Hello all, this is Shane, back in the USA. It may be my 2nd day home but my body still thinks I'm in PNG. I can't speak for Gerard who made the trip home with me, but the jet lag is keeping me up at night and causing me to be hungry at the oddest times of day. Gerard and I were delayed a full day in Brisbane, Australia which put late flights the whole way home. When we finally took off from Australia it was 2:30 am on Monday morning. After a 14 hour flight we landed in LA at 9:30 on Sunday night ( that's right, we land before we took off yet 14 hours had passed) and then had to fight for tickets on the red eye to Atlanta. We took off again at 11:05 Pm from LAX and landed 4 hours later in Atlanta where it was 7 am! One more flight and we were each home on Monday afternoon. Now you know what I mean by serious jet lag.
The experience we shared with our team in PNG will never be forgotten. The fellowship with one another and the NTM staff was a wonderful opportunity as was meeting a few of the nationals and missionaries from Friends in Action and Samaritan Aviation. It was really interesting to see how vitally important the support bases are for the missionaries in the field. The tribal work, translations and spreading of God's word would not be possible without the hard work of those in the support bases. I am very happy that I was able to be a very small part of that support team and I have the highest respect for those who spend years in the support role so their counter parts can work in the tribes.
I'm now back at work and doing my best to get back to my routine, however I will look forward to the next opportunity to join an I-TEC team. I want to send a very special Thank You to each of my teammates, the full time staff in PNG and all of you who followed this Blog. Everyone is critical in the support of everyone else, just like the base supporting the field, and this work would not be possible without each and every person working, traveling, supporting and praying! Thank You all and Praise the Lord for another successful trip!
Hey Shane! I just logged on and was so happy to see your name on another post. We prayed for you guys often in that long transit stage and really miss your company as a team, but praise the Lord you and Gerard are home safe and sound. Now we are winding down too and about to zip up our bags for a morning departure, reuniting with the Wewak contingent in Moresby. Will be great to catch up with them--and I can't wait to ask Deb about her adventures with Mickey in the kitchen! (This one was the real thing, not the little stuffed rat with big black eyes that kept getting into the ladies' stuff.) We will be thinking of you and Gerard I'm sure. It was wonderful getting to know you a bit and hope we can keep in touch. Say hi to Stacey too, k?
ReplyDeleteThanks Karen, I truly enjoyed getting to know you and seeing PNG for the 1st time with you and Linda. I feel so blessed to have been a part of this team and part of the efforts to support NTM! I have been praying all day for the safe return of all of you who remained there after I left and will continue to do so until you are all home. Hopefully our paths will cross again, maybe on another mission field!
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