14 Days To St. Croix!

Day 143.

Fourteen days from today and we will be in St. Croix.  Back in St. Croix.  It's amazing to me that I can still remember what I was feeling in the days leading up to the first trip in 1979.  As a fairly mature 17 year old (at least I thought I was), I was a teenager that was reflective in my music, my reads, my friendships and my spiritual life.  Journaling was something I enjoyed and a way to express what was going on down deep inside Lisa.  If I wasn't journaling, I was thinking in descriptive words.  I don't think that was weird, as I had girlfriends that did the same thing.  I think journaling became cool around that time, maybe.  Or maybe I was weird.  Anyway.....maybe that's why I can remember what I was feeling so clearly.

In March of '79, I had been invited to be a part of a mission team from the First Baptist Church in Clyde, Texas, traveling to St. Kitts.  The team, or at least some members, had been going to the island for years.  I agreed to go - wouldn't it be fun they said?  In the days leading up to the St. Kitts mission trip (via St. Croix), I prepared materials to lead part of the music program for the Vacation Bible School we were to present on the island.  There were some 1500 people enrolled to participate the week of July 24th.  I had a definite sense of dread and doom - a very heavy feeling.  As a teenager, I should have been excited to travel AWAY from my parents to a Caribbean island, but I wasn't.  I couldn't explain to anyone, including myself, why I felt this way, but neither did I feel like I could let down my fellow team members or the St. Kitts people to not go.

Saturday, July 21st, the night before we were to leave Abilene, I sat in the floor of my bedroom, packed my suitcase..... and cried. I remember my mom asking me what was wrong.  I had no answer.

Sunday, July 22nd, That evening after church, I walked out to the car with my mom to get my suitcase.  I was feeling low.  She was feeling apprehensive about letting her child fly away to some island without her parents.  The words to a song I had recently been listening to came into my head.  "Ain't no need to worry where I'm going.  Angels walk before to clear my way.  With every step I feel His arms around me and I'm captured by the beauty of His grace.  Midnight turned to velvet sunshine morning.  I traded teardrops for laughter all the way.  And it's funny, I don't see storm clouds I see rainbows.  Now I'm walking happy like a child.  And Jesus, He's the secret of my smile."  Peace.  That is what I felt as we left Abilene that night for the Dallas airport. Little did I know that God was already preparing me for what was to happen two days later. (song, Reba Rambo)

The next trip in 14 days is coming together.  The couple I met while in the St. Croix hospital are going to meet John and I at the airport and for dinner that night.  Back then, they brought me a Bible and comfort for a few days.  When I think of the days following the plane crash, I think of Beltane and Debbie Harrigan.  Beltane is helping me locate the nurse that cared for me in the hospital - Tennie Romney.  I'm hoping to get a chance to meet her once again and tell her thank you for the long hours she gave the 4 patients in Room 301.

The St. Croix Airport is going to arrange to take John and I out to the crash sight once we land on the island.  There is a need I have to be there again and remember.  It's not dread I feel right now, but thankfulness and gladness that I can, once again, bring back the memories of the 8 people that died that day on July 24, 1979.  I have to go.

There is still one missing piece to this puzzle that I need to find.  The pilot.

The Trek Back to St. Croix

Day 132

(8 years ago, I got a wild hair after reading The Van Winkle Project to blog myself for 365 days.  Yeah.  What was I thinking?  Blog about what?  I happened to be going through a lot of crap back then, so it seemed natural to me to want to share it - in case anyone else out there in cyberland might be going through the same crap. It was during this 365 day blogging experiment that the idea of returning to St. Croix was born.  So that's what the "Day 132.." is about. I unpublished the other blogs so these are just about the plane crash. Most people are curious about plane crash survivors, but don't want to ask questions - in case they freak out or something.  Never been a problem for me to talk about it, but don't ask me why. Ha! Blogs are written from bottom up.  So read up!)

A funny thing happened on my way to Surrender In St. Croix (*the novel I was writing in my head).  John & I decided to make the trip back to St. Croix.  Third return for me.  First for him.  St. Croix, USVI is the island where my 1979 plane crash happened.  It was only supposed to be a short down & up flight stop on the way to a final destination in St. Kitts, but instead it turned out to be the place I would remember, for now, almost 31 years.

My family took me back 2 years after the crash for vacation.  While the island is gorgeous, I was still an emotional mess and not ready to relive any of the crash experience.  I wasn't interested in remembering or seeing.  Flying made me nervous and being on the island made me even more nervous.  Thirty years later....I'm not nervous.  I'm excited and I'm planning.  I think John is just as excited to experience St. Croix and see firsthand what I've been telling him about all these years.

I have been in touch with a couple that visited me in the island hospital.  In fact, they provided me with a New Testament where I dwelt in the book of Psalms during those 5 days in the hospital.  We will get to have dinner with them. I am also on the search for the nurse who cared for me.  I anticipate getting to visit the crash site and also going back to the hospital.  I've even sent out a search for the pilot in San Juan. I'm not certain what I will do with that information. We'll see.  I have mixed emotions.

                                                                             

 So the adventure awaits. My book just seemed to be calling out for a firsthand look at the island I am writing about. My mini-notebook is ready! So are we. July 8th.  25 days and counting.