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More adventure travel
posted by David on December 4, 2002 at 11:24 PM

After several months of inaction and indecision, earlier this week the Worldwide Ministries Division again talked with me about going to Africa. This is the trip that was originally planned for last January, when Jon, my colleague, had surgery. By the time he was recovered enough to take long trips, we were deep into budget cuts. Ruth suggested I raise the possibilities again this fall, and after several weeks of humming and hawing, they finally decided to act. However, they waited until almost too late, so we are in a hurry up mode.

As plans now stand, Jon and I will leave about January 21 and return about February 7 or 8. He is making the final arrangements, and will take care of flight schedules and housing and meeting plans. I will spend a bit more than a week in Ethiopia with representatives of Lutheran, German, Scottish, and other USA missionaries, as well as the Ethiopian church leaders. Then I will spend the rest of the time with missionaries in Kenya, first in Nairobi then in some of the outlands. This trip will be for getting acquainted with the church and its surrounding culture, and opening conversations in response to their requests for help in stewardship. Then I will come home to spend time developing some of the ideas, with the possibility of Ruth and me going back for a longer voluteer in mission assignment for teaching in a lay training center.

One amusing sidelight—I said Jon was in an urgent mode. He wanted my passport to begin visa applications. However, I need to have it with me for the Antarctica trip—so he will need to use a photocopy until I can find him on the 30th to give him my real one. Also, I need to begin getting the shots for that trip before I leave on the first expedition. Such is world travel——

I will try to post a note of more details before leaving on the 15th.

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Comments

Wow! Forget Munroe bagging - you're in continent bagging mode! I'm excited for the opportunity you're going to have - I know you had some ideas you were eager to explore. We'll remain on tenderhooks awaiting the details!

Excellent! I was hoping that would come through for you. That means you'll only have 2 continents to go, right? I count North America (US, Canada, and Mexico), South America (Argentina on this upcoming trip), Antarctica (coming up), and Europe (Russia, England, and Scotland). This will give you Africa, so all you'll need are Asia and Australia!

Kim and I were actually debating that early today - we're trying to decide if Japan counts as a continent. Kim was willing to give it to him, but I was being more hard-nosed. Vote for your preference . . . .

Doh! I completely forgot about Japan. Japan is part of Asia, no question. Just like the British Isles are part of Europe (Oh, they can bitch and whine all they want, but they are part of Europe. It's just a channel, not an ocean.) and Madagascar is part of Africa.

Dad just needs to get to Australia and he'll have been to all of them. Then he can start in on the sub-continents. He's already got Central America, then he'll need India, Southeast Asia ... what else? Well, there are the non-continental islands like New Zealand.

(If he's not going to be flying around the country making sure we our lawns get taken care of, he might as well be doing something productive, right?)

Japan: definitely Asia. No question.

So how are we going to work in Australia?

David - What a wonderful opportunity for you. So glad Ruth nudged you to explore (once again) the opportunity. If the two of you could spend time there together later - it looks like retirement as you originally thought of it -will be sometime in the distant future. Good for you. Keith will be pleased to hear this news.

I am inspired by your travels. A friend and I plan to go over to Lima, Peru to donate our time for volunteer work with children.

We don´t have any definite arrangements, and would appreciate any contact information you may have or any organization that we could contact that may be able to help with arrangments with organizations for children. We don´t have a lot of money, but do have a lot of heart for children and service. We hope to leave end of May from Seville. I am an american pharmaceutical professional and she is Australian with work in intl. shipping and exports. We have taken a sabbatical to learn spanish and now want to put it to work.

Thanks for your Help, and safe travels.

Yours,
Jasmyn_lilly@hotmail.com

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