Day 13: Flight to the US

Saturday, June 7, 2025

I won’t bore you with the details but after being up for 24 hours we have made it home. 

This has been such a wonderful experience. I’m sure I’ll be writing about it for several more days. But today I want to just reflect a bit. 

Many years ago I traveled with my then 14-year-old son, Will, to subsaharan Africa for a two-week mission trip. I intended to do the same for my two other children. But when they turned 14, they had too many irons in the fire to go galavanting to the other side of the world. 

I can’t put into words how wonderful it has been to have my second child, Patrick, join me on this particular adventure. He is a middle school social studies teacher and it has been fun watching him eat up all the history. 

I feel like his students for years to come will reap the rewards of Patrick’s having been on this trip. And that is priceless. (Thank you to those who financially made it possible for him to go.)

This picture is pretty special. Of course it is incredible that we are in the Colosseum of Rome. But there’s a subtle thing here that I will always remember. Patrick is wearing my backpack. He noticed that it was weighing me down and he basically took it from me so that I wouldn’t have to work so hard. We only walked about 5 miles that day over uneven and hilly terrain. His caring for his mother did not go unnoticed. 

Patrick was also a really fun addition to the group. Most of the travelers were from Pulaski County. But he just fit right in. Several of them commented to me about what a wonderful young man he is. That makes a mother proud. 

I appreciate the teaching, encouraging and challenging words of Pastor Ryan throughout the trip. He is precious.

None of this would have been possible without David. He is the best at effortlessly taking care of logistics. He’s fun. And no matter what he says, he loves us all. 

Imagine Tours, bravo. Y’all did such a good job. I can’t thank you enough for such a smooth experience. Communication, preparation, travel, bus drivers, tours, tour guides, hotel accommodations, food — on a scale of one to ten I give you at least a hundred million!

LORD, Thank you for your protection even when we were unaware of our need for it. Thank you for opening our eyes to your Word. Thank you for new friends both at home and abroad. We give you all our praise and honor for this most successful journey!