The Long Journey Home Begins

We have a 17+ hour travel day ahead of us.  Here's our schedule in CST (assuming nothing is delayed, of course):

8:30am - meet for breakfast and check out of rooms
9am - board bus to shuttle from Negril to Montego Bay
10:30am - check in at MBJ airport
1:45pm - depart MBJ
4:30pm - arrive ATL and go through US Customs
9pm - depart ATL
11:45pm - arrive MSP
12:15am - load vehicles to travel home
1:45am - back to the ZLC parking lot

Yesterday was a wonderful final day together.  We met at 10am and headed out on a 2 mile walk down the beach to the open air market to pick up some souvenirs.  It has been hot everyday, but yesterday seemed even hotter than the days before.  While in the shops one of our girls passed out from the extreme heat.  Thankfully her friends were right there to hold her up and lower her to the ground.  Other friends managed to run and find a gatorade in less than a minute.  She's doing just fine now, but through the entire experience we got to see the best of the Jamaican culture.  While at the open air market all of the individual shop owners constantly call out to get you to come into their shop to buy their items.  As soon as one of our kids was in need their goal instantly changed and they came running from each of their shops to help out -- laying down a beach towel, fanning her for a half hour, giving us bottles of water that they were selling and refusing to let us pay for them, bringing over a damp rag for her forehead, and letting us use their cell phone to call for a ride back to the hotel. The situation gave the group a good perspective into how a communal culture works together when someone is in need.
 
Our afternoon was spent out in the water or along the beach with a good book.  Kids tried kayaking, sailing with Bob, and paddle boarding.  After another delicious dinner we enjoyed a live Jamaican reggae band.  The highlight was definitely watching a Jamaican man attempt to teach the majority of our kids (and Bob & Sue) how to dance on the beach.

Parents, I will provide a travel update when we arrive in Atlanta.  Please pray for a safe journey as we travel 2,000+ miles today.