Flight to Frankfurt

Detroit

   We met with the Detroit group at the international airport in Detroit yesterday, Monday, September 23.  A first grader from the Columbus area joined us with her mother on this trip.  The little girl is the only child with 29 adults.  What a wonderful opportunity for her!  Even at such a young age, she will experience the spirituality of the place that we are visiting.  One day she will thank her Mom for bringing her to witness the faith of so many people.

Father Bill putting things away after Mass.

    We had plenty of time before our flight left Detroit for Frankfurt.  Fr. Bill celebrated Mass in the meditation room of the airport.  It was a wonderful beginning to our journey to Medjugorje. Pilgrims volunteered to do the readings and distribute the Blood of Christ as Fr. Bill distributed the Body of Christ.  We prayed, we sang, we listened to the homily and received a blessing before crossing the ocean.

Across the Ocean

   Delta had me consolidate my camera in my carry-on.  I've flown Lufthansa, United, and Southwest over the past four years, even as recently as last summer and I have always been allowed to carry my purse as well as my camera, in addition to my carry-on.  I've always stored my purse and camera under the seat in front of me and the carry-on overhead.  Rules are rules, if I wanted to get to Medjugorje; so I crammed my camera into my carry-on.

Waiting for the rails in Frankfurt.

   Jane (far right side in black with a backpack) and I were seatmates and shared several true, but comical life stories.  Trying to find the outlet for the headphones was another story we added to our list.  During our flight overseas I had an aisle seat (yeah!).  My pillow kept falling out into the aisle and most times I didn't even notice it.  The nice German gentleman behind me handed it to me the first few times, but later he just picked it up off the aisle and threw it on my lap.  I got the message and used the pillow for my back instead of my neck.

A ride to the connecting terminal.

    As with all long flights, I closed my eyes not to sleep    but to pray.  I always have trouble sleeping on an    airplane, but I have plenty of time for prayer.  I said my  usual prayers and the rosary.  I taught Jane how to    recite the Sign of the Cross in Croatian and periodically  during our long flight I would quiz her.  I watched 2          movies, tried a crossword puzzle, and Sudoku.  I really    enjoy the latter two, but found them more frustrating    than relaxing due to some malfunctions in the technology.  We arrived in Frankfurt around 8 A.M. local time and took the rails to the terminal of our connecting flight to Split, Croatia.