Greetings From Guyana

Airline travel. Without fail a fascinating endeavor. My flight yesterday from Columbus to Georgetown, Guyana was a fairly simple one. Leaving Columbus at 9:40 AM, going from there to Charlotte, North Carolina. From there to Miami, Florida, and then from Miami to Georgetown. Simple enough for international travel.

Except the first flight was delayed by one hour. Thus, immediately upon leaving that plane, I booked it over to the gate for Miami (which was conveniently placed on the opposite end of the airport). With a scarce ten minutes to make it all the way across, I stumbled into the  C12 gate gasping and panting, whereupon I was told that the Miami flight had been delayed. So I suddenly had an hour to kill.

So when the plane finally lands in Miami, I now had ten minutes to find the gate for Georgetown (no directions or anything was printed on my ticket, since I had at this point switched airlines). I finally figure out where I'm heading, and it is of course conveniently placed on the opposite end of the airport. I find the gate, and go through customs again. During this process (you know, empty your pockets into these plastic tubs) someone accidentally whacks one of the plastic tubs, which goes flying. Not a big deal, since it was mostly empty. Except of course for my passport, which went flying along with the tub.

After a few minutes of searching, we find it, and I resume the run to the gate. Upon arrival, I realize that the ticket was on Guyana time, and rather than only having ten minutes to get there I actually had over an hour, and I was well ahead of time. Phew.

While trying to find a seat (which was difficult since I had now spent the last 12 hours traveling and jogging - nobody wanted to sit near me) I suddenly see a sister named Amy whom I had met during my first trip here. It turned out she was heading for the congregation closest to where I'm heading, and she had already hired a taxi, so she offered to let me ride along and get dropped off on the way.

It seems far to good for it to be coincidence that the daily text that morning was "Never be anxious".

And so, at 12:45 AM this morning, I arrived at the home of Tom and Michelle Sanches, whom I will be staying with until Friday, after which I depart for Orealla.

(And no pictures, because seriously, me remember to get pictures?)

And My Assignment Is....

So the only question that has remained regarding my upcoming Guyana trip was, where will the branch request I go to? This is a very important question, since it obviously determines where I will live and how long I'll be able to stay.

Thus, you can imagine my incredible joy when the branch wrote to me and asked if I would be willing to serve in.....

(drum roll)


in....

(drum roll)

Come on people, I'm not feeling it. I want a drum roll I can hear from where I am right now!

Ah, that's better. Okay, my assignment is to the congregation in Orealla, which you may know from blog entries I wrote after two previous visits.

http://nutso42.blogspot.com/2010/09/expedition-to-orealla-and-siparuta.html
http://nutso42.blogspot.com/2011/01/surinamebranch-touroreallasiparutaetc.html

Orella has long been one of my favorite places in Guyana, and I had even considered moving there before but couldn't due to circumstances. So you can imagine I'm thrilled to be getting assigned there finally!

I'm not sure of the state of the congregation, but last time I went they had about 30 publishers and one ministerial servant, with no elders. I believe their situation has improved considerably, but to what degree I do not know.

Now, I know y'all always like pictures, so I'm going to display some of the scenery in the area that I'll be soaking in daily, along with a few shots of the Kingdom Hall and the house I'll be in, which I didn't share before on the blog.

Ah, and of course, sunrise in Orealla.

I leave Tuesday morning! Can't hardly wait!