We Made it!! Wednesday the 8th

We praise God for all he has done for us during this journey. There could have been so many different problems with the flights or with actually passing security in Auckland without a visa. We are so blessed to have you all praying for us. I believe it all went so smoothly because of your prayers.
We got up at 2am on Monday morning with Dale’s family and drove to the airport. It seemed like a quick goodbye, but we were able to spend all week saying goodbye. Everyone was so nice and helpful at the airport, we had no problem getting everything checked in. Our suitcases were a little to heavy, so we had to fill a box with the extra pounds. Dale took the box as his personal carry on item. I was worried about Lorri with taking off. I gave her crackers while we were taxing the runway, but she started squirming and didn’t want anything. I started praying for her and right when we lifted she fell dead asleep. It was crazy how fast she went limp. She slept the whole way and had no problems with the landing.
We arrived in LA around 8:30am and we had to wait until 1:30pm for checking in our bags. Since we had “some” hours to spare we parked ourselves on a bench with all our luggage and waited. After awhile Dale, Lorri and I were able to sleep. I never imagined that a wooden bench would feel so amazing to sleep on.
Once the line started for Air New Zealand we thought it wouldn’t hurt to wait until the crowds died down since our flight wasn‘t until 9:00pm. We were able to sit and talk with many different people as we were waiting. It’s amazing how there is an instant connection and camaraderie between you and total strangers that love the Lord. They could be any type of nationality and it‘s like you‘ve known them all along. Lorri made friends with anyone that looked at her. She was miss social the whole time. Many people helped walk her around and let her play with their colorful bags. They were all amazed at how active she was. The time seemed to go fast because their were many people to talk to and Lorri kept us very busy.
Once we boarded the airplane I felt like we were in first class. We were able to put Lorri in a bassinet that came out from the wall in front of us. We had all the leg room in the world, the bathrooms right next to us, blankets, pillows, and free food. The food was amazing, but Dale says it‘s because we were starving. We were so very tired as well. Sleeping upright isn’t very wonderful. I was dreaming of a bed where I could lay straight. It was a blessing to have Lorri sleep in her own spot for more than half the flight.
We were in pitch dark for sixteen hours. The day seemed so long on Wednesday and the night even longer. I think we are still getting used to the difference in time. Once we were in New Zealand it felt like the ground was moving hours after getting of the airplane. I was so very tired I couldn’t think straight, so it was even more difficult with the ground moving. I saw a sign and asked what it meant. The lady who picked us up asked me to describe it because she missed what I was talking about. I said it was a pole with spiral black and white lines and a red dot at the top. We kept our eye out for it so she could tell me what it meant. It ended up being a stripped pole (no spiral) with an orange dot. Ha ha ha. I guess I was still dizzy from the flight.
We were busy straight away. We toured Papatoetoe, looked at some rental homes, visited the school, set up a car rental, and walked around the main street. Once we actually laid down in bed it was the best thing in the world. We don’t have any access to the internet in our Motel or even a phone, I am just writing everything down for when we go to a hot spot. It’s terribly slow here, so it’s best that I write it separately to copy and paste later.
Today is Thursday, Wednesday for you though. We are getting our rental car this morning and sealing the deal for a flat. We have a banana tree in the back yard! We will also get unlimited grape fruit and oranges from a lady at the school! The fruit here is so cheap and incredibly good. The air is so fresh and crisp. It was raining this morning and the sun was shining. The rain is so different too. It’s like a light mist, it rains slow and soft. I know that sounds weird, but it’s the only way I can think to describe it.
I’m not sure exactly what you can put in your prayers for us, we are just so grateful to the Lord for bringing us this far safe and sound. That’s it for now.