DAY 1 AND 2…TRAVEL DAYS

              Two of the golden rules of mission trips are to be flexible and patient. Why? Because the unexpected always happens. Our first 2 days of the Phos 2026 Kenya mission trip were simply travel and arrival days. What could go wrong? Yet, they have been filled already with those golden reminders.

              Upon arriving as a group at the Detroit Metro Airport on the morning of February 12^th, we immediately had problems checking into our flight. In short, our stern and serious check-in clerk, Leslie, said she could NOT issue our boarding passes without us showing her the original credit card with which all of our 7 tickets were purchased. We were told, and feared, that we may have to repurchase our tickets (we were informed we would get the refund for the original ticket purchase later on) in order to board.

              This seemed a confusing matter. Why would anyone purchasing tickets be required to show the original physical credit card at check in? Apparently, this is part of Delta’s system, which is supposed to protect from fraud by requiring the purchaser to show or swipe the original purchasing credit card. This is from Delta.com webpage under the tab “booking a flight”

              “To safeguard against credit/debit card fraud, the purchaser may have to show us the credit/debit card along with a valid photo ID.”

              Apparently, this policy of showing your purchasing credit card is inconsistently enforced, such that many passengers do not know it is even a policy. My online research indicates that the “physical credit card is usually not needed for check-in on domestic flights, [but] it may be required for verification on certain international routes (especially Africa) to prevent fraud.”

              My reason for venting so much on this topic is two-fold. Firstly, I wish to warn any who may travel Delta (it’s possible other airlines may have the same policy, please check before flying) of this bizarre policy before they travel and forget to carry their purchasing credit card. Secondly, this was a reminder to us to look at all obstacles as trials. Trials test us, and when we pass the trial we are better off having learned perseverance, endurance, and thus having a stronger character.

How did this trial end? After nearly an hour of patience, prayer, and perseverance Leslie (who proved to be lovely and helpful Christian lady) issued our boarding passes without any need to purchase new tickets. As it turned out Ray Lang (the purchaser of the tickets) had a picture of his credit card on his phone (which is apparently good enough to bypass this bizarre Delta fraud policy). I wish I could say the other 2 connecting flights to Nairobi, Kenya were free of problems and that it was “smooth sailing” or “smooth flying from here.”

While it was almost smooth flying from there, I won’t prolong this blog entry further by bemoaning my lost bag and other issues we faced. It is enough that we are here in Kenya over 1 day later (February 14^th at 1:48 am is the time I am now typing this blog entry), reunited with old friends. Alice (who runs Openhand Children’s Home), Sir Charles (our main driver), Jimmy (another driver and friend of ours), and Benson (a good friend, teacher, and worker at Openhand) all greeted us at Jomo Kenyatta Airport at 9 PM on Friday, February 13. We count it pure joy regarding our safe arrival; also, not being charged this year for any of the items we brought into Kenya as gifts. The only hiccup at Jomo Kenyatta airport was Ray Lang’s drone being confiscated until he can get a permit to operate it in Kenya.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Good night all! It may only be early evening for you, but I need to get up in 6 hours. Well, actually 3 hours, since that is probably when the roosters will wake me with their crowing.