Packing, Praying and Waiting!

Today has truly been a blessing. My day has been filled with phone calls, texts, Facebook messages and visits from family and friends, wishing me well on this trip. I'm sure people don't realize, but their kind words mean more than they know. My siblings have given me numerous hugs today, telling me that they love me, while my parents surprise me with a dinner at Red Lobster (my favorite). Thank God for such a supportive family!

I leave in nine hours and I'm hoping I can get some sleep tonight. I have packed lightly, but I have that feeling that I'm forgetting something...

The first verse in my travel journal, a gift from my parents, is "God will be with you wherever you go."-Joshua 1:9 NIV. That's a great note to begin on :). 

Meeting Dr. Hall Duncan

Today was our final meeting before we begin our journey to Europe. Earlier today I received a call from Amy Unruh, Administrative Assistant for the Keeter Center for Character Education at College of the Ozarks, asking me to meet her prior to the meeting. When she mentioned I would be meeting my Veteran for the first time, I jumped at the opportunity.

What do I wear? I'm about to meet a man that is a Purple Heart recipient... Will I call him Dr. Duncan? Hall? Should I shake his hand, or greet him with a hug? All of these questions infected my mind as 6 o'clock p.m. neared. I found myself much more nervous than I expected. As I neared the lodge on the C of O campus, nerves turned to sweat. I was greeted by Mrs. Unruh's smile and a calming hug, which helped some of the nerves fade.

On the third floor, I spot a man with a cane and a blue cap and I knew... "That is my Veteran." As Dr. Duncan made his way down the glass elevator, I couldn't hold back my smile. When the doors of the elevator opened he said, "You must be Austin... It's a pleasure to finally meet you." My first move was to shake his hand, which soon turned into an awkward hug. I couldn't help but think, "This is the guy that is going to make me laugh and make me cry for the next two weeks."

Conversation shifted to many different topics as we drove on campus to join our fellow travelers. The meeting started promptly at 6 p.m., so we were around 10 minutes late. Coming through the side door of the meeting room, all eyes were on Hall. All the students, faculty and staff smiled as they applauded his presence.

Hall told the group a little bit about his travels and his service. We all watched in awe as an 88 year old man recalled very specific memories about his past effortlessly. He didn't miss a lick!

After the meeting, Bonnie Anderson (my student partner, also assigned to Hall) and I were invited to a private dinner with Hall. We spoke for hours about ourselves and lost all track of time. Before we knew it, we were the only people in the restaurant, except for the staff that were eager to go home for the evening.

Tomorrow will consist of a lot of packing, prayer and reading. I'm so very thankful for this opportunity to bare witness to these witnesses. After meeting Hall, there is no doubt this trip will be one to remember. A lot of prayer going out to my fellow travelers...

A Little Background

My name is Austin Plummer and I'm a senior at College of the Ozarks, majoring in Public Relations. C of O has given me many unique opportunities, such as meeting Governor Sarah Palin, Dave Ramsey, Ben Stein, Louis Zamperini, etc, but none as significant as my next journey...

I've always wanted to travel and I embarked on my first trip "across the pond" and landed in Paris, France. I spent 10 days with a wonderful family, which whom I was introduced to through C of O. The "B" family showed me so much love during my stay and were great hosts. I don't think there was a monument on my "must see" list that I didn't visit. That trip sparked an even greater desire to travel within me. The culture had so many stories to tell and I didn't have time to hear them all.

A story that I will not soon forget is drawing near... Myself and 16 other College of the Ozarks students will be traveling with WWII Veterans and Holocaust survivors back to Europe to relive some painful memories. We will be visiting numerous destinations across Germany, Slovakia, Austria and Poland, listening to the emotional recollections of the witnesses. The Holocaust Commemorative Tour is sponsored completely by the Patriotic Travel Program at C of O. Due to the generosity of donors, students, like myself, will not have to pay anything.

We will be leaving May 31, 2012 on "The Trip of a Lifetime."