With the help of others and a great God guiding us, our luggage made it to South Africa and so did we!! We became a team of 19 with a surprise and very welcome addition in Des Moines, Larry Vanderpool!

It is the wee hours of the morning and 6:15pm in Iowa and I feel compelled to get this posted.  Thank you for all of your support in getting us launched and here! We were met warmly by Blessman Staff and Dr. Blessman and Beth.

                               2017 St. Francis South Africa Team

Now let me back into the luggage process and a lesson about lifting luggage.

Team Members that met over a week prior to our leaving to pack

Deb Barry provided us a place to pack and store the luggage

In the last two trips that Saint Francis Teams have made to South Africa, they each had one personal checked bag and one checked bag.  This year Delta Airlines was so gracious to give Blessman International new allowances:  one 50 lb  personal bag  and two  50 lb mission bags.  This allows more items to come from the United States to benefit those Blessman International serves.

St. Francis Mass Attendees on January 12 helping carry the load

Now let’s do some luggage math…..for personal bags that is: 18 x 50 = 900 lb….you probably see where I am going with this.  900lb personal + 1800 mission – 2700 lbs checked baggage.  And for the average carry on we will average 20lb (but let’s face it, many travelers all over the world carry the kitchen sink in their carry on.  Anyway, 20lb x 18lb = 260 lbs.   Then there is that personal item.  I am averaging 10lb per person.  10 x 18 = 180 lb.

And then there is our newest member at the airport, Larry Vanderpoool who works in accounting at Blessman International and turns out Father Ray married he and his wife in Indianola where Father Ray was a pastor.  Larry’s wife could not join  so Larry is flying solo but is in good company.  Sorry to return to the task of weight, Larry had three bags x 50 lb – 150.   So let’s add these up:

• 2700 lbs of team of 18
• 260 lbs of team carry-on luggage
• 180 lbs of personal items
• 150 lbs from our lovely Surprise team guest, Larry

May I have a drum roll…….that’s 3290 pounds (approximately) that we are flying with us.  And I would be surprised if you are asking yourself “HOW DID THEY GET ALL THAT LUGGAGE PACKED AND MOVED???

The Mod Squad of Luggage:  the team after arrival at the Johannesburg, South Africa airport after a 17 hour flight – well organized and no luggage lost!

Keith, my hubby and myself; Angela and Kerry from BI-overflowing joy after we delivered and organized luggage before team members arrived at the Des Moiens airport. 

One word: teamwork and very kind people helping throughout.  Blessman providing mission bags with some things packed and some things needing to be packed; Deb Barry and Father Ray who volunteered the Youth Resource Room at St. Francis; a morning of packing with many volunteers from our team and from Blessman International; after Thursday, January 12 Mass,  Father Ray asked attendees to help move the many suitcases into the truck and trailer that my wonderful hubby Keith volunteered while Kerry Brown, the new BI office manager drove.

We created a very slick system of how to assign the suitcases and Keith, Kerry, Angela and I had all mission luggage to go when team members got to the airport.   And we had exceptional team and staff at DELTA.  It went smoothly.   Now we wait a day for the luggage to arrive  in South Africa…….and we will see if this system and labeling helps us have solid organization on the luggage off the belt.

All I can say is that when given the increased luggage amounts I was glad and a bit overwhelmed.  And I know, a lesson well learned: one person cannot move 3290 lbs of luggage.  We needed to work together.  Many hands made the successful movement of 3290 lbs of luggage.  I want to put a shout out to all those who helped: Deb Barry, Father Ray, Team Des Moines BI, Team members from team 2017 St. Francis, Keith for the truck and well, I will just say, together we created a pretty slick system.

Meet Mayo (said My-oh) our ride from the airport with Destiny Wild.  He will be our driver for the week. We told him there was a large Medical Center after his name: Mayo Clinic.

 

I found a life lesson whispering in the execution of this luggage.

I pondered how many times I simply, all by myself, try to move and carry heavy “internal luggage packed with concerns, anxiety..you get the idea”?   And I wonder how many times do you try to lift something all by yourselves….Like trying to lift and carry all by yourself that 3290 pounds of luggage?  I sure try and without success I might add.

I for one am pretty independent and was humbled to see help pour in all over to make this a lighter load.  I do believe in casting my burdens on Him so the load is lighter yet I forget and try to carry the load by myself.  The action isn’t carrying by myself, instead the action is “casting” on Him.  It requires also that I ask for help and moreover accept help.

I am reminded in Psalm 55:22: Cast ^[a]your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to ^[b]be shaken.

 How about you? Is there some piece of luggage you need to let go of and let Jesus carry it for you?  He will bring others and he promises to lighten your load. He won’t let you down!!!

 Thank you for your support of our team and of Blessman International!!!