A week I will never forget--Part 2

There may be a noticeable change in voice, as Naomi has asked me to record my experiences in writing...beware.

Naomi left off with my Miami to PAP flight being cancelled, which left with with a rebooked flight out of Miami the next morning at 7:20 am, boarding at 6:20.  I was satisfied with this in light of the fact that some passengers were rebooked out of Ft. Lauderdale.

The airline put me up in a 1-star hotel with an even worse restaurant.  Perhaps the meal was not that bad, but my stomach was in knots, so who knows.

I had a divine appointment earlier that day with a Miami airport gate worker who recommended that I be at the TSA check-in two hours prior to boarding, but 4:20 seemed extremely early.  I was up at 3:45, which felt like 2:45 Iowa time, caught the 4:30 shuttle to the airport, and was through TSA by 5:00.

Another divine appointment, but this time it was someone I knew, Jim Varda.  Jim and Donna were adopting two girls who were close friends with Lydie.  He was joining his wife and girls by catching the same flight on which I was rebooked.  Not only familiar face, but he was a seasoned veteran of the PAP airport!

We boarded the flight, and I was seated between two Presbyterian church-planters from San Francisco.  They prayed for me and off to PAP we went.

How do I describe the PAP airport?  Chaos?  Intimidating?  Yes and yes.  You are bused from the plane to a hanger which became the customs and baggage claim after the 2010 earthquake. You are bottlenecked through one of four booths, observing apparent favoritism, as some passengers are escorted past you to the front of the line.  The whole time feeling like they may not let you in the country on a technicality.  No one seems to be happy.

Then the baggage claim area swarms with men who are intensely persistent about carrying your bags.  Some will even pose as airport workers and insist that you are required to acquire their services.  Even the legitimate workers are intimidating because you may be questioned and searched on several occasions within a matter of feet of the door outside.  No one seems to be happy.  Then you step outside...