Highlights from Honduras - Part 4

Packing for the trip home was a challenge. We nested two of the suitcases into their respective larger suitcase. That required us to pack in such a way that we had three checked bags but only one carry-on suitcase and our personal items. Bringing back the thirty pounds of coffee along with sundry gifts as well as all our cloths, necessitated repacking several times in order to balance the load among the four available suitcases while keeping all of them under the 50# weight limit. But we did it. Nate found the luggage scale to enable us to weigh the bags to ensure compliance – and avoid an overcharge.at that point Mama was thankful we had not bought a hammock this trip. All was ready to go by the time we went to bed. We had only to put our pajamas and last-minute items in the bags to be ready to go the next morning.

Saturday morning, we went out for breakfast to a small, neat café very near the house. It was a leisurely breakfast, but the goodbyes had already begun to be expressed, so there was an underlying sadness to the morning. Once back home, Nate and I packed the back of their vehicle leaving barely enough room in the back for the grandkids and Victoria to fit. It was not necessarily a comfortable arrangement, but it eliminated the need to take two vehicles to the airport. As we drove to the airport – about an hour away – Cori and the kids sang songs in Spanish for us and quoted Scripture they had memorized. We got to the airport plenty early and queued into the line only to discover that the check-in process would not begin for another hour. So, we waited and visited and waited some more until the lines began to move and we got our bags checked and our boarding passes in hand. Then we shopped some more. We discovered that we could have purchased some of the items we bought at the market at better price right there in the airport. Oh well. We delayed as much as possible queuing in to go through customs into the secure area of the airport. When we did, the goodbyes were long. We had a very good time with Nate Cori and the kids in the country of their ministry.

When we were in the secure area, we got to shop some more while we waited. At one point, about an hour before we were to board, Victoria’s name was called, and we went to the attendant who had called her. Victoria had been summoned because of something to do with our checked bags. We could not think of what the problem might be, but she went down to the tarmac to find out while Mama and I waited. She was gone about thirty minutes. Mama was quite anxious during the wait. The flight was getting ready to board by the time she finally came back to the waiting area. She was not happy about the singling out but what had prompted the call was the soccer ball Mama had bought for Trace’s boys. The flight personnel were concerned that the ball would explode in flight because of the low pressure in the baggage area. They simply wanted to make Victoria aware that they were going to deflate the ball to protect it. That flight, though completely full, was uneventful. Other than the fact that it was delayed twice. Leaving almost an hour behind schedule.

We got to Houston well behind the originally forecast arrival time, but it still seemed we would have plenty of time to make the connection. Not! We were required to go through customs and immigration and then collect our checked bags – as well as Mama’s walker. Once we had our luggage, which was sitting in an enormous grouping along with everyone else’s luggage, we had to go to the connecting flights area and recheck our bags. Security lines followed that station, but we were allowed to shortcut the very long line because I had Mama in the walker pushing it like a wheelchair. Of course, we got pulled aside to rummage through one of our personal bags. The delay was not long but it all adds up when the flight schedule is tight. We regrouped and ran, almost literally, to make our connection. A different terminal. A ride on the train to hop terminals. Our gate all the way at the very end of the terminal building. Again, pushing Mama in the walker. Once again, our flight was boarding as we arrived. Again, because of the walker, we got to shortcut the line. Not that it would have mattered. The flight was nearly empty.

When we got to Houston, we were able to finally take a less stressed pace to the baggage claim. Mama rode all the way. James was there to meet us as we waited for our bags. Two of the three made it on our flight. The third did not. A further delay in getting home as we filed a missing bag report. That is the first time that has happened to me and Mama in all our travels. So, overall the airlines have a good record with us. We were assured that the “lost” bag would be delivered to our house the following morning between 8 am and 12 noon. That did not happen. Mama was slightly panicked because all most of the souvenirs were in that bag. Victoria was disappointed because her pillow was in that bag. Her camera was also in the bag, but she was more worried about her pillow. We left for church that evening still missing our bag and wondering if we would see it again. However, the errant bag was on our doorstep when we got home from church that night.  Mama was ecstatic. She was able to give some of the gifts out Wednesday evening at church.

All in all, it was a great trip. A journey we will repeat at least yearly. Next time, we will know how to prepare.