Friday, September 16, 2005
I left home this morning at 1:50 a.m. My first stop was for coffee and then Wal Mart to pickup a few last minute things... most importantly, snacks.

I parked my truck at Charlie Brown's Airport Parking and took their shuttle bus to the airport. The driver was very friendly and quite curious as to why I was traveling to Honduras to do mission work. I explained everything I could to him in the ten minutes that I had before being dropped off at the curb.

I'm sitting curbside waiting for Keith and Janice Hurley from West Virginia and also Kay Smith and Shirley Sholtis from the Johnstown area. Kay and Shirley spent the night here in Pittsburgh so that they wouldn't have to make the drive from Johnstown this morning. We've been communicating by cell phone to make it easy for us to meet.

I'm so excited that the trip is finally here. I've been thinking of how the kids will react when they see me come off of the bus. My family and friends donated items for me to take along for the kids. I'm so overwhelmed. I had a little party on Wednesday night before I left and my brother Rick donated many new Greensburg YMCA shirts, my sister Katie donated visors and my sister Wendy donated harmonicas and jump ropes. My brother Corey brought writing tablets and everyone brought pens... I have over 300 of them. I'll tell you more later on as the West Virginia people just pulled in.

I was able to meet everyone in our group at either the curbside pickup or the check in line. Although it's early, I feel that we are going to have a great trip. There are 11 guys and two women, plus Sister Laurinda.

My flight from Pittsburgh to Houston was on a small 'commuter-type' plane. There were 2 seats on the right side and one seat on the left. I was lucky enough to have the single seat near the rear of the plane.

While sitting waiting for the plane to takeoff from Pittsburgh, I talked with Tom Ross, a gentleman in his 60's. Tom told me that his daughter and son-in-law live in Irwin, only a few miles from my home. I worked on Tom, trying to get him to invite me to a cookout at his daughter's home since it's local. On the plane, I napped a few times... the first as we taxied down the runway. The flight from Pittsburgh was smooth although it dragged on and on.