Arrival in Australia

It wasn't easy.

The flight from LAX to Sydney was 14 hours; some of us didn't get our usual aisle seats; most of us didn't get as good of seat as we like (extra leg room, etc.). There was a storm on the way. Our plane missed most of it, but one team member's plane--a team member who was flying alone, using frequent flyer miles--had to land in Fiji to wait out the worst of it.

Then Australian customs....yikes. It took us two hours to get through it all. We had to clear the heat seeking camera, proving we did not have fever (no swine flu among us), then the long passport control line, then the long, long lines and searches for everything NOT Australian (very tough customs here). We missed our flight; then six of us caught the next flight and the other five of us missed that one, too. Finally, we were on the plane and arriving, getting together and going to the hotel to meet our lone traveler...who was not here. The unexpected layover in Fiji had us worried, but after three more hours, here she was, too. Finally--ALL together.

We had lost May 21 along the way. It did not exist. But we were in Australia, greeted by a very kind and accommodating hotel staff at the Hotel Watermark, Surfer's Paradise, Queensland (right on the Great Barrier Reef--which we won't see). All the suitcases: arrived.

We slept--some well, some not so well, but we are ready for our Saturday. Time to renew ourselves physically. Tomorrow we will have our team worship, a holy and honored time among us. Sunday will be a day of sabbath, spiritual preparation for the task ahead: 40 women from Fiji, New Zealand and Australia will arrive on Monday.

Keep us in your prayers.... We love you all!