We made it to YWAM Worcester! The train was only a few hours late and we hardly noticed. The time (27.5 hrs) flew by as it was definitely the most comfortable long trip we've ever made. We could fully stretch out in the comfortable bunk beds, and there was even a hot shower in each train car! The overall scenery wasn't as varied or great as hoped for, but the last hour or so was spectacular as we drove past vineyards and jagged mountains. I got this picture of our train going into the mountains shortly before arriving in Worcester - very scenic!
So now we're settling in here at the YWAM base, meeting people, figuring out what our next few months will look like, and really getting started with our sabbatical. We're expecting it to be a great time! ... See MoreSee Less
We're on the train in Jo'burg, ready to leave for YWAM Worcester! In about 24 hours (assuming no train malfunctions) we'll be there! We're all excited for what's supposed to be a very scenic route and we even have bunk beds to sleep in along the way! We expect this to probably be the most comfortable long transportation we've ever taken. (They even had a Krispy Kreme stand in the train station, so we'll be eating donuts tomorrow for breakfast!) ... See MoreSee Less
Please pray for those suffering from the measles outbreak in Madagascar. It's actually a lot worse than I realized it was. Hundreds have died by now, including many children in Ambilobe. Not being at risk of measles is something we usually take for granted in the US, but I think the situation in Madagascar right now helps us from the Western world see what it would be like if so many preventable childhood diseases were still around, if we ignored their potential to plague us once again. Pray for those suffering in Madagascar and pray that effective vaccines would be more readily available now and in the future. ... See MoreSee Less
Willards in Madagascar - www.madmissions.com Willards in Madagascar - www.madmissions.com added 2 new photos — traveling to OR Tambo International Airport from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, Ethiopia.
1 week ago
Our trip has been a bit adventurous so far! Leaving Madagascar, it was rainy and cloudy and our plane's first stop was in the Comoros. During the descent to the Comoros, I saw lightning strike the wing of our plane! I've never seen anything like that before! The plane still seemed fine though and the crew double-checked with the captain and then assured us that those things happen and planes have built in protection for it. Thank God!
Many passengers got off in the Comoros and some got on, including the President of the Comoros! He seemed like a nice guy and walked down through the length of the economy cabin greeting and talking to people along the way. He also shook hands with all of us in our family! The Comoros might be a small nation, but still, it's the first time I've ever shaken hands with a national President. Pretty cool!
The rest of the flight to Ethiopia was less eventful but very enjoyable (particularly the service, and also the food). The kids (even Matimu) couldn't really remember their last plane ride, so they fully enjoyed it all over again! And we enjoyed it being our first flight with both of the boys having their own seats (and not in our laps). Though when we got to the airport and rode the first escalator up, David was so impressed that he said the "steps" were even better than the airplane. Haha!
Next, we board the plane to Johannesburg, South Africa... should arrive there about 4am. ... See MoreSee Less
Well, on our trip to Nosy Be we were thoroughly soaked! (This picture was before getting wet though.) Apparently some cyclones quite a ways off made the water a bit rougher and our boat driver didn't want to slow down. Ah well; none of our luggage seems to have been ruined. We've still got a full day to let our luggage dry out before we repack and get on the airplane on Saturday. We hope the rest of our trip won't be so wet! (And if any of it is, then something's gone very seriously wrong!) ... See MoreSee Less
