Colorado Church Group Rushes To Leave Jordan Before Flights Stop

DENVER (CBS4) - A church group from Denver is desperately trying to get home after visiting the holy land before coronavirus travel restrictions were instituted. While any trip like this is an adventure, the group says they got more than they bargained for.

"It's been unbelievable," said pastor John Bell of Wellshire Presbyterian Church in Denver.

For everyone who went, it was the trip of a lifetime until businesses, sites and borders started closing.

"It felt like Indiana Jones. It felt like everywhere we went the door was closing behind us and the ball was rolling and we were just barely beating it out," Bell said.

Eventually he and his group ended up in Amman, Jordan when President Donald Trump started restricting travel. Even though American citizens are allowed to come home from overseas, the demand for flights back soared.

Bell and his group scrambled to find a flight back to Colorado, ever mindful they may just be stuck there for a while.

"I was working with the travel agent on plans to stay here two, three weeks... a month. We were already in discussions about what we need to do to stay here."

Finally, they have booked tickets to come back and even though the airports have had long lines to get through screening and customs, they are looking forward to it.

"To be honest, we couldn't be happier about standing in those lines when we get back to the United States. We're just going to be so happy to be back, kiss the ground and see our families and our dogs again. We're just at this moment elated and hope it works out."

They are literally catching the one of last planes out of Jordan. The airport closes Monday so if they don't make it, or the flight gets overbooked or cancelled, they might need those long term plans after all.

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