INDIA MAY 2014 Travel Days

Saturday morning met me with overwhelming emotions and confusion.  

Mark Gower and I were the only two of the original group of six who were able to schedule an oversight trip at this time to honor Gary Tate and to assess the potential future participation of GCR mission committee in India.  We arranged for Ray McMillan from Canada to accompany us on the trip. Ray has had over fifty years of missionary service in India and knows the culture and most of our works very well.  He will be able to help us discern culture and tradition and to set up supervising boards to oversee incoming funds and make visits between our future trips.

We had completed visa applications online mailed off our passports by the first of April.  Although the process was slated to take up to ten business days, by last Sunday we had not received the passports.  Ray left Monday and flew from Calgary over the Pacific to India. He was scheduled to meet with some of his contacts in New Delhi and Guwahatti before our arrival.  Tuesday evening we both had them in hand, so the trip was a go!

Friday night my mother, who had been in and out of the hospital and rehab for over two weeks, developed pneumonia.  She had been scheduled to leave rehab and return home on Saturday.  She was rushed into ICU unable to breathe.  Sheri, my sister, told me Mother had insisted that I make the trip and for her not to tell me about her going to ICU.  Through the night her condition seemed to worsen and I was advised not to travel.  I re-packed my car for a trip to Dallas.  I contacted Mark, Ray McMillan, church leaders and Indian contacts to let them know Mark would travel alone.  Then my sister sent me a text video of my mother from her ICU bed telling me to get on the plane and make the trip.  (My car is still packed with "Dallas" clothes in my garage in Odessa.)

Arriving at the airport at 8:30, Mark thought I would be giving him the Indian rupees I had exchanged for hotels and travel expenses.  I think Connie was the most pleased that I was already checked in when they arrived!

Our trip was long.  Everything flowed smoothly, but I used 97% of my cell phone power in the texts, calls and emails in airports...Midland to Houston to Newark to Delhi.  It was not until I reached the hotel in Delhi that I received further word from my sister and brother who were with Mother.  On top of the pneumonia she had another flash pulmonary edema episode!  She remains in ICU, but is in stable condition again.

Mark and I were glad to be met at the airport by the hotel shuttle.  Once on our floor and into our rooms, we quickly contacted home and settled into a comfortable clean repose.  I think my sleep was actually three two-hour naps, but we are refreshed for our Monday morning flight to Guwahatti.  We will meet Ray at the hotel and later visit in the home of Ragav Ray today.

Follow along with our visits as we live ten and one half hours in your future for the next two weeks!

TRAVEL DAYS

Leaving Kenya is always so difficult!  But the days come to pass and my tasks are completed for this trip.  Mauryn and Jois prepared grilled fish and chips for an early dinner before all five climbed into the smaller vehicle to see me off at the airport!  We enjoyed songs, poems, the national anthem and the pledge along the road.  Everything went smoothly.  The refurbished departure area is so nice and bright!  They have redone the restrooms which almost caused me an embarrassment!  What used to be entrance for both genders nearest our gate, is now not the one for me!  But the extra walk was well worth it!  I had wondered what I would do with carry on bags, but it was so spacious and clean!

At the Nairobi airport we had another good rain!  I was glad it was not arrival night where you have to deplane via the staircase and take a bus!  Our plane was an hour and a half late due to delays at its origin in London.  The eight and a half hours were long ones with noisy sleepers surrounding me.  As we arrived in London, we were asked to remain seated due to a medical emergency needing paramedics to board the plane and care for a gentleman at the back of the plane.  Good thing I was scheduled with a long layover in Heathrow!

In Heathrow, I maneuvered the trains and security screening to get from B terminal over to A, checked in with wifi, rested and got regrouped only to be relocated back to B terminal at the last minute!  Oh the joys of the international travel.  In Kenya everyone got another great night of sleep through the rain.  And all the while, back in Texas enjoyed Thursday afternoon and are still sleeping soundly...except those who got up to respond to text messages from me!  Now we are boarding for the next nine hours of the trip home.  We should leave on time...and arrive in time for five hours in the DFW airport!  I'm sure my bed will feel really great tonight!

WORK DAY

Today everyone is busy getting new intros ready to be mailed out tomorrow morning!

Mauryn and Risper transferred pins from the old map to our new one with counties!

Blue=Workers

White=Name Getters

Green=Feeding Stations

Red=Orphanages

Yellow=Training Center or School

We had a good rain Wednesday night. Today we will work on office work and make plans for October. Tonight I begin the long journey home!

TRAVEL DAY

We have arrived in Narok where we have checked in at the Seasons Hotel for the night...four hours from home!

We started our day by taking Alfayo, Eunice and Enoch and Mercenine Achieng (a student of Mary Sue) on a tour through the Ruma National Game Park near Homa Bay. We enjoyed seeing several variety of antelopes, a large family of giraffes, a few zebras and four baboons. The game park has recently burned, but even at its best when comparing it to Nakuru Game Park,  I would compare the Pecos Zoo to the Fort Worth Zoo. 

Alfayo registered the game warden for WBS as we exited the park!

Our four hour drive to Narok was uneventful except for the lights and sirens chasing a vehicle that passed us!  Come to find out it was the governor and his body guard!

We are snug in our room for the night and will celebrate Angton's birthday at dinner with a cake from Nakumat.

WHAT A GLORIOUS MORNING!

We had a wonderful night's sleep...unless you think waking up to your two roomies doing The Mosquito Dance would be disturbing!  They were jumping and waving scarves and chasing them around the room. Just as I awoke enough to realize I wasn't dreaming, the power went off again and everyone went back to bed. 

Each evening we three have taken time to share our stories...one by one beginning with Risper. Last night was my turn to wrap up my life story with my first trip to Kenya and my decision to retire and devote more time to mission work. WBS work in Kenya has changed more lives than those in Kenya who have become students. Through this work of GCR, many thousands have come to know the saving Grace of Christ; hundreds of churches have gathered together under the leadership of new Christians; these churches have followed the teachings of Christ and ministered to their neighbors, caring for widows and orphans and starting schools.  From the love and serviceof these young men, WBS Kenya was organized and has grown from four young workers to a team of over forty office staff, name getters, and follow up workers!  KWO began when one man had a vision and shared it with one man who shared it with many friends. One by one, friends banded together. One by one orphanages were opened. One by one widows were hired and fifty by fifty children were blessed. Beginning with one WBS orphanage in 2005, now KWO has fourteen orphanages and twelve feeding stations!

Over one hundred volunteers have come to serve our WBS and KWO workers and volunteers. Not one has returned to America the same!

As we ate breakfast this morning, Angton shared his story. We rejoice that we now have a brother in Christ who not only drives our vehicles, but worships with us in Kamulu on a weekly basis. He and his wife were baptized in October!  It is such a joy to hear him speak of his journey and his faith. 

Our morning has been spent in praise reflecting on the joys of the week on the road together. Each of us was able to share times of encouragement during vespers with the orphans in Ndhiwa and each offered prayers as well. Each shared favorite moments...Risper most enjoyed the boat ride.

 Angton and Mauryn loved the morning meeting in Homa Bay with eighty in attendance!  

My favorite was the entire day Sunday...worship that opened my heart- including my first live experience with "Fire!", precious time with the women of Ndhiwa and the lady who honored Eunice before her peers and church leaders, and the marvelous talent show of the Ndhiwa children including the two young ladies who presented the poem proving it is not a curse to be born a girl!

Songs of praise filled the vehicle as we passed through the beautiful Rift Valley. Harmony and unity from three strong voices filled my heart with joy. 

When we stopped at the Rift Overlook, Mauryn found four new WBS students!

WBS STUDENT MEETINGS

This morning we left Ndhiwa at 8:30 ready for a day filled with new adventures. We drove the back roads of Kenya for over an hour to reach our first meeting place. 

The pristine grounds of Grace House Orphanage are truly a site to behold!  This orphanage will go into rainy season mode within the next two weeks. The only way in or out will be on foot. That means. Large bags or rice, beans and ugali flour will be carried on heads to feed the 64 children, four widows and six members of the mamager's family. 

The tippy taps here amazed me with the addition of the foot pedal to control the water flow and the soap cover to keep it dry during the upcoming rains. 

Three years ago I had to send the aprons to Grace House because of wet roads. Today I was blessed to present hugs and blessings from you at home to four precious widows!

In the dining hall, students were gathering. Before we dismissed at 1:00 for lunch, we had 67 registered attendees!  One of our guests was a GBEA worker who visited at length with Risper and Mauryn. They had more questions than we had time!  And the majority of them wre good questions. I received a box filled with various seeds and leaves to provide me with a taste of Kenya. 

We had a delicious meal and still had time to bless the 64 orphans living her with bags. 

We retraced our tracks back to Manning Orphanage where we met with 44 students. Who also asked excellent questions. At each location we took pictures by study helper group pictures. Before we left, we placed blessing bags on the beds of each child. I know they were joyful when they came home from school this evening!

Back home, the lights were out again. We enjoyed vespers by generator and dinner by lights returning !

We are ready for a good night's sleep!

Did I mention that 34 of the 111 attendees are new students ready to begin their lessons?

SUNDAY

What a beautiful day of worship!  Services began at 10:00 and lasted past 1:00!  The people of Ndhiwa can praise The Lord!  We sang. Choirs sang. We prayed.  James preached.  We joined in communion. We gave the offering. We sang. Alfayo preached. We sang. We prayed. We returned home for lunch. 

After lunch we returned to the church building for the ladies meeting. We had twenty eight women in attendance for a sweet time of sharing. 

Then we spent a few minutes entertaining the children with bubbles as we traveled home.