Sunday - June 11, 2006

Mercy!
But wait a minute, I'm getting ahead of my self.

2:20 pm.   The doorbell rings, and it is Les Allred, who has agreed to take me to the airport, just as he did three years as I left for Minneapolis, and just as he did six years ago when I headed for Denver.

Les grabbed my laptop and I grabbed my suitcase and off we went for Charleston International Airport, and my 3:45 flight to Charlotte, NC, which would get me to Columbus Ohio by 6:00, and to my hotel in time for me to attend the evening meetings for which I was scheduled.

Les and I had a great ride to the airport. When we turned onto the main road for the airport, Les began praying for me. Six years ago, Les prayed a beautiful prayer for safe travel out of our prayer book, after we arrived, while were will still in his car, before we unloaded my luggage at the terminal.

Three years ago, Les prayed a prayer for safety for me that he wrote himself, and he prayed it just before I headed into the terminal.

This year, Les prayed for me, extemporaneously, while we traveled to the airport, while he was still driving. I was deeply moved. Thank you, Lord, for saints like Les.

But...

Then it was back to the real world. When I arrived inside CHS, you see here what I saw. This was the check-in line for my flight. As it turned out, the airline, USAir (let the reader beware), cancelled the flight which was supposed to get me to Charlotte. This would be interesting enough on a normal Sunday afternoon, but it was especially interesting today, because Spoleto ended today, and thousands of tourists who had come to the arts festival were also trying to get out of Charleston. At the same time I was.

USAir dedicated three of their six available agents to finding alternative routes for the 155 people that were supposed to be heading to Charlotte at 3:45. The other three were evidently kept in reserve, in case there would be another flight for which they might be needed. One of the three who were assigned to us looked at his watched and realized it was time for his break. So for the next hour, we had two of the five remaining agents helping us. When I got to the counter at 4:05, the ticket agent informed me that there were no more available flights to Charlotte on any airline (that would be three, altogether). However, they had chartered "ground transportation" to take us to Charlotte, and I should be there by 8:30 this evening, if I wanted to take the four hour trip, leaving at 4:30. I asked, "When was the flight cancelled?" She said, "This morning." I asked, "Why didn't you call me and let me know you had cancelled the flight?" She said, "I didn't have anything to do with it getting cancelled. Do you want to get on the ground transportation or not?" 

I decided to go home.

Well, look who else is here! It's fellow delegate Wade Logan!

Wade arrived for his 5:30 flight to Charlotte, and found that his 6:30 flight to Columbus had disappeared. He was told he could get on a waiting list for available seats on a later flight that would get him into Columbus at 11:30. He would be #5 on the waiting list. Wade decided to give it a shot. He said he has family in Charlotte, and if he doesn't make it he can always stay with them. I have this sinking feeling I'm going to see him when I get to Charlotte tomorrow morning...

So Wade, what's with the footwear?

Wade says he tore some ligaments getting a boat out of the water earlier this week. That ought to be fun walking the two blocks to Convention two or three times a day!

Well, that's it for this evening. My real reporting should have started tomorrow, and it still will (God willing) but now I am going to be w-a-y behind. Tomorrow was supposed to be a day spent getting ready for the opening of Convention on Tuesday. Mercy! Oh well, at least I'm not riding a bus - excuse me - "ground transportation" to Charlotte.

Pray for your delegates. God bless you!  See you tomorrow.