Thoughts from the team as they spend their first day in Guyana:
Arriving in Guyana generated a feeling of jubilation. We sat inside the
airplane on the tarmac in Port of Spain (Trinidad; we had to look it up) for
two hours wondering when we would make it to Georgetown. Exiting the plane
and walking to the immigration line at Timehri Airport was not only a
literal breath of fresh air (because we scooted out of the plane and across
the tarmac into the Guyanese night), but it brought the promise of good
things to come during our time here. At the airport, we had to work out some
issues with checked bags that did not make the flight, so after some
paperwork, we were on our way to the mission house with Angie and Colin, our
driver and new friend.
Our ride to Georgetown brought the smells of a local rum factory, livestock
milling about, and evidence of the Guyanese fishing industry. We passed a
cab that smashed into something big (couldn't figure out what), a man
standing with a knife, homes with Hindu shrines lit up with Christmas lights
(ironic huh?), a police check complete with officers and a shoulder strapped
AK-47. We heard the sounds of the local dance clubs and bars still hopping
even at 1am mixed with mopeds, dirt bikes and other vehicles of interest
(like our awesome bus) traversing city streets on the left side of the road
at 80 kmh.
Taking it all in after a day of travel that started at Piedmont Triad
International almost 24 hours before brought a surreal feeling that was
accompanied by several members of the team making awe-filled statements
like, "Dude, we are in Guyana." While that was obvious, it was more than
just a five word phrase describing where we would find our current location
on Google Maps, it says something about leaving the norms of life in America
where brownouts are unheard of and we don't think twice about leaving our
eyes open in the shower to a place of discovery and promising ministry. God
has huge things in store. I can feel it in my gut. It stirs emotions and
thoughts inside me that words cannot express, so for now we will stick with,
"Dude, we are in Guyana."