Ghana Odyssey Day 4

People.  I am not making this stuff up.

Today,  with renewed optimism and the delusion that  things  have to get better, we departthe uppity Marriott Courtyard Alexandria (please boycott) for Reagan airport and our third attempt to escape DC.  Overnight, Delta and AFS have gotten all of us on a non-stop flight to Accra from JFK.

Despite decent weather, Accweather predicts thunderstorms at 10 am.  The plane pulls out of the gate at 9:45, less than an hour late.  We make it out to the runway with rain falling.  Bad sign when the pilot pulls over to park. 90 minutes later he throws in the towel and takes  us back to the gate with tail between legs.  AFS and Delta confer and decide a charter bus to JFK is now the best option (note here that I had said this to anyone who would listen on Friday and daily thereafter).

I pull kids into a group in the noisy gate waiting area and we have a little confab.  I ask each person to share (in spite of our adverse situation) something they are grateful for.  Responses are as follows, or similar:

We have adults who are keeping us strong and working hard for us.

We still have hope to sustain us.

It's in God's hands.

We have gotten closer as a family.

We have learned patience.

Never give up.

Sometimes things don't go as you expect but you have to persevere.

We have each other.

After I get over being choked up, Rachel (always showing up to help us with logistics no matter how often we hug her goodbye for the "last" time) has figured out a plan of getting our checked bags, spread over two airports, to JFK with our new plan of bussing to JFK, departing at 1 pm.  24 kids line up at McDonalds.

At 2 pm the charter bus finally arrives and we start the 5 hour drive to JFK.  Doing, the math, and if the cows come home, we should be at JFK BY 7:30 pm and barely enough time to re check all 50 bags and get through security for our 10:21 pm direct flight to Accra.  Yes, I got a business class seat and only one of our bags is unaccounted for (making Ellie cry) and storms swirl  over New York.   

I leave you with the cliff-hanger.... Will we finally get in the air towards Ghana?

Counselor Jackie