Boy, has my adventure started already!!
I left on a jetplane Saturday, September 13 to the DFW (Dallas Fort Worth) airport. But, because my flight was delayed an hour (and I only had an hour layover) I missed my flight to Jamaica.
Now, let's pause for a moment for clarification.
It turns out that another person in my DTS was on the same flight as me. Her name is Sammy. So we were both stuck in the DFW airport together.
Back to the story:
So Sammy and I are (more or less) stuck in the DFW airport. We call our parents and let them know and go and find out when we can get the next flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica. It turns out, American Airlines won't have another flight until the next day (Sunday the 14th). Which turns our 1 hour layover into a 24 hour layover. We begin to look up hotels and make a game plan. Then, I call Joseph because I know he moved from Texas recently and might know someone I could stay with. Well, to make a long story short (but really though, it was a long story) after over 6 hours in the airport, Joseph found me a missionary family to stay with and Sammy ended up staying at a hotel a few miles away from DFW. The family I stayed with are with Gospel For Asia. They are the Johnsons and have 5 kids (ages 14 to 1). So I felt right at home. I had an amazing night sleep and got back to the airport at 7am Dallas time. Security was a breeze and I even played my harmonica for the security people: the guy at the x-ray machine asked if I had harmonicas in my bag I said yes and then they asked if I would play for them. I did. They loved it. Then I waited around and explored the rest of the DFW airport (Sammy and I had explored for hours on end the day before... when we were there for over 6 hours). I could never find a good bumper sticker for my instrument case. So I bought Mexican Jumping Beans as pets instead. Then Sammy and I met up and boarded the plane. It left DFW at 9:45 am and landed in MBJ (Montego Bay, Jamaica) at 1:20 pm. Then it gets really exciting. We landed and then went to get in line for immigration. While Sammy and I were in the long line, I pulled out Lyra (my Ukulele sized guitar) and my foot tambourine and jammed to make the time pass. Most everyone loved it. Then I got to Immigration.
I told them I was only staying for 90 days. But my departing flight was 5 months out... that's not 90 days. So I tried to explain to the (really epic and completely Jamaican) officials that I would leave for 2 months but YWAM hadn't told me where I was going. They didn't really believe me. So, they let me use their computer and look up a cell number from someone from YWAM. That took FOREVER. Slow internet and I looked in all the wrong places. After they called YWAM they finally gave me the 90 days and let me go. Customs was the easiest thing ever and then I was outside in the humidity and saw someone with a sign "Youth With A Mission." Bam! I was so done with airports in general by then that I was beyond happy. The car ride to the base was only like 40 mins and passed quickly. Although, they totally drove on the wrong side of the road... all of them. But I guess it's normal down here. I've been at the YWAM base since and have been enjoying every minute. We have had amazing times of worship already and I have been becoming friends with just about everyone. It was really awesome though: today they prophesied and prayed over each one of us individually. I also have my schedule and everything is looking grander and grander. I'm sharing a room with a Jamaican (named Cephas) and I couldn't ask for a better location or staff. God is good. All the time. And all the time. God is good.
Here's to Knowing God and Making Him Known!
Here are some pics of the plane and the YWAM Jamaica base:
In Christ,
Timothy David
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