It's really going to happen!

We woke up early Monday morning excited to leave for the airport. I was much more nervous than I thought I would be. Flying on a small plane with my two children without Logan, CRAZY! I was praying everything would work out! My biggest fear was the boys getting sick. We recently figured out that Logan gets sick because of the elevation (it usually starts on the plane and lasts about 24 hours, the first time he experienced it he passed out on the airplane). All morning I kept picturing the boys puking or passing out while we were in the air and I would have to figure out what to do!!

We arrived at the airport at 7:30 and our flight was suppose to leave at 8:00. For some reason or another that didn't happen and we had to wait around for about and hour and a half. 

After our long wait in the little MAF waiting room our pilot came to meet us and said the plane was ready. The boys were thrilled. We headed out to the plane and climbed in! Liam and I sat in the back.

Laken was thrilled to be the co-pilot! He got to wear a headset and everything. I was a little nervous because Laken is a talker and I knew that he would want to chat with the pilot the whole way and I wouldn't be able to hear their conversations. I warned the pilot and he just laughed. Later I learned that he had a special button he could push so that he couldn't hear anything Laken was saying! Later into the flight the pilot let Laken play his iPad, which Laken was thrilled about!

The views from the air were absolutely breath taking! I had so many emotions running through me that I felt like I was going to explode.

After about an hour the pilot pointed out our airstrip. Its that tiny light green strip of land. This was a huge moment for me. This was what I had been preparing for, for the last 8 years of my life. I was about to land in a remote location and meet the people that we are going to have a ministry with. We circled around a few times as the pilot was checking out the airstrip. We were getting closer and closer. I could see the people and their houses. I could see our coworkers house. This was it! The moment I had been waiting for all this time.

Then we landed. It was surreal. I had so many emotions running through me and yet I didn't really feel anything. I was happy to be there and I was excited to meet the people and see our house but for some reason I was expecting more and it wasn't there. The people smiled at me and greeted me and the boys. We shook hands and said "Wah, wah, wah!" 

I wanted so badly to be able to communicate. I wanted the people to like me and I wanted to like them but what do you do? What do you say? How do you act? I knew that I wouldn't be able to communicate. This wasn't my first time experiencing a totally different culture and yet I felt like a deer in headlights for a minute. I finally got a hold of myself and continued to smile and say hello and do the best I could. I was after all so excited to see Logan! 

We began the walk down the airstrip toward the VanRensburg's house. I was still a little bit nervous about the boys reactions to everything. They don't typically like to be touched and carried by others, but this time it was different. By God's grace they seemed to really like the people. Laken was excited to see the kids and Liam even let a little boy carry him. I didn't have the emotional high that I was expecting but God gave me a special gift. My boys loved almost every moment we spent in the tribe. Laken ran down the airstrip like it was already his home. He "talked" to all the little kids and let them put a necklace on him. He was so excited about our new home and wanted to know where his bedroom was going to be! Liam walked around the house saying "hi" to every little kid that was watching him. He even stopped to show someone a bug he found! My heart was full despite my lack of an emotional high!

Logan gave us a tour of our home and I thought to myself "It's really going to happen!" We were really going have ministry with the Dem. We were going to move into this place and be with them every day. WOW!!! I almost couldn't believe it, like I said it truly was surreal! After about half an hour we hiked (I say hiked because the airstrip is WAY steeper than I could have imagined!) our way back up the airstrip to the plane. We boarded the plane and waved goodbye to the people.

The little eight passenger plane took off down the runway and we were off. I could hardly believe what had just happened, it had all happened so quickly! It really was amazing and although it was different than I had expected it is a trip I will NEVER forget!

I was thrilled to have Logan with me on the flight home!

Thankfully the kids didn't get sick going there or coming back.