DAY 2: ARUSHA FINAL PREP DAY

A Montague Family Tale of Ten Traumas

The adventure portion of our Kili adventure began much sooner than expected.

    1.    Our flight from Amsterdam to Kili was canceled Friday afternoon

    2.    Rebooked through London and Nairobi

    3.    Our luggage was lost

    4.    12 hour layover Nairobi airport unless we pay $20/person for a “transit visa”…

    5.    Midnight taxi to Nairobi hotel

    6.    Wrong hotel. My bad (dad). Details. SMH. And another 30 minute taxi ride to the right hotel - in a driving rainstorm. Cannot win.

    7.    Three hours and 5:00am Sunday comes quickly for a return to Nairobi airport where no one knows where are bags are - or seems to care.

    8.    Finally, Delta confirms one bag is en route and three bags are still in London. “File a lost baggage claim when you arrive in Kilimanjaro.”

    9.    We begin “Doomsday Planning” as our gear will not arrive in time for our Monday morning departure to Mt Kilimanjaro.  No money for food or water; parched and hangry.

    10.    After a delay, we finally land at Kilimanjaro International Airport to be told we need to pay $50/person for a Yellow Fever vaccination fee because we spent 12 hours in Nairobi (we didn’t).

….AND GOD

Parted the Red Sea yet again!!!

Thanks to the prayers of our people halfway across the world.

We land at Kilimanjaro Intl Airport and while Dad waits in line to file a lost baggage claim, knowing we have a 24hr countdown to receive bags before climb,

Merv and I are waiting for our one bag and low and behold I see a black duffel with the Beyond Logo and we were truly speechless. However not just 1 duffle, but 2 MORE black Beyond duffles slowly emerge on the belt. I immediately told Merv to run and tell Dad our bags miraculously had arrived. The 3 of us squealed and cried in the airport with many confused stares thrown our way. We gathered outside the baggage claim at the airport basking in the joy of His provision with jaws dropped and tears running down our face. No, the bags were not in London…. Pictures followed. Dad’s quote as we left the airport “those were some of the darkest 48hrs of my life”. Annie’s quote was “I love Him!”  

(Meanwhile the rest of the group was resting at the resort cappuccino in hand fully rested and fed- so happy for them)

God knows and cares, and rules. I was thankful as I reflected on the idea that He foresaw this outcome when we were in the depths of the emotional trauma and unknowns. He desires to give us good gifts, like a loving father does. He cares about our pursuits and dreams. He delights to partner in us with those dreams and delights even more when we learn more about His character through the journey.

Now let the real journey begin!