By Woody Collins, Congo Helping Hands
I still remember leaving Kinshasa, Congo on my first trip in August 1998. It was the first (and only) time in my life that I have faced and heard jeering crowds of people on the streets to the airport. Our mission team was being evacuated out of Congo. It was not an Ebola Virus outbreak! The cause was a potential civil war and fighting headed to Kinshasa. The incident has burned into my memory.
After a planned two-week trip was cut even shorter, I wrote the following note to my team to explain my personal situation. “I was planning to leave on Tuesday but I just discovered that there is no flight on Tuesday. And they changed the Tuesday flight to Monday. Due to the Ebola outbreak, it is affecting travel worldwide. I have a trip scheduled to Taiwan on June 10. I’m sorry but I need to return to the states earlier to get clearance to travel to Taiwan.” It was not necessary, but I wanted them to understand. First and foremost, I felt safe in Kananga. And second, my departure was a personal event and not a health-related situation. My mission trip to Congo was successful.
I arrived back in Indianapolis Tuesday night, and the trip was uneventful – a normal trip from Kinshasa to Brussels. As we left the plane, it was normal arrival, but they passed out an information flyer. Upon arrival in Washington Dulles Airport, I had my Enhanced Screening. Today I received my call from the Martin County Health Department. All is well! Thanks be to God!
However, these travel experiences are having an effect on my sleep score and occasionally my blood pressure. But, that’s not reportable!
