The flights from our various origins arrived safely in Chicago. Our trip was starting off great. Then it was discovered that Dan, Dan and Jimmy were able to get boarding passes all the way to Freetown but for some reason I was only given a boarding pass for the trip from Indianapolis to Chicago and then from Chicago to Brussels. I was told to check in at Brussels for the boarding pass to Freetown.
Seems simple I thought – but then again I made a mistake – I should have known through the experience of the traveling overseas that nothing is simple in a foreign land for an American who needs assistance in a timely manner. As it was, the other three were able to get through the gate at Brussels okay but I was told that I did not have a ticket to Freetown for some reason – yes I had a confirmation number and yes I had a receipt for payment for the ticket and I had the electronic number for the ticket but it had been canceled by someone. Not a simple thing to handle when you are in Brussels and find out that for some reason the ticket agent in Indianapolis canceled the Brussels to Freetown portion of my trip.
After about 40 minutes of going from one place to another, finally an agent for Brussels Air picked up the phone and called United Airlines in the state of Conn. USA at 2:45 A.M. Conn. time – that person then called someone in Indianapolis at that hour and found the mistake – problem over right? Wrong. They could not assign a seat to me – so I have to go downstairs to get a boarding pass just to catch a bus to the terminal where the plane was to load – they gave be a boarding pass with no seat assignment – they said the seat assignment would be given at the gate. Problem solved? Nope!
At the gate they said I would be stand by – now folks we have had these tickets for about 3 or 4 months and they were not stand by tickets! After several minutes of “encouragement” they assigned me a seat – in row 13! Problem solved? Nope! I am sitting in row 13 very comfortably thinking the issue is resolved and I am going to make it after all. Then I am asked to move by the parents of a teenage daughter who had been moved from row 13 for some reason (which they were in row 13 also) to row 22. They wanted me to move so their daughter could sit by them. Well I did this and this finally took care of the issue.
Enough of those woes – when we arrived at Freetown Joseph and Richard (military chaplain) greeted us. We were taken immediately to a VIP section and told to sit down and a young lady took our credentials and our luggage tags. About 20 minutes later we were taken through the luggage security and told to move on as we were approved. Talk about royal treatment – Joseph had it all taken care of for us. Then a water taxi ride over to the hotel and of course they could not find our room reservations. Not unusual the same thing happened last year. However, we were able to get two rooms side by side and will make it work – we just had to change the room around a bit. We are so blessed in America and to be very clear we are blessed just to have these rooms here in Freetown.
Today we were treated with another blessing – a different way they fixed the eggs from last year. Orange juice was bitter – everything else about the same. Then we were able to spend about two hours collecting our thoughts and here came John Kabul and the crew to whisk us away. Downtown we went to secure a phone and some portable internet connection – we struck out on both things until Monday. Our internet service here at the hotel is basically non-existent. As it would be we met a young man who tried to assist us by the name of Adrian. He did his best but could not get us up and running – he was invited to come to the studies on Monday and accepted.
After this we were able to go to the National Christian Broadcasting radio station. We had an half an hour program – Jimmy was great as normal – Dan and Dan picked up and just did a tremendous job with their portion. John Kabul and crew were so excited about the program as when we came out of the studio they were shouting and carrying on of how good it was and how God has blessed Sierra Leone with the un-perverted gospel.
Here at the hotel we met the Chaplain in charge of Fire Patrol. He came last year to our studies and he has 12 of his chaplains coming this year. Colonel Kargbo has given orders to 20 of his national army chaplains to attend the studies because of the impact the studies had on him last year. Then we understand that the Sierra Leone National Police is going to be sending their chaplains to the studies also – there will be 10 of them.
Sunday will find Jimmy speaking at Calabatown. I will speak at Wellington. Dan Byers will go with one of us and Dan Barker the other. This will give them an opportunity to see the flow of the teaching with a translator into Krio. Then tomorrow afternoon we will all speak at Garrison Street (Youth Center). We saw Harry the waiter tonight and will be working with him to get to his place of worship to speak the next Sunday.
Well this report is a bit long but let me tell you the folks are eager to get to the studies – we had many questions today from the crew helping us and we have been just overwhelmed at the attitude of wanting to know more of the un-perverted gospel. We pray that we are able to post this blog in a timely fashion.
Seems simple I thought – but then again I made a mistake – I should have known through the experience of the traveling overseas that nothing is simple in a foreign land for an American who needs assistance in a timely manner. As it was, the other three were able to get through the gate at Brussels okay but I was told that I did not have a ticket to Freetown for some reason – yes I had a confirmation number and yes I had a receipt for payment for the ticket and I had the electronic number for the ticket but it had been canceled by someone. Not a simple thing to handle when you are in Brussels and find out that for some reason the ticket agent in Indianapolis canceled the Brussels to Freetown portion of my trip.
After about 40 minutes of going from one place to another, finally an agent for Brussels Air picked up the phone and called United Airlines in the state of Conn. USA at 2:45 A.M. Conn. time – that person then called someone in Indianapolis at that hour and found the mistake – problem over right? Wrong. They could not assign a seat to me – so I have to go downstairs to get a boarding pass just to catch a bus to the terminal where the plane was to load – they gave be a boarding pass with no seat assignment – they said the seat assignment would be given at the gate. Problem solved? Nope!
At the gate they said I would be stand by – now folks we have had these tickets for about 3 or 4 months and they were not stand by tickets! After several minutes of “encouragement” they assigned me a seat – in row 13! Problem solved? Nope! I am sitting in row 13 very comfortably thinking the issue is resolved and I am going to make it after all. Then I am asked to move by the parents of a teenage daughter who had been moved from row 13 for some reason (which they were in row 13 also) to row 22. They wanted me to move so their daughter could sit by them. Well I did this and this finally took care of the issue.
Enough of those woes – when we arrived at Freetown Joseph and Richard (military chaplain) greeted us. We were taken immediately to a VIP section and told to sit down and a young lady took our credentials and our luggage tags. About 20 minutes later we were taken through the luggage security and told to move on as we were approved. Talk about royal treatment – Joseph had it all taken care of for us. Then a water taxi ride over to the hotel and of course they could not find our room reservations. Not unusual the same thing happened last year. However, we were able to get two rooms side by side and will make it work – we just had to change the room around a bit. We are so blessed in America and to be very clear we are blessed just to have these rooms here in Freetown.
Today we were treated with another blessing – a different way they fixed the eggs from last year. Orange juice was bitter – everything else about the same. Then we were able to spend about two hours collecting our thoughts and here came John Kabul and the crew to whisk us away. Downtown we went to secure a phone and some portable internet connection – we struck out on both things until Monday. Our internet service here at the hotel is basically non-existent. As it would be we met a young man who tried to assist us by the name of Adrian. He did his best but could not get us up and running – he was invited to come to the studies on Monday and accepted.
After this we were able to go to the National Christian Broadcasting radio station. We had an half an hour program – Jimmy was great as normal – Dan and Dan picked up and just did a tremendous job with their portion. John Kabul and crew were so excited about the program as when we came out of the studio they were shouting and carrying on of how good it was and how God has blessed Sierra Leone with the un-perverted gospel.
Here at the hotel we met the Chaplain in charge of Fire Patrol. He came last year to our studies and he has 12 of his chaplains coming this year. Colonel Kargbo has given orders to 20 of his national army chaplains to attend the studies because of the impact the studies had on him last year. Then we understand that the Sierra Leone National Police is going to be sending their chaplains to the studies also – there will be 10 of them.
Sunday will find Jimmy speaking at Calabatown. I will speak at Wellington. Dan Byers will go with one of us and Dan Barker the other. This will give them an opportunity to see the flow of the teaching with a translator into Krio. Then tomorrow afternoon we will all speak at Garrison Street (Youth Center). We saw Harry the waiter tonight and will be working with him to get to his place of worship to speak the next Sunday.
Well this report is a bit long but let me tell you the folks are eager to get to the studies – we had many questions today from the crew helping us and we have been just overwhelmed at the attitude of wanting to know more of the un-perverted gospel. We pray that we are able to post this blog in a timely fashion.
