The Longest Day

DAY THIRTEEN - Wed. Jan. 7, 2009

We left Jerusalem in the wee hours of the morning, a bit sad. We arrived at the airport in Tel Aviv three hours before our flight. It turned out, however, that that was not enough time, as I was randomly selected to join others in a extremely thorough baggage check and was detained. After emptying all my luggage and having it checked zealously by a young girl with a scanning rod, I was told to pack it up and that I could leave. As I was walking away, I was stopped and asked to unpack it all a second time. The supervisor was on a power control kick and I could tell she was enjoying irritating all the westerners. I decided that getting upset or worrying about my flight would not make things any better, so I remained calm and composed. After all, I knew they weren’t going to find anything, so I had no worries.

At the gate, Molly told the airline what was happening and they held the flight for me. I was very thankful for I did not feel like waiting 24 hours for another flight. On the plane, Delores talked to a man who was detained several hours and even strip-searched. Not a good tourist promotion, and I don't think they found any bombs or threats out of the hundreds they detained.

When we arrived in Amsterdam, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my flight to Minneapolis was delayed 3 hours, so I had plenty of time to take the train into the city and walk around. As I wandered the city streets, I marveled at the canals lined with tall, ornate buildings. The architecture there is spectacular. It was absolutely fabulous, even more remarkable than I‘d imagined.

I visited the very crowded Anne Frank museum, the office with the secret annex that housed eight Jews as they hid from the Nazis for two years in 1942 - 44. It was a perfect supplement to the Corrie ten Boom house in Haarlem and Yad Vashem in Israel. What a horrible time in Europe those years - almost every country touched by the cruelty, anger and hatred of one man who had evil in his heart. How so much more can each one of us touch people with the love of Christ, if we would just choose to do so.

My nine hour flight back to the states was seemingly endless as I was sitting next to a guy from Milan who made it very obvious he did not want to chat - at all. So, I watched a couple of movies, dozed a bit here and there, and chatted to people standing and stretching by the bathrooms. What? I'm supposed to be silent for nine hours?

All in all I was up about 50 hours, not counting the little bits of sleep I snuck in here and there. It was definitely one of the longest days of my life - traveling about 33 hours, yet somehow leaving and arriving all on the same day!

My first day back at work was pleasant. I got huge hugs from so many children that I knew my presence is appreciated, I am definitely missed when I am gone, and I am in a place where I am loved. God is good, and although my trip was fantastic, it is good to be home.