I feel like there is so much to say, but I don’t currently have the capacity to articulate. Overall, I am feeling confident and excited for what these next few days have in store for us on our mission trip to El Salvador. First, it is beautiful here. I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of this wonderful group of people that have come together with willingness to help wherever we can to help build one of the communities into what they envision and provide encouragement for sustainable support.
After losing our daughter Ellie to AML on 1.23.17, I can say that Bill and were confident that we wanted to go on our 1st mission trip this year. As the days grew closer to us leaving for El Salvador, the doubt crept in about whether we had made the right decision. With a couple hours of sleep, we left our home hours before sunrise with what seemed to be plenty of time to make our 1st flight. We found ourselves at the airport in plenty of time to get through security and to our gate before the beginning of boarding. Feeling good to have arrived on time, As we checked our bags at the kiosk, we overhead a man speaking with the airline staff about being told it was too late to check his bags, and there was nothing they could do, so he had to take a later flight. You could see and feel the sadness in his voice, on his face, and in his posture. He kept saying, “I just need to get home to see my wife and daughter.” As I stood there waiting for our kiosk to update, and print our checked bags stickers and boarding passes, I empathized with the sadness and frustration he felt at how so close yet so far he was to being united with his wife and daughter. And, when I’m honest, thankful, that weren’t in that same boat. That we had plenty of time to get bags checked and to the plane to head to our mission trip.
Then the kiosk updated, and we too got the notice that it was too late to check our bags. What!?! The shock and disbelief we felt at what we couldn’t understand was happening. So, the journey begins. In true Johnson style, we rushed to come up with plan b, c, d, e…who knows what we would call it. I will spare you the details of how it all went down, but after lots of extra steps, a few conversations with various airline employees, some prayer and text messages requesting prayer for God to work out what we couldn’t, we found ourselves exiting a 2nd plane in Miami, where we were able to meet up with our group that was on the 1st plane that we were scheduled to be on.
Well, I guess I had more words than I thought, and a few runon sentences. I know that will make some of you crazy. Still sitting here amazed at how God worked out what we couldn’t. We have arrived for our 1st night in El Salvador, broke bread with some incredible people and briefed on what the next few days bring. We will likely lose wifi access so will catch you on the flipside.
Thank you for all the love, prayers, and support so far!!! 
#ElSalvador2017
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