Blessed are the flexible for they shall bend and not break. If there is anything we have learned in the past 20+ years of mission trips it is to expect the unexpected and to go with the flow. Today is no exception. Our first day out of Amarillo we are experiencing delays. We were to leave Amarillo at 1:15 p.m. When we arrived at the airport we found out the flight was delayed until 2:30 with boarding at 2:15. But now we are hearing that the flight is completely full and they cannot get any of us who were supposed to be on the 1:15 plane onto the 2:30 plane. We are being told a plane is to arrive here at 2:45. We are assured by the gate agent that we will arrive with just enough time to get to our connecting flight to Lima. Be flexible!!! Finally our plane arrived, we boarded and after what seemed like hours, but was only several minutes, we were in the sky on our way to the DFW airport…at 3:45 p.m. I guess our prayer life is going to be tested a lot on this trip if the first day is any indication! After landing in Dallas and taxi-ing up to the gate we stopped just short of the gate to wait. Oh my!! Thankfully, that wait was only a few minutes. We rushed off the plane. But, I had a carry-on piece of luggage that had to be gate checked. So, as I waited for my piece of luggage Sam went on ahead to the next terminal. Normally, the gate checked luggage comes up on a little elevator midway up the jet bridge. But, after waiting there for it we were told the elevator was broken and we’d have to go back down the jet bridge to the door of the airplane to pick up our luggage. More delays! But, after quickly grabbing my small carryon piece of luggage and then running back up the jet bridge I made it quickly to the tram station, caught the just arriving train and quickly made it to the appropriate terminal where Sam was waiting with my boarding pass. He had arrived a few minutes earlier to inform the gate agent that we were in the airport and would be on the flight. Glad he went on ahead as they were just beginning the process of releasing the seats to the stand-by flyers. Whew! We made it with minutes to spare.
We had an uneventful 6 hour flight to Lima. Supper was served, a nap was taken, and shortly we landed in Lima…at midnight. We are still on Central Day light Savings Time so there are no jet lag effects. After our trek through the airport, through immigration, luggage pickup, and customs (big and busy airport even at midnight) we meet our host, Jose David, who leads us through the parking lot to a nice big bus. The parking lot is surrounded by huge lighted billboards making it quite bright. The sky is overcast and it is very humid…but we are on the coast.
After a short drive we arrive at our hotel for the night. The Manhattan Inn Airport Hotel. It is hidden back in a residential area and across from a nice park. We are on the second floor…no elevators! But, since it is 1:15 it is time for bed and I will write more tomorrow. Good night!
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