Getting There…
Each of the Tenki Team traveled from far and wide to be a part of this amazing experience. Maria and Nate traveled from Seattle, Washington. Amanda flew in from Texas, and Mariama and Matthew departed from the nation’s capital. Our goal was to meet in Washington DC and fly out together on the same plane to ensure we arrived at the same time in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Final Boarding Call
As with every trip to Sierra Leone, there are challenges. Snow storms across the Midwest and aircraft malfunctions threatened to keep Dr. Valdez and Nate from joining the others.
Hugs
There was a collective sigh of relief as Mariama and Maria embraced. Flights to Sierra Leone only happen every other day. If they had missed this one it would’ve caused major logistical challenges.
Exhausted
The boarding process began and was nearly finished. With just minutes to spare, they came running! Nate took a bow, proud to have hauled both carry-ons while running the half-mile between their arriving and departing gate.
United
Matthew captured our first group moment together in candid fashion. His face expresses everyone’s feelings as we boarded the plane bound for a layover in Morocco, and then on to Freetown.
All told the five us carried 11 checked bags, 5 carry-ons, and various personal items. While we managed to unite as a team in DC, some of the baggage was not so lucky. We eagerly await the arrival of 4 checked bags full of donated medical supplies and medicine.