DES MOINES, Iowa — A group of Iowans who were stuck in Israel for more than a week have finally arrived home.
Nearly a dozen of their family members waited inside the Des Moines Airport near the baggage claim to greet the group as they landed Saturday morning.
"We're anxiously waiting for them," said Kate Goodwin. "Very anxiously waiting, but an excited anxious... not a nervous anxious."
Kate is the daughter-in-law of Pastor Glenn Goodwin, who led a group of Iowans from Gospel Assembly Church to Israel more than a week ago to partake in a Christian Holy Land tour.
What was meant to be an enlightening experience quickly went south when the terrorist group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel.
"We did have to run to shelters a couple of times when sirens would go off," Glenn explained. "There was only one time when a Hamas rocket landed close to us."
As the conflict escalated, Glenn and the other Iowans found themselves trapped in Israel. While they were able to find a hotel away from the attacks, getting home was another story.
The group made multiple calls to the U.S. Embassy, while family members back home got in touch with Gov. Kim Reynolds and other U.S. representatives, including Rep. Zach Nunn, in an effort to get the Iowans home safely.
After many cancelled flights and hours on the phone, some members of the group got a confirmed flight to Greece. From there, the group hopped on a flight to Newark, New Jersey, before getting on another flight to Iowa.
Prior to the group's landing Saturday morning, family members waited with bated breath until the three travelers descended an escalator, smiling with relief.
Glenn's granddaughters dropped their signs they had made to run and embrace their grandfather.
But after days and days of waiting, those thoughts won't have to cross their minds anymore.
Pastor Goodwin told Local 5 on Saturday morning the 14 other members of the group have flights scheduled, and are on track to return to the U.S. soon.