Wow it´s been a long time since I have blogged.....and oh what a time it has been.

I just returned from the United States yesterday. I went with Mr. Henry and 4 students to attend International Student Convention and then a week of traveling around some states and doing some fun things and of course some shopping.

I have a lot of fun stories and photos to share....but let me start with our return yesterday, while it is fresh on my mind.

....let me tell you how it started!

For two nights before we were to leave the states to return to Honduras, I would wake during the night worrying about getting us to the airport with all our bags, getting there on time, getting the rental car returned. The Atlanta airport is like it´s own city....similar to the Dallas Airport, but I know my way around in Dallas...so some very sleepless nights ....

I checked our flight number a couple of times to check for our gate...T10....shows the flight is on time, no changes, great.

Checked it another time before going to bed Wednesday night, still the same.

But never once did I look at the scheduled time on line....I checked it on the printout I had from our email confirmation....but my mind changed what I saw....it said 8:20 a.m....but my brain made it be 10:35. WHY??? NO IDEA!!!

So, I thought 30 minutes to get us to the terminal, and an hour to drop off people and luggage and return the rental car and ride the train and get back to the terminal, and our 2 hours before the flight for check in, so we need to leave the hotel at 7:00 a.m. The kids did great getting up that morning, they were all packed, the guys got the van loaded with all 12 suitcases plus carry ons and backpacks and computer bags....we got to the airport, found the terminal, dropped them off with the luggage, took back the car, got back to the terminal. Gerson had taken charge and gotten everyone in line with the luggage, God had even blessed us by provided two random carts that normally cost $4 each, but they were just there waiting for the kids - FREE, so when I got back from dropping off the car we were almost to the front of the line.

An American Airlines worker said oh what time is your flight I will help get all your boarding passes printed...I said 10:35...so proud that I was right on schedule....she scanned Gerson´s passport and said oh he is booked on the 8:25...it is leaving now!

WHAT?! NO!! IT CAN´T BE!!! I had checked and double checked....I checked my email again...oh my gosh!

Right there it was 8:25 am to leave Atlanta, arrive in Miami at 10:20 a.m. to take off on the 12:35 flight to Honduras. What had I done? I guess I had combined all the times to come up with a flight at 10:35 which did not exist.

Now I felt sick...what do we do?? American Airlines was awesome! They started checking flights and seeing what they could put us on that would get us to Miami in time for our connecting flight to Honduras.

There was an early morning flight that had been delayed because of weather and it was leaving at 9:45, with a boarding time of 9:15, we could make that one, we were close to the cut off time for baggage so she set to work!

We had a little humor in the middle of the stress....she printed out everyone´s ticket, except Henry´s would not print....and she kept asking me if we were traveling with an infant....Henry is not an infant...look at him! Finally at 5 minutes before boarding time we got all our tickets and were running to go through security, then to the gate. Of course there was a problem with one of my carry ons and the "sweet" NOT lady unpacked the entire thing and I am in a panic thinking we are going to miss this flight because of a dvd player and Gabriel´s spicy cheetos I was bringing back for him. I kept saying....Henry go to the gate and get the kids home, if I miss the plane I will get there some how.

Well we weren´t going to miss the plane, they had a mess and were getting everyone from other flights that had been canceled and then we finally got on.

I am adding up the time...ok if we take off right now we will land in Miami and have 45 minutes to get to our connecting flight....we can make it...we can make....

NO....we get to sit in a LONG line of planes waiting to take off. This cannot be happening!!!

You know my stomach is in my throat, my heart is beating, I have a headache, and I can´t look at any of the kids....I am just staring out the window fighting back the tears and praying like crazy!

We finally take off at 10:40....our plane in Miami leaves at 12:35.

Once in the air the captain says we will touch down at 12:05 and we will be at the gate at 12:12...great 23 minutes to get to our plane, it will never happen!

I am praying...God get us there quickly...delay the next flight...it is the only way we will make our connection. God please get us on a plane to Honduras today!

As I am praying I am asking God...what did I do to deserve this? What have I done? Why Why Why is this happening?

I ask a flight attendant about our flight and explain my situation, and that I need to get this kids home to their parents who will be waiting for them at the airport in Honduras.

He says he will check our flight number and see what gate it will be leaving from. He says he just got the new information on gates and flights.

He comes back to me a few minutes later and asks if we are flying to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. YES...He says to me "You are on the plane." What? He explains....before we took off this plane was originally scheduled to fly to Belize, but it has just changed, and now it is the very plane that will be flying to San Pedro Sula. We will land in Miami, pull into gate D33, everyone must get off because we have to do a security check and clean the plane, but then you will get right back on this plane at Gate D33 and fly to Honduras. Smiling he says to me " You can´t miss your flight because you are on the plane!"

OH MY GOSH!!! THE JOY! THE THANKFULNESS! I can BREATHE again!

Only God can make this happen...only God!

Before I got the good news I was asking God why did I deserve this horrible event. What had I done to deserve going through this. I was so stupid for messing up the times and making us all miss our flight, what terrible thing had I done for Him to make me go through this?

Afterward I was asking the opposite question...oh God what have I ever done to deserve your grace and mercy?! I don´t deserve what He does for us every day. How He loves us always! How He never takes his eyes off of us! None of us deserve His never-ending blessings, but yet He blesses us daily!

My mistake was a BIG one! But it allowed God to do something incredible for us! I told the kids later that it was only God that could change the flight schedules and get us on the exact plane that would go to Honduras. I got the delay I asked for....we arrived about 45 minutes late in Honduras, but we arrived.

But the story does not end there.....oh no...it gets better...or worse...depending on how you look at it!

After landing we were getting all our bags together, and one was missing. It was Gerson´s bag that was carrying all of his new purchases from the United States. Understandably he was upset. How disappointing! Would have been much better to be missing your old clothes and beat up shoes. I am praying for the safe return of his suitcase and all the wonderful items inside!

Okay...now each child is returned to the arms of their parents and siblings. My hugs and good-byes are given. Many thank yous from moms (they don´t know yet that I almost didn´t get their sweet babies home on time)...and Henry and I are on our way back to Comayagua.

His brother is there with my car so Henry and I can drive home....the plan being to make a stop in Seguatapeque for a typical Honduran meal....Henry is really wanting some Honduran food.

So we load the car and off we go....overheating...what? Oh joy!

We drop off his brother at his house, put in some water, water down the engine, and off again. Okay, doing good....oh no...temperature gague is rising again. Ok, stop at a gas station....cool off.....drive...over heat.....John calls...you need some coolant for the car...okay gas station number 2, number 3, number 4...it takes us about 5 to find one with coolant. In between there, on maybe about overheat number 3 station we found that the car was out of oil, so we added that...finally drained out the water and added the coolant.

Okay, we should be good to go...back on the road, after about 1 1/2 hours in the country we feel like we are finally on our way home....

Not far down the road, over heat again. OH MY GOSH!

Several more talks with John Satterfield....he thought maybe it was the thermostat....yes, we decide that must be it...because the dial says hot immediately, but we check the engine and it feels cool, radiator feels cool...so we are driving....15 minutes and then pulling over and checking engine...still cool...ok keep driving...

The last pull over was in front of the banana shacks...and that is where the fun begins!

I pulled in, turned off the car, Henry opened his door and the car went HISSSS and the SMOKE poured from the hood. Henry looked at me and said oh this isn´t good...and I just began to laugh hysterically and uncontrollably. Henry said "Steph, are you ok? You are scaring me"

At this point in the day what good is it going to do me to cry? It was just the funniest thing to me...here we are, we finally make it to Honduras ...we are both exhausted, ready to get something to eat, and get home, and we are barely an hour from the airport...although it has taken us about 3 hours to get that far!

(after it got dark, the sign for the fruit stand as I looked out my window)


So a few phone calls and the plan is that John will come and pick us up, but we know that it will take him about 1 1/2 hours to get to us from Comayagua....


I said "I have Uno!" So we used Henry´s guitar as our table and we played Uno. I got a bit sugar crazy as my menu for the day consisted of the bag of peppermints I had been chewing on since we tried to leave San Pedro Sula. Henry was starving so he bought some bananas from the banana shack....and he named our game Banana Uno.

We were rescued by John and Celestino and finally got home sometime late last night, I came in my house a little after 11:00 p.m. .....the mechanic is going today to see about my car.

So God got us on the plane, and even though my car is on the side of the mountain in front of the banana shack, God kept us safe, I was not traveling by myself, and we have some great testimonies to share about God´s watchful eye!