OSC--Guanajuato 2010

Whew, what a LONG day…but we made it!  Everyone is exhausted but in great spirits.  We had a couple of upset stomachs during the plane rides…I think it was as much a combination of no sleep, sugar and nerves as anything else.  Hopefully a good night’s rest and a good meal (chicken, rice, veggies, salad, tortillas…YUM) will solve all our ills.
What to share about the day…there was so much as we have been up and together for 21 hours!  We arrived EARLY to the church to travel to the airport (yes, NCF, we were EARLY!).  Our drive down was smooth and uneventful.  After a brief wait in the BWI lobby for the ticket counter to open we began to check in for our flights.  This is the 6th time I have flown internationally with a group.  I have NEVER had an experience even CLOSE to this.  We were all checked in and through security in less than 40 minutes!  The gate agent recognized our group and gave us special priority in boarding the plane, even welcoming us by name over the PA system :)  We found our seats together and lifted off, again, early!  Some tried to sleep, some watched the movie.  The flight had a bump here and a bump there, but all in all was smooth and easy.  It was a great first flying experience for some in our group.
Once in Houston we found our gate and then enjoyed nearly 5 hours in the Houston airport as we waited for our connecting flight.  If you haven’t traveled through Houston, there are a few things you need to know to understand the “fun” we had.   Concourse B has a main terminal area with shops and food options but not too much space for a group of 30 teenagers/adults to hang out.  Off of the main hub are several long hallways that lead to circular gate areas with 6-10 gates each.  Again, lots of people moving in and out, but not a lot of space for a group of 30!  The “hallways” leading to these gate areas are about 12 feet wide, with a couple of sets of seats along one side.  Our group commandeered the hallway leading to our gate :)  We had people sitting on both sides and had to move every time the courtesy shuttles drove through.  At one point team members started a “tunnel” that gave travelers the option of running through our tunnel (much like football players might run through the tunnel of cheerleaders to enter the field.  It was great fun as we tried to convince travelers to “go through the tunnel!”  People who decided to brave our gauntlet were met with cheers and applause.  We received a lot of big smiles.  One airline employee even went down the line tickling the tunnel-formers as he went!  The security guy for the area was playing along and having a great time with us too.  Lesson learned: youth + no sleep + anticipation for Mexico + long layover in airport= insanity and fun!
I will share more about our time in Mexico after our day tomorrow, but the rest of our day has been great.  We are settling in and enjoying how beautiful it is here.  The weather is PERFECT.  75 and slight breeze.  God’s handiwork is evident everywhere we look.  We also had our first team devotional and small group times.  The early returns are that the small group times were AWESOME.  I can’t wait to see what God has in store for this trip.
Sorry this is so quick and disjointed.  It is bed time and we are all exhausted.  We are trying to figure out how to upload this to the blog and get that all worked out.  Better blog to come tomorrow I hope!
Pray for continued blessings as thus far the trip has exceeded expectations in MAJOR ways :)  God is AWESOME!