Our Tuesday started at 12:30 am in Chennai (12:00 noon Monday in CA) when Rev David and Jothi arrived at our hotel with two SUVs and an oversized van to haul us and our luggage to the airport. For some, there was no sleep Monday night at all. Following the edifying Thanksgiving service with communion at the Christian Media Centre for our send-off, we didn't arrive back at the hotel until close to 10:00. Packing, settling our hotel accounts, transfer of medical supplies and finances to the four members of Group B (who will return home next Tuesday); it made little sense to try to sleep for just an hour or so.

Luggage and Gary carefully loaded in the vehicles, we left for the airport a few minutes past 1:00 am - plenty early for a 3:15 am flight, or so we thought. The Chennai airport seems to be pandemonium no matter what hour of the day or night. We pulled up as close to the terminal as possible, and sent Rev David into the terminal for a wheelchair for Gary. Security is so tight, the first checkpoint is before you reach the front door. No one is allowed in unless they have tickets or an itinerary - no family or well-wishers, only those flying. Since Rev David didn't qualify, he couldn't get in to get a wheelchair. So when he came back, we sent in Josh.

Five of our six tickets were purchased at the same time, on the same itinerary. And although each team member was given a copy of their own individual itinerary before heading to SFO, in the ensuing 2-1/2 weeks, with train travel down south and 6 different hotel rooms, some no longer had their own and would be entering under the group itinerary. If Josh used that to enter the building, others wouldn't get in later. So then I was sent in on my own itinerary to procure said wheelchair. Simple enough, right? We've all seen flocks of wheelchairs at every airport in the U.S., I'll grab one and an attendant and be back in a flash. Ah, but this is India.

It seems the 2.5 wheelchairs (in various conditions) at the Chennai International Airport were in use by some of the other several thousand people attempting to fly out at this dark hour. It took dealing with 8 different people before finding an employee of the airline who took the task on as a personal mission to help get the Rev Gary Bell out of the parking lot and on to a plane. And get the large, sweaty, irate, and frantic white guy out of their airport.

But first, a problem. We may have arrived at the airport 3 hours prior to departure of our flight, but every one else arrived 3-1/2 hours early. And were all standing in line ahead of us. In a line that was NOT moving. Seems all the Emirates Airlines computers were down, and had been for at least the previous 36 hours. So the staff were processing each person manually; issuing hand-written boarding passes to a packed jumbo jet. Ah, but we had a secret weapon - Gary in a wheelchair! We asked and got permission to have all six of us in a much shorter line designated for Executive Class check-in. Our helpful assistant kept wanting to move Gary and his wheelchair off to the side but we wouldn't let him; we needed the person checking us in to see Gary's condition in hopes of getting him upgraded to executive class seating. Several attempts had been made by phone and on line to do this in the previous 2 days, but due to the computer problems the local Chennai Emirates office couldn't help us. And on-line Emirates wanted up to $7000 for an upgrade.

The staff looked at our pile of medical papers, looked at Gary, and put him in an Executive Class seat with out any extra charge whatsoever! Praise God! This seat allowed Gary to recline and more importantly, elevate his leg during the flight. This upgrade was only for the Chennai to Dubai 4 hour flight; due to the computer outage they could do nothing for us about the 15 hour haul from Dubai to SFO. The rest off us were assigned the very last row on the plane. With our hand written boarding passes in hand, we then went through the next 5 or so security check points to the waiting area by the gates. And wait we did. We could see our plane, but there was no information available as to why or how long the delay might be. It was over two hours before they finally started to board our flight; and again thanks to Gary and his wheelchair we made it to the head of the line. Down the jet way and past the final security check point and intimate body frisking. We were on the plane! The flight took off just over two hours late, and we had exactly a two hour layover scheduled in Dubai. Three possibilities: overnight in Dubai, Emirates reroute us some other way back to SFO, or the next flight would also be delayed. No sense worrying about what we couldn't change; it was all in God's hands.

The flight made up 15 minutes on the flight to Dubai; our next plane was still on the ground. But we had Gary who needed a wheelchair, and as such would be the last off the plane. And with the rest of our party in the back, we weren't much ahead of him. We were whisked away to a special counter for helping passengers from our delayed flight make their connections. Still the next plane remained on the ground. We again asked for and received an upgrade to Executive Class for Gary with out any extra charge whatsoever! Praise God some more! The last to be issued our boarding passes for the SFO bound plane, we made a dash and breezed through security once more. Emirates continued to hold the plane to allow all the delayed passengers to board. Gary actually beat several other folks on the plane due to his handler taking behind the scenes short cuts. Josh was the last person to board, with the cabin door hitting him on the butt on his way in.

There was no time in Dubai to get Josh's laptop connected and make a blog post on our status, or even send an email. But our flight status was available on our website, and our families could see what the flights were doing, even though they weren't sure if we were on the plane. Heck, we weren't sure our luggage was on the plane! We lifted off about an hour behind schedule. I got Gary as comfortable as possible; we settled in for our 15 hour flight. Due to favorable tailwinds and the flight crew "puttin' the pedal to the metal", we landed at SFO at 2:05 pm, only 20 minutes behind schedule. Another wheelchair awaited Gary; then off to collect our luggage and a quick trip through passport control and customs. Down the hall and out the door to reunions with our families. Gary was transferred to the backseat of his wife Sherry's car; I went with her through all his medical paperwork, x-rays, and meds; he was then whisked away to a 4:30 appointment at Kaiser Hospital. We ask you to continue to lift Gary and Sherry up in prayer for God's peace and healing.

Our luggage arrived with us, mostly. Only 1 piece of Dana's didn't come down the carousel. We hugged and headed for our homes with our families. Josh and I were met by his wife Dana, and hit the highway for our final leg home. We arrived in Paso Robles about 6:30 pm to a joyful reunion with our weiner dogs. My wife Lynne was away at a meeting for Relay for Life, where as Accounting Chairman she was accepting the final team donations prior to this Saturday's annual 24 hour fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. After showering and unpacking, my reunion with her came about 9:30 when she got home. A simple supper of tacos (funny how bland mexican food tastes to me right now) and off for a long sleep. Well, for me anyhow. Lynne was up early to head off to her first day of fall classes for college, followed by a first aid class this evening. I'll see her again about 10:00 tonight. At least we're in the same hemisphere.

We praise God for the safe travel home for the first 6 team members; and for Pastor Gary's "as comfortable as can be expected" flight. We ask that you continue to lift the 4 remaining team members up in prayer as they labor in fairly challenging physical conditions on the tasks they have yet to do (but I expect we'll be hearing quite a bit from Revinboots this week). Also prayers for the staff at the Christian Media Centre working in the midst of such major construction; and for the mostly Hindu laborers we worked along side with as they complete the project. But most of all, remember to pray for all God's children in India, that they might come to know true peace and salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.