Month 10:
Travel Day:
Nepal to Ukraine…
Route:
May 26th
0400 AM – Depart from house on tourist van to avoid the riots and transportation strikes and road blocks to get to airport for a 2pm flight
0500 AM – Arrive at Kathmandu Airport, start asking, begging, and pleading with airlines to let us standby or get on an earlier flight!
0700 AM – I have now made good friends with the Jet Airways Supervisor “Penchut” on Duty and she agrees to waive the charge to change our flights and puts many of us on earlier flights at 0930 AM with no charge!
0930 AM – We take off for Delhi Airport, as we take off I can see the huge snow capped Himalaya mountains, and we enjoy some severe turbulence that makes a few people from our group sick on the plane.
1130 AM – Arrive in Delhi Airport, only to find out that we are stuck in the “Transit Passenger Check-in Lounge” until Aeroflot Airlines opens up at 10pm that night…I talk them into calling there ticket office and we got lucky…we were able to catch the staff right before they left the airport for the day and got them to give us permission to enter the “International departures Hall” so we can have internet and FOOD!!!!
1300 PM – We wait….our flight doesn’t depart until 4am the next morning…so we eat…and watch movies…and shop…and try on many types of Cologne in the duty free shops…and eat …and eat some more…and drink an excessive amount of coffee.
1900 PM – The rest of the squad has arrived but is stuck in the “Transit Passenger Check-in Lounge” till Aeroflot decides to open up…but we can see them from a glass bridge that walks over them in the terminal….so we entertain them by dancing “Thriller” for them and making funny faces at them!
2000 PM – The rest of the Squad that is stuck downstairs is getting hungry and holding up hand made signs that say feed us…I go down stairs to our side of security and tell them we want to feed our friends…the Lady said NO! So i start to sweet talk her and convince her it is a good idea, and do the “Indian Head Bobble” and tell her I’ll be back…I run upstairs to buy 5 large pizzas and a Sub with my squad leader Tricia Wegman…and we head back and sweet talk our way into the security area to sneak pizza across customs! It worked and they were all happy!
May 27th
0400 AM – Take off from Delhi, India to Moscow, Russia
0700 AM – Look at the GPS and it says we are flying over Afghanistan….Look out the window and this is what I see….
0930 AM – Arrive in Moscow, Russia
1130 AM – See old friends I used to work with at Delta Airlines working a Delta flight at the Gate…and play catch up.
1200 PM – T.G.I. Fridays!!!! Yes they have one in Moscow Airport….pure Glory!
1530 PM – Take off from Moscow, Russia to Kiev, Ukraine
1600 PM – Arrive in Kiev…It’s nice and cool and no humidity and the sun is shinning! LIFE IS GOOD!
1800 PM – Arrive at Hostel for the night…with nice clean beds, fast Wi-Fi, Hot showers, and western Toilets! and there is a McDonalds on the corner of the street with real BEEF! Praise the Lord!
2100 PM – Fall asleep in one of the most comfortable beds I have ever been in on the Race!
May 28th –
0430 AM – Why is the sun so bright this early!!!!! I am awake and can’t sleep
All day to Rest, catch up online, and do Logistics work!
1830 PM – 15 hour train ride to ministry to Lugansk, Ukraine…Next to the Russian Border
May 29th –
0930 AM – Arrive at ministry location…and our OWN APARTMENT! with a kitchen and hot shower and western toilet! Did I mention how much I LOVE EUROPE!!!
So here we are
We made it
Mission “Make it to Ukraine” accomplished
We will be doing college student ministry in the city until the 15th, and then we will be running a 2 week summer camp for middle/ high school kids on the russian border!
This is going to be a great, fun month. and I look forward to ministry, learning how to cook, and spending time with my team!
Love you all
Ryan
