Prison Break - foiled!

Well, here I thought we were escaping the confines of the "compound"...even bragging a little in my last post. But alas the weather brought us back in. As we were getting our gear together, putting on our personal body armour, and loading our very heavy packs on our backs, a light drizzle began to fall. We treked over to our meet point with our vehicle, feeling all 50 plus pounds of armour and 'pack with each stride. "Welcome to the military life," Dave K said with a wry smile. We packed up and headed for the airpark - never stopping, no matter what lay ahead (the rule of thumb). As we waited for entrance into the facility and the rain became a steady downpour, our phones chirped with the text message "flight cancelled"...our escape was foiled - just when we thought we were free - "the compound" reeled us back in!

Now, because of the myriad of logistics and special flight plans that have to be made, the earliest departure will have to be Thursday. There is no scrambling and there aren't many options. Too much planning has to take place for each excursion so we will be patient and return to our "hooch". To add insult to injury, when we return to our "home" there is a relentless downpour and all that gear and weight has to be hoisted back on our shoulders and carried back to the hooch. We are not only dissapointed but we are soaked.

You have to also understand that my videographer has been chomping at the bit to get out and start shooting. Yesterday he got a brief chance, as he was allowed to shoot some video on the Embassy grounds (a big no no) of a memorial to a USDA PRT member who was KIA in 2007. That however, was clearly not enough to satisfy him, so he is not a happy camper. But I have counciled him that there is a reason we were not on that flight this afternoon and we should be patient and take the bad with the good - all good advice given to me many years ago by my grandmother. And, as a Christian, I have always lived by the words of Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called to his purpose.

So, the bad news is our mission is delayed a couple days, but the good news is I will be able to stay in touch with my family and friends because I have phone and Internet access for 2 more days.

Here comes the sun peeking through the clouds smiling at me through the blinds in my window...the "compound" won this round...but our plans to escape continue.