Scratch Everything

I had an hourlong meeting on Tuesday to discuss how the lack of a missionary host would impact this week's Jamaica VBS team. 

Wednesday, I walked the team leader through the schedule and handed off all my contacts (driver, cook, etc.). 

Later that afternoon, I made a WhatsApp group with the two of us, both Jamaican missionary pastors, and the LCMS's Manager of Global Safety & Security. 

And yesterday at 3:53 pm, I sent the following message in said group: "Scratch Everything." 

By some ACT OF GOD, I'm at the Santo Domingo airport waiting to check in for a 4:45 pm flight to Kingston that arrives a mere 2 hours after I was originally scheduled to get in had I left at 6:20 am with my new passport in hand. 

Backing up just over three weeks, I ran into some...passport issues. When Tropical Storm Franklin added insult to injury by closing the US Embassy for a day and a half, I thought my fate was sealed; there was no way on God's green earth I was getting to Jamaica on time, or possibly at all. 

At my cousin's suggestion, though (he's a foreign service officer in Kingston, of all places), I tried one last thing: calling the embassy and asking to speak with someone in ACS (American Citizen Services). After 40 minutes on the phone with a kind soul who deserves an award for customer service, she declared, "It's our lucky day." She was able to locate my old passport in the building and verify that it was still valid since my new one has not yet been issued. I could have picked it up before 4 pm yesterday but I'd never have made it, so I settled for 11 am today. Now I needed a new flight. 

I found the perfect one (see above), but the LCMS's travel agency doesn't have ticketing capabilities for Arajet so I had to track down approval to purchase it on my own. 

The third person I tried to reach in the business office picked up right away, so I selected the only 3rd party site I'd heard of - booking.com - and proceeded to checkout. Three rejected credit cards later (sometimes living abroad SUCKS), I chanced another option called "Mytrip." The process was essentially the same, and I was relieved to see PayPal as a payment option. I was and continue to be a little weirded out that I've never heard of Mytrip, but the payment processing vendor was the same as it would have been through booking.com, and I successfully checked in and even got a boarding pass for my departure flight. 

I went for a long walk to try and clear my head, then did all the things I normally do to prepare for a trip (i.e. pack!) in a matter of a few hours since I'd essentially written off this particular trip. This morning, I left for the embassy around 7 am, even though Google Maps said 2 hrs., 12 min. The last ~3 km. took close to an hour! I was only 30 or so minutes early by the time I parked and walked across the street, so I went ahead and got in the surprisingly short line. I was probably there an hour or so total. At least two of the guards were on my case, disappearing inside with my ID for short stretches, coming back to ask questions, and finally telling me I could proceed to the 2nd floor, ventanilla 4. 

Reunited!

The embassy's about an hour from the airport, and here we are: my car, in long-term parking, and me, bringing you up to speed on a minor miracle. 

I'll Uber to dinner with my cousin and his wife when I get there, then meet one of the pastors at the Ministry Centre, my home for the next week or so, so he can give me a set of keys. On tomorrow's agenda: a SIM card, groceries, and picking up the team! Did I mention they're from my HOME CONGREGATION?! I can tell my mind and body are still wired from the stress, logical or not, of the past few weeks. Combined with emotional exhaustion, though, is excitement to see familiar faces and shepherd them through a week of sharing Jesus with however many kids God sees fit to bring us. If you're wondering, the passport renewal process continues; I'll just have to surrender my old one (by mail) so they can punch a hole in it before they'll send the new one. 

Until next time, blessings in Christ!