Elevator Doors

I was in an office building in downtown Portland the other day and had to stop at several floors on the way to my destination to let people on or off the elevator.  Each floor was different in the furnishings, the people who worked there the companies that occupied the floor – each had a unique feel even though it was the same building.  Riding the elevator, I was offered a brief glimpse into the world that was that floor of the building and I could try and imagine what went on there.  Eventually I arrived at “my” floor and stepped into somebody else's world for just a little while.

It struck me as I was sitting in the Brussels, Belgium airport that traveling to Uganda is somewhat like riding the elevator – except it is WAY longer between stops.  As we stopped briefly at various airports along the way, each was different and we caught just a brief look during our short stop in the airport (like that city’s elevator lobby).

We left what was familiar in Canby, Oregon and the further away we got, things became more foreign.  Our first stop was Newark, New Jersey.  Pat met us there and she told us that she enjoyed listening to the local airport workers complain about how few “tourists” knew how to properly pronounce “Newark”.  The approach to the airport took us right by New York City with its unmistakable skyline and the Statue of Liberty standing gracefully in the bay – a beacon of a better future for so many (including Ken’s family – his father, who was 12 at the time, came in December 1919).  But, we only caught a glimpse of the airport as we grabbed our last truly American food for a few weeks.

In Newark, we boarded a plane headed for Brussels Belgium.  It was a longish flight (6 1/2 hours) over the Atlantic landing in Brussels just as the sun came up – and it was a beautiful sunrise too.  The further you get away from home, the more foreign thing become.  Languages are different, people dress differently, but as Geri observed, everybody is going about their business of family, work, vacations or whatever else they (or we) might be doing.  I personally enjoy people watching, but Gary easily engages people in conversation as if they were old buddies.

Each stop along the way offers glimpses of what the local culture and people may be, but, like looking at the floor of a building from the elevator lobby, you can only be so accurate as to what may really be going on and what the culture of that particular place may be.  So it is with travel.  We ere ware all looking forward to this brutal travel event coming to an end and finally exiting the elevator in Uganda.  There is an unfamiliar familiarity to it for those of us who have been there – friends and places we were anxious to see.  For Michelle and Mariah, they were waiting to see and experience Uganda for themselves.

Just before midnight, the plane touched down at Entebbe International Airport and we exited onto “our floor” – Uganda.  We have been praying for so long and all of our plans came down to this time.  Exhausted, we were so happy to see our friends William and Dalton there to greet us at the airport and take us to the bus which would take us to our guest house for the night.  Today was a day to visit ARM headquarters and re-connect even briefly with so many people that we’ve come to know over the years. 

The one thing we all hear from everybody we talk to here is “you are welcome”.  It is nice to step off the plane (or elevator to continue the metaphor) and be welcomed so genuinely.  I’ve often thought that getting to heaven we will have a similar greeting – well done good and faithful servant, enter into your rest – you are welcome!

There are probably applications to each of our daily lives that each can glean from this thought.  Who are the people you get an “elevator door opening” view of and don’t make or take the time to dig a little deeper.  Maybe one of those stops is destined to change sombody’s life…perhaps your own.

Thank you for your prayers as we travel to Kacungwa tomorrow.  We are excited to see the children, the community and help prepare for the medical clinic that we’ve prayed about for so long now.  Mukama yebazibwe!!!