Day One - Saturday, January 19

Friday was my last day of school for a few weeks. There had been a concert on Wednesday, Thursday was a normal day, and Friday was spent talking the students through the next few weeks and making final preparations with a very capable substitute teacher. It was the strangest feeling to walk out of school Friday afternoon knowing that the time had finally arrived to go on the adventure of a lifetime.

That evening, we packed. And not just me, everybody. While I was preparing for Ghana, Rebekah and the kids were planning to spend the next couple of days at her parents house. Rebekah would have some extra hands available to care for the kids and to keep the home school train rolling. While she is a completely capable mother, I couldn't help but feel a lot better knowing that she wouldn't be home alone.

We woke up Saturday morning and loaded the car. The kids were still in their pajamas and we had skipped breakfast when we pulled out of the driveway headed for the grandparents' house (Oma and Pop Pop). Upon arrival, Henry announced that he smelled bacon and, as expected, breakfast was served.

Rebekah and I did not stick around. We dropped off the kids and I hugged them all one last time. The hugs were good and long since they would have to last a week. We headed toward Pittsburgh with some extra time to spend together before needing to be at the airport. We did some shopping at IKEA and had lunch at Mad Mex. I tried to savor every bite since I fully expected to eat mostly rice for the next six days.

At the airport, we checked the bags and said goodbye. I was travelling with two bags this time - one for me and Hugo, and one that was staying in Ghana. Our friends and family had helped us fill the second suitcase with tons of things that could be used at the orphanage - towels, soap, little toys for the kids, and, believe it or not, a couple of musical instruments. I was taking a long a trumpet, a trombone, and a pair of crash cymbals. They required a bit of repair work to make them playable but they were now in perfect playing condition and would be a great addition to the band at the orphanage. A local music store had also donated some items to keep the instruments in good shape.

Knowing what to expect from Ghana this time, it was hard to imagine going without my wife. When we were there a few months before, the situation was completely overwhelming and we relied on each other to get through each moment. This time, I was going alone. I tried to imagine returning to this same spot the following Saturday, with Hugo in tow. Hard to believe this was happening.

I found the gate, walked around the airport, and kept myself busy while waiting for a 3:40 p.m. flight to JFK.

Travelling can be so unpredictable. We boarded the flight on time, taxied to the runway, sat on the tarmac for 30 minutes, then returned to the airport. It turns out that traffic at JFK was so heavy that they had no place to land the plane. We unloaded and several of us watched the Penguins game while we waited for the announcement to load again. On the second try, we made it off the ground and on our way to New York. Traffic was still heavy when we arrived in New York so we circled Manhattan for a long time before they allowed us to land. My next flight was not until nearly 10:00 p.m. so I was not concerned about making the connection.

I sat on the flight from Pittsburgh with a man named Mike. He was an engineer for GM (or was it GE?) on his way to Frankfurt, Germany to work for a few weeks. He asked why I was travelling and I filled him in, showing him the pictures of Hugo on my phone. Mike was a seasoned traveler to Africa having visited there several times on mission trips to Sierra Leone. His first visit there had been shortly after a war ended that had spilled over the border from neighboring Liberia. The conditions had been terrible and the danger very real. He showed me pictures of his own and I could tell that he spoke about his time there with a mixture of pride and heartbreak. He said something that I would remember frequently throughout the rest of the trip.

"When you find yourself involved in God's will, things may not always be comfortable or safe, but you wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Thanks, Mike. I needed that.