'The Gift" - our night in Washington D.C

Photos of last days together

This is Eileen. She works for United Airlines and she was wonderful to us. Known for her patience and hospitality - we really appreciated her help.

The Dark Night of Dakar - we spend over 3 hours in line - and then an additonal 1.75 hours in the plane on the tarmac.
This is our team on Gore - our guide was Mussafa - we called him the Dakar Express guy- we always went to the head of the line with him,
Our wonderful hosts - Ken and Cheryl Creech. They took so much time to show us around and demonstrate true hospitality. Many thanks.
Local fishermen - you can see why they were waving at us.
Our daughters enjoying the sun.
This is one of the Gore Island's main attractions- the statue of the freed slaves.
This is the slave masters' house where all of the auctions took place. The holding cells are beneath the house.
The Macs
The Shinks
The Steckleys.
Mac, testing out the sweat box for the "miscreants".
Phil - standing in "The Door of No Return.".
Locals
A traditional African meal - "chub"Our team, the morning we left Bulawayo.

Unexpected detour!

HI everyone - We had had a wonderful last day with the Creeches. The trip had been perfect. On the last day, we all piled into the ferry and headed over to Gore Island to see the slave trade memorial and then back the guest house to listen the testimony of our driver, Jerome - fascinating and inspiring and then supper (from Cheryl) and then off to the airport at 10 p.m. We got there in plenty of time. We started standing in line at 10:20 after a tearful goodbye with Ken, Cheryl and Rachel. And then it started to unspool. You know those times when you should have seen it coming. First - the mosquitoes! Woa! Inside the terminal no less - we had not seen or felt anything like that - even in the bush. It was a good thing we had taken our malaria pills – on and off – sort of. I can’t think of a group of people that donated more blood in three hours than our group did.

Just after the opened the ticket counter (at 11:30 - not a good start) - the computer system for South African Airways crashed. At 1 a.m. we were still in line. Our flight was supposed to leave at 1:40 - we had lots of African time. The Mac's and Steckly's cleared with boarding passes through to Toronto - we were stuck in line with the most exasperating agent. I could tell he was thinking of things he could do to distract himself from working. Finally, at 1:30 we got our fake boarding passes and he smiled at us and told us we had lots of time – little did we know. We raced through the terminal - being directed into special offices for stamping - 2 exhaustive searches of our hand bags - we raced out the door to the bus only to be greeted by the Macs and Stecklys (what were they still doing here?) Turns out they were still waiting to be taken to the plane. Whew! Made it. Got to the plane and took our seats. The A340 Airbus was mostly full already having come from Johannesburg. They had already and had sat on the tarmac for 1.5 hours waiting for us. As I was taking my seat , I said very loudly (for the rest of the plane to hear) “Huge computer crash at the ticket counter" - most people seemed to believe me but some people looked like they were going to take us down to the cargo hold for a beating. So, we settled into our seats and got ready for departure. It was 1:40 a.m. I fell asleep and woke up .5 hour later only to stare at the screen in front of me with the same picture as had been there when I had fallen asleep - two ladders and a truck still attached at the hip to our airplane. We sat for another 1.5 hours as passengers slowly dribbled onto the plane - the bus dropping off a few at a time. I knew it was going to be close catching the Washington flight - we ended up leaving 1.75 hours late. Ever tried to sleep sitting up – beside my wife, Elvira? No, not going to happen. As we approached Dulles in Washington it was obvious we were slowing down. I never knew that a plane so full of people could fly so slowly. The pilot actually came on the intercom and said - "Look outside, this is the slowest approach at 10,000 ft. you will ever see." My watch read 7:10 - our flight was supposed to leave at 8:05. We are sitting in row 765 – (actually is was row 68) so disembarking was going to take a long time. But with hopes still high we raced down the ramp and yelled at the South African agents to let United know that we were on our way. They just smiled. We ran into that brick wall we call Customs. They did not share our angst – nor did they appreciate jokes about slow moving “agents” either. And yes, we had to reclaim our luggage, even though it had been checked through. Only in America. By now the Macs and Stecklys were well ahead of us - nowhere to be seen. I guessed that they had made the flight. We had to run through Terminal A- down the escalator - to the subway tram and over to Terminal C - up ramps, down more escalators and hallways - we lost Elvira at some point- a faint memory of "honey wait for me" could be heard - but Nathan and I were determined to stop that plane even if it meant I had to lay down on the tarmac and sacrifice my body - we had been held up for over 4.5 hours - they could wait a measly 15 minutes I reasoned. Frothing at the mouth from exhaustion, I climbed what I thought would be the last set of stairs - we were looking for C1 - easy - that should the first gate in the C Terminal, right? Like everything else that day/night - the designers of Dulles decided to place C1 at the far end - not first but the very last. *!!#$()?!. This only made the challenge even greater. I nearly knocked a poor woman over on another escalator and had two security guards eye me as I waved my fake boarding pass in their faces. I could hear Nathan behind me gasping - Elvira and Amy - lost somewhere between the 36th corner and 27th ramp. As I raced down the corridor C1 was in sight - I could see gloryland! It was there in sight but my breath wasn't. I slowed my pace just a bit only to see out of the corner of my eye a pink suitcase that seemed strangely familiar - no! Say it isn't so! And then I heard it...."Shink." I pressed the emergency stop button and ground to a halt - I could hear the screeching of brakes, smashing glass, and the strange hoarse wheezing of Nathan barreling down on me from behind. I dodged to the left only to see ALL of the Macs and BOTH Stecklys standing in line ...... at the, Customer Service Desk. Again I lost my sanctification. *&#$$%!!!. They had missed fight as well. Mac had that look again - the same look he had had as we sat in traffic outside of Dakar two nights before - bewildered, almost idiotic - well past the deer in the headlights. He was still panting and sweating, even though they had been standing still in line for over 15 minutes. The incursion had taken its toll on him as well. Like Amy said, "Dad, I got more exercise in that terminal than I had for the last two weeks."

It gets better. After regaining our composure, we began to explore our options. How could we get home, today? Then Customer Service dropped the "Little Fat Man" on us. They could not help us. I had no idea what that meant but they actually had the nerve to tell us that we had to go back to, yes you guessed it, Terminal A - believe it or not - (I know this is really hard to believe but I swear, all of this is true. (D.J. will verify it) to the very same spot we had just come from – in fact, I think we actually ran by it on our way to the abyss. Well, somewhat defeated by the delay, we rallied and decided to make the best of it. We did what most people would do - we went and ate lunch at 10:30. The burgers were good but Mac was still out of sorts and mispronounced Fudruckers a few times. After drowning our disappointment we sauntered slowly back to Terminal A, contemplating our fate. It took about 15 minutes to get there and wouldn't you know it - another long line, Customer Service was very busy today. We felt loved and really appreciated there in line - valued customers. Now think of it - working as a customer service rep in a place like that – you don’t meet satisfied customers. Would you want that job knowing that everyone who steps up has a story like ours. How many smiling faces would you see in line - how many people can't wait to hear "I'm sorry there are no more flights today." That thought had not even crossed my mind, yet.
I know this post had reached epic proportions but it’s not done yet. Mac and I took our turn. Phil had been able to get on another flight cause it was just he and Simon. Paul and I banished our wives to another dark section of the terminal cause you know what wives get like when they have gone well past the due date - they say all kinds of things that estrogen voice make real sense - not like men who just sort of beg for assistance. You should have seen Mac - I was so proud of him - he settled into a groove and almost laughed at one point. One of the problems was - where was our luggage? We had literally thrown it at some East Indian guy in the basement as we were running for the plane - I think his name was Nappu. Where were our 22 bags of luggage - had they gone on to Toronto? Well it turns out, as some of you know, if you don't board the plane but your luggage does, they have to sort through all of the luggage on the plane and remove yours. Sweet justice after all! They would have had to delay the plane and remove all 22 bags! Awesome. So, our lady behind the counter disappeared for 10 minutes trying to find our shirts, shoes, African trinkets, mealie meal, etc. Turns out it was “safe” in the basement with the baggage checkers. After peering at her screen for 5 more minutes and furiously typing on her keyboard, she looked up grimly and said to Mac - I have only 6 seats - going through Chicago - you might be home tonight by 7. At that point, I think he heard me whimper. For the first time all trip, I had no words. Anger swelled inside me. At that point I knew we were being had by the Big Corporation! I said loudly enough to be heard by all those smiling blue-suited women behind the counter - "We are just as much the responsibility of United as we were South African Airlines - that's what Star Alliance is committed to." There, I said it. I heard their pens fall, the smell of lawsuit in the air. Maybe, they just felt sorry for us. The head lady appeared two minutes later and smiled and said, "Would you consider a night on us at the local Marriott and leaving - all 10 of you tomorrow morning - on the same flight?"

So here we are sitting in the hotel lobby of the Marriott. It's actually quite nice. Coffee, donuts, air conditioning, hot showers yadda, yadda, yadda. We decided to call the local limousine service - Carolyn found the number and we are going on the tour of D.C. tonight - surprisingly inexpensive. Meal voucher and a nice room, “Yeesss”, as Jackson would say. What more could we ask for. Sorry this turned out to be a short story but it is all true. A wonderfully patient woman named Eileen helped us at the counter - her picture will be up on the blog later tonight. My special thanks to my son, Nathan; he has worked hard with me on this blog stuff - he makes it look good - does all the pics and stuff. Thanks. We miss you all and look forward to seeing you. For all those in church this morning, I really hope the videos worked out.

Love to all of you.

Out to the Tribe

HI everyone - well today was in many ways as eventful as the rest. Our internet has been out for 24 hours - apparently there was an cyber attack on the providers here in Senegal - they attempted to bring down the entire internet and almost succeeded. We were out to a really neat Wycliffe translation project today. We had lunch with the Dijkstras - a veteran couple who have been in that tribe for 20 years. It was wonderful - but very hot. On the way back to Dakar, we got caught in a serious traffic jam and sat and watched life in Dakar. The noise, the people and the congestion! It was exhilarating and stifling at the same time. Mac could not believe what he was seeing. There is remarkable order in the seeming chaos. The heat and fumes from diesel engines were really powerful but a good lesson for us. Ken and Cheryl have been incredible! We are off to Gore Island tomorrow and the board the plane tomorrow night - all being well. Thanks for following us - there will most likely be at least one more posting.

shink

Our day with the folks of Nkeita

Shink trying to learn a few words in Ndebelli - no not gonna work.
After a long day with the kids.
Basketball jerseys donated by Cameron Heights.
The girl on the right has an amazing voice.
First service held in the unfinished church built with Arms of Love money.
Cooking over an open fire to feed the Kivas (White Folk).
The entire cooking team - Ronda is center back in the pink.
They worked really hard cooking for us and fed 100 people.
Paul and Carolyn meeting with the widows of Nkeita.
Carolyn and Jackson with 10kg bags of maize meal.
Mac pretending to hand them out.
One of the soccer balls.
Scott entertaining some of the locals with his banana suit.
Amy and Leah wearing the latest fashions from Zimbabwe.
Nice photo Leah!

Micro-loans

We are all very excited for the next phase of Arms of Love. We have always been more interested in "teaching a man how to fish" versus "giving a man fish" - many of you are familiar with this African proverb. The next phase for Arms of Love has already begun - micro-loans. Our team was able to leave $1000.00 U.S. for the widows to begin various small businesses. These women WANT to work - they simply require the funds and opportunity. We have already identified 1 woman, Claris, who needed $100.00 U.S. to expand her fruit stand. She is so excited to buy more goods for her small business. This will ultimately help her feed her family and eventually NOT be a recipient of the Arms of Love food program. She will be able to support herself and her family, pay back the loan and open up her space in the Arms of Love feeding program for another orphan or widow in need. The other $900.00 U.S. will be used to start several small chicken businesses. After much discussion with Jackson and Rhonda, we are hoping that 10 other widows can run a larger chicken business in the church building (the building WMB sent funds for construction - it does not have a roof YET so the congregation still meets in the older building) For the time being, this new "roof-less" church building is an ideal location to begin a large chicken operation. Rhonda has had great success with her chicken business and will assist the widows in this project. Once the 10 widows are trained, competent and comfortable with the business and care of the chickens, they will each take several chickens home to begin their own business in their backyard. All loans will be repaid by the women as their businesses grow and revenue is generated. The repaid loans will go into a reserve "pot" that will then be used to start new projects with micro-loans for more widows. Jackson and his team of deacons and elders are more than competent in choosing and overseeing the widows who participate in this new micro-loan project. We are not yet ready to stop the feeding program - there are simply too many families dependent on the food distribution still. Our goal is that eventually all the widows and orphans in this community will have their own small business that they "own" - one that is able to support their family and help others in need. We are really excited about God's leading in this and the privilege to be part of this ministry that He has grown. Thanks to all - more to come.

Carolyn

Victoria Falls

Arrived Dakar

HI everyone! We finally made it to Dakar early this morning. We discovered at noon while still in Bulawayo on Wednesday that my family and the Steckley's were to leave Joburg at 6 and the Mac's at 8 - somewhat of a shock. When we arrived in Dakar just after midnight, Ken and Cheryl were there to meet us - it was soooo good to see them. It actually worked out well because we could not have fit all of our luggage into the van. We dropped the group at the guest house and Ken and I went back to get the Macs at 2:30. They arrived safely but they lost one of Leah's suitcases - first time all trip. About Dakar - as soon as you step off the plane, the heat and humidity hit you squarely. This is a very different country from both S.A and Zimbabwe. It is amazing to see how each country copes - some better than others. More about Dakar later. The internet connection is very good in the guest house so there will be lots of postings coming - provided the power stays on.

It was difficult to say good-bye to Jackson and Ronda. We fell in love with them. Jackson is a very rare person who cares so deeply for the poor in his community. He is so full of love and patience but watch out if he sees injustice or abuse- he truly is a defender of the poor. I will let Carolyn post her feelings on this - she will be better able. We have complete confidence in his leadership in Nketa. I will post a few videos and pics of our last days there later today if possible.

We are all very tired now. Predictably - we hit that wall yesterday where more new things can feel stressful - not necessarily "exciting". Though the kids have been fabulous, they are tired. We have come from cool weather - 18-20 during the day and 5-10 at night - to 30 and 90% humidity. The heat here will be an issue. Cheryl and Ken are wonderful and it is good to come in hot season to feel what they contend with daily.

Most of us are seriously sleep deprived. Last night I counted 7 different beds in 12 nights. We have not had time to sit - though we have seen in our travels some very spectacular things. The rides are usually long and uncomfortable and the major flights 8 hrs. and changing time zones, good but different foods, a little bit of stomach trouble and constantly watching what goes near your mouth. Overall, it has been truly amazing. In these last 3 days we will explore the Creech's world and enjoy their company. Mac can now relax a bit - he did wonderfully in Bulawayo. It was not restful for him much of the time - I know he felt like he was always "on". They tend to deify their pastors over here and they can feel real pressure to always look the part.

Thanks for all of your prayers and support and blog views. There is a lot more to come. All being well, we will be home Sunday morning.

shink

Wildlife

Orphans and widows leaving with goods after the food distribution.
Everyone is a trillionaire in Zimbabwe.
Excited kids receiving Stuffed animals.
Kids receiving pencils.

Some of the orphans supported by Arm's of Love.
Part way through the 4 hour and 31 minute Sunday morning church service.
The church building in Nketa. Trying to raise funds to "Put a Roof on It".

Arms of Love - a project that began 7 years ago with the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The goal was to feed some orphans and widows who were struggling in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. This week we have observed, first-hand, what God has done with this work. Easily over 1000 orphans and widows are receiving food, medical help, school fees and clothing through Arms of Love. The efficiency and authenticity with which the Nketa leadership has implemented this project is overwhelming. We have been blessed beyond measure as we have visited, listened to and shared in the lives of these people. There is no shortage of love here. Chloe, your stuffed animals were the biggest hit! Many thanks. I can't wait to show you and Braeden the pictures. Love to all - keep praying for us. There is more in store for the Arms of Love. James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Carolyn


After a 4.5 hours service (yes that's what I said- and I am proposing WMB move to the same format!) and a quick break for lunch, I spent most of the time during the food distribution to the widows and orphans in the food storage area. I helped distribute 10 kilo bags of Mealy Meal for each person to take home. I watched as young children and elderly women joyfully and thankfully received their cooking oil and sugar beans as well. They all had to lug those big bags back home, some several kilometers. Some of the young children could barely lift those bags from the ground. Some of the elderly women were stooped over under the weight of two bags (50 lbs.) Happily they left the room to carry their food for the month home It was amazing, humbling and inspiring.

Paul

My most powerful moment......
Today started with a simple request from Nathan to get lip balm. None to be found so we bought a jar of aloe Vaseline. Finally came to the place for our home visit and wandered down a thorny path to a small clearing where 2 huts and a shack stood. We met the two elderly women who lived there (virtually no possessions) and were moved as we learned about their situation. One was blind and in very poor health and the other was lame. We noticed how cracked the skin was on the blind woman's hands. Her leathery cracked skin was had been bleeding and then Carolyn gave me "that look". I gave Nathan "that look" and he reached into his bag and out came the Vaseline. As Carolyn gently rubbed her almost disabled hands, she then told her how to massage the cream into her hands and left the cream with her. Paul took her face, held it and kissed her cheek. Touch is a sacred thing. We cried. Thank you for praying for us.

Elvira

Settled in Nketa

HI everyone - we are somewhat settled into a routine here. We had been up 7 days in a row before 6 a.m. and we found ourselves far too tired. We slept in on Friday and felt very refreshed. There are services each night - lots of wonderful jubilant singing and plenty of testimonies about the impact of Arms of Love. None of us had any idea just how important this program is. I was sitting working on my computer in the church when one of the young deacons named Guite came and sat down. He told me very clearly that when things were really tough a year or two ago, that Arms of Love saved many many lives. "You have no idea how many lives you saved through your generous contributions." I was totally humbled. There are signs everywhere that this community survived almost exclusively on our contributions during that time. We are running a huge children's program today and participating in another service tonight. Tomorrow, there is a 4 hour service and then the food distribution that we will attend - and film. Thanks for all your support and prayers. We are all healthy and grateful for the opportunity to be here. Will write again hopefully from Victoria Falls - we are heading there on Monday if all goes well.

shink

Visiting a blind widow who receives support from Arms of Love.

Elvira standing in front of the BIC guest house.

Scott and DJ playing on the street with locals.

Handing out stuffed animals to some of the Arms of Love orphans.

Tess teaching some of the locals how to play the Ukulele.

Our main mode of transportation - the bed of Jackson's truck.

The trip has been utterly amazing! Since my birthday was July 28 the whole church in Nketa sang H-B-Day to me. It was great!

-Amy

Africa has been amazing so far. It's great being with Rhonda and Jackson and working on bringing WMB and Nketa closer together.

-DJ

Jackson appreciates viewing the "Greeting" from WMB's Sunday service. Many stories to share. Our team sang, played, held services, visited homes and were always embraced and loved.

-Elvira

Only 9 days into this trip and it already has been an amazing eye opener. Culture shock didn't sink in until we arrived in Zimbabwe. South africa was surprisingly clean and developed. Zimbabwe on the other hand was a complete 180 degree difference from what we are use to. Definitely the highlight of this trip so far has been the safari in Kruger Park. We were able to see amazing animals and experience the absolutely beautiful African sunrise and sunset. The only thing I was not expecting was going to Africa and Freezing my but off.

-Leah

I'm experiencing God's presence daily through each person on our team and h=the people of Bulawayo. It is a privilege I will always treasure to be apart of the mission trip!! :)

-Phil

The hospitality is incredible. And the food tastes better when you eat it with your hands.

-Scott

What an amazing trip so far! Have had many special memories. The safari was fantastic, saw many cool animals. Today is the day we are spending time with the kids and doing activities with them. I am really looking forward to this.

-Simon

This place is amazing. Having so much fun with the team and the kids and the people here. Can't wait to see everyone at home but don't wand to leave.

-Tess

Update

Hi everyone - we are 7 days into the trip and thus far things have been wonderful. Our flights were smooth and uneventful (good thing) except when we finally got to Bulawayo. They held 4 of our bags containing the gifts and after a lengthy negotiation we agreed to leave them there and head to the customs office in town the next day. It looks good that we will get them in now for only a few $. Our safari was incredible. The animals were amazing and just hanging out with each other wonderful. The trip back to the airport was long - 6 hours - South Africa is a beautiful country with a very diverse landscape. The flight to Bulawayo was short but interesting. We met several Zims on the plane and had a lot of fun chatting and getting the scoop on the community. They laughed at our attempts to speak their language. We finally met Jackson and his wife Rhonda. They are incredible people who care so deeply for the poor in their area. He is a very well connected person in this community. We are starting to work in the community visiting some of the families this afternoon. That should be very enlightening. Our work in the church begins tomorrow with services and more visitation. It really fires up on Saturday with a program for kids and youth. Sunday is the big day with services, choirs and the food distribution. We are looking forward to this. On Monday, Jackson will be taking us to Victoria Falls, all being well. He said you cannot come to Zimbabwe without seeing the falls.

We all recognize the importance of this trip. The need here is overwhelming - that is obvious - how to best help - that is yet to be determined. We are praying for direction and wisdom as we have only 4 days to really take all of this in. We are convinced that this program is in fabulous hands with Jackson and the other church leaders. Zimbabwe is slowly rebuilding itself now. There is food on the shelves and the economy show some faint signs of life. It is obvious that they church holds a very special place in this community. The church leaders are firmly planted here; they know the community and its needs. Their faith is profound and solid. It truly is a faith based community that meets the entire needs of the individual. I have met pharmcists, community leaders and pastors who are all involved in Arms of Love - and all them thanked us for our contributions over the years, helping the pooor in their community survive. That's it for now. I willl write again soon - or when I have access to the internet.

Shink

Gomo Gomo Lodge

Early morning safari on our last day at Gomo Gomo. It was a chilly 8 deg.

Breakfast of champions!

The herd of elephants that wandered by our lodge waterhole everyday.

We chased a pair of cheetahs through the bush until they got tired of running. This is a very rare experience.

This is Gomo Gomo Lodge where we had the privilege of staying for two nights.