Hey Friends & Family!
After 63 hours of travel, I have finally made it to Durban, South Africa!
Our adventure began bright and early in the morning of the 17th! Still sleepy, we packed up our bags and walked a short distance to a nearby church to wait on our bus. Around 6:45 am we loaded up the bus and made our way to the Guatemala City Airport.
Once all 35 of us were checked in, we were free to go about the airport to explore until it was time to board our plane at 1:00 pm. Our first flight was relatively short and had us landing in Miami, Florida, by dinner time. I was absolutely elated to be on US soil because as much as I love Guatemala, I sure missed my favorite brands of snacks and Chick-fil-A! (The three-month hiatus made my Chick-fil-A grilled chicken nuggets taste ten times better than usual, and they were gone almost as soon as I got them!) Being back in the states was also super sweet because I was able to turn on my service to text and call my friends and family without any extra charge!
Around 10:30 pm that same evening, I boarded the longest and largest flight I have ever been on. The duration was 13 and a half hours, and there were over 300 passengers. I was not excited about such a long flight, but the airline we used, Qatar Airways, was extremely hospitable and provided blankets, pillows, eye masks, and plenty of snacks and meals for all of us.
A couple of movies and naps later, we arrived in Doha, Qatar, at 9:00 pm on the 18th of December! I was so excited! I was in the world’s nicest airport, and I was in the Middle East! I could not wait to get out and explore!
After clearing security and customs and being approved for a short-term visa, I was out with my squad in Qatar. A group of us decided to go to the famous market called Souq Waqif. Doha is a place alive at night. There are late-night restaurants and carts with yummy food. Luckily for us, it was Qatar’s national holiday, so the market was decorated with beautiful lights and flags!
While there I ate chocolate-covered strawberries and I tried chicken shawarma. It was super delicious, and I want to eat it again soon! I loved getting a little taste of Middle Eastern culture, and I definitely hope to be able to come back to Qatar someday!
I was back in the airport before too late, and I still had several hours left on my layover, so I explored the huge airport with my friends. There was an indoor garden full of exotic plants and decorated with Christmas lights. I looked in several stores and restaurants, took a nice warm shower, and I was even able to find a gluten-free chocolate muffin!
By 7:30 am on the 19th of December, I was more than ready to get some sleep on the flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. I slept most of the 8-hour flight, but I had my friend wake me up for the snacks (I have my priorities straight).
However, upon arriving in Africa, our travel wasn’t over yet! We spent a couple of hours in the Johannesburg airport before catching a shuttle to the bus station and boarding a bus around 10:00 pm. The bus was super comfortable, and I slept super well. I only awoke once to the sunrise, which occurs around 4:00 am here in Africa. African sunrises are one of the most spectacular sights I have ever seen.
I watched as a band of bright red light appeared along the horizon. As the sun crept upwards, the sky turned orange and slowly bled into a pinky orange framed by the silhouette of the tree tops in the distance.
Soon after I watched the sunrise, I fell back asleep until we arrived at our lodging here in Durban, South Africa. I was amazed again by the beauty of the country. I was met with a grassy lawn and thick tropical brush almost like a small jungle covering the bluff and the big blue ocean stretching to meet the bright morning sky.
I am so incredibly blessed to be here enjoying God’s creation. I cannot wait to begin ministry here and continue to learn more about the people and culture here! I will definitely keep you all updated as I learn and experience more of this world around me!
Grace & Peace,
Maggie Claire Richardson
Prayer Requests
Please continue to pray for the health and safety of my team, but I am pleased to report that I and my teammates are feeling much better—praise God! Please pray that God prepares our hearts to live and serve in the orphanage over this next month and that He brings new revelation for all of us! Thank you for all your prayers and support!
If you would like to support me financially, please Venmo me @Maggie-Richardson-31. or give to my parents (anything submitted to the portal I used to fundraise past the 100% mark will not go to help with my personal needs). While the money I fundraised covers all my food, travel, and accommodations, sometimes my allergies make me have to spend a little extra, especially in places where gluten-free food isn’t common, so just a little extra money would be extremely helpful!
