Mozambique Trip Journal
Friday, March 17, 2006
We've Arrived
Greetings Family & Friends,
We send this email with a grateful heart and very fatigued bodies. After traveling for the past 3 days (we departed Goshen @ 7 pm Tuesday night), we have FINALLY made it to Dondo! Our original plans called for us to arrive yesterday afternoon, but that was not the plans of South African Airways or LAM (Mozambique Airlines). We are relieved to be with Tanneken and the church family around her. They welcomed us with great love and a wonderful meal. Del & Jeannie, along with Joanna, arrived yesterday without nearly the complications we experienced. Today the Penners are having a day-overnight R&R visit in Beira with their missionary friend Claudia, so we have yet to see them. Of course, Joanna arrived with Tanneken and some of the children to greet us as we disembarked from our last plane. Seeing Tanneken made all of the delays and uncontrollable issues worth it! What a joy it is to be with her.
Part of the reason for our late arrival in Dondo was the 2-hr delayed flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg on Wednesday the 15th. We hoped we wouldn’t miss our Johannesburg to Beira flight, so we could avoid the intricacies of the Maputo Airport. But of course, we landed in Johannesburg at the very same time that our preferred flight was departing. After working with South African Airways for a few hours (maybe 2?) we were given overnight accommodations and three full meals at a 4-star hotel next to the Airport. That stay proved to be beneficial for some of us. I think it helped with the time changes, although there are some on the team that are still working on Indiana time…and we all would agree that the food at that hotel was superb; we even had ice cream!
We’ve talked about suffering and hardship while we have waited and waited and waited in airports. But we do not think that we have come close to it. Just several delays of the plans of man. That’s all that our inconveniences have been to us. None of us are upset or feel “put out.” We are truly blessed by this opportunity to serve Tanneken and the Mozambican people, and we look forward to the time we will spend with the Goods and World Relief in Maputo.
So tonight, we send this email with love to all of you. Please keep us in your prayers. We have benefited greatly from them so far! Our plans for this evening are to prepare our rooms and to let our bodies acclimate to the humidity and all the traveling. And lots of talking with Tanneken!
Love,
The Mozambique Team
Tim & Joan, Gail & Ernie, Allen, Jamesie, Mitch (and now joined by Del & Jeannie and Joanna)
We send this email with a grateful heart and very fatigued bodies. After traveling for the past 3 days (we departed Goshen @ 7 pm Tuesday night), we have FINALLY made it to Dondo! Our original plans called for us to arrive yesterday afternoon, but that was not the plans of South African Airways or LAM (Mozambique Airlines). We are relieved to be with Tanneken and the church family around her. They welcomed us with great love and a wonderful meal. Del & Jeannie, along with Joanna, arrived yesterday without nearly the complications we experienced. Today the Penners are having a day-overnight R&R visit in Beira with their missionary friend Claudia, so we have yet to see them. Of course, Joanna arrived with Tanneken and some of the children to greet us as we disembarked from our last plane. Seeing Tanneken made all of the delays and uncontrollable issues worth it! What a joy it is to be with her.
Part of the reason for our late arrival in Dondo was the 2-hr delayed flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg on Wednesday the 15th. We hoped we wouldn’t miss our Johannesburg to Beira flight, so we could avoid the intricacies of the Maputo Airport. But of course, we landed in Johannesburg at the very same time that our preferred flight was departing. After working with South African Airways for a few hours (maybe 2?) we were given overnight accommodations and three full meals at a 4-star hotel next to the Airport. That stay proved to be beneficial for some of us. I think it helped with the time changes, although there are some on the team that are still working on Indiana time…and we all would agree that the food at that hotel was superb; we even had ice cream!
We’ve talked about suffering and hardship while we have waited and waited and waited in airports. But we do not think that we have come close to it. Just several delays of the plans of man. That’s all that our inconveniences have been to us. None of us are upset or feel “put out.” We are truly blessed by this opportunity to serve Tanneken and the Mozambican people, and we look forward to the time we will spend with the Goods and World Relief in Maputo.
So tonight, we send this email with love to all of you. Please keep us in your prayers. We have benefited greatly from them so far! Our plans for this evening are to prepare our rooms and to let our bodies acclimate to the humidity and all the traveling. And lots of talking with Tanneken!
Love,
The Mozambique Team
Tim & Joan, Gail & Ernie, Allen, Jamesie, Mitch (and now joined by Del & Jeannie and Joanna)
KimiStar, 1:13 PM
