Getting to Africa-the past 48 and some odd hours

After 24 hours of traveling....we have arrived in Burkina Faso. It is so wonderful to be home. Mere minutes after stepping foot into our new house Isaak says, "I think we're gonna need to stay here three years." And I think he is right. Though I haven't seen much yet, just the mere hellish struggle in actually getting here makes me want to stay as long as possible! Ha ha!

The travel getting here was grueling. It had some absolute beautiful moments but it was still painfully long.

We were suppose to leave Friday night at 11pm from Dulles International in D.C., but a few hours after we checked out of our hotel and were killing our remaining time at Holly's, Isaak got an email saying that our flights had changed. They had pushed our arrival time in Paris back by two hours....giving us a total of 15 minutes till our next connector flight.

Yeah. That wasn't happening. It would take us more than fifteen minutes just to get off the airplane! So, they gave us another flight leaving Saturday.

We got one last unexpected night in the states with our favorite people. The girls had one last sleep over with the Panter ladies which made for some big smiles.

And me and Isaak went on one last date with Jake and Holly. We had Thai food and saw The Bourne Legacy (which was so completely AWESOME!!! In my top ten favorite movies ever!)

It was a gift. Holly held my hand and prayed over me when the frustration of not leaving threatened to wash over me. So grateful she was there. Love this lady so much.
So thankful for the gift of that one extra day. The right attitude and perspective is so powerful.

When Saturday came we were refreshed and filled up so much.

We said our goodbyes and cried a little and then Jake brought us to the airport. We arrived and had everything unloaded by around 2pm. (There was a third cart behind that carrying the rest of our suitcases.)

Our plane wasn't scheduled to leave until 4:40. We thought that gave us plenty of time. Until we got there, and saw the Air France check-in line went all the way back to security. Gah. We waited in line for two hours and fifteen minutes just to check in our baggage. We checked in four extra bags past the limit and every bag was over the weight limit. We were expecting to have to pay close to $600 for our luggage...and they didn't charge us a single penny. Hallelujah. Huge blessing.

It was 4:20pm by the time we got done. They told us to wait because another family was almost done checking in and needed to make that flight as well and they would walk us to the gate together. So we waited another five minutes.

The plane was already boarding and leaving in fifteen minutes. Our chances of making it in time were dwindling. I was just praying so much. I was like, "Lord, stall that plane and help us to get there in time because we are leaving today!" Just standing in faith that Jesus would provide. And get us where we needed to be.

Finally, after five more minutes the other family was ready and an Air France attendant walked us to the the gate.

But we all still had to go through security. And to get to security you have to go downstairs and this way and that. Ah, nightmare!

The other family was returning to the Ivory Coast and they were carrying some of our stuff, the attendant was carrying some of our stuff, we looked...well, like a bunch of crazy people about to miss their flight.

Lets just say, we were the family in Home Alone. By the time we all passed security, took the train to our terminal, we were RUNNING to the gate.

RUN.NING! With the cat and both girls. The other family. The attendant. All through the airport.

When we saw our gate it was exactly 4:40 and they were making the final call to board and we were waving our hands screaming, "we're here! Wait!"

It was then that I started to cry.The frustration and sheer craziness of the past two hours and the absolute thrill and delight of making it....I just couldn't keep it in. There was hardly time to say goodbye and thank the A.F. attendant, but with eyes filled with tears Jesus gave me one final moment to look back and thank her. As we ran through the airport together I found our that she lived in Niger for fifteen years as a child because her parents are missionaries and were there translating bibles. With a face bright and sincere she told me how much she loved it. Niger was her home, her life. And she encouraged me saying she hoped we enjoyed our time in Africa as much as she did.

So, I needed that moment to look back and thank her. She will never know what that small exchange did to my heart as we were running, literally, towards our new life in Africa. But Jesus did. Of all the people in the airport employed by Air France, for the Lord to have this young gal run us to our gate...this young gal who lived in our neighboring Niger for most of her young life, her face just testified to the joy she had in living there. And it was with an overwhelming heart of thankfulness that I looked back and thanked her for so many things I wouldn't have time to tell her.

Then we had to get on the plane. Were were the last passengers to board. As we moved through the very narrow aisles to our seat in what seemed like the back of the plane I just kept saying to people, "I'm sorry if you get injured as a result of a car seat." "Sorry, watch out, careful, I may bump you with a over sized book bag." "I apologize in advance if your head gets knocked by my cat carrier."

Those poor people. I think I only managed to hit one or two people. Most everyone took cover when they saw us coming.

When we finally got seated they announced to the passengers that there would be a delay in leaving because they had to load an additional piece of baggage.

Whoops. Our bad again. When we were about to load the crew said we had too much stuff and took one of our carry one bags. As if we didn't annoy enough people getting on the plane, now we had to delay the flight! Thirty minutes went by and I thought, "okay, we had one small bag, it couldn't possibly be taking this long to find a place to put it! What gives?!

Turns out, there was also a problem with an engine so we had to sit for two hours on the plane waiting for it to get fixed before we could leave.

As were we waiting though we discovered that the lady sitting across the aisle next to us was also on her way to Ouagadougou. She works for an NGO organization and will be in town for three weeks working. So we talked about the country and she shared with us some insight as she previously visited Burkina a few months ago. Of all the five hundred some odd passengers on the Airbus we just so happen to be sitting next to a gal also going to Burkina Faso. Again, just another cool God orchestrated moment that we wouldn't of had if the engine hadn't of broke and we were left sitting there with nothing to do but small talk.

Finally the engine was fixed and we were on our way to Paris. Sydaleigh and Marvelly were bouncing off the seats excited that they each got there own tv screen to watch movies on during the flight. Free movies I might add. They even had Hunger Games on there. I didn't watch it again, though I was tempted. :~)

Seven and a half hours passed and we eventually arrived in Paris. This is as much as we saw. :~) But I can still say I was in France! Score!

Everybody we talked to who's been there told us what a dirty stinky airport it is, but I disagree. We found it to be really really nice. Like, really nice. In the area where our gate was they had a little Disney play area set up which the girls took full advantage of. Thank you Jesus for a world that appreciates Disney!

Before we could leave for Burkina we first had to again, sit for another hour on the plane while they tweaked who knows what. And then we had a layover in Niger. And that's when it hit me. Descending down to Niger, the airport is literally in the middle of what looks like no where. As far as the eye can see it is this beautiful red dirt with little sporadic trees. It is what you envision when you think of African landscape. The tears would not stop. I buried my face in the side of my headrest and cried, and stared out the window of a continent I never thought I'd see.

After an hour layover we took our final forty minute flight to Burkina. When we landed on the ground some people in the back started clapping. I started crying again. Just to hear the sound of their hands spontaneously celebrating our arrival was overwhelmingly sweet. We had arrived. By the grace, mercy and hand of God himself our family had arrived.

We were home.

In the airport the US Embassy had a gentleman waiting for our arrival. Out of the scores of people rushing in and scurrying to get in line, he spotted us immediately and said, "Mr. Brooks? Come with me!"
Isaak looked back at me and said, "I guess we stand out." We gave him our passports and we walked right past customs. After an hour of waiting for our luggage the airline managed to only lose one. At that point I was like, "One out of thirteen ain't bad. I'll take it!"

Two guys from the embassy who will be working with Isaak were waiting outside to drive us to our home. They had a huge van for us and we all piled in to drive the mile or so to our house.

On the way I just stared out the window and took in the scene. It was, very different from D.C.

After what was now 24 hours of being in an airport or an airplane....we finally made it home. It was such, sweet relief to cross that thresh hold. Well, there are multiple thresh holds but with each one I walked through it felt great.

Our sponsors were waiting at our house as well and they talked us through some "need to know" things and then they drove us twenty seconds down the road to the US Rec Center where we had dinner. There was not enough seats in the car for us all, so the girls, including their three year old daughter piled into the back of their SUV and we drove like that. I'm quickly learning that you don't get hung up on little things like car seats and seat belts around here. :~)

After dinner we came home and got acquainted with our house. Anna was already making herself right at home. Poor cat. She was stuck inside her carrier for 24 hours and absolutely miserable the entire trip. None of the "medicine" we gave her worked. She meowed almost the whole time, and then pooped and it got all over her fur and she stunk so so so bad the rest of the trip. I still look at her and can't believer we succeeded in bringing her to Africa. That's my girl right there. That cat is hard core.

We are here. We are here, we are here, we are here. Praising Jesus we are all here. He is so faithful. My heart rejoices in His care of us.

Now to get all our suitcases unpacked. Happy day. :~)