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| KenyaFall2011 |
Please click on the picture above to see pictures from the November 2011 mission. More pictures will be added soon.
Saturday November 19 and Sunday November 20, activities and travel home
Everyone was able to sleep in relatively late, since the safari to Lake Naivasha was not scheduled to leave Scripture Mission until 8am. Howard, Martha and I stayed behind to complete the inventory of our unused lenses, frames and supplies. While the group was waiting for the bus, a bunch of velvet monkees that stays at the compound came out and mugged for us. Terry went back inside a brought out a few slices of watermelon and bananas and we flung them around the lawn. Guess what? They scrambled to get the food. Imagine that! Once we got a good start on the inventory, I went to the LCMS offices and finished putting the stats together for the mission, got our expenses in order in preparation for changing our money from Kenyan shillings to dollars and waited to get into Catherine's office so I could cleanup /tuneup her computers. She got delayed and so I went back to my room, got a shower and packed up my souvenirs and the rest of my stuff. Other groups began returning from the mission field throughout the day. Prior to a scheduled debriefing meeting between our U.S. team leaders and Bishop Bakari and others from the ELCK, our local LCMS missionary and his staff and John Maina of LHM, I got my chance to take care of Catherine's laptops. I also lightened my load for the trip home by leaving unused snacks, pens, etc. The Payday candy bars and Nature Valley granola bars were particularly appreciated by Shauen for his family, since many foods and treats we take for granted are not available worldwide. We left on 2 buses for the airport at 6:30pm, after loading a large truck up with our footlockers. Our route took us through downtown Nairobi, a way we had not used on previous trips. Traffic was horrendous, so it was a good thing we got an early start. The bus I was on got to make one extra stop. As we pulled into a gas station while still at least a half hour from the airport, those of us in the back of the bus heard our leader ask the driver "Are you telling me we are stopping for gas?", to which the bus driver replied "Yes." We got 17 liters of petrol (about 4 gallons because this was what 2000 shillings would buy) and proceeded the rest of the way to the airport without further incident. It took a while to get enough carts for our footlockers, but once we were all loaded, we had a pretty smooth time getting checked in and through the first security screening. I exchanged Redeemer's remaining petty cash back from shillings to dollars. Our group met in the terminal cafe for one last meal and the traditional Tuskers, a very good Kenyan beer. It was a nice reward for a job well done, although I had an iced tea, since I don't drink. Like many foreign missions, our time in Kenya had been absolutely alcohol free, so as not to offend any of our hosts, pastors or the different tribes and ethnic groups we dealt with. In our case, drugs and alcohol are a big problem in the slums, one reason Islam looks like a better way of life on the surface. Since our purpose is evangelism, this tee totaling is a small price to pay and sets a good example. We went as a group to Gate 10, checked in and went through two more security scans. After about another 45 minutes spent in the terminal, we boarded British Airways Flight BA65 and said goodbye to Nairobi around midnight. The plane was warm, but the area around my seat was especially so. I complained to flight crew, but to no avail. It was a completely full flight, so I wasn't able to get my preferred aisle seat. I've found that I do much better if I get up every hour and a half to stretch and keep the circulation going in my legs. Also, taking my shoes off is more comfortable, but it can be hard to get them back on at the end of the flight due to the natural swelling of the feet and ankles that occurs during flight. I can now empathize more fully with pregnant friends!
Even though we took off from Nairobi about half an hour late, we got to London's Heathrow Airport nearly on time at about 5am local time. I took Josh to the Giraffe Restaurant for a light breakfast. Eying the menu, one of the first choices was Huevo Rancheros, which was not going to happen out of deference to our good friend Lupe. I couldn't see anything good coming out of ordering an English attempt at this dish! During the 5 hour layover, some of the team shopped and we all mingled and shared stories of the past week, some funny, some moving and more than a few heartbreaking. The flight from London to Houston boarded on time, but we were delayed by fog from taking off for about 30 minutes. As I write this, we are about 40 minutes out from Houston and did not make up any time, so we'll probably be a little later than usual getting back to Austin for several reasons. In the past, we were sometimes the lone flight arriving at 2:45 and the lines for the initial border entry screening would not be too bad. Much later than this and the crowd can triple, adding considerably to the rest of the process that also includes gathering our footlockers and luggage, getting personal items from the lockers and then going through one last screening.
Yes! Things went well in Houston, we had a good trip home from Houston including the traditional stop for Blue Bell. Pastor Dave drove the whole way and dropped me off around 7:30pm. All is well. Time for a hot shower and then sleeping in my OWN bed! Thank you Jesus!
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