Made it to the airport!

I felt like I was on a commando mission: 6 AM: gloves, check; Shovel, check; Crow bar, Check; laptops, check; passports, check; Suitcases, check; Passports, check; Money, check; motorcycle with guide, check; driver and car, check.

All was ready as I surveyed my crack troops: 5 Haitians and the 3 of us. I reviewed the plan: The motorcycle and guide would go ahead and tell us if there was any danger, if there was, they would notify us and try and talk their way through the obstacle, with us behind, or take us on an alternate route.

We synchronized our Rolex's and, put black paint on our faces, put on our flack jackets but before we hit the road, we prayed for the success of our mission: Get to the airport through possible riots and street blockades with burning tires, etc.

As we set out, we did not know the danger that lurked behind every corner - what would the morning hold?

The guide on the motorcycle waved us to go faster - he was concerned that we keep moving through the dangerous streets.

Several times it seemed like he was lost, but he got his bearings and we forged ahead.

So far, so good.

But then it happened, a huge Dragon came out of no where, breathing fire. I held up my weapon, the Bible, and he backed down and let us pass.

We did not know what would be around each corner as we went on back roads I never even knew existed. But our driver assured us he knew where we were.

Then I looked up and saw a crossroad that I recognized, but it was blocked - we would have to take a detour.

This was the moment we were waiting for: We turned onto the main road and braced ourselves for screaming young men burning tires and yelling political slogans... But there was no one! Only the remains of yesterday's tire burnings and rocks and rubble strewn about the road.

When we saw a UN patrol heading in the way we were going, we knew we had almost made it to the finish line!

This is all a long way of saying that we had no problems getting to the airport this morning and hope to be in Florida by this afternoon. God answered our prayers even though our commercial flight on American Airlines was canceled and there are no normal flights going out today. We still have to deal with changing our flight to CA to tomorrow, but at least we will be in the good 'ol USA - maybe I will kiss the ground when we arrive!