It is very strange what God can work in a person's heart.
I believe that the last time I blogged was early Saturday morning. I go up between 5:30 and 6:00 that morning, and *thought* I had plenty of time to get everything around. I understood that we'd be leaving the hotel at 7:50 - a full hour later than every other morning of our trip. However, I clearly wasn't firing on cylinders the night before when Linda told me the plans, and had misheard.
At 6:50 on Saturday morning, Linda had everything all ready to go, and I was still lying in bed, unshowered, with all of my things scattered about the room. I commented that she was ready a full hour early, and asked what she was planning on doing with all of her extra time. She looked out the window, said, "No - I'm not early. The van just pulled up."
WHAAAAAATT!!!??
The next three or four minutes are a complete blur. BUT - I managed to get up, get dressed, get everything thrown into my suitcase, and was the 2nd person in the van. Now THAT is a miracle. :)
We enjoyed one last breakfast at David and Mirza's house, stopped by the Bible College for a moment, and then headed off on our four-hour drive to Guatemala City. We were a pretty quite group - each one reflecting on the events of the previous five days. (Well, we were also really, really tired.)
About halfway through the drive, we heard a loud noise, and then a muffled, "whap-a whap-a, whap-a". Yep - we'd gotten a flat tire. I can honestly say that I was extremely grateful to be traveling with a group of Iowa farmers! They were so capable, and each one pitched in. The tire was changed in no time, and we were back on the road.
The rest of the day was spent doing typical 'travel day' things - airport security, waiting around, hauling luggage, etc... It did take a super long time to get through immigration in Houston, but we manged. We had one 45 minute delay, and a bit of trubulance. Otherwise, though, we couldn't have asked for a more smooth day.
When we touched down in Omaha, every beat of my heart compelled me home...home...home...! Even having to clear snow of the windshield of my car was sort of a novel, pleasant experience, since I knew it would get me one step closer to my awaiting family.
The girls were asleep when I finally got home just after midnight. (I think Mark had been dozing on the couch, too!) It was wonderful to sleep in my own bed, to be awakened with giddy hugs, and to set off as a family for church on Sunday morning - where all of us who went on the trip got to share about our experiences.
What I shared there is exactly how I feel about my trip, and my homecoming: We are so fortunate in this precious, fleeting time period to be in the embrace of two worlds at once. What we have here (the relationships, the support, the opportunities, and the love) are incredible blessings. The things we have waiting for us there (the relationships, the support, the opportunities, and the love) and incredible blessings, as well.
But, to have both at the same time is nothing short of a miracle, and one which we are indescribably grateful for.
Thanks for being a part of that, everyone.
akf
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