Chapter 9

[Janice writes]

We continued our planning for the trip while living and performing those functions of everyday living. Charlie and Andy went to their home. Wendy and Tim visited them and were flown by Andy and Charlie to Protection to meet Doctor George. The older couple was enchanted by Doctor George and his wives. That's what my daughter in-law told me. Jane told me that Andy and Charlie entranced everyone. They make a beautiful couple with a kind word for everyone. Jane reported that Wendy and Tim's children and the other families were all in love with them.

We were closing in on May and our date for leaving. Dad had retired as director of Preservation. To Mike's dismay, he was elected as his successor. Mike tried to back out since he hadn't run for the position. His mother talked with him and he is now serving. Preservation's relationship with the Lavacans is closer because of his friendship with George, their leader's son.

Our party was assembling. It would be our family and the Harold's with all children totaling fifteen. Port Lavaca was represented by their leader's youngest son, Joe Anderson, a fine looking young man of eighteen. From Preservation would be Ted and Lois Malone and Michelle Dawson. From Protection would be Bess, Doctor George's daughter, with her new husband, Fred Moore. A couple from Pintlala, Major and Madison Penrod were with us Major is a true master mechanic. To our surprise, Wendy and Tim's youngest son and his wife, Robert and Nancy Hawkes joined us along with Nancy's unmarried sister, Michelle Broderick, came with them. With all of them, we totaled twenty-six people from Ted, the oldest, to Elaine, our youngest.

I announced that we would leave the next Monday. Doctor George followed that announcement by saying that Alan would be blessing the trip at the church service followed by dinner on the grounds. I had been elected to lead the expedition after Poppa refused and my husbands suggested me. We had talked our way through our thinking. It was a difficult decision but motorcycles and four-wheelers would be our vehicles. We carried enough light arms and ammunition to fight a small war. Our planes could carry enough gas to run those vehicles a lot. Among the four-wheelers were two dune buggies. We had a number of radios, batteries, generators, and antennas. Everyone had had a two-meter radio with ear bud and throat mike. We were equipped with radios to use and to give out. We just didn't know what to expect. My counsel was caution.

We went to church Sunday. Alan gave a sermon about going out into the world saying that God had given him two signs about the trip. First was the same number would return as went and no one would die. Second was that we would be more successful than we dreamed.

He had us come to the front and took the time to lay hands on each person in the group and pray over each one. I was last and he had everyone touch me or my spouses while he prayed that I would continue to show wisdom and compassion in all I did as leader, wife, mother, and friend. He kissed my forehead.

[Ed. note: I'm sure that people from large churches and those with no church relation find those two paragraphs "hokey." Those people who attend regularly and particularly those from smaller churches have experienced the deep sensation of faith and God's leading in their churches.]

I felt energized and ready to go. All our party felt good and felt the support of our family and friends in the service as they prayed for my leadership and the expedition. Alan pronounced the benediction and blessed the food waiting outside. The feast was bountiful.

Doctor George took my arm and escorted me to the head table where I was seated in the middle flanked by my husbands and then my fellow wives. Bobbi, SJ, and Jacob filled plates for the five of us and brought them. I saw Andy and Charlie with the Harold's with three free seats at their table. Wendy and Tim Hawke had come to see off their son and his wife. There were so many people there from Preservation that it was hard to count them or acknowledge them in this journal. It was a wonderful time and lasted well into the afternoon.

We finished loading our two planes and left Monday morning on our first step to St. John's, Newfoundland. We arrived to find it cold but untouched since we had last been here. We refueled and set up for the night. We could go further but weren't trying to hurry. This would be our last night on the North American continent.

In the morning, we loaded and left for Reykjavik, Iceland. We flew into the airport and landed. It was deserted and looked to have been that way for a long time. The weather was cool but felt great. We found fuel, lots of fuel. It tested good and we started the process of refueling while I had guards set out. Robby and I took a four-wheeler and wandered into the city but saw and heard nothing. When we returned, we talked about a next step. We agreed to spend the night here. Refueling our monsters was a time-consuming and tiring thing to do. There was some talk of staying a second night but the consensus was to press on to our next stop, Donegal.

Thus far, our navigation had been spot on and the planes' GPS units had been eerily correct. We went to bed tired but were looking forward to the morning. I kept out sentries at the suggestion of Mel and Charlie.

Bennie and I were out there at the edge of the airport lying close together. Over my ear bud, I heard Mel say, "They are coming but I sense curiosity not enmity in them."

Charlie said, ""That's my feeling, too, Mom. Beware but give them a chance."

Mindy and Herb were in one plane and Poppa and Momma were in the other. Through my throat mike, I said, "On my mark, turn on all the lights." I gave them a minute. "Three, two, one, mark!" Both planes' lights came on including landing lights. The people coming toward us were illuminated.

They stopped. Bennie and I stood. I said, "Does anyone speak English?"

One older man came forward. "I speak English. Where are you from?"

"We are from North America. Our primary communities are called Protection and Preservation. We come in peace on a mission to explore. Our names are Bennie and Janice Cook-Thomas-Sullivan."

He said, "You are carrying firearms."

"Yes, we had no way of knowing what kind of people you are or what your attitude might be. In other places, we have been attacked by large, wild animals as well."

"I understand. Let me talk to my people." He did. I heard United States once and our names. The rest was in his tongue and I had no idea what he said. There was a friendly discussion after that among them. He turned back to us. "We would like to meet with you. Should we come back in the morning?"

"Yes, that would be good. Give us six hours at least."

He nodded his head smiling. "We will do that. Have a good evening."

"Good evening to you, too." They turned and I realized there were perhaps ten in the group. I had the lights turned off. Bennie and I moved.

We lay down again. It was quiet and we slept until dawn. We woke and brought our sleeping bag back to the plane. We had set up bathing facilities in the terminal and were able to wash off. Bennie shaved. He had tried a beard but it was just too much.

We were ready when they came again. There were more people this time. We quickly found that a number were fluent in English. Jón Stefánsson introduced himself telling us to call him Jon. He told us quickly how Icelanders named themselves using their father's or mother's names for a surname. He was surprised to find that I had four spouses. There were a number of threesomes in their people but our size had never occurred in a marriage.