Memoirs of a Mission Trip III

When we landed in Antigua it turned out we had a little more layover time than we originally thought, so several of us went up the escalator and back down the concourse to buy something to eat. Eventually it started getting fairly close to time everyone should be boarding the plane, but there were 2 teenagers of our group missing! So I said they were probably still waiting in line at one of the restaraunts in the concourse and I would find them. I ran up the escalator and ran up and down the concourse shouting their names and looking in every souvenier store, magazine mart, and fast food place on the enitre concourse. I couldn't find them anywhere! I eventually came to the customs gate and turned around becaues I just knew they wouldn't have done something like go back outside the customs gate! No one would do that! So when I returned to the gate out plane were leaving from the flight assistant was insisting that we start boarding the plane. Our minister said that we should go on and that he would stay back, which made me a little nervous. Okay it made me very nervous. We boarded the 20 passenger twin-propeller airplane, the pilot started teh engines, and just as I was starting to complain in my mind about how this was not the best way to start a mission trip and wondering how long it would take them to meet up with us in Dominca, I saw our minister and the two missing of our group come towards our plane. I thought Praise God! I also thought I was really going to have to watch this complaining of mine. Because as we landed in Dominica what was there but, yep, you guessed it! Another opportunity to complain!

Memoirs of a mission trip II

So after rushing around the Miami airport we caught our flight to San Juan Peurto Rico! Here finding the right gate and flight was a little more challenging than at Miami because we didn't speak spanish! Also it looked like we would have to squeeze to the make the next flight because even though we had a substantial layover there were several steps we had to take before getting on the next flight. We needed to go through customs, pick up our luggage, find where our next flight was leaving from, carry our luggage to the liat airline (leeward island air transport) recheck our bags, go back through customs and then get to the gate where our next flight was leaving. I tried to remind myself not to complain. To think about Phil 2:14 where the bible tells us to do all things without complaining and disputing, but it was very very hard! And I found myself muttering complaints under my breath almost unconsciously. But after reminding myself of the reason I was on this trip I was better able to focus on the blessings. Like how we had made it safely and all together thus far. Though, I did have to redouble my efforts after we landed in Antigua...