Rwanda Mission Trip
Day One
6:00 p.m.
Around 30,000 feet in the air

Hemostatic agents that are typically used for nose bleeds or topical application CAN BE APPLIED in the mouth when a mission trip mate nearly bites his own tongue off by simply chewing an innocent piece of gum in the Brussels airport.

Remember to check Josh’s vital signs every 30 minutes.

So far, the iPad 2 and iPhone 5 batteries have lasted the longest.

You may run in to old Disney cast mates from 1998 who are headed to the “smoking room” at Dulles Airport.  When you yell, “MIKE” and they don’t turn around, you know it’s not the guy you knew who was Peter Pan back in the day.  This just in: there are smoking rooms by Gate C4 at Dulles Airport.  It’s like watching people in a very dirty fishbowl.

When the lady in 40E leans her seat back so far that her head is practically in my lap, a good past time when you can’t go to sleep is counting hair follicles instead of sheep.

The movie Brave was a bit of a disappointment.  Perhaps I was suffering from frost bite since I forgot my fuzzy socks for both eight-hour flights?  Should I give it another chance on the way back?  Disclaimer: STEP UP REVOLUTION is also an option.  Decisions, decisions.

In flight meals are special.

The ice cream bar they served us somewhere over the Nile was an African miracle.

I can now say “please fasten your seat belt” in three different languages.

Become friends with the guy in 37A who shoved no less than seven bags of duty free alcohol in the overhead bins.  This does not include the bags his wife shoved in as well.

When suffering through plane insomnia as your fellow travelers snore to their heart’s content, refrain from slumber party antics such as freezing Christina’s bra and putting Kathleen’s hand in a cup of water.

If all else fails, embrace those elementary school tendencies and play M.A.S.H. with Emily who also suffers from plane insomnia.  (PS: I totally married Damon Salvatore and live in an apartment in New York.  YOLO!)

Make YOLO happen in Africa.

Don’t be jealous of Holly and Ann for somehow landing a seat in the teens instead of in the 40s with all the JV mission trippers, the alcoholics and the Great Recliner.

I think conquering 28 hours of travel time from Houston to DC, Brussels and Africa, living off of Goldfish crackers and Starburst the last three meals and contracting a minor case of dehydration is totally worth it since I have the chance to serve orphans and families associated with Africa New Life this Thanksgiving holiday.

Buckle up people.  Things are about to get real.