The Adventure of Travel Anywhere with a Magill!

Yes, I have safely arrived in Cotonou, Benin and am aboard the African Mercy Ship, the Anastasis.

Leaving about 7am from my parents house, we were driving down to Pittsburgh to fly out when we blew a tire--I mean, completely blew the entire tire except for the back panel of it off into the woods, leaving only a bent rim and the back panel caught tightly between the axle, the wheel well, and the rim! After some work and help from AAA, we were on our way again. Arrived in Pittsburgh, flew to Atlanta, sat in Atlanta for about 7 hr. It started pouring rain right as they were preparing to board and it looked like the thunder storm was there to stay for awhile so I wasn't sure if we would be able to take off. However, it took about an hour for us to board everyone on a big Air France 767 (very big) plane and the weather had cleared by the time we had everyone and their carry-ons settled! I didn't end up having a seatmate so I was able to spread out (relative term!) to sleep off-and-on throughout the night. Flying over France the next am was amazing! We flew mostly over farmland that was beautifully patch-worked with ripe crops in the midst of harvesting--it looked like wheat, barley, maybe corn or other greens, hay, etc--and large irregular patches and strips of woods with small villages and farms scattered over it. I did get some pictures from the air but haven't yet had time to load them up....will try to do that soon. Anyway, we landed in the outskirts of Paris so I didn't even get to see the Eiffel tower from the air but even the buildings of the Paris Charles deGualt (sp?) airport are amazing. One I walked through was basically a huge, double-walled glass tube. Another was similar but was cement block with windows around the top half. And the airport was huge! I think that each gate (A, B, C, D, etc) was in a different building and I had to take a bus from gate to gate. A short lay-over in Paris and I saw a family that were wearing Mercy Ship shirts and on their way to Cotonou. I was checking my flight again when I overheard them saying that the gate for our flight had changed last minute--which was news to me! So if not for overhearing them, I would have ended up in Dubai! Then on that flight, my seatmate was a used car salesman from Benin who travels all over for his business. He decided that I must be girlfriend material and tried to exchanged numbers...I declined. But with his limited English and my two words of French we managed to have small but interesting conversations. Flying over Africa, I think we spent a lot of time over the Sahara, which I also got pictures of. It was like flying over a large muddy-looking ocean with dark brown rivers running through it at times. It was a clear day and I kept watching, trying to figure out what I was seeing until it crossed my mind that it was probably the Sahara! Arriving in Cotonou was much like entering other small international airports until I got to the luggage claim with its too-small-for-the-size-of-this-crowd conveyor and the cart men who were all jockeying to get the luggage and taxis for you! I finally shoved back until I was able to capture my bags off the conveyor and fought my way out. To add to the confusion, the electricity went out 2-3 times, as well, before being quickly restored! Thankfully I was waved through baggage checks and made it outside to cooler air to await my ride. Thanks to some very helpful cart men, I was able to contact Mercy Ships for my ride and made it the ship about 29 hours after beginning my travels!

Though very overwhelming at first, I have now had a tour of the ship (a lot less complicated than I thought it would be though also larger than I thought), have met a few roommate/nurses and others, and have slept in a flat, for the most part non-moving bed! I think I'm ready! Let the adventures begin!

It's almost here!

As my adventure comes closer I feel a huge mix of nervousness, excitement, peace, confidence, and trepidation! I can't wait to meet the people there and see everything and experience everything but at the same time I am concerned that I won't be able to do the job or mess up really bad. But the truth is God is still in control and I am not (...not that I ever have been!) and He doesn't make mistakes. I am more than confident that this is where He would have me and what He wants me doing. So "Anchors away!!!!"

I believe I have finished all the shopping part of the preparation. My sister is graciously taking over my apartment so that is all set up for. I'm leaving my vehicle with my parents so that still needs some TLC and cleaning ...... hee,hee! The only things I have left to do is pack, cleaning, and printing out some papers I will need. Part of my brain is screaming, "YAY! It's almost here!" and the other part of my brain is screaming, "Oh, no! It's almost here!" Wonder which one will win in the end?!

Tonight is my last day of work before I leave. As I've said somewhere before, I have had to quit my current ICU job in order to go and am considering many different options for when I return including going back to ICU if they have a position for me. To all of my MMC friends, my unit buddies, and my weekend groupies... I love you all, am praying for all of you, and will miss you! And I better hear from you! If I can figure out how to email with an accent, Dar-Dar, I will!

Refreshing!

Wow! God is so good! I now have almost all of my first month's crew fees. (I can pay them all at once or month-by-month.) It feels a little like being back in collage where we went month-by-month...if we couldn't pay I was out! You would think after growing up a missionary kid, paying my way through collage, and His faithfulness in all of this, my trust in His faithfulness would come much more easily. But that's not the case, though I am finding it easier to trust His provision for my crew fees than I did for my ticket money! But God is ever Faithful and NEVER Late!

I had such a refreshing time yesterday talking with several different alumni and friends of the Ranch (the camp where I grew up)! Melissa and I had a good time reminiscing and catching up. Carrie and I found ourselves learning about the same things in our lives. And JP and April really encouraged me as we talked about our struggles and how God can use us despite ourselves. They also gave me new things to try as I reach out those around me! God is so good in that His encouragement comes just when we really need it! I really needed that pick-me-up! And it's cool to be reminded that God likes me...not just loves me because He has to, He's God...but really likes me and wants to enjoy life with me! That's the most amazing thing ever!

Reading this morning in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians (at least the second letter we have in the Bible), I was struck by how much Paul's approach to them reflected Jesus. He kept reassuring them that he did not want their money, their possessions, their admiration for his position or power. He just wanted them to know God and to grow in Him. He keeps telling them that what was done was only for their good, their edification--even the discipline and hard words. He did it all in order that they might grow closer to God and to each other. And it struck me that that is exactly why God does all that He does with me--out of love for me and a desire that I should know Him and enjoy Him and the others that He's put in my life! That's all. All of His plans for me are for my good. Our Papa God loves us and delights in us! How cool is that?!

Well, every time I answer the question of "When do you leave again?" the time seems so much closer! It's coming fast but I think I'm almost ready....I think. But I guess, ready or not, here comes the adventure! Just a little over two weeks away! Yay!!!!!!

My excitement's building as the pieces of my adventure come together! Less than four weeks to go! Happy 4th of July, everyone!