7:30pm Sunday night (Romania) – Waiting at the train station in Lipovia for the overnight train which arrives at 7:45. I’m always the person who likes to be ready and waiting for the train. So I get my packs on and head outside to wait for the train. When I walk outside I see a train that should be in the spot where our train should be. I asked someone who was also waiting outside if that’s the train to Bucharest, she said yes. I yell into the train station for the rest of my team to hurry up the trains here. I start walking/running as fast I can with 80lbs or more all together towards the train. I yell up to the conductor where cart 7 is, he said all the way down. Along with that he yells you have 2 mins. My whole team starts to book it towards are car, and realizing we are on the wrong side so we don’t have a platform to get up on. So the step I need to get on is at the same level at my chest. While the five girls try and get on the train at one door, Ben and I run towards a farther door that I see. We get to it, and Ben try’s his hardest to help me get on the train, in a fit of laughter at this scene we must be making, I laugh so hard I peed my pants a little. Ignoring that I wet mysel,f I helped Ben get on the train with only seconds to spare.
We try and find our seats and meet up with the rest of our team. They are trying so see how seven of us will fit in a train car with eight seats and little room to put everything. To top it all off we had another person in our cart with us. His name is Daniel and the look on his face when he sees us and all our stuff is priceless. In the end the conductor found him another seat, and I know he was grateful for that. After he left I quick grab my extra clothes, I had packed in my small bag and went to change. When I got back my wonderful team manages to get all of our stuff in our car. Comfort was not priority at this point, so bag was in the space were our feet would go and any available space above us was taken by food, small bags, and purses. I knew I would get no sleep on this 10 hour trip to Bucharest but I was just very grateful that I had made the train.
Packed in a train car, with 7 people plus big packs and small packs.
On our way to the airport in Romania!
6:00am Monday morning (Romania)- Our train arrives at the train station in Bucharest a little past 6am. The first stop for us was to relax a McDonalds and get something to eat before anything. With no sleep the past night a cup of coffee was welcomed. After we ate Kristin and I got bus tickets to the airport. Just thinking, soon I would be out of this country and into a warmer place made me eger to want to be at the airport and one step closer to South Africa. We arrived with 4 hours to spare until the rest of the teams came to meet up with us. So a few of us slept (me not one of them) and a few of us walked around, knowing we would be on a plan for 5 hours.
The rest of the squad arrived at the airport and then we all were able to check in. So after I checked my bag in, I was in line for security. I put everything on the belt and was about to walk thought the metal detector when I realized I had my money/passport belt on. SO I slid wanting to go back, but a not so nice security worker told me to go back and walk through. The minute I walked through I knew I would be searched. The mean lady told me to walk over to the nice lady who searched me. Now before I go on I have to tell you I had pajama pants, sports bra, and a lose shirt on. The nice lady, who searched me, did her job very well. I know they are just doing their job, but at sometimes I felt much violated. Getting over that very quickly, I walked around the airport and was able to get a Romanian patch before we left. We boarded the plan at 5pm and left at 5:25pm.
10pm Monday night Qatar Airport (Qatar) – Arrived at Qatar for a layover until the next morning when our flight would leave at 7am. Due to the long layover the flight service we had put us up in a hotel. Now I was thinking of a motel 6 or something. I was totally wrong. We took a bus to this 3 star hotel in Qatar (in America it would be a 5 star). We ate from a buffet which had amazing food. Everyone was like is this real? There is a chandelier in the check in and marble everywhere. Realizing where we were and knowing that Qatar is a rich country then it made sense. There were two to a room, so I shared with a squad mate named Lindsay. Once we got into our rooms Lindsay and I were like we only stay here for less than 3 hours. The beds were like heaven and the shower was like nirvana. I did get about an hour of sleep until it was time to wake up at 3:30am. Feeling sad to leave this great place but ready to go to South Africa, all of us get back on the bus and leave the dream behind.
7:00am-3:00pm (Tuesday morning) on the airplane to South Africa
3:30pm-7:00pm (Tuesday night) South Africa airport- At this point it has been a full 48hrs of travel and with only 3hrs of sleep total, I was at the point of crashing. The thing is we had to get a bus 18hrs away to our ministry and we had no idea what the cheapest way would be. So we ended up staying at the airport for 4hrs, with 21 people and all of our stuff. If people didn’t know who we were they did now, with all of our stuff in 8 luggage carts all in a tiny corner of this very big airport. After the four hours our leaders came up the idea to stay in a hostel until they could figure things out. I was so happy and grateful for that time in the hostel (which had a pool)!
3:00-7:00pm (Wednesday evening) Joehansaburg Bus Terminal- So our bus was to arrive at 3pm and didn’t come till 8pm. We are just thankful that it came at all, and were even more grateful that we had the bus to ourselves except for three other people. Which from a tall person perspective that is very good news, to be able to stretch out.
At the bus station for 4 hours!
7:30pm Wednesday night -2:00pm Thursday afternoon- After 18 hours later and countless bathroom stops we have made it to our destination! I also can say I had the best sleep on that bus. We got to our place and set up our tents.
My home away from home!
All in all it was a very long and adventurous travel day. I am so excited to be in South Africa! This place is beautiful and has so many wonderful people that I want to help and bring the word of God to.
