am praying that she will be able to stay.

Kaitlin arrives with Herb and Ellen. We are so GLAD to see her. We have to restrain ourselves from hugging her because she is very sore. It is so good to be together again. The day passes all too quickly.

Our friends start to arrive. Idah, Jerome, Boscoe, Mark, Richard, John, Kharm, Daphine and Fred. These people have meant so much to us. Without them, our trip to Uganda would have not been successful and not nearly as meaningful. They are very devoted to helping the people of Uganda. Ben has been very fortunate to have such a dedicated staff in Uganda. God has truly blessed Global Family Rescue. I hope that he and Melody realize how blessed they are and treat them as such. Without this nucleus and the dedicated field workers, GFR would never be able to do what they do. I realize that I would never have been able to appreciate them without being here as seeing what they do.

Team Two has decided that we want to take up a collection for them. We pool our resources and come up with a love give for each of them. We will present this to them at our final team meeting. All too soon, it is time. We have a special time of sharing with each other. I wish that Kaitlin could be here but she needs rest. Fred is the last to arrive. We are almost done but we all go outside to greet him and make him come inside. We all gather around him to let him know just how much he has meant to us. This man has protected us and I’m sure that he has saved our lives more than once and we did not even realize it.

We say good-bye to Kharm, Daphine, Mark and John. We board the ROSA for the last time and head for the international airport in Entebbe. The traffic is fairly light and we make good time. JJ has worked out things at home but she still does not know if she will be able to stay – it depends on if they can get her tickets changed.

Along the way, JJ gets the inspiration to interview everyone on the bus. She does a great talk show host impression (Joan Rivers comes to mind). Everyone is in stitches. When it is Idah’s turn, Gene tells her to answer in her native tongue. Most people would be surprised but not JJ. She does not miss a beat and ‘translates’ everything that Idah is saying. It is a ‘BUCKET LIST’ moment – laugh until you cry. If you have seen the movie, you will know what I am talking about. If not, watch the movie – it is worth it.

We arrive at the airport and it is time to say good-bye. We move quickly through security, check-in and customs. It suddenly dawns on me – I said good-bye to everyone except JJ. The fact that she is not here brings me joy and sadness. Even as I write this almost two weeks later, I am experiencing the same feeling that I had in the airport as my eyes fill with tears. I have come to love JJ as one of my own daughters over the past two weeks and I miss her terribly. I have an emptiness in my heart and pray that I will be able to see her again on this earth. I know that I will see her in Heaven.

AND ALL GOD’S PEOPLE SAID – AMEN!

International travel is not glamorous. Long periods of time sitting in cramped seats are not my idea of fun. I cannot get comfortable no matter what I do. I have to be careful not to sit too long because of my back. We arrive in Nairobi and board the 777 for London. This is the time to watch the movies that I missed on the way over.

We arrive in Heathrow and go though the same rituals, security and check-in. Taylor gets to experience Heathrow security as she gets her bag searched. She forgot and packed her Germ-X in the backpack. Too much ‘liquid’ and we journey on – minus the Germ-X. I ‘volunteer’ to sit and watch the luggage while everyone else explores the airport for several hours and gets in some speed shopping. Taylor and Debbie are experts at this and seem to be enjoying themselves. From London we board another 777 bound for Chicago. We leave London at 12:30pm and are due to arrive in Chicago at 3:20pm. More movies await – better than 9 hours with nothing.

The flight to Chicago does not bring any sleep and we make a bee-line for customs. Debbie, Taylor and I have one more flight. The rest of our team is home. We have one last good-bye in luggage claim and then they are gone. The three of us head for one last check-in and security checkpoint. We are back in the States and reality starts to set in. I use my cell phone for the first time in two weeks and start calling family (and work) to let them know that we have arrived safely.

We board the plane for Wichita and fatigue finally sets in. All three of us are asleep before takeoff. The next thing we know, we are ready to land in Wichita. My Mom and sister will be waiting for us at the airport. We are spending the night in El Dorado before we try and drive home. As we come through the gates, I see Mom and Jane and I know I am ‘home’. I am surprised to see Travis and Donna (but not nearly as surprised as Taylor). They have driven to Wichita on their anniversary to greet us at the airport. They have brought WELCOME HOME posters signed by our church. It is a great moment and one that I am enjoying again.

We retrieve our luggage and it is time to tell Taylor good-bye. She has been our daughter for two weeks and a true joy every minute. She is a very special young woman and it is been a great blessing and experience to get to know Tator-Tot. The trip to El Dorado passes quickly and we are so ready for bed. I’m not sure I remember my head hitting the pillow but I am thankful for a safe journey home and memories that I shall long treasure.