Jun
30
Leuven
Filed Under AIA Track & Field Ministry
We made it! It was definitely an adventure traveling with poles, especially since they wanted to weigh the poles…that was interesting. One of our guys stood up straddling the scale and we had to finagle the poles so they were propped on the scale…and yes, we did get photos! The greatest part was they didn’t charge us an arm and a leg…we had to pay oversized for one because it weight more than 50 pounds. The other one was just charged as a second bag…how sweet is that!!!
The flight over wasn’t too bad. I was blessed with an exit row! Woot! Lots of leg room. I was happy to have slept the majority of the flight. We arrived in Brussels just fine…then had to find our poles. I was told to go about 5 different places, but we found them! The next adventure was to find Jonas. He is a Belgian vaulter who agreed to come to the airport and bring the poles and luggage down to Leuven. I tried calling him, but apparently if you don’t add more minutes to your prepay phone within a year, it becomes inactive. But honestly, like he would have any issues finding us…we’re the ones with the poles 
I hopped in with him and the team took the train. We dropped the poles off at this stadium in Kessel-lo, about a 10/15 min walk from our hostel, where we’ll be able to train. They even gave us the keys to the stadium so we can come and go as we choose!!! Just another way God is taking care of us. We checked into the hostel and saw our dear friend Roel again…so good to see him. We went to the bakery across the street for lunch and had naps, then team time in a park. We went over Principle 2. I was proud of them for pushing through and listening…fighting jet lag is like fighting an invisible enemy. I know I struggled.
We hit up the track for a work out. I met Jonas’s coach, Steven. We talked a bit and we were telling him about our travels with poles. It doesn’t matter what country you’re from or what language you speak…the language of the pole vault is the same. It was fun to share stories.
Today is Principle 3, Testimony Workshop…and getting our Euro bikes! Vaulters will hit the pit…I may be itching to grab a pole…and may very well be talked into it