Idiots Abroad: Grand pappy comes to visit

I’m standing in the hanger as it rains listening to the sound of the airplane and watching the sky. I see it. It make a large loop in the sky and positions itself to make its decent to the run way. It has been raining all night and day the muddy clay runway is slick and I pray feverishly that they land safely. I have so many emotions as I watch them land I’m nervous because I’m so excited to see that tall balding white haired man with contagious smile that I call grandpa.

He stumbles out of the tiny cramped airplane and I am the first to rush to him and wrap my arms around him with great joy and I am met with and wonderful scent of home. He smile and makes a couple humorous comments then he continues to makes his way around to greet all the others and them he puts his business face on and it’s time for work. And when grandpa puts on that face everyone knows not to waste time. We load up the bags and head to the house. We unpack him fast and un-wrap all the tools that he has brought and quickly organize them so he can see everything.

We’ve installed and air conditioner in his little room so that he doesn’t sweat to death in our African heat. As I unpack him and make his bed with the sheets that he has brought and they smell of home too…it’s the best smell in the world and it makes my eyes go misty cause itmakes me miss home even more. He grabs what he needs and shouts some orders at people and he’s off to the hospital for that rest of the day.

They come back well after dark and I am surprised to see Freddy one of the locals translators with him. It turns out on their way back they got lost so they just started talking to people but no one speaks English here and they just happen to run into him. So he hopped in the car and helps them find their way back safely. I can only imagine where they would have ended up.

Carlie and I have slaved away in the kitchen for hours….more Carlie then I… and we are happy with the turnout of spaghetti, garlic bread made from homemade bread and baked eggplant. To us this is a feast from our normal rice and beans. Everyone is delighted and happy and we spend the time catching up and listening to grandpa and Alan talk about building business. When I leave then at 9pm for work they are sitting around the table still doing they thing and when I return at 6 am the next morning they are in the same spot just with different clothes and different food on the table.

It’s another long day for them out at the hospital and their only full day here. They come back part way through the day to make a trip out to the nutrition center to see the progress and the little rug rats that are running around. But after that they are back off to the hospital and I’m back in the kitchen…. grandpa says that where I belong…oh grandpa… That night we sit around the table and we laugh at the wonderful stories of his different trips to other countries and the experiences he has had. He’s been so many places and done so much for so many people and I am inspired.

In the morning he is the first one up yet again and he is eager to make another trip to the hospital to take pictures. When they return we talk about the future plans and the arrival of the Maranotha group that will be coming and about his return in October and if all goes as planned and the container of building materials arrives on time he will be accompanied by Christopher… Oh the excitement!!

We gather his things and we make our way back to the hanger for their departure and we make it just a little late to morning worship. Grandpa is asked to share a thought and like always he talks of his travels and of the wonderful things that he has seen and I am inspired once again by all that he has done. We prepare the plan for departure and push it out of the hanger and we say our good-byes. Grandpa and Alan are forced to squeeze into the back seat of the airplane and I laugh at the sight of them so cramped shoulder to shoulder. As they make their way onto the run way I am sad to see him go and I get the sudden feeling of loneliness as I see them make their way down the runway and into the sky. But I shake the feeling away and smile and start to count the days till his next arrival.

Thanks again grandpa for making another trip into the armpit of Africa. J