Some days are really long.
Other days fly by so quickly you don’t even realize the time is passing.
And some days you lose 6 hours but feel like you’ve lived YEARS since you last saw your bed.
Today was one of those days.
Yesterday we began our long journey to Village of Hope Uganda. We met at the church with family and friends for a true American lunch send-off: pizza and chocolate. I was amazed and deeply touched by the number of people – staff, friends, and former teammates – who made the commitment to come bid us farewell and join in prayer for our safety and God’s blessing over our mission. The prayer circle nearly encompassed the perimeter of the room as we joined hands and hearts toward a singular request: Lord, we are Yours. Use us, teach us, help us, protect us, and bring us home safely to those who love us. I am so blessed to be part of a church that takes even short-term mission trips so seriously, that recognizes the significance of those who commit – whether it be a few days, a few weeks, or even a few months – to saying, “Here I am, Lord. Send me.”
And how humbling it was for me to realize God said, “Yes.”
Too quickly our shuttles arrived to load up our gear – a daunting total of FIVE bags per person, most of which would return home empty – and we piled in, amidst eager smiles and tears of goodbye. As we drove to the airport, we enjoyed excited chatter while we drank in the familiar sights one last time.
We arrived, loaded up carts with all our luggage, and made it through check-in and security with very little difficulty. We had some time to wander the airport and take in all that DFW Airport Terminal D has to offer. With 4 hours to kill before boarding, we managed to squeeze everything in: from visitng the restrooms to checking out every single gate, to completing the blue glass maze and conquering the massive stairwell that just begged us to run up and down it a few times, we managed to get our money’s worth and even expend a few calories in the process.
We enjoyed a mid-afternoon snack at one of the cafes to top off our tummies before boarding. Despite Terminal D’s fabulous attractions, it is a Pepsi-dominated facility. My suffering for the Lord had already begun. There was guacamole, though, so that helped ease the pain.
The flight boarded right on time and we discovered several other large groups – mission trips and teams – traveling with us. I ended up seated next to a mother and daughter who were part of a choral group from a Methodist church in Oklahoma. They wore red shirts emblazoned with the logo “Walking with Wesley” and would be retracing their religious heritage through concerts in churches and locations connected with John and Charles Wesley. Though we didn’t talk much on the flight, they were pleasant companions and I was able to share with them a little of what our team was doing.
The flight was uneventful and relatively peaceful. Though British Airways has a wonderful selection of entertainment available on the plane, their food service certainly leaves something to be desired. I wasn’t able to sleep, so I ended up watching a couple of movies and trying not to go stir-crazy. Between bad food and lack of sleep, I was feeling pretty low by the time we were closing in on London and spent most of the landing and arrival process trying not to lose what was left of my lunch.
We landed in Terminal 5 but spent the day at the Admiral’s Club, which was located in Terminal 3. This meant a rather interesting bus ride navigating the bowels of Heathrow Airport, and a second trip through security. Thankfully our checked bags were held in long-term storage while we endured our lengthy layover. Once we arrived at the Admiral’s Club, however, we discovered the twists and turns were worth it. Absolutely. Worth. It.
A full bank of computers with free wi-fi to while away the hours on Facebook, providing witty status updates and comments, or playing Words with Friends or Bejeweled Blitz!
Comfy chairs and pull-out beds in the absolute COLDEST part of the room, which made it impossible to sleep but quite possible to stretch out our legs, which felt like heaven after being cramped under the seats in front of us for the previous 9 hours.
A buffet of free food and drinks that changed every 2 hours. And they even had DIET COKE. Not Coke Light. You bet I took advantage. Showers with comfy robes and luxurious towels? Yes, please. Half-price latte day at Starbuck’s just outside the entrance? Don’t mind if I do.
Elizabeth and I grabbed a light breakfast and sat at one of the far tables. I heard church bells ringing faintly behind me and at first thought, I can hear the bells of St. Paul’s Cathedral all the way in the airport! How cool is that! Then I turned around to see what was on the telly and sure enough, there was Queen Elizabeth walking down the aisle of St. Paul’s Cathedral for her Diamond Jubilee celebration. We enjoyed the beautiful music of the choirs and watched as the motorcade made its way from the church to Buckingham Palace for the celebratory luncheon. Too bad we weren’t invited.
The time passed slowly but we enjoyed ourselves, alternately taking walks and resting, visiting and being alone, snacking and laughing and thinking about what we’d left behind and what still lay before us. I pulled out my journal to write for a bit and found this verse inscribed on the bottom of the page:
Then Jesus said, “Let’s go to a place where we can be alone and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31 CSV)
If ever there was proof that God has a sense of humor, this would be it.
The Admiral’s club closed before our flight left, so we shut the place down before heading back to Terminal 5 for our overnight journey to Entebbe. Trace and I shared a yummy tomato-pesto-mozzarella panini from a nearby deli as our supper while we waited for our time to board. Though I was exhausted, I was anxious to get there and see the children. One flight down, one to go. Let’s do this!
Important take-away’s from our stay in the Admiral’s Lounge at Heathrow:
- The women on this trip are like Admiral’s Lounge cheese: mature, sharp, and very, very white.
- It is possible to see “Mamma Mia” onstage and not know who ABBA is.
- The cream of mushroom soup is to die for. Seriously. That. Good. Everything else: notsomuch.
- There are blankets on airplanes but not in an airline lounge. Nor are there pillows. Be prepared. Steal one from the aircraft and return it on your next flight. Or better yet, steal a couple.
- When someone says, “It’s not a competition”, it’s because they’re losing.
- It’s always a competition with me because I always win.
- Except in Apples to Apples, which is just a game. Not even ONE stinking green card. TEN people playing and I get ZERO. Just saying is all.
