West Coast Tour & Returning to Colorado

After staying in Colorado with Mark and Janelle until mid-January, I took a big trip out to the West Coast using the final segments of my Around the World Ticket . . .

Welcome Home! Dec 14, 2007

When I got home, my brother Craig surprised me at the Lafayette train station (I flew from London to Chicago, O'Hare; and then took Amtrak down to IN) with friends and posters and flowers and sprinklers and my favorite Twix candy bar!  When I saw him and my friends, I started to make excited loud noises of delight (screaming?) and gave a flurry of hugs . . .

Greece Pics in Patmos w/ Mom

Mom and I rode a super-fast ferry from Kos Island north to Patmos.  We could see the shoreline of Turkey as we zoomed by.  Amazing to think we were on this side of the globe!  Our faces made lots of G-force expressions... skin flattened on our cheeks, our lips flubbering in the wind, eyes drying out, bodies almost being blown back unless we held on to the guardrail.  It was funny!!  The weather was beautiful.  We got off at the island of Patmos; it was hilly with lots of trees and houses on it, and there was a cross high up on the hill.  Mom and I read the beginning of the book of Revelation (the last book of the Christian Bible) to get ready for our visit.  Patmos was the island that John (follower of Jesus, one of Jesus' closest disciples) was imprisoned on for his faith and testimony about Jesus.  While there, God gave him a Revelation, that he was told to write down...

Greece w/ Mom (Corinth, Athens, Kos)

Mom and I had a great time in Greece!  We both flew into Athens, and met at the airport in a flurry of excited cries, hugs and kisses.  I hadn't seen her since I left home in January, ten months ago, and she came to travel with me on her Thanksgiving Break.  


While waiting for her flight to arrive, I looked in my Europe Lonely Planet Guide (purchased for $5 from another traveler in Italy) and found a hotel in Athens we could stay at. Using the Guide, I felt like I was cheating, by not directly trusting God for a place to stay. But I figured it would be OK, and my Mom would appreciate the plans. One hotel boasted of a nice rooftop patio with a great view of the Parthenon and complimentary breakfast, so I called and made a reservation.  


After Mom arrived, we picked up her luggage and headed across the skyway to the train/metro and bought two tickets to downtown Athens. The last time Mom saw me, I wasn't so travel savvy and I had fun demonstrating my newly acquired skills. On the train, we chatted about flights, mom's last week of school, and my time in Italy. We laughed like old friends, and I remembered how much I like having someone around who really knows me.

Pics: Switzerland L'Abri Adventures

L'Abri (Pronounced: La'Bree) was where I found myself for a few days in Switzerland.  I was so thankful to be able to stay there.  It was a large chalet, with about 20 young adults (mostly from the U.S.) living there for 1-2 semesters, taking a break from life to investigate their Christian beliefs.  

Pics: Switzerland, Autumn Walk

I took the train from Barcelona to Switzerland; my first overnight train in Europe!  It was FUN!  At first the conductor put me in the wrong room, with guys, but then he realized his mistake, so I got to move down with a girl from Japan.  In the middle of the night, as we were going through France, the train stopped at the border and police got on.  They asked us all for our passports (which I found out was standard procedure traveling through Europe); they took them, checked them, and brought them back.  This was a little difficult for me to do at first, because I heard that I should NEVER NEVER let anyone else have my passport.  But I gave it to them anyway.  And it came back fine.  One of the girls next to us was taken off the train and questioned.

Pics: Barcelona, Spain

Pictures of Meeting Eric Johnson and his wife Gina, in Barcelona!

Going out to eat with them, visiting cathedrals; learning to use the Metro system for the first time on my whole trip - Thank you, Eric, for teaching me!!  Great conversations with them about traveling (they are avid world travelers as well) and about God.  Gina's family invited us over for dinner, and it was so nice to spend time with a local family.  Gina's mom is an amazing artist.

Pics: Madrid, Spain

In Spain, I stayed with Molly, a friend of a friend, who graciously invited me in to her home.  She didn't know me at all, but is a missionary from Indiana, a little younger than me, teaching English in a Spain elementary school and working with a Missionary Alliance church in Madrid. A friend connected us.

When we visited her school, it was the day before Halloween, which I found out is an American holiday, and the Spanish teachers were teaching all about it to their students.  I thought, "Great.  What a wonderful holiday to spread."  But in one class, they did have an apple-dunking game that was really fun.  I taught the kids how to press the apple against the bottom of the bucket to hold it there while they bit into it. Maybe it was cheating. But it was funny to see my group come up with dripping faces and the apple every time!

Tiberius, Sea of Galilee, ISRAEL

Todd and Rose Horton (and their 3 beautiful children), with Touched By Grace Ministries, were my wonderful hosts in Tiberius.  (My friends from Indy, Natalie and Doug Crane, connected me with them!  Thank you!!!)  Tiberius is in northern Israel, right on the southwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee - which really looks like a large lake!  It was so amazing to be there.  To walk where Jesus walked with his followers, to visit Caparnaum (where Peter, James, and John were from - on the northern shore of the Lake); to ride a modern-day boat that was designed to look like the fisher boats during Jesus' time; to imagine Jesus walking across the Lake; to imagine him saying to the winds and the waves, "Peace, be Still!"; to see the mountainside where Jesus may have taught the Beatitudes; to go to the Jordan River at the southern shore of the Lake and swim near where Jesus was baptized and the dove came out of heaven and said, "Behold, this is My Son, with him I am well pleased"; WOW.  I think that every person who loves Jesus should visit Israel and go up to the Galilee area where Jesus spent so much of his ministry time during the three years from his baptism to his death on the cross.  It is a beautiful land, with a lot of lush, green fields that grow citrus fruits, olives, grapes, etc.

Pics: Pyramids are Huge...

In Egypt!

So i've arrived in Egypt... beautiful flight from London... got there at night; dear friend, Salma, picked me up at airport!! such an amazing blessing from God. Took me to the PYRAMIDS my 1st day here!!! We rode a camel (when that camel gets up you rock crazily to the right, then to the left, or front/back - but i was sitting side-saddle, so it was right/left for me... i was wearing a skirt; i wouldn't recommend that. i was given a marriage proposal; offered 20 camels, and he said he was a good man who would be happy with lots of wives. ha!! :) i declined, in case you're wondering. [Pyramid 'spelunking' adventure below:]

Pics: Leaving Kenya; London/Spain Stopovers to Egypt

Final Days in Kenya...

Heading to London for 2 days,

Spain for a few hours, on my way to Egypt!

The last day in Nairobi was quite eventful. My mom (and dad) sent a care package for my upcoming birthday!!! Well, they sent it back in Aug to Nairobi, but i still hadn't gotten it, and it was 3 days before i was leaving... [Also, England miracle accomodation story below:]

Pics: Africa Road Trips!

Going to Rural Kenya!

So we rented a car (which reminded me of my own car back home, but the steering wheel was on the other side); and took back-to-back trips...

Pics: Safari!

Kenya Safari!

So I got to go on a 3 day safari!! It was really cool. The price at first set me off. Sheesh, couldn't i rent my own car, rent a tent, and just go??? saving about $200??? but then i thought, well, i guess i don't quite know where to go, where to camp, its not exactly like America... so i paid my money and went. [Hunt story below:]

Pics: Arriving in Nairobi!

Leaving S.Africa - Flying to Kenya

Last weekend in Johannesburg, went to Maranatha Church, met wonderful pastor, Dyrek, who is like a father/grandpa to so many people. He is a great dad... so neat to listen to him encourage the people of his church, just like a grandpa or father would - not preaching, just having a conversation with them, sharing wisdom and how to avoid pitfalls.

Pics: Cape Town Adventures...

Cape Town was full of serving others with All Nations ministry, fun, laughter, long days, discovering the tip of Africa, getting to know families from the nearby communities of Ocean view, playing with kids, watching people commit their lives to the Lord through being baptized, and more playing with kids... it was a great time with the Michigan team - sad sad to say goodbye... really loved my time in South Africa.


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Pics: S.Africa, passing thru JoBurg, Cape Town Intro

Flew into Johannesburg (Joburg) early morning... Chilly air, and I LOVED it - 1st time since N.India!! (HK was humid.)

Another amazing story of provision for my lodging in JoBurg...

Pics: Hong Kong! 4 Day Lay Over

I'm in Hong Kong, staying at a YWAM base, for my 4-day layover. Twenty minutes before heading for the airport to fly out of India, I read the email saying there was an opening for me to stay. This was an amazing miracle, after praying all day while visiting my mom's school in Delhi.

Not only was there an open invitation, but also detailed directions, what bus to take, what to say to the taxi in Cantonese, how much it would all cost... God's provision thru this great hospitality.


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Pics: Northern India, Cool Weather, Horses, Trains, Trucks

This is the Indian Gate in Delhi, a sign that was not obeyed, our dear friends whom we met at McDonalds (no beef!) and who took us on the metro to the Red Gate (which was closed on mondays, and it was monday, oh well, we had fun with them!), the room we stayed at in Pastor Marlo's home in Delhi, Shimla - beautiful, air conditioned (actually just naturally cooler, and SOOOOOO nice), and NATURE!!!!!, some horses we rode (although ours were much bonier, i thought we were hurting them to ride them), 2 kids we met - really cute and spoke great English!, Craig hiking thru the GREEN hills, scenery on our hike, a typical truck in India (they take pride in colorful paint jobs... and blow the horn advice is taken seriously... always a horn, or 100s of horns, blowing in India), my top floor bunk on our train from Shimla back to Delhi, a Delhi train station, Craig and I with Pastor Marlo and friend, Craig and Pastor Marlo saying GOOD BYE to me at the airport (I was flying on to Hong Kong and then S.Africa... Craig was staying another week to help w/ another mission organization), my plane to HK, my seat-mate and baby to HK, Craig and I on our hike in N.India - great day!, and repeat of the Gate.

Pics: Missionaries of Charity, Monkeys, the Taj, Cows, and Kids!

Ok, so here are Pics from Kolkata (aka Calcutta) where Craig and I joined many other people who wanted to learn Mother Teresa's secret of serving and loving the poor...
we met some beautiful people there and tried to Love Others as We wanted to be Loved.
Lots of hugs, smiles, washing buckets of clothes by hand, feeding, talking with, singing with, and did we say smiling? Anyone can do it.
It started to RAIN in Kolkata the day we left... streets flooding up to your knees.
We headed to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, met some friends, learned Hindi on the train with 2 kids, and then went to an orphanage where we met some beautiful children.

Pics: Leaving Mumbai... Hello, Goa!

Leaving Mumbai... Hello, Goa!

This was the house we stayed at in Mumbai (so thankful for our hosts!!), our room (when I 1st arrived, I slept there with STIFLING HEAT - that means I had a hard time breathing, but survived, and the rains came to cool things down), and the dog, Rana - nice dog. Too bad I don't have a picture of Meher, our wonderful Indian Auntie (she is FUNNY!) and Naidal (such a great help to us, and blessing, sharing so many stories of God's Faithfulness!)... Naidal was our escort to the train station; we were SO thankful for him!! Lots of new sights and smells there! Picture 100 people sleeping on a really dirty floor / benches / dark / open room... and you'll have a picture of an early morning train station in Mumbai. Naidal helped us find our car and seat - we had air conditioned accomodations (wow!!); but Craig and I both decided that next time we would prefer to travel w/ the locals because it would be more fun!! On the train, we had our own little adventure of walking through about 20 cars - like you would do if you were 10 yrs old... but we wanted to see the front!! We got lots of stares, smiles, nods, ignoring, "Hello!" along the way; but it was worth it! Also interesting - we got to watch the countryside fly past (beautiful greens, hump-back oxen leading a plow, and huts for houses)... and the door was WIDE open; no guard rail or anything!! (Definitely NOT the U.S.) I could have jumped out, but I didn't. :) We also met a neat couple in our AC compartment and taught them how to play Euchre (they picked it up really fast, and we used terms like "powerful family, big bro/little adopted bro" instead of "trump, right bower/left bower"... fun!) When we arrived in Goa (a Portuguese, tropical city/state on the west coast), a guy from YWAM (Youth With A Mission, a Christian intnernational ministry) picked us up at the train station - again, SO NICE... God provides!!! He was our Indian SMILEY honorary family member. (He's the one in the yellow shirt - Raju - he had the BEST laugh and smile!!) We've had lots of fun conversations w/ all the YWAM people (Indians, Brazillians, ages 20-40) about different cultures, how we all do things, etc. Lots of Laughs!! (The head bobbing/nodding side-to-side has been the most interesting thing for Craig and me...I think it means, Yes, or I hear you, or ???)
Another cool thing we learned: There are 3 ethnic groups in India... Darker Skinned people of the South; Lighter Skinned people of the North; and Asian/like China people of the Far NorthEast, called Naka. Both of us have REALLY enjoyed our time w/ YWAM Goa (partial staff pic in lower right) - volunteering at the preschool, me getting to teach some (lots of motions/drama/facial expressions, which I love anyway!) and Craig helping out with various maintenance projects.
Those pics of the kids are some of the cutest kids we've seen... well, i guess they've all been pretty cute. God does a nice job.
The last 2 pics are of MY LIPS!! Yes, those are my smackers! :) And they have lots of beautiful blisters on them!! Look closely, they're tiny. The docs here think its some viral infection, so we're on some meds... and I gave it to Craig. sorry. (he drank from my water bottle...) But lots of people have been praying...and us, too. Jesus can heal ANYTHING. Thanks for all your prayers, emails, and comments!!! Blessings!!!