So, I intended to get to sleep and grab a few hours of rest before having to get up to meet people at the church. But after a slow, yet methodical packing process and tying up some loose ends before leaving, it was nearly 1a.m. before actually laying down. My alarm was set for 3:15. So at 2a.m. I was still awake. So I decided to go ahead and get up. A small group of students were meeting at IHOP for breakfast. So I decided to go ahead and meet up. So here’s the rest of my schedule.
2am: IHOP for some eggs and hash browns. We had one long table. It was quite obvious that all of these people were not going to be getting any sleep before getting on the plane. I think a few people might have tried to get some rest before meeting at IHOP, but I don’t think it worked.
3:15am: Leave IHOP. Supposed to meet at the church at 4. I think I need a flash light, so I decide to go to WalMart before going to the church. I try to play a little tennis on the XBOX 360 in the store but it would reset way too quickly. How frustrating. I get my flashlight and go to the church.
4am: People are gathering. Luggage is loading. Heads are counted. We leave the church around 4:30 to head to JAN Airport. It’s dark. I’m not really tired yet. I’m pretty expectant.
5am: At the airport. Pretty much the one part of the trip I never like. Just a lot of standing and waiting and more of both of those.
6am: We load and lift off. I’m sitting by some lady I don’t know. She’s reading a People magazine w/ all the latest gossip. I seem to have the worst case of restless leg syndrome. I want to scream. I try to sleep but nothing works.Then we get to Atlanta. It’s way to early to be thinking of spending $ on a meal. So I spend $ on an ESPN Magazine. I’ll probably have it in the mail when I get home. I want to rest, but can’t get any, so I talk to people and keep them from resting.We finally board.
I’m sitting w/ 2 empty seats to my right. So Utah and Becca sit there. And then the people come to sit there so they sit in seats ahead, then that messes things up. so we all move. But once we reach 10K feet we get permission to move to the Exit Row. She tries to tell us we won’t have much room, but we have room galore. I can stretch out my legs or actually lean over and rest on the trey w/o being overly cramped. So I manage to get some sleep as Premonition plays on the video screen (HORRIBLE movie)
12 Noon: We land in Costa Rica. Years past I’m oogling the window looking at where we’re going. This time I’m bundled in two airline blankets trying to avoid being talked to or bothered. But it’s time to get off and we make it through customs and load the bus. Pastor Carlos is waiting on us. Good times. It’s good to be back.
2pm. After getting our stuff in the rooms we all split up to go to lunch. Split up is not the right word. We all walk in huge clumps through the streets of Liberia towards a couple of eating places. Our appearance screams TOURIST! But that’s okay for the first day. From now on it still might shout that, but not in such a huge group maybe. Pizza Hut is good. We got the Meat Lovers. As we leave I notice that they now have free wifi at Pizza Hut. Who knew?
4:30pm. Time for rest. It’s quite warm, but I can do the hot, sweaty sleep. Rumor has it that there will be AC in the night. I can wait to see. I rest for a while and wake up all wet w/ sweat. But it was good rest. I get up in time for church at 6pm.
6pm. Church. Always something new. But it lasted til about 8:30. I have to think that it wouldn’t last so long if we weren’t’ needing it translated. But we sing, they dance, and sing and dance, then shout a little. Then we have scripture and a sermon and then a skit, and then another sermon and then much, much more singing and dancing. Two and a half hours worth. I’m so glad I got that nap in.
9pm: I get to call The Wife. She was visiting family. Her dad isn’t doing the best right now. Please pray for him. But I wish she were here with me. I wish Addie was too. She would enjoy the trip. Then we head to the Ice Cream shop and internet cafe.
10pm: Back at the church grounds. We play some cards, and then watch some video from last year. Good times. I’ll still need to edit LAST year’s video together to make a good video. I’ve got lots of great footage. I shall do it again!
But now it’s 12:30. I should be quite tired, but I’m not. But I’m going to lay down, pray, maybe read a little. Then fall asleep listening to something in my headphones. Tomorrow we start work. Not sure exactly the nature of the work we’ll be doing. But I’ll have pictures and video to show at some point. Oh, and as I turn this off, yes, we do have a little AC. It’s more of something to knock the heat/humidity out of the air rather than making it cold. But it’s VERY nice.
