We made it!

Well, we made it, which is a huge blessing considering all the hassle the flights ended up being. It all started in Grand Rapids when we were delayed to the point of missing our connection in Atlanta to Lagos. Then Delta rerouted our flight through Amsterdam but wouldn't let us reroute the flights of the other four students, so they ended up going on to Lagos, separate from us.

Then when we got on our flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam, there was some sort of confusion over our bags. We stood there patiently as all the other passengers boarded the plane and three different attendants tried to figure things out with our tickets. Eventually, they told us (in not such a hospitable manner) to get on the plane and take our seats, without our tickets or luggage claim numbers in hand. When we were on the plane, I tried to track down one of the attendants when she got on the plane to ask about the problem, concerned that our bags wouldn't make it on the flight. Well, she basically snapped at us, telling us that it wasn't a luggage problem but a e-ticket problem, and she never returned our tickets or luggage claim numbers.

Well, we weren't convinced but continued on, enjoyed the rest of the journey together, including a free upgrade to first class from Amsterdam to Nairobi because of an over-booked flight. First class was amazing, and Nate is almost convinced it's worth the extra money. The four of us agreed that we shouldn't get used to it though, which would be easy to do--lying flat for sleeping, being fed all the time, free gifts, etc.

The rest of the flights went smoothly, and we met up with the other four students in Nairobi. We went on to Entebbe, and upon landing went through health customs and VISA's. That went smoothly, but then we went to pick up the luggage. The four students who took the Lagos flight promptly picked there's up, but the rest of us were left empty handed. We went to the lost luggage claims desk, where they took our report. However the computers were down, so we couldn't track the luggage.

So...on we went with our drivers to our guesthouse in Kampala, approximately an hour drive from the airport. When we arrived at the guesthouse, Nate realized that he had forgotten his backpack at the claims desk. So he is now without any extra change of clothes as well.

We have really enjoyed getting to know the other four North American students, and we will meet the Ugandan students tomorrow. The guesthouse we are staying at for the next week is very nice--warm water, plenty of food, comfortable beds. We have also been blessed by the staff at CRWRC, who have shown us great hospitality.

However, we are still waiting on our luggage, hoping we don't have to wear the same clothes for another day. We haven't heard anything yet from the airline, though we have someone from CRWRC contacting them multiple times throughout the day. However, we worry that the luggage is lost somewhere in Delta's system, and that it may take a long time to get to us. Pray that we can have the patience and strength to wait for it, and that it will be found quickly.

Otherwise, we are safe, feeling blessed, and enjoying the beautiful Ugandan countryside and wonderful people. We thank you for all of your prayers for safe travel and ask for your continued prayers as we encounter new challenges every day. Blessings!!