Safe Arrival

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matt. 6:25-26)

We made it!  After a long 30-hour trip, we arrived in Nairobi around 11 pm local time on Wednesday evening.

As we traveled, I couldn't help but remark on all the little ways that the Lord takes care of his people.  Here is a quick overview of our trip so far and how God has cared for us:

• Transportation: We had a friend, Jonathan Wolff, who was able to drive us to Chicago airport on Tuesday early afternoon so we would not need to leave the van in parking there for six weeks.  Praise Him!

• Packing:  It was a snug fit, but we were able to take all the items that people gave for the missionaries we will be visiting while we're here.  Thank you again to all who gave and prayed; you are a blessing and may you be refreshed as you refresh others (Prov. 11:25).  We carefully made sure that our check-in bags weighed less than 23 kg. (about 50 lbs.), but we didn't realize that our carry-ons each needed to be less than 12 kg. per person.  We had to do a fair amount of weighing and rearranging, but in the end we were able to take almost everything with us; the remainder went back with Jonathan, who thankfully stayed with us until we got checked in.  We had no issues with security, and made it to the gate just fine.

• First Flight:  Our flight from Chicago was on time, and even though Luke was officially a lap child (and thus didn't have an official seat), there were a few extra seats available, and one person next to us rearranged seats so that Luke could have his own seat.  He (and we!) were very thankful!  None of us really slept on this flight, which left at around 4 pm Chicago time and got into Amsterdam at 7 am local time.  (It was about a 7-hour flight.)  Luke developed some "intestinal issues," but was generally a very happy guy.  It was then that we realized that in the luggage shuffling, we had moved Luke's back-up pants from the carry-on to the checked baggage.  Yikes!  He spent the rest of the trip in size 5 shorts rolled liberally at the waist. :)  Praise Him that we had some extra shorts at all, though!

• Layover:  The layover in Amsterdam was longer than expected.  It was supposed to be 4 hours, but because our outgoing plane was delayed coming in, it was more like 5.5 hours.  Here's where the lack of sleep began to catch up with us.  We each took turns taking power naps while the others wandered the airport and explored.  We encountered a kids' play area, and an aquarium where (if you pay 10 Euros) you can stick your feet in the tank and allow the fish to nibble off the dead skin.  The boys were intrigued but no one really wanted to do it.  Eventually the three youngest boys fell asleep about 30 minutes before we were to board the plane.  

• Second Flight:  Even though our second flight was delayed, it turned out they still wanted us to get ready to board at the regular time.  They made several calls for us to begin the boarding process (which actually involved going through security again at the gate), and it was Jon who got us out of our sleepy stupor to pay attention and get in line.  More sleep was had by some on the second flight, and yet it felt like a longer flight.  Luke was more restless (and lost his pacifier in the last third of the flight), but we made it without casualties.  The flight left Amsterdam at 12:45 pm and landed in Nairobi around 9:45 pm (with a one-hour time difference between the two cities).

• Customs and Departure:  We went through customs without any significant glitches (Jon's boarding pass got wet and leaked ink on his passport, but the relevant part was still readable).  And praise the Lord, our luggage all made it through!  We neither lost luggage nor had any give out (which was a big answer to prayer, as a couple of the suitcases were pretty packed).  A friend from DOOR, Sammy, had stayed all that extra time to wait to pick us up; what a servant's heart!  The drive to DOOR's campus through Nairobi was quiet, as it was about 11:30 at night.  Very little traffic.  Because of the British influence on Kenya, drivers sit on the right side of the vehicle and cars drive on the left-hand side of the road.  Sammy pointed out a few sights, including the wildlife preserve.  We'll be visiting that later, certainly.

• Settling In:  All of us slept well that night, and the next morning we spent getting items unpacked and organized.  At right is a picture of the complex we are staying in on DOOR's campus.  We are so blessed to have this beautiful facility; the family (the Simons) who usually lives here are on furlough in the U.S. during the time we are here, and they graciously let us use their house.  They have three boys, including one who is almost exactly Luke's age, so we have all the amenities we need (crib, changing table, boy toys, etc.).  We got to meet the Ninans, the family next door, who did so much to help us settle in and feel welcome, including getting us a few groceries to start off with, cooking us dinner that night, and giving us a tour of the campus.  They have three girls, and our kids are already enjoying playing together.  The campus has a playground where the boys can play, and they enjoy the warm Kenyan sunshine.  (It's actually winter here right now, but that means it's in the 60's during the day.  Cool and sunny for us!)  Rob will be spending time with Jojo Ninan, as well as many others working at DOOR, getting to know the ministry and learning more about its various facets.  

Thank you all for your prayers for our travels.  One of our main concerns right now is adjusting to the time change; it's 3:30 am local time as I type this, and all the boys are awake. :)

"Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.  Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." (Ps. 62:5-8)