Day 19 Friday, July 31st.

I hate goodbye's. So many abrupt, cold, flurried moments in airports - then quick hugs and brief words lest their flight should leave without them.

Our plane left Manaus an hour and a half or more after schedule from bad weather in Atlanta. It was a long flight that took the whole night. Some people were able to sleep, for myself, I tried and utterly failed. When they served breakfast I told the girl to put cream in the coffee, figuring it would taste bad. It wasn't until I'd drank 3/4ths of it and began to feel funny that I remembered I wasn't suppose to drink dairy. Egh.

When we first boarded I began talking to the lady across the isle from me - She's a U.S. citizen now but a Brazilian native. I was so absorbed chatting to her I didn't really pay attention to what was going on around me. One of the flight attendants came up tot me abruptly and demanded, "did you hear what was just said?"

"No."

"Well," she huffed, "those were flight instructions that you didn't listen to. That, "she pointed her finger down me, "was disobedient. That was a test, and you, you failed that at test." She turned and went back to her seat while I sat momentarily dumbfounded. I was on the verge of laughter. Everyone in our group turned to see what was going on and my Brazilian friend raised her brow and remarked, "that was rude and uncalled for."

It was only the instructions they give before every flight that I'm sure hundreds of passengers every day do their best to drown out. I call it Benton Luck.

Because of the flight delay, Grant and I missed our connection flights while Laurie had to run through customs and luggage . We weren't even able to say goodbye to her.

The rest of us merged to our terminal where we found out they switched all of our gate numbers. The Focklers and Cama left next to Denver. I'm going to miss all of them. Even I suppose Jared and Daniel with their constant jeering and teasing.

Grant and I headed back together on the tram where we parted. I went to my new gate which was switched twice more before I boarded.

I hadn't slept in over 30 hours and instantly took a 40 minute nap. I imagine lack of sleep is the cause of this headache.

It is good to be in the U.S. again. I'm looking forward to stepping off the plane, sleeping in a bed (what a novel idea), and calling my family.

God has been so good to us this entire trip. Some things are still all muggled up in my brain but my hope is to never forget Judy's words to us before departing. That I will always be open to the will of God. To serve Him at a moments notice and that I may never forget to live my life living Christ for we do not know when he will return.

May I always pray and search for the will of God in my life.