I think this is going to be a great week of ministry! Twenty of the forty-five North Americans arrived on Saturday for a couple of days of relaxation, sight seeing, et cetera. I am in that last twenty-five arriving today.
Here is my day thus far – I ask Soy to take me to the airport (first mistake) to catch my 6:00AM Delta flight. He arrives at the house shortly before 4:10AM – all is good! However, he drives (second mistake) like a little old lady on a Sunday afternoon i.e. 35 miles per hour – killing me! He basically “throws” me to the curve when we reach the airport at 4:45AM and leaves me to manage my four bags. Appreciate the help! No need to hang around and make sure everything is good to go!
No customers at the Delta counter which is good – maybe not! Flight cancelled! Only one flight per day out of Atlanta to Guatemala. (Delta failed to notify me of the cancellation) One seat on a flight out of Pensacola at 6:35AM which will allow me to make my connection in Atlanta. No problem – call Soy and have him come take me to Pensacola. Cell phone? Why would Soy have his cell phone on? The rental car agencies in the airport are not open and the taxis do not come until mid-morning. However, one cab driver just left MOB so the kind lady with Delta calls him and he says that can be back in ten minutes. We leave MOB headed for PNS shortly after 5:00AM.
Nikklos “preacher man” Kidd is my cab operator/owner. He tells me that he does not speed – I believe him! (Does drive faster than Soy!) Call Delta and ask the lady to hold that plane! The Lord is good as the traffic in Pensacola is very light and we catch most of the traffic lights on green. Arrive curbside at 6:20AM. “Preacher Man” Kidd helps me (unlike Soy) get my four bags to the Delta counter. (For $180 he should have carried me onto the plane!) A very kind lady (Marisa) is waiting on me at the Delta counter and hands me my boarding passes and tells me to hurry through TSA. (Everyone has helped up to this point except – Soy!) Get through TSA and board the plane – that would be seat E on row 37. (Can you say next to the last row with an engine view?)
Sitting beside me is a very nice young mother, Kristy, and her nine month old son, Jacob. For some reason, Jacob wants me to hold him. He finally tires of me and goes back to his mother and I go to sleep – for about five minutes. Jacob hits me which awakens me and he wants to sit in my lap. Life is good! We are ten minutes or so into the flight when Jacob decides to deposit his last three meals on me! He did not “spit up” but rather he lost his stomach! From my chest to my knees! Nice! I have never used the “call” button but I did in one frantic sweep as I handed Jacob back to mom! The Delta attendants were very kind and helped clean me up – even offered me a bottle of liquor!
Kristy was distraught. She offered me money so I could buy a new shirt in the Atlanta airport. I demanded an entire outfit! LOL! Know what Jacob wants? To sit in my lap. Mom said no but I said “sure” and Jacob was asleep in less than 30 seconds. (I had phenergan with me – just kidding!) And some folks do not believe God has a sense of humor!
P.S. – Could not access the net last night. Everyone is safe & sound. The folks who came early fished, zipped, and fed the bears. The rest of us arrived safely and we did the usual Pollo Campero thing for supper, met briefly, and went to bed.
Deidra sent me an e-mail and said that Soy is sick – cry me a river! LOL!