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November 5 (posted November 7 9am)

I was picked up outside the Gloria Hotel by the sherut (shared taxi) at 6:30 a.m.  I was the first passenger to be picked up. The  sherut went about town picking up the other 7 passengers and I was able to see many parts of the city where we had not been. We arrived at the airport in Tel Aviv at 8am.  After about 5 security checks, they decided that I was truly a harmless middle-aged woman and they let me proceed to the United Airlines gate. All that took about 2 hours, but I must say, throughout the security process everyone I encountered was polite and professional (even the ones with big guns strapped across their body).  I had about an hour before boarding and enjoyed the down time to just sit and do nothing. The past 16 days have been a whirlwind and I needed a little break. On boarding, I found that once again, I was blessed with 2 great seat mates. They were a retired couple from South Carolina (people who speak my native tongue with a lot of "you alls" and "bless your hearts"). They own a second home in Israel and spend several months there each year. It was a long flight and we arrived in Newark, NJ around 4:30 pm EST. It was so good to see a great big US flag as I entered the US customs area. It took about an hour to retrieve my luggage, recheck it, take the air train to a different terminal, go through TSASecurity (sad to say they were not as polite or professional as the Israelis), and find my gate. I had about 1hour before my flight left for Knoxville which I spent trying in vain to find a diet Mountain Dew. No luck :(  My flight left Newark on time and the last thing I remember after getting on the plane was taxiing toward the runway. The next thing I know, the pilot is announcing that we are beginning our decent into Knoxville. I actually slept all the way through take off and the beverage cart!  Melvin and Megan were there to pick me up at the the airport in Knoxville (with a cold diet Mountain Dew). Home sure looked good.

My trip was everything and more than I ever dreamed it could be. I have learned so much and been so blessed by the places and people I encountered during my journey. However, this journey did not begin on October 20, 2013; it began in 2011when The Lord began to speak to my heart. There were many more people that influenced and blessed me well before I left  a little over two weeks ago. These include my husband, Melvin, who encouraged me to follow the Lord and to become prepared to meet  the physical challenges necessary for my trip;  my children Travis and Megan who told me how proud they were of me for following my dream; my Mom and family who were supportive despite reservations about my safety (and lack of common sense and my propensity for of trips, falls, etc...); my friends and church family who prayed and worried about me while I was gone; my  management and co-workers who have carried extra workload while I was gone; and all of you who have taken the time to read about my journey.

This was my journey of faith and it may appear to have been extraordinary to you, but each time The Lord speaks to any of our hearts, isn't that always extraordinary? A walk with The Lord is a very personal walk and the step of faith The Lord is asking you to take is just as special as mine.  I encourage you to read  Daniel 10:12 and substitute your name for Daniel's; also read  Proverbs 2: 1-6 and  open your hearts and minds. The Lord has much to show you.

Tel Aviv Airport waiting for boarding pass

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