Flight 501

This is our first actual location to have connection to the internet. It is so nice to get to check in with family and friends! Though it has been almost 24 hours since our long flight from D.C. to Ethiopia we have a lot to share!

Boarding the flight was no small task. People were everywhere jockeying for seat positions and luggage storage. There were languages from all over busseling among the 40 plus rows of seats. Marilyn was seated ahead of most, Tonya and Amber close together, Mel and Nicole across the plane from on another in the same row. Nicole heard a man state that he did not want to sit in the assigned "exit isle" seat so she quickly volunteered to switch him, consentrating on the thought of more leg room aaaand an isle seat for the 15+ hr. flight. It must have been fate because she ended up seated next to a man who grew up in Ethiopia until he was 20 or so years old. After moving to California, he became and minister and was now returning to see family that he had no seen in over 10 years. It will quite the unique experience for her to get to hear his vast experiences and knowledge of both places. Seated behind Nicole were two adorable girls, Eden (4) and Marron (6) heading to Ethiopia to visit their extended family for the first time ever. They were very outgowing and asked Nicole to read them a story from their Children's Bible. They turned to the chapter titled Adam and Eve so Nicole began reading. Like most small children they began to ask billions of questions, most of which were loaded. She quickly turned the answering over to the mother. Tonya and Mel eventually headed back to speak with the girls and we shared our Silly Band shapes with the girls.

Tonya was seated next to a couple who was on their way to adopt a 2 and 4 year old Ethiopia orphans. Having three kids of their own, they shared with her the story of the several miscarriaged that, through faith alone, lead them to consider and be blessed with the adoption. Among these interested fliers were several other groups of missionaries. Some of which included a Medical Missionary heading over to Kilimonjaro to held build a medical facility, a couple from Maryland heading over for their un-teeth time to volunteer their time in an orphange, a church group gathered from Adam Lamberts church in Alabama to deliver thousands of Tom's shoes to children in need. It is without a doubt one of the most unforgetable flight we have ever experienced. It was neat for all of us to see the difficult cultural backgrounds come together for 15 hours and share why and where they were going in Africa.

Having little to deep rest, we were anxious to get through the caotic airport and to our hotel. The airlines changed our reservation so that we had to stay the evening in Ethiopia so they set us up with a complementary hotel which included transportation to and from the hotel, along with dinner and breakfast. Can't beat that! The African hospitality was proving to be much better than expected!