BACK HOME SAFELY - FOURTEEN AIRPORTS LATER

A great big 
"THANK YOU" 
to all who supported me 
with your help and prayers 
on my recent 10th trip to "my" island missions

Carmelite Sister Zita of the BREAD OF LIFE HOME FOR CHILDREN and I meet up again at Sunday Mass at Saint Benedict Parish in Georgetown, SVG, Sunday before last.  

I got home safely from trip #10 to the islands at 2:00 am Friday morning. It was a very busy, but successful trip. I hope you got to read the many blog posts below. 

The hardest part of each trip is getting there and getting back. Going down on American Airlines, we were delayed in Miami for three hours for God-knows-what! I barely made my connection to my SVG Airlines flight on over to Saint Vincent. 

Coming home, we were stuck on the tarmac in Miami for two hours after we landed. This resulted in a frantic race through customs and a huge airport looking for the gate to Louisville which was at the end of a maze of elevators, trains and closed gates in a building labeled as "an addition." Even with the running, I made it just in time to board for Louisville.  If that flight had not been delayed as well, I would not have made it home that night. So, getting home at 2:00 in the morning I felt "lucky." 

All in all, I went through 14 airports this trip - seven each way: Louisville, Miami, Bridgetown (Barbados), Bequia, Canouan, Union and Saint Vincent. Coming home, I was in all seven in reverse.  

If you think traveling down there is all bout sunny beaches, luxury hotels and wonderful plane rides, think again! Traveling is usually two days of endless stress, heat, frustration and discomfort. I sometimes wonder why I do it and how long I will be able to do it! I hope God gives me the strength and patience to keep it up! I need God's help because, at 74, I do not have the stamina I used to have and I have never been that patient anyway! 

Fergal took this photo of Bishop County, Des (Pastoral Centre Manager) and me as we were loading the car to leave for the airport for my trip home. 

Bishop County and I have a few last words in the airport canteen before I have to go through customs and board the first of three planes for home. Notice my small suitcase. I now have enough clothes and shoes down there that I just bring my laptop, passport, i-phone, ear buds, a few files and other odds and ends. 



A MEMORABLE MOMENT



One of the most memorable moments was these two young musicians playing during Mass in Sandy Bay. 
The young man on the left playing the blue tambourine is four and the young man on the right with the drum is six or seven. 
They kept perfect time and rhythm with the adult guitar player on every song - and the people sang enthusiastically from memory! No hymnals!