Well Team #1 is home and Team #2 is on the job now. I'll write more about team #2 in a bit but first a little bit about the journey home.....
The flight was scheduled to arrive in SF at 9:50 PM on July 16. As is common - it was delayed. On the way to the airport we called American Airlines to get flight info. We had planned on calling before we left Modesto but since we are all ready and the bus was ready, we figured we may as well get going just in case there were delays in our path. We were told at that time the flight was delayed due to air traffic controllers in NY and it would arrive at 11:03, a little more than an hour later than it's scheduled arrival. That gave us enough time to sit in the bus at SF and fill helium balloons. There wasn't a huge crowd on the bus but quality over quantity was DEFINITELY a factor. Because the author may be implicated here, I'm not going to name names but everyone will agree we were NOT bored.
About 10:30 the bus took us all over to the airport and did a drive by to show us where we would be picked up, then came around a second time to drop us off upstairs. We went down to gate 67 where our team was to arrive, only to discover the flight began a series of 5 more delays until it finally arrived at 11:57 PM. We taped up 2 banners, had balloons everywhere, joined other friends and family members from this area and formed a greeting party of about 23 to greet our team as they staggered off the plane. OK - so they didn't ALL stagger but if I name names here I may regret it later. It was 9 AM to their bodies and after traveling about 27 hours none of them were skipping.
After we greeted each of them, we all met down in baggage claim only to have
to wait in line while about half a dozen of the group filed missing luggage
reports. It is believed some of the luggage never made it on the plane that left
Tallinn. When the team arrived in New York they were to claim their luggage
there, go through customs, then re-check it on through to SF. Some of it wasn't
there.
Please pray that these missing pieces of luggage turn up soon. I'm sure I'll
miss someone here but I know Tristan Macmillan, Ilya Kucher, Chris Jost, and I
believe Dr. Carlson are all missing luggage. For some of these guys, it is their
only piece of luggage so some of their gifts they brought home are in it as well
as their tools, clothes, etc.
There were/are LOTS of stories to tell about the things God did while there and PLEASE, if you are willing to sit down and write some of them, I would love to share them.
One such story is about the journey Team #2 had going over to Estonia.
I'm sure I only know part of the story and I'll share more as I hear more but I do know this much....
It seems the flight from NY to Helsinki was cancelled. When the plane arrived in Estonia, Dr. Carlson and the rest of team 1 had planned to greet Team #2, have a quick word of prayer with them and they would board this same plane and start their journey home. However, when the plane arrived team #2 was NOT on it. Our team boarded it and began their journey thinking they would simply miss seeing Team #2. Now some of Team #1 may have known what was in store but the authors source (who happens to be 16 and isn't a veteran of overseas flight - or even flights within the US for that matter) had no clue what would happen.
As team #1 disembarked, some of them meandered over to what can be called Restaurant Row. Someone recognized a face in the crowd and discovered the meeting they planned to have in Tallinn was going to take place in NY JFK Airport!!! The Teams gathered and shared stories, passed on information and prayed together after spending about 2 hours MORE than they would have shared in Tallinn. PRAISE GOD people were praying for that meeting. It didn't take place where we expected it to but God isn't limited by flight plans, delays or man's timing.
I haven't heard anything from Team#2 yet and don't have any pictures to share from Estonia but if you go check out the website, you'll see pictures from last nights party at the Airport. If you are unable to find the website, let me know. There are two ways to get there - The link for the Radio Station is www.pereraadio.ee . At this address you can actually listen to the radio by downloading Realtime. If you go there - be sure you click on the page for English, then click on the picture in the upper right hand corner and then click on the link for the Updates at the bottom of the page. The second way there is to go directly to http://www.geocities.com/computerbasicsmodesto/Estonia/index.html .
If you have any problems at all, feel free to call me or write to me and I'll walk you through it.
Well there is more to share, I'm sure but I need to hear from some of you about the stories you've heard (or have to tell) from Estonia.
Until then, please pray with me for Team #2. The work continues even
though our loved ones are home. As I've said before, some of it is quite
dangerous and safety is a KEY prayer need.
~PRAY for SAFETY
~Pray for mild weather so they can do the work God has called them to do.
~Pray for unity among the workers.
~Pray that God will continue to prepare the hearts of the listeners who will
hear the gospel from this radio station.
~Pray for the members from Team #1 who are adjusting to this time zone - some of
them have already returned to work so it is especially difficult for them.
~Pray for God to be glorified as this work continues, and beyond.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. II Corinthians 9:8
Blessings
lynda