Flight Delays

I am beginning to think that DCPC has a bit of a jinx on it when it comes to travel. I choose to believe that it is not simply that I, personally, am cursed. But since I have been on flights when we have lost our luggage for months, had spontaneous overnight stays which involved 2 AM trips to IHOP, and had more travel with problems than kink-free, I might just need to take a little responsibility. So I wasn't tremendously surprised when I heard on the Friday before we left that our flight was cancelled and that they wanted to reroute half of our group to Ghana. 

Here's the short version of our long, long, loooong trip from DCPC to Kenya.

• Friday, June 5 - We learn Delta's new non-stop flight from Atlanta to Nairobi is stopped at least for a couple of months. After 2.5 hours on the phone with Mark from Delta, we have new flights and will only arrive 12 hours later than intended.
• Wednesday, June 10 - Gather at DCPC and pack up all our team gear.
• Thursday, June 11, 2 PM - Meet at the pull through at the church, load up the van, give kisses good-bye and pray for safe travels and God's will to be done. 
• Thursday, June 11, 4:30 PM - Learn we don't have a flight to JFK due to weather. Spend 2.5 more hours on the phone and bonding with the Delta employees at CLT and return to Davidson.
• Friday, June 12 - Head to Cincinnati to JFK to Heathrow in 2 separate groups.
• Saturday, June 13 - We are only slightly shocked when our meet-up plan works out as group 2 rolls into Heathrow. We had a rushed visit in London and then caught our flight to Nairobi.
• Sunday, June 14 - At 6 AM, we arrive in the Nairobi airport, exhausted but ready for our journey. After a couple of bumps with immigration (Don't wipe your nose when you're filling out the swine flu form.) we were picked up along with ALL of our luggage by smiling familiar faces. (Joseph and Judy, how we'd missed you.) Hugs, greetings and a quick trip to shower before worship.

When I half-wonder about the hex I sometimes feel about my travel plans, I cannot do so without giving thanks to God that I have always been safe. And maybe, if I am honest, it makes a better story - the long and weary journey. But that was just the travel, and as I sank into the seats of our bus with the familiar song-like voices of our Kikuyu friends wrapping around us, I knew that the real journey hadn't even started.