10,000 Kilometers in a Plane can sure give you a Crick in the Neck!

According to the inflight display screen, we travelled 10,677 kilometers in just under 13 hours from Los Angeles to Auckland New Zealand! We left LAX at 10:15pm and so the entire flight was during the night. We were chasing the sun past the horizon so it was pitch black outside the whole flight.

It was really touch for us to sleep at all, and Ruth ended up with a painfully sore neck. We've pumped her full of ibuprofen and will put some icy hot patches (or PNG equivelant) when we can if it's still causing her problems.

As I write this we are on the plane waiting to leave the gate at Auckland Internation for our flight to Brisbane. I'm a little nervouse about switching airlines in Brisbane because Air Niugini may not readily accept my baggage receipts from Air New Zealand. Later, I'll have to put together a post about trying to get baggage through three different airlines on the same booking and how amazingly complicated and mysterious it is. Thanks to Jeff Mahowald who met us at the Spokane airport and stayed for the 1 1/2 hours while we tried to get it figured out with the ticket agent. His help lugging the bags around was much needed and he led a time of prayer for our family just before we headed through security. We love you Jeff and family!

Anyway, all electronic devices must now be turned off! Pray for us and for Ruth's neck. This day just keeps going on and on. Can't wait to actually sleep in a real bed and not in an airplane chair (not at all comfortable to sit in let alone try to sleep in).

God Bless!