The Adventure Has Begun

Finally, after traveling from Nebraska to Colorado to Washington DC to Dubai to South Africa, we have arrived in Malawi. Along the way we took four planes and several cars, experiencing a medley of adventure, including a delayed takeoff, a very chatty drunk lady, a sticky soda spill, a guy who snored thunder, a surprise and very expensive PCR Covid test, and several things stolen from our luggage—some of them gifts we had brought for people (which gave me the idea that maybe we could save on luggage next time if we just tell people we tried to bring them something but it was stolen along the way. I’m joking of course. I would never do such a thing). But thankfully we did NOT experience any sickness or missed flights, even though ours was the very last to leave Denver before all others were canceled for hail. And, just so you know, we did not experience a “my pleasure” at the DC Chick-fil-A. (Apparently they haven’t gotten that memo, so that’s just a bonus travel advisory for you. You’re welcome. It’s my pleasure. See, was that so hard?) 

Bottom line, we’ve all had a good night’s sleep and the adventure has begun. If you want to follow it, go to our Facebook or my Instagram page. I’m posting photos and stories each day. There’s a lot, so you better jump in now before you get in trouble with your boss for taking an extra long lunch break to catch up. 

We’re traveling with nine people. John and I brought Andy and Ben. Jonah’s in the Army and they sort of frown on overseas trips that don’t have to do with the military, so he couldn’t come. John’s niece Amanda is with her husband Anthony and their three sons, who happen to be some of the most amazing long distance travelers I have ever had the pleasure to fly with. She works with us at HUGS for Tomorrow as a fundraiser and social media communicator. She’s posting a lot of my photos and videos on our official Facebook and Instagram pages. It would greatly encourage her—and us—if you liked and commented on some of those (because we all know you have time on your extra long lunch break). And, we’re not just posting this stuff to make you jealous that we’re on a fantastic Africa vacation. We’re actually here to encourage our small team and to plan expansion for our feeding program and school. There are so many thousands of children we’ve not yet been able to serve, and our main goal is to figure out how to do that. 

When we drove out to the village yesterday, we didn’t recognize much along the way. It’s been three and a half years since we’ve been here, and so much has changed. They’re building roads where there used to be nothing but fields and trees, and new buildings have completely camouflaged our points of reference. There are things that haven’t changed though. We saw vendors and shopkeepers we knew along the way. We even ran into people in the village we recognized from years ago. It was a nostalgic visit, reminding us why we love this place and these people and why we started this ministry in the first place. 

When the kids at our school saw us, they wore an even mixture of confusion and delight on their faces. What’s been a while for us since we’ve seen them has been a good percentage of their young lives. It took a few minutes for them to process and remember, then the smiles came. We immediately noticed how well kept the buildings were and how clean and healthy all of the children looked, which is kind of a big deal around here. When we first met these kids, they weren’t exactly the picture of health, with dull eyes, skinny bodies, and skin problems. Snoden and Susan have obviously been working hard and have had the favor of God. But they are tired and in need of a great deal more help. After several overstimulating hours of touring and dreaming together and seeing what’s new, the highlight being the flushing toilets, our group of nine came back to town to crash in our little hut. As we settled into bed under the mosquito net, Snoden sent us a picture on WhatsApp of the campus lit by solar lights. It seemed to be his way of saying, “See, we are in this together and getting closer all the time.” 

Today we’re going back to the village to hear God’s voice. It seems to be clearer and brighter out there. So does the sun. My eyelids are like little Pringles. Who remembers to put sunblock on their eyelids? 

I’ll be journaling and sharing with you as much as I can each day. We have a lot of places to go and people to see. Please join us in prayer that God will make our time fruitful and will give us clear vision for the future of this precious ministry. Also, please consider joining us in some way, be it financially or physically on our next trip. For now, it’s enough that you meet us online and encourage us through social media. We really love it when you comment! And maybe I’ll bring you a souvenir. It would be my pleasure. (Never mind. Don’t ask. It would probably just get stolen from my luggage.)