24 Season Finale (not really but this article may be as ridiculous as the show)

Wow, the previous 24 hours have been very interesting. It is May 27, 12:36 p.m. ET, however it is 6:37 in the evening here... If you are reading this then I must have made it safely to Cape Town (and was just too tired to edit further). My flight (from D.C. to Johannesburg) took off at about... Well I can’t even remember right now but the entire plan ride took about 17 hrs. After crossing the Atlantic we stopped for fuel in Dakar, Senegal. There, we somehow had problems with the luggage and ended up have a two hour lay over in Dakar... This ended up be rather inconvenient since I was supposed to catch a connecting flight in Johannesburg* to my final destination of Cape Town soon after that flight arrived. When we finally arrived I ran through customs and to the baggage claim. Of course, I was one of the last dozen people to receive their luggage. Knowing that there was a chance I could make the flight (praying and assuming that it was delayed) I ran to recheck my bags to Cape Town. I ran ( literally running as fast as I could through the airport, like the movies and all) to get my boarding pass, cut in front of tons of people, like any good Northern would do, and then rushed through security. I didn’t even put my shoes until I had somehow managed to catch the shuttle bus to board the plane in time. But to be honest, and this might sound silly, it was really fun. I had always wanted to run through a foreign airport causing others to look at me and think that I was one of two things: either I was very important and an essential part of an international spy agency chasing after a suspect or, the more likely of the two, an idiot who was late to board his flight... I just got a hair cut so I’m hoping I looked the part of the former option.

This all happened in the last 20 minutes of me writing this. I was going on less than one hour of sleep last night. I also had, and still have a strong desire to use the bathroom. However, the rather large man next to me looks very angry and is sleeping. I dare not bother him. He is seriously scary (I just turned my computer monitor at a downward angle to make sure he can’t read this...) He probably hates me since after getting to the plane I thought this man was sitting in my seat and told him so, not a very positive response... So I’m just going to wait on the whole bathroom thing for awhile. My Verizon blackberry does not have service and since this flight is delayed I really hope the people that are supposed to pick me up decide to wait... So in sum: 1 hr of sleep throughout 24 hours of traveling + sprinting and sweating through a foreign airport alone + really needing to use the bathroom but sitting in fear next to an large angry male = well I’m not sure really, I’m just tired. Thank God for music. Seriously. Now, on a more positive note.

The soccer atmosphere here is astounding. (In case you weren’t aware the world cup is in South Africa in a couple weeks) Almost every single portion of the airport was covered in futbol advertisements and promotions. “World Cup S.A. This...” “World Cup S.A. That...” Drink Coke if you’re a real futbol fan, fly South African Airways if you’re a true South African fan. And I absolutely love it. A couple seats over to my right a man is wearing a South African futbol jersey, man I want one. I almost bought one at the airport but didn’t have too much time to look while breathing up my lungs. The man on my left is playing a futbol managing game where he controls an entire futbol club for a year or so and has to do things like manage salaries, players, coaches and stadiums. Man, I hope he doesn’t look over here either... I just asked the (as I turn my screen at a weird angle once again) large man to my right to allow me to use the bathroom and he did. When I returned I sat back down and tried to explain to him why I hadn’t been able to use the bathroom at the airport... Basically all of what I wrote above and he just kind of grinned briefly and mumbled his disapproval of my existence... I could just keep writing and writing about this past 24 hours. What a great story this will all be someday, and I will save you the time from reading it. Because of all the free time on the plane I managed to read Donald Miller’s newish book called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. It talks about how we should seek a good story to live out. I’ll tell you about it later I think.

Ok well I think I’ll go on writing in more detail since I don’t want to give in to jet lag, but don’t worry I’m done writing for this blog...

I am just so thankful to everyone who has supported me whether through prayer or finance! I am looking forward to the opportunities that God is going to present over the next 10 weeks!

If you are interested in donating to my trip this summer read on... If not, thank you for your prayers and see you next week!

If you would like to give, your donation IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE!

Please make the check out to The Church At Severn Run

And make sure to put “Josh Sheppard’s mission trip” in the note at the bottom of the check.

Please do not mail it to my college address, but rather mail it to my home address, it is:

Josh Sheppard

8203 Joshua Ct.

Laurel, MD 20708

Thank you once again for reading this blog and praying for my trip this summer. I pray that you have a blessed day!

Josh Sheppard

P.s. Dinner is being served on the plane and I just shared, with my new (as I adjust the monitor once again) and rather intimidating friend to my right, my surprise and joy at this news which then resulted in him giving me a look of utter hatred. I’m going to keep talking to him, I’ll let you know how it goes.