Accra Ghana Jan 6th 2013

I never thought I would be here. I have dreamed of stepping foot an African soil for as long as I can recall.

Getting to Africa has taken me 37 years and the desperate challenge of adopting this sweet, innocent, loving and energetic little boy.

NEVER Mistake my frustration with the PROCESS with a REGRET for beginning this journey.

It is like saying a pregnant woman with severe complications regretted her pregnancy.

I DO NOT REGRET anything I have had to endure thus far....and regardless of the situation, I would do this (AND MORE) for ANY one of my children.

Claudine, Madison, Sione, Abigel, Gracie, Rubi, Zeke, Elijah, Peter.

YOU ARE MY LIFE. MY REASON for LIVING.

Here is today's details.

We were on the plane to Monrovia on the tarmac in Ghana for over 2 hours, the pilot had been keeping us updated on all the progress, an electrical part had gone bad, and the mechanic who was working on it was unable to get it installed and running in time. Apparently the Monrovia airport CLOSES at 7 p.m.

Since our flight met 2 roadblocks (one being the time passengers are allowed to sit on the tarmac in transit, and two the closing of the Monrovian airport.)

So everyone is escorted off, and all 200+ passengers are in limbo, we stand in lines with no direction, we are told we must get a visa to step out of the airport, and we are issued forms. No one has a clue what line to stand in, and after shifting at least 3 times, we establish a system, where one of us leaves the group, seeking out a Delta agent to clarify the lines, while others stand over our mounds of personal belongings.

Eventually the group I was standing with in line for a Visa 4 were American men who work in Liberia similar to Wesley's schedule, and 2 were Dr's who work for the Ministry of Health in Liberia (and other countries all over the world)
and a couple of Peace Corp Volunteers.
We opted to pay for a transit Visa ($20) and keep our passports, rather than enter our information on a piece of paper and leave our passports. (no brainer)
this is when I realize I had dropped my cell phone on the plane as we were disembarking. yeah. smart I know.


AS we were all being loaded onto a series of buses the Delta agent notifies me, I will not be allowed to board this bus since I fly NON-REV I would NOT be taken care of during this mechanical failure. I was to be left, alone on the curb in Ghana knowing no one and having NO IDEA what to do, or where to go.

Dr.Faith Parker, opted to LEAVE her traveling party and remain with me, the last 7 passengers in ALL of our flight happened to be Platinum Delta First class flyers.

So Dr. Faith had met me less than 2 hours prior to her offering to share a bed & room for the night.
She LITERALLY saved me. I as SO SCARED. SO ANGRY and SO ALONE.

We all got checked into the hotel, then immediately went to the restaurant to eat dinner, then 6 of us enjoyed dinner and then most of us promptly went to our rooms to sleep.

And sleep we did!
at 10 a.m. Faith's husband called to check on her, and I got up. Housekeeping knocked on the door and asked if we were checking out....since one of our traveling companions had been notified by someone INSIDE Delta that they (Delta) had flown a NEW plane from JFK to Accra to transport us to Monrovia (Rather than make us wait until Friday, the next scheduled flight) I RAN to the lobby and asked him what he knew, he assumed we had all been notified, and I immediately ran BACK to our room, knocking on all the doors of our companions as I passed by. I had to wake Peter, get him dressed (into the same clothes he had been wearing since Tuesday) and RUSH to the lobby. Once we were all assembled, we had the shuttle take us to the airport.

The shuttle got us back just in time, once again Delta was loading passengers and admitting everyone through customs. I was asked by a group of Ghanaian women If I was a star"Like Angelina Jolie"

I said "YEAH RIGHT! I WISH!"
;)

We arrived onto the plane and had an uneventful flight to Monrovia (what I wouldn't do for UNEVENTFUL plans RIGHT NOW!)

Arrival to Monrovia was at 3:30 p.m.

The arrival gate in Liberia is all one room, every single flight that comes into Liberia has their bags delivered to one small baggage area, with over 250 ppl looking for their bags and at least 100 'helpers' (men that want you to hire them to gather your bags) it gets HOT & HECTIC!

I helped Faith gather her bags as she held Peters hand.

An hour later my bags had NOT arrived, and the room had pretty well emptied out.
We loaded everyone into the car and I went back into the airport to file a lost bag claim.

once again, for anyone who flies on 'buddy pass' or NON-REV, I am out of luck, since I am not a paying customer, I have a 1% chance they will even LOOK for my lost bags.

If I add up all the fees, hotel rooms, and lost luggage I might be getting closer to the $2300.00 it WOULD have cost me to fly on a regular ticket.

Sigh. the cost savings are HUGE, and for a family with 7 kids...it is essential.

ANYWHO.....it took a 45 minute car ride (to which Dr Faith ONCE AGAIN offered to have her hired driver take me to the market for water and DIAPERS since my luggage was LOST and I only had ONE last diaper!)

We dropped into a super market, and I found the SWEETEST SIGHT TO MY EYES! 2 young men wearing BLACK name-tags! I literally squealed and hugged their hands ;
)
So I arrived here at Moko's (where they TOO were worried about my arrival, since they had NOT heard from me since Saturday!)

We have showered, and eaten a very strange Pizza (corn and shredded chicken) and are ready for bed now.....

Continued prayers appreciated.