After fighting off "a rise and shine call" from my head at 1:00 am (8:00 in Zambia), I'm wide awake again and ready to begin my first day back in Texas at 4:00 am. Our travels were uneventful and included an overnight in London with the comfortable luxury of a Hilton hotel (a nice reentry to our spoiled lives!) We flew over most of Africa, the Sahara Desert, the Mediterranean Sea, the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. This extraordinary means of travel was not lost on me as I stared in awe at the massive dunes in the desert and the vast bodies of water from my window seat. I was reminded that we were a LONG WAY from home during our time in Zambia.
My heart raced as we touched down on the runway, just "minutes" from seeing our families. Luggage, immigration and customs took 60 minutes and built the anticipation and excitement for all of us! While being surrounded with hugs from Kyle and the girls, Caroline commented, "You're short" and I noticed the growing height of the girls. I think Caroline grew during the month of July and it's only a matter of days until I'm the smallest Oliphint in the house. The comfort of being in each others' presence was combined with a pit in my stomach as I considered hundreds of children (familiar faces burned into my head) who don't have that experience at home. Our house seems HUGE, immaculately clean and full of stuff. I'm not being derogatory, just absorbing the obvious contrast to the lives of my new friends in Zambia. It appears that Kyle and the girls kept the home in perfect order... I'm impressed! Katie and I have lots to share with each other after our life changing experiences in different parts of the world. We're all incredibly grateful to God for bringing our family back together safely.
Here is a music video by Sara Groves that captures some of my thoughts as I return to life in Texas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt_WpluguwE
LOVE the video. Welcome home.
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