Well we made it through the night but sleep was not something that was in abundance last night..lol Most of us were up around 4am or before either from being sore or cold. Eventually time went by and it was time for us to board our plane for Guatemala. 9:20am was our Departure time. The flight was fine. We arrived in Guatemala at around 12noon.
We had filled out our immigration papers and had to present them as we made our way through the terminal. This went without an issue. We then went to baggage to get our bags. This is where things didn't go so well. We waited until the belt had stopped but in the end we discovered we were missing 15 hockey bags and 6 personal bags. Graham and Joanned checked with the baggage help desk. We provided all the claim numbers for the missing bags and were told they may arrive on the next plane, 2 hours later. We then had to go through security with the bags we had which led to many questions. They opened the few hockey bags we did have and asked about the different items in the bags. We had, baby clothes, glasses, electrical wire, peanut butter, vitamins, etc. They were basically making sure we were not there trying to sell the things we brought with us. Once we got through this we went out to the public area and met Les for the first time. He was very excited to see us. We loaded our bags into the vans and waited a while as Les, Graham and Joanne checked on our other bags. It was decided that Les was going to take us for lunch while Graham and Joanne waited to see if our bags would arrive on the next plane. While we were having lunch Les got a call that the bags didn't arrive. We then all met up and started our ride to Tactic.
After about 4 1/2 hours we got to here (Tactic). We were met with smiling faces and a great supper. Some of us then had showers and after 54 hours of little or no sleep we are going to bed.
Tomorrow we start our Mission work here.
My Bike
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Guatemala Mission Trip - Jan 12, 2011
We awoke to a wonderful breakfast put on by the Baker's.
Our flight was to leave Halifax for Newark at around 12 noon so we were planning on being there around 10am. We got to the airport with all our luggage intact. Merrill and Karen Gillis drove over to Halifax early in the morning and met us at Tims' just outside the airport entrance. Merrill had a full truck load of 20 of our hockey bags full of various items for Guatemala. We found carts and managed to wrestle these 50 pound bags into the airport. We went to the checkout counter and got our boarding passes and checked our bags. We packed well as our bags were 50 lbs each or just under. Some in our group also checked some personal bags due to space limitations on the plane. This turned out to be a dreadful mistake. We checked all the hockey bags with only a few questions about the contents of them. They did a secondary check on the hockey bag I was carrying and it was funny to watch them open it and start pulling out these large pink stuffed animals and them asking,,,"is this your bag?!".. hahaha. We then went on to US Customs and breezed through there without issue. It was around this time we discovered that our flight was delayed due to our plane not having arrived from Newark due to a snow storm there. Our new departure time was around 4:30pm.
The snow storm that had caused our plane to not arrive from Newark was bearing down on Nova Scotia. As teh time drew closer to our flight time the storm got worse and worse. Our plane never did arrive but lucky for us there was another one already in Halifax, bound for Newark. The time came to load the plane. We got on the plane but when it came time to leave we were delayed due to the storm. We had taxied out to be deiced but they stopped that process due to the weather. We sat in the plane for just over an hour waiting for the weather to clear enough to take off. I have to admit the more we sat the worse the visibility was outside. I prayed that we be able to get a small window of clearing so that we may be able to take off. Just after an hour had passed we go the ok to take off. I was like what?? I can't see anything outside now..LOL.. Anyway we were deiced and away we went. The flight was ok but cramped. It was about 1 1/2 hours long. ..Thank goodness!!
Upon arriving at Newark we already knew we were going to stay in Houston overnight as our flight wasn't until the next morning. We hung out in Newark until we had to leave. We had a few hours to kill there. We looked up Hotels in Houston but found them expensive and we really didn't have the funds to stay in one.
Our flight time came and we boarded without issue. We arrived in Houston just after midnight. Since we knew we were staying the night we started searching for a place to sleep. An airport worker recommended we go over to Terminal D because it wasn't used anymore and would be quiter. We all walked there and found our places to sleep. Floors and chairs were our beds for the night.
Our flight was to leave Halifax for Newark at around 12 noon so we were planning on being there around 10am. We got to the airport with all our luggage intact. Merrill and Karen Gillis drove over to Halifax early in the morning and met us at Tims' just outside the airport entrance. Merrill had a full truck load of 20 of our hockey bags full of various items for Guatemala. We found carts and managed to wrestle these 50 pound bags into the airport. We went to the checkout counter and got our boarding passes and checked our bags. We packed well as our bags were 50 lbs each or just under. Some in our group also checked some personal bags due to space limitations on the plane. This turned out to be a dreadful mistake. We checked all the hockey bags with only a few questions about the contents of them. They did a secondary check on the hockey bag I was carrying and it was funny to watch them open it and start pulling out these large pink stuffed animals and them asking,,,"is this your bag?!".. hahaha. We then went on to US Customs and breezed through there without issue. It was around this time we discovered that our flight was delayed due to our plane not having arrived from Newark due to a snow storm there. Our new departure time was around 4:30pm.
The snow storm that had caused our plane to not arrive from Newark was bearing down on Nova Scotia. As teh time drew closer to our flight time the storm got worse and worse. Our plane never did arrive but lucky for us there was another one already in Halifax, bound for Newark. The time came to load the plane. We got on the plane but when it came time to leave we were delayed due to the storm. We had taxied out to be deiced but they stopped that process due to the weather. We sat in the plane for just over an hour waiting for the weather to clear enough to take off. I have to admit the more we sat the worse the visibility was outside. I prayed that we be able to get a small window of clearing so that we may be able to take off. Just after an hour had passed we go the ok to take off. I was like what?? I can't see anything outside now..LOL.. Anyway we were deiced and away we went. The flight was ok but cramped. It was about 1 1/2 hours long. ..Thank goodness!!
Upon arriving at Newark we already knew we were going to stay in Houston overnight as our flight wasn't until the next morning. We hung out in Newark until we had to leave. We had a few hours to kill there. We looked up Hotels in Houston but found them expensive and we really didn't have the funds to stay in one.
Our flight time came and we boarded without issue. We arrived in Houston just after midnight. Since we knew we were staying the night we started searching for a place to sleep. An airport worker recommended we go over to Terminal D because it wasn't used anymore and would be quiter. We all walked there and found our places to sleep. Floors and chairs were our beds for the night.
Guatemala Mission Trip - Jan 11, 2011
This is the first day of our journey to Guatemala. We left Belfast at around 4:30pm after loading the last of our bags onto a truck. We were a bit later than expected leaving due to Graham having mechanical problems with his School Bus.
We went to Charlottetown and picked up 2 laptops we had purchased for Impact Ministries. We then went on to Cows on the North River Causeway to say our final goodbyes. Beth, Lauren and Nikia were there as well as other team members family. It was very difficult to say goodbye and I could barely contain myself. Sometimes you seem to take for granted what you have until you go away from it for a period of time. We left Cows at around 6pm for Aulac NB. Here we were to pick up 2 more of our team members, Carl and Wilma. We also had a good supper there at the restaurant.
After we ate we continued on to our stop for the night just outside Halifax. We had 2 places that we were to stay the night. One was Brian and Dianne Bakers house and the other was at Gus Banfils brothers place. We arrived at their place around 10:30pm. I stayed at Brian and Dianne's along with the other men as well as Graham and Joanne and Carl and Wilma. We socialized a bit then headed for bed.
We went to Charlottetown and picked up 2 laptops we had purchased for Impact Ministries. We then went on to Cows on the North River Causeway to say our final goodbyes. Beth, Lauren and Nikia were there as well as other team members family. It was very difficult to say goodbye and I could barely contain myself. Sometimes you seem to take for granted what you have until you go away from it for a period of time. We left Cows at around 6pm for Aulac NB. Here we were to pick up 2 more of our team members, Carl and Wilma. We also had a good supper there at the restaurant.
After we ate we continued on to our stop for the night just outside Halifax. We had 2 places that we were to stay the night. One was Brian and Dianne Bakers house and the other was at Gus Banfils brothers place. We arrived at their place around 10:30pm. I stayed at Brian and Dianne's along with the other men as well as Graham and Joanne and Carl and Wilma. We socialized a bit then headed for bed.
Guatemala Media Fast
Hello Everyone,
I am posting this after the fact due to a Media Fast we had while in Guatemala. Before we left it was agreed that I would send daily reports back to PEI where Beth (my lovely wife) would relay them on to those that wanted the updates. I thought I would be able to update this Blog while on my trip but due to the Fast this was not possible. I decided I would post my journal when I got home so the following updates are from that journal that I wrote in each night while away on my Mission Trip.
These updates are very personal to me. I believe I am a changed person after being in Guatemala so you may see some of that in these posts.
Enjoy and all I ask is to keep an open mind.
:-)
I am posting this after the fact due to a Media Fast we had while in Guatemala. Before we left it was agreed that I would send daily reports back to PEI where Beth (my lovely wife) would relay them on to those that wanted the updates. I thought I would be able to update this Blog while on my trip but due to the Fast this was not possible. I decided I would post my journal when I got home so the following updates are from that journal that I wrote in each night while away on my Mission Trip.
These updates are very personal to me. I believe I am a changed person after being in Guatemala so you may see some of that in these posts.
Enjoy and all I ask is to keep an open mind.
:-)
Thursday, December 16, 2010
4 weeks to Guatemala
Well it's just under 4 weeks until I (and 14 others) leave for Guatemala. I can't say if I am excited, scared, confused or what. I just don't seem to be feeling anything..Is that normal?
I am anxious about leaving home for 2 weeks for sure. I've never been gone from home that long. It concerns me to be leaving my family in the middle of winter, with what that may mean. I know Beth is tough and so is Lauren to be honest so I am sure they will be fine,,but I still worry about it.
So many questions with few answers about this trip. I guess I will find out the answers as time moves on. I am in a constant battle with myself on whether I am the right person to be going on this Mission trip. Beth has pointed out to me though.."Who is THE right person?". I guess she is right on that one..again. :-) I do love her for asking me these thought provoking questions for sure. I love her otherwise as well!
Anyway I will keep this updated as we get close to leaving. I will also be updating this as best I can while I am in Guatemala.
Pray for me if it is in you to do!
Cheers,
D
I am anxious about leaving home for 2 weeks for sure. I've never been gone from home that long. It concerns me to be leaving my family in the middle of winter, with what that may mean. I know Beth is tough and so is Lauren to be honest so I am sure they will be fine,,but I still worry about it.
So many questions with few answers about this trip. I guess I will find out the answers as time moves on. I am in a constant battle with myself on whether I am the right person to be going on this Mission trip. Beth has pointed out to me though.."Who is THE right person?". I guess she is right on that one..again. :-) I do love her for asking me these thought provoking questions for sure. I love her otherwise as well!
Anyway I will keep this updated as we get close to leaving. I will also be updating this as best I can while I am in Guatemala.
Pray for me if it is in you to do!
Cheers,
D
Monday, July 19, 2010
Vacation in New Hampshire
We are in day 2 of our summer Vacation. So far it has been going great! Yesterday we spent part of our day on a beautiful lake, Newfound Lake to be more specific. I was beat and had a very long nap in the afternoon. I rarely nap but the good part was I was able to stay awake for a movie in the evening! We spent some time in the hot tub after supper which was pretty nice.
On our way up here we seen many motorcycles of all shapes and sizes. Many folks with no helmets and many lightly dressed drivers and passengers. We are on our way down to Laconia today, which we drove by on the way up. I figure if I can't get there on the bike I will at least visit in the car.
More later...
On our way up here we seen many motorcycles of all shapes and sizes. Many folks with no helmets and many lightly dressed drivers and passengers. We are on our way down to Laconia today, which we drove by on the way up. I figure if I can't get there on the bike I will at least visit in the car.
More later...
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