Well I am in Ethiopia and thinking this may be the only time I have internet service so I better make a blog entry. I have been at the Addis airport for about 4 hours and had an lost internet service about 20 times...I sort of gave up for awhile but I have had it ow for about 30 min and even got on Facebook so I thought I would try although I just got an error message so I may be typing for naught.
First thing don't ever have 3 trips or events you are trying to pack for or be involved with all at the same time. When I left home I had a bag for LA, my giant bag for Ethiopia, a bag for the 2 day London stay on the way home & 2 other bags of everything else I knew I needed but had no idea where to put it!!! I enjoyed the Magnet Conference for a few days - he highlight was hearing Stephen Covey Jr. Speak on Trust...I had his dad (who died recently) as a professor at BYU & he was the nicest man. I got Stephen Jrs new book & had a chance to talk to him about my memories of his dad 30 years ago :)
Red Eye flight to London was FULL & I was tired & knew I had to sleep. I had a window seat next to a nice man & as we talked I said I was hoping to sleep - I went to get water in the back of the plane before take off & when I came back he had moved across the way & said a family was just upgraded & I should take this now empty row of 4 seats he was "holding for me". The stewardess moved a young man to the other end but there were still 4 empty seats in between us on an otherwise full flight. I took some sleeping medicine, put my seatbelt on & was asleep after take off skipped the 2 meals & while I tossed & turned alot I definitely got good sleep!!!
Arrived in London - found the "Tube" & took it to a stop them walked successfully to my nephew Petes flat in London - pretty proud of myself for that!!! Visited, took a shower - BEST THING EVER, organized 3 of my bags so I could leave one there, we went out for Fish & Chips at a famous Pub then I made my way back to the airport.
Red Eye flight #2 from London to Addis was even more full - I was in row 40-the LAST ROW!!! I told the stewardess I really needed to sleep - she said see how it fills up. They boarded by row & after 30-40 had come in I found a middle row of 3 seats unoccupied & put some of my stuff there & also 2 seats on a side & put other stuff there just to see if there would be late boarding people...we approached take off time & Ihad secured the 3 seats on an otherwise VERY FULL flight - just anther little miracle. Slept most all that flight - although they did wake me up each time they served food????
Arrived here, went thru immigration & customs and straight over to the Domestic terminal as i had been told 2 days before that my flight to Mekele was overbooked & I was taken off of it and might need to stay overnight in Addis - I REALLY didn't want to travel 10,000 miles to have a day "waiting" so called on my family & a couple of friends to PRAY PRAY PRAY that I could get onto a flight but would accept whatever was to be. There are 3 flights a day from Addis to Mekele - the 7 am one had already departed, the noon (my original) was now cancelled & the 3 pm is overbooked. Still praying & knowing others were as well I spoke to the agent at 7:30 this morning - they took my big bag & gave me a standby ticket & said "it looks good". I will go back there in 2 hours at 2 pm & with great FAITH I will HOPE prayers have been answered and my travel miracle comes to pass.
I have an International Ethiopian Cell phone I ordered before I left that seems to be working in the country & I called Dougs office but there was no answer & I realized it was 1 am there - I need to figure out this time difference.
I am missing screening today...I am anxious to get to Mekele and meet the rest of the team and do what I can to help. Again I am doubtful I will have any internet service once I leave Addis - even a few locals I have met in my 4 hours here in the airport "lobby" say it is sketchy. It does seem to work a little better if I log o to google & then try to navigate to another site...THANK YOU GOOGLE (& my nieces husband Jon who works there!)
Anyway - I am feeling good, rested and ready to work once I get that 3 pm flight :)
THANKS for the LOVE, GOOD WISHES & PRAYERS - I feel the power of all of them!
LOVE & HUGS from Addis Ababa Ethiopia
First thing don't ever have 3 trips or events you are trying to pack for or be involved with all at the same time. When I left home I had a bag for LA, my giant bag for Ethiopia, a bag for the 2 day London stay on the way home & 2 other bags of everything else I knew I needed but had no idea where to put it!!! I enjoyed the Magnet Conference for a few days - he highlight was hearing Stephen Covey Jr. Speak on Trust...I had his dad (who died recently) as a professor at BYU & he was the nicest man. I got Stephen Jrs new book & had a chance to talk to him about my memories of his dad 30 years ago :)
Red Eye flight to London was FULL & I was tired & knew I had to sleep. I had a window seat next to a nice man & as we talked I said I was hoping to sleep - I went to get water in the back of the plane before take off & when I came back he had moved across the way & said a family was just upgraded & I should take this now empty row of 4 seats he was "holding for me". The stewardess moved a young man to the other end but there were still 4 empty seats in between us on an otherwise full flight. I took some sleeping medicine, put my seatbelt on & was asleep after take off skipped the 2 meals & while I tossed & turned alot I definitely got good sleep!!!
Arrived in London - found the "Tube" & took it to a stop them walked successfully to my nephew Petes flat in London - pretty proud of myself for that!!! Visited, took a shower - BEST THING EVER, organized 3 of my bags so I could leave one there, we went out for Fish & Chips at a famous Pub then I made my way back to the airport.
Red Eye flight #2 from London to Addis was even more full - I was in row 40-the LAST ROW!!! I told the stewardess I really needed to sleep - she said see how it fills up. They boarded by row & after 30-40 had come in I found a middle row of 3 seats unoccupied & put some of my stuff there & also 2 seats on a side & put other stuff there just to see if there would be late boarding people...we approached take off time & Ihad secured the 3 seats on an otherwise VERY FULL flight - just anther little miracle. Slept most all that flight - although they did wake me up each time they served food????
Arrived here, went thru immigration & customs and straight over to the Domestic terminal as i had been told 2 days before that my flight to Mekele was overbooked & I was taken off of it and might need to stay overnight in Addis - I REALLY didn't want to travel 10,000 miles to have a day "waiting" so called on my family & a couple of friends to PRAY PRAY PRAY that I could get onto a flight but would accept whatever was to be. There are 3 flights a day from Addis to Mekele - the 7 am one had already departed, the noon (my original) was now cancelled & the 3 pm is overbooked. Still praying & knowing others were as well I spoke to the agent at 7:30 this morning - they took my big bag & gave me a standby ticket & said "it looks good". I will go back there in 2 hours at 2 pm & with great FAITH I will HOPE prayers have been answered and my travel miracle comes to pass.
I have an International Ethiopian Cell phone I ordered before I left that seems to be working in the country & I called Dougs office but there was no answer & I realized it was 1 am there - I need to figure out this time difference.
I am missing screening today...I am anxious to get to Mekele and meet the rest of the team and do what I can to help. Again I am doubtful I will have any internet service once I leave Addis - even a few locals I have met in my 4 hours here in the airport "lobby" say it is sketchy. It does seem to work a little better if I log o to google & then try to navigate to another site...THANK YOU GOOGLE (& my nieces husband Jon who works there!)
Anyway - I am feeling good, rested and ready to work once I get that 3 pm flight :)
THANKS for the LOVE, GOOD WISHES & PRAYERS - I feel the power of all of them!
LOVE & HUGS from Addis Ababa Ethiopia
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