Traveling Day(s)

     According to my travel itinerary Ezra and I leave Uganda on Friday, Dec. 27 and land in Atlanta, GA on Friday, Dec. 27, but that can be a bit deceiving. Our flight was scheduled to leave Entebbe airport at 12:45am and we should land in Atlanta at 6:55pm (EDT) which should feel like 3am to us. So while the ticket says it is a one day trip, it will certainly seem like a very long day to us. We left GSF around 6pm on Thursday, to make sure we would be at the airport 2 hours before our scheduled departure. We actually arrived 3 hours before, but it is hard to know what to expect with traffic when traveling through Kampala. Ezra slept much of the car ride.

     As we were checking our bags, the man at the counter asked where was home. I was a bit stumped. Georgia has been home for many years, but we have now been living in Uganda for six months. Additionally, my husband and children other than Ezra remained in Uganda, so that makes it feel even more like that is my home. So the man and I agreed that I now have two homes. A Georgia home and a Uganda home. Ezra heard the discussion and corrected us both. He piped up, "Mom, don't forget about our heavenly home!" It was good to have my boy remind me of my true eternal home. And the man at the counter said that heaven is his home too. I hope he was encouraged by my boy who helped us all keep an eternal perspective.

    Later, when we walked through the security checkpoint, the woman asked us what our final destination was. After our previous conversation, I felt like I needed to explain that heaven was my final destination, but that for this short trip I was heading to Atlanta, GA. The woman seemed a bit puzzled by my response, but eventually allowed us to pass on through security to the plane.

    Thankfully the plane was not full and we had a free seat beside us which gave me room to lie down and sleep while Ezra slept. The flight went very smoothly and I was able to even help a mom traveling with a crying baby. The mother had not slept all night and was exhausted. I remember our flight to Entebbe from London with Zeke crying most of the way. It is absolutely exhausting! If you are ever on a plane with a crying child, maybe consider helping the parents or offering a kind word. We all need that grace! I have been the recipient of much grace! I have received grace from God through Jesus Christ, but many people have also been gracious to me as I traveled with four children. Since I had only one with me who slept well, I was happy to be able to extend some of that grace to others.
   
    We arrived here in London and Ezra did great pulling his carry-on and not getting lost, at least not yet. As you may recall, our first time passing through London we lost track of him for a few minutes. He did not want to use the women's toilets, but I required him to come with me, remembering the panic feeling of loosing track of him last time. He hid behind my back with his eyes closed since he thinks he is too old to go into the women's restroom with his mom.

    Soon after arriving I found a Starbucks and a sign for a children's play area. We have a six hour layover, so I was very thankful for these diversions. I bought a day of internet use and have been thankful for this time. Ezra has made some new friends and so have I as we have been sitting here. David also thought to pack a bag of Legos for Ezra. Thank you David! When Ezra tired of the play area, he got out his bag of Legos and has been enjoying them ever since.

   We still have several hours until our flight to Atlanta, so I will take advantage of this time with decent internet connectivity (which is often lacking in Uganda). Hopefully Ezra will continue to enjoy his time playing with Legos and on the playground. To those of you reading this from Georgia, I look forward to seeing many of you soon. And those of you reading this from Uganda, please hug my other children for me.