Going Home

I am ending the devotions on my trip to Peru by sharing the end of the trip which was trying to leave Peru and enter into the United States. Sounds pretty simple, right? We knew the trip home was going to be interesting when we started our last day. When we all woke up that morning we discovered that Kristen, my daughter in law, was sick. To her disappointment she was not able to go with us to the orphanage; she had to stay close to a restroom and the bed. At the end of the day, we were able to get her to Brittne’s and by the late evening it appeared she would be able to make it home, though it was not going to be fun. Within a few hours of the time we were to leave for the airport, Bryce started getting sick. Now our concern was growing. Our flight out of Peru was at 12:50 a.m. We had the taxi scheduled to pick us up at 10:00 p.m. from Brittne’s apartment. When we reviewed the time frame we determined that we had booked the taxi 30 minutes early and we considered changing the time but because taxis are usually late in Peru, (and known to stand you up) we kept the original time. At 9:30 we were just beginning to get things ready to leave when we heard the taxi honking. We were shocked. He was early! This never happens in Peru. We ran around trying to get the bags together and downstairs. It was very chaotic but in actuality it helped with the goodbye with Brittne. We didn’t have time to cry and drag it on. It had to be quick as if we would see her the next day. Traffic to the airport was unusually heavy for a late week night. We had the same driver as we had when we arrived in Peru and we had not noticed then how bad he drove. Maybe it was the excitement of seeing Brittne! However, with two people sick in the back seat, every increase and decrease of the gas pedal was felt and it was happening about every 3 seconds. When we piled out of the taxi at the airport, Kristen immediately found the plastic sack she had packed and threw up in it. We weren’t even in the airport yet and it was already challenging. Earlier Brittne’s friends had told us that late at night, the check-in lines for Continental were never long. Well, consistent with the evening, the unusual was happening! The lines was extremely long. Dwayne and I stood in line with all the suitcases and carry-on bags while Kristen and Bryce made trips to the restroom and rest area. As you might have guessed my now, the luggage was overweight again. This time, I was prepared and knew what I was going to pull out. I was able to handle it in record time. Except after she took my suitcase, (with the help of Dwayne’s keen eye and memory) I realized I had dropped my glasses in the suitcase, so we had to get the suitcase back for a quick scavenger hunt. When we all had made it through that line we were relieved, though it was short lived. When we met up, Kristen had bought several bottles of water and Sprite to take with her, forgetting you can’t take those through security. We drank what we could quickly and then threw them away. Next, we stood in a long line to pay our taxes in order to get out of the country. Yes, we had to pay $32 each to leave; that was a first. We then made it through the long line for Immigration, only to discover that the two little pieces of paper they gave us coming into the country were no longer in our passports. My tidy husband didn’t think we needed them anymore and didn’t like papers in our passports, so he discarded them. Now we had to go to another line. He found his wadded up in my carry-on bag but he had given mine to the check-in attendant. It wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated, it just cost me another $5 to solve the problem. Next was the security line. This shockingly went very smooth. When we found our gate, the kids were sitting on the floor. This showed me how sick my little germ fanatic daughter in law was because she was sitting on a floor, in the airport, in Peru!!! We then went to get some more drinks to replace what we threw in the trash. There was no place to get drinks other than at the end of the terminal. She actually made it all the way there and back. After paying for those drinks we realized our hay days of amazingly cheap prices were now on the other side of the wall. Within a few minutes our seats were called to board. (It was a good thing the taxi driver came early—God always has things in control.) Then to our surprise we had one more slow line to endure. We had to be frisked down and have our bags searched to enter the plane. Also, the new rule states no drinks from the terminal allowed on the plane. So you know what that meant, the drinks Kristen bought once again went into the trash. When I saw my seat, I discovered I was sitting in the middle seat, between Dwayne and a very large woman who took up part of my seat. I decided the only way to endure this long ride, in such a tight spot, was to sleep the entire trip! About the time I couldn't stand being confined, we landed. Now all we had to do was unload the plane and go through US Immigrations and Customs. This was the only check point we had a slight concern about. I had made Kristen’s plane ticket in the name of ‘Thompson’, however, her passport was still in her maiden name of ‘Mounts’. She had been traveling with her passport and marriage license. We had checked with every agency to approve the acceptance of the license except US Immigration. Though we were told by others it would be fine, it was the only agency we had not directly confirmed. Praise Jesus, there were no issues. After Immigration, we proceeded down an escalator to baggage claims. We were to gather our baggage and clear through customs. When I reached into my purse to get my passport from the pocket I always put it in, it wasn’t there. I looked through everything and could not find it. Only I could lose a passport from walking down one hallway and going down an escalator. I checked with Customs to see if it had been turned in. I went back to Immigration to check there and to make sure the officer gave it back to me. It was not there. I couldn’t believe it. So close to home and I can’t walk across the line to enter my homeland! What was I going to do? After talking to the officer, I was informed that as long as we had our clearance papers from Immigration, which Dwayne had, I did not need my passport to leave. I was so relieved. We did clear through Customs and after standing in 8 lines and flying 7 hours, we were out of our visiting land of Peru and in our homeland of the United States. The trip was complete!
This experience made me very thankful in advance for a future planned trip that I am taking. I have my reservations and one day, I am going to leave this world I have been visiting and I am going to my real home to spend eternity with my God and my Savior, in a place called Heaven. When this day comes, I will not have to stand in lines to enter. I do not have to pay a price, Jesus already paid it. I do not have to be searched to be declared fit to enter, Jesus already took care of that too. I do not need to take any possessions because everything will be provided for me. I do not have to worry about having the right papers. My name is already in the book. I do not have to have a photo ID, God already knows me; He knows the number of hairs on my head! It will be the simplest trip I have ever had. I will breathe my last breath on this earth and breathe my next one in His presence. I am ready. Are you? Do you have your reservations? Is your name written in the book of life?

I saw Heaven and earth new-created. Nothing dirty or defiled will get into the City, and no one who defiles or deceives. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life

will get in.

Revelations 21: 1, 27 (The Message)

P.S. I found my passport. It was in the pocket I always put it in. It was stuck behind a card and I didn’t see it the ten times I looked! As Dwayne says, only me!!!! Haha