Here is Lauren and me with the fabulous sign she made for my return home!
My beautiful family
Notice the blue suitcase in the background? You wouldn't believe the miracle it was to see that suitcase there in the airport with me. My plane left an hour late from Pemba, Mozambique on Wednesday the 11th. When we finally arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, my next plane was already taking off...so needless to say I was not on it! After speaking with the manager of the airline, I was pretty bummed to learn that they refused to accommodate me, although they did re-book all of my flights for the following day. They said that since the delay was due to weather and not some sort of technical issue, they couldn't provide accommodation. Little did I know, God had been providing accommodation for me all along.
There were two other girls that I knew from Pemba who were in the same boat as me. So we banded together and began to search for somewhere to stay. The airline had told us it would be easier to leave our bags there at the airport instead of picking them up and checking them in again the following day, so we only had our carry-on bags. We ran in to another girl from Pemba who said she had booked a room at a hotel and that we could talk to the driver and see if they had extra room at the hotel. He graciously allowed us to ride with them to the hotel so we could ask the manager. When we arrived we were so surprised to find that when booking her room, the hotel had gotten mixed up and reserved a room for three!!!!! How PERFECT! They apologized for the confusion, gave us the room of three, and gave her another single room. God's provision is so amazing! We had a wonderful time there which included eating McDonalds, taking lots of showers, and going to the shopping mall with our new-found South African friends!
The following day when we checked in, the airline couldn't find our bags because they said they had been rushed ahead. The bags would be waiting for us at the airport in JFK just like everyone else's and we would need to pick them up to go through customs. I was slightly apprehensive but didn't know what else to do, so we went on to the gate. Upon arriving in JFK, I watched as everyone else picked up their bags (including the two girls who had been with me the previous night!) but mine was nowhere to be found. I was so frustrated. I spoke to the staff there and they said I would need to file a claim once I reached my final destination in Cincinnati. So I boarded a plane to Washington, D.C., and then another to Cincinnati.
After lots of hugs and tears, my family and I made our way to the information counter so we could file the claim. While we were waiting my mom said, "why don't we just go check and make sure your suitcase isn't with the rest that came off your plane?" I responded by telling her there was no way my luggage would be there because it hadn't even been in JFK with me. So Lauren and Luke went and checked......and returned with my bag! It was so ridiculously crazy that all I could do was laugh. I'm sure people thought I was nuts, but that's alright because I totally am! Once again, God's provision is so good and never what we would ever expect.
After leaving the airport we went straight to Skyline Chili per my request. As you can see, it was a very happy reunion.
It was so nice to be home and just relax with my family. Here is one more picture that I just had to put in my blog. When I got home and opened my suitcase, I was so surprised when this adorable baby popped out! It's my sweet niece Maylee Jean Wisecup. I call this picture Suitcase Baby. :)
Seriously...what a wonderful welcoming committee I had!
If you are interested in reading up on some of the other crazy experiences I had while in Africa, then keep coming back and checking this blog. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!
