The Flights to Mozambique

4:30 AM on (Thursday, May 24th):

Quite an early start to what is the most gruelling leg of the journey from the comforts of the business of Charlotte, NC to the drastically slower pace of Mozambique. Meeting us at the airport is a young entourage to wish Sarah Beverage who is on this trip with us to Johannesburg ("Joburg"), South Africa. Sarah will be met by Brian Harrell who is the leader of a group of missionaries that covers the entire country of Mozambique for the International Mission Board. Sara, now entering her senior year at Hickory Grove Christian School, who will be giving up the next six weeks of her summer helping the Harrells in (city) by teaching young women in Biblical Motherhood as well as ESL to the locals. Sarah has aspirations to possibly be on the mission field herself someday. this trip will help her in making that decision.

7:30 AM (Thursday, May 24):

Depart Charlotte, NC for 2-hour flight to JFK Airport in New York

10:45 AM (Thursday, May 24)

Board flight from JFK for 13 hours flight to Johannesburg ("Joburg"), South Africa.

7:36 AM (Friday, May 25):

Once in Joburg, we are met with the news that Brian's flight from (city) has been delayed. Sarah, who was initially travelling with the guys, now appears to be on her own from Joburg to (city). As men with wives and in most cases daughters are left with a bit of uneasiness about leaving Sarah to board by herself and head to (city), Brian's hometown.

10:45 AM (Friday, May 25):

As the moment arrives for Sarah's departure, the guys walk Sarah up to the gate to turn her loose with a lone empty seat on the flight beside her -reserved for Brian. As a final glance is made to the escalator, Brian emerges from the top of the stairs with perspiration pouring from his brow arriving only a mere few moments before departure. Incredibly Brian will make the flight on time. A sense of relief comes over us all.

11:00 AM (Friday, May 25):

The rest of the guys on board the bus (that is correct) and head to the runway to board the plane for Pemba, Mozambique. The flight has less than twenty people, including pilots and a lone flight attendant. Most seats are full. Departure is 11:30 AM.

Pemba Airport receives only one flight per day from South Africa and typically only one departing the same day. As we fly over the expansiveness of South Africa and Mozambique, it is striking the lack of civilization that we witness looking down on the countryside compared to the cities that we just left. We pass over mountains and rivers headed for Northern Mozambique, very close to the Tanzanian border. To our East as we look out our plane windows to the seemingly endless Indian Ocean as we enter the last leg of our trip.

2:10 PM (Friday, May 25): 

Arrive in Mozambique