As you may remember, Steve was scheduled to go on a mission trip to Haiti. Some of his team came and stayed a couple of nights with us then set off from our house headed for Haiti. I watched them go with a little lump in my throat....I had NO IDEA what was to come LOL
The first night they all met at Southeastern University and spent the night. Then they left around 2 am for Orlando International Airport. Around 4:00 am I get a call from Steve. He is at the TSA checkpoint and is not being allowed to board the plane! At first I thought he was kidding around but I realized from his voice he was serious. It seemed that his passport had gone through the washing machine a few years ago and was fraying even more so he was stopped. He had used his passport twice since it got washed but this time it seemed it was not going to happen. The staff did say he could go to Miami and try and get a one day passport. I encouraged him to do it so he got a ride back to Lakeland and I met him there with all the paperwork he would need later that morning. We got him a new passport picture and then I took him back to the Orlando Airport to catch an evening flight to Miami. The ride home for me was"an adventure" I hate driving the interstate and driving in the rain at dusk...yep we had all the above plus major road construction!
He had quite the adventure in Miami. He "ubered" for the first time to get to his hotel. Thankfully through a friend, we found one on the same block as the passport office. It was a luxury hotel so he felt like a king for the night. He had to be in line by 6 am the next morning at the passport office. I was so worried that we missed a paper or something. It's very hard to prove you need a one day passport. When he got to the passport office there were a couple of people ahead of him in line and when the office opened at 8 am all those folks got turned away for various reasons. Steve was sick on his stomach. He was given 30 seconds (literally) to state his case. He had just been talking to someone in line about us having gone to Cuba, so he tells the person he needs his passport to go to Cuba!!!! He corrected himself and they all laughed because they could tell how nervous he was!!! Anyhow it all went well and he picked up his passport that afternoon. (It reminded me of Ukraine-we had to get a one day passport for the girls) He got another great night in the hotel then left for Haiti early the next morning.
BTW a one day passport just means it's issued in just one day.
There was a disturbance out in the Gulf so the airplane trip was very bumpy going over and coming back. Evidently the Haitians on board prayed- out loud- loudly. He wasn't sure what was going on. But he makes it to Haiti safe and sound. But you know that is not the end of the story...Oh no not for a Clanton!
A couple of days later I get a 5am call from him. He said he was very sick. At first I wasn't too worried about it but he got worse as the day went on. The ministry where he was volunteering had a hospital so he ended up getting admitted to it! Thankfully after a few bags of IV fluids he was fine. they think he just got dehydrated. He loved the whole trip and is already planning on going back next spring to shoot a full video for them.
Ok I LOVE this picture of him!
the children coming in for school
Steve's team and some of the kids
Looking towards the Dominica Republic
Steve also worked some on a video while he was there and shot some roll that was used in a a fund raiser for the orphanage. I can't seem to save and share it but I'll try and post it.
Most of the time he volunteered in the area with the special needs kids.
This experience has helped him clarify some things. He hopes to use his videography skills for missions. He has been thinking along these lines for awhile but this has has shown him what he could actually do.
His goal for now is to graduate from college in December. He has been accepted into the Master's program to purse the degree of Human Services. He is hoping he will get a GA (graduate's assistant ) position to help pay for his degree. Please pray that the right door will be opened for him.
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