Thursday, July 14, 2011

The beginning of our journey...

Our new life in Scotland began with a dash!  At about 14:08 I received a call from Angie Taylor. "Continental just called me saying that due to delays the 19:00 flights would not get us to Newark in time to make our connection to Edinburgh.  They want us to try to make the 16:30 flight.  What do you want to do?"

After giving myself a precordial thump (a hard thump to the chest, used to restart the heart), I told her that I would call her back in a minute.  I had only just returned to MCO Row (otherwise known as Battery Gaillard), from running errands.  My plan was to take the next 45 minutes to finish packing and then take a shower.  This would've left me a good 15 minutes to chill before packing the cars for the airport.  Alas,
This was not the story that the Lord was to write.  I dashed over to the McGaha's to talk to Donna & Megan as I saw them walking into the house.  I got thumbs up from them to try to make it work.  Next after a bit of searching, I found Jennifer upstairs talking to Libby.  After she agreed that the best plan would be to attempt the earlier flight, the scramble commenced.  The rides had to be  rearranged and called, the bags had to be packed into Suburbans, and the Goodbyes needed to  start.  Friends gathered to wish us well and to send us off with the Lord's blessings.  While we were wrapping up at the Galloway's, Megan, Donna, David, Barbara, and Todd were loading our 20 bags into the two Suburbans.  Donna and Megan comprised the first wave of our weary clan to wash up on the shores of Charleston International Airport.  Todd hung back to shuttle us there.  Thankfully, Beth waited for us to get our things together, so that she could drive us to where Todd was waiting.  As the beads of sweat poured from my forehead, I reasoned that we should just have Beth drive us to the airport, so we could save time unpacking just to repack into Todd's ride.  Finally, we were off to the races.  Then the wise voice of my wife grabs my attention with a simple question: "Who is picking up Angie?". I remembered that I had promised her that we would get her to the airport.  Whoops!  After verifying that she was not with Todd or Megan, we realized that we had one more stop before CIA.  Thanks to the NASCAResk driving of our friend Beth, we got there with plenty of tome to spare!  

Waiting to greet us there were David, Barbara, Megan, Donna, and Regan with Caleb, Marie, Ezra, Kate, Elizabeth, & Malachi.  It felt so good to get there.  It did make it much better to have some of our friends there to see us off.  It was especially good for John Spencer and Sophia.  I give Regan a special thanks for bringing the kids to say Goodbye.  Caleb and Kate mean the world to Sophia & JS, and it was a difficult to watch the Goodbyes.  I think I felt my heart tear.  (Especially after the picture we received from Regan that made Jennifer and I both tear up.)  We try to remind each other that it is really more accurate to see this more as a "see you later" than a "have a good life..."  Nothing goes to the heart of a parent deeper, than to see your kids hurt.  

In God's providence, we were somewhat rushed, so although it was hard, we were pushed to make it through customs so that we wouldn't miss our flight.  We rushed through to eventually find that our flight was to be about 2 hours delayed.  That was only the tip of our proverbial iceberg.  It seems that storms were reeking havoc in the north around New York, so they were not allowing any flights to arrive via southern avenues.  The new plan was to approach from the west, which meant we were to flight to Cincinnati first, then refuel.  We are currently doing just that, flying to Cincinnati.  We are scheduled to arrive in Newark at about 21:45 at the earliest.  We pray,that we will still be able to make the 22:30 flight to Edinburgh.  We will see.  So far we have planned the way, but He is directing our steps.  

Thanks to all those that facilitated our packing (with Kid watching), helped us pack (cramming bags and helping us get the weight right), and got us and our things safely to the airport.  We love our community and would not have started our journey without your prayerful support.

(Written on the plane on our newest gadget.)  

Our Girls

The Crew plus 2

Our Guys


4 comments:

Taryn said...

This is a great post! I especially like the part about washing up on the shores of the CIA. Hope you get to Scotland soon!!

Sarah said...

I can just see the troups getting you and all your bags to the airport! Miss you all.

I re-read Lewis' famous shout the other day and thought of y'all:

“At all events,” he [CS Lewis] said with a cheerful grin, “we’ll certainly meet again, here–or there.” Then it was time to go, and we drained our mugs. When we emerged onto on to the busy High with the traffic streaming past, we shook hands, and he said: “I shan’t say good-bye. We’ll meet again.” Then he plunged into the traffic. I stood there watching him. When he reached the pavement on the other side, he turned around as though he knew somehow that I would still be standing there in front of the Eastgate. Then he raised his voice in a great roar that easily overcame the noise of the cars and buses. Heads turned and at least one car swerved, “Besides,” he bellowed with a great grin, “Christians NEVER say goodbye!” (A Severe Mercy, p. 123)

Praying for your safe arrival in Scotland!

Jimmy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jimmy said...

Hope the bags are not too heavy. Remember southern gentlemen carry ladies bags Scott!