The Backpack Collection Trip: Pre-Trip Phase

The backpack collection trip has officially started. Sort of. Think of it in these terms: The Super Bowl has a pre-game show. The Oscars, Tonys, Grammys, Emmys, CMAs, etc, each have a pre-show red carpet coverage. Even Nascar has a pre-race show. We have moved into the backpack collection trip pre-trip phase. That means that Allen is currently in Maryland. (If you’re interested in red carpet coverage, I’ll have to get back to you on that because I didn’t think to ask who he’s wearing.)

(Trish cuts in to add: Allen wore a stunning ensemble! With his usual fashion-forward sense, he rocked footwear from designer Dr Scholls. A nod to the common man came in the form of off-the-rack cargo shorts from Walmart. All pulled together with a custom designed Sowers4Pastors T shirt!)

You may remember that Allen decided to catch an earlier-than-usual flight out of Honduras because of the likelihood of being bumped from a flight. He had a ticket for August 11th, but that didn’t guarantee he would be leaving on that day.

Before heading to Tegucigalpa on the 10th, Russell and Allen made a detour to San Pedro Sula. They started out at 4:15 AM because they decided to go through the process of getting a physical residency card. Even though they had the paperwork showing they have legal status, the shutdown meant they had not been able to get cards printed earlier. Some people have had problems using the paperwork for travel eligibility, so this was a prudent decision even if it did mean spending a day being shuffled through six different departments. There was a glitch in the system and this little outing burned four hours (not including the extra driving time).

Russell was supposed to meet with an attorney about getting the paperwork for the shipping containers in order while they were in San Pedro Sula, but that had to be rescheduled. Russell drove Allen to Rachel’s home in Tegucigalpa, then immediately headed back to Gracias on his own. In total, Google Maps is showing that Russell completed fourteen hours of driving time that day.

In Tegucigalpa, Allen was able to enjoy spending time with Nathan and Rachel. When describing his adventures with grandson Nathan, Allen said, “He and I are buds. Nathan has a similar activity level to me at that age. We played a lot of crazy games and had a real good time.” No doubt!

The following morning, Allen got to the airport super early. Since he had been told the flight was fully booked, he didn’t want to run the risk of being bumped in case it was actually over-booked.
Everywhere Allen went, from the government office in San Pedro Sula to the airport in Tegucigalpa, employees were covered from head-to-toe in PPE. They wore masks, gloves, face visors or goggles, and other protective gear. Naturally, all travelers were in masks, as well, as this is mandatory throughout Honduras.

There were temperature-taking stations and the GermX flowed like a river. Social distancing was observed, causing the lines to appear long even though there weren’t many people flying. In the lounge area, each seat had a buffer seat where no one was allowed to sit. Even families traveling together couldn’t sit side-by-side.

When it was time to board, Allen and his fellow travelers were given pre-packaged bags of snacks and packets of alcohol wipes to resanitize any area they might touch. Allen wore a surgical mask when interacting with people. On the plane, he wore an N95 mask. Seatmates were requested to not eat at the same time so that someone was always wearing a mask.

The flight landed in Houston and Allen saw more of the same. He did mention that Houston is using more social distancing because it is a larger airport and few people are traveling. Then he flew up to Maryland. In two days, Allen passed through five departments in Honduras, plus Texas, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. That’s not bad tor just the pre-trip phase of the backpack collection trip.

 - posted by Christi