Getting to Clove Island: Plan E?

Back for the beginning of mango season!

Sometimes our best-laid plans come to naught. We were passing through Volcano Island on our way home to Clove Island. We were going to take one day to make the arrangements for our team to travel from Volcano to Clove in a month’s time. We were going to buy out an afternoon flight so that they could arrive on Clove Island the very same day. We had a contact at one of the airlines, it was going to be easy and work well!

First snag--that airline doesn’t have any Saturday afternoon flights. No problem, there are three inter-island airlines. We checked the other one with afternoon flights-- no flight. Okay, I guess we may have to charter an unscheduled flight-- our team fills a plane already, how much more expensive could it be? Answer--lots more expensive, almost 3x the price per person AND they still wouldn’t be able to take everyone’s luggage.

Well let’s go back to the first airline with our contact-- maybe we can figure something out with them. “The problem is...we’re not flying right now,” the airline employee tells us, “We hope to be flying again next month.”

Well plans A, B and C aren’t panning out-- maybe we’ll just have to fly the team to Clove  Island the next morning (Sunday). We secure a motel reservation for the team for that Saturday night. It’s too late in the day to get the Sunday morning flight reservation. Our “one day” to make arrangements has flown by, but we have a little time tomorrow morning before our own boat leaves.

A phone call from Tom the next morning, “The two airlines don’t have flights on Sundays!” The only airline that does is the same airline that isn’t flying at the moment.

Our son plays his harp

Okay, new plan! Every time we’ve tried the plane route, we’re getting shot down. What about boat? Is it possible that the new “fast” boat goes from Volcano to Clove Island on  Sundays?!? It does! Now the boat doesn’t take reservations until the week before, but we can make those when we're back on Clove Island. Speaking of which, it’s time to head to the port to try the “fast” boat out for ourselves!

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Our team is set! Three couples, two singles and two children are coming to the Islands on November 2nd to become our team! We are very excited for the way that God has provided for each one of them and for the chance to have them all here. Thanks for praying for them! We made it back to Clove Island safely. The kids and Megan’s back did well-- thank you again for praying.


PRAYERS REQUESTED
Our first couple days back home have felt productive-- pray that it keeps up. We have lots to do before our team arrives on November 2nd-- finish up the house preparations, finish teaching our three English classes and give exams, finalize all the preparations for housing, feeding and convening the team for the orientation week, plus more… Pray that things go smoothly and that we have wisdom about how to spend each day. Our two older kids start island school on Monday! This will be our son's first day of school and he will not share a common language with his teacher-- please pray that he has a positive experience and that he will be excited about going to school.