Photos!

Jean has posted her photos on Flickr; you can view them here.
It may take several sittings to get through them all- there are over 900!

Safely Home!

The team arrived safely in Chicago this afternoon just ahead of a major snowstorm. There were sweet and joyous reunions all around. Only one piece of luggage (Jean's) was lost- but it was located in London and will be sent FedEx. Once we have the chance to sort through photos and video, I will post much more information about the trip.

The Journey Home

The team is packed and ready to return. They were able to catch their breath and debrief at the Okapuka ranch. They also had the chance to see rhino, giraffe, and lions (being fed!).

Tomorrow (Monday) they will depart Windhoek at 1:45 local time on SAA #75 and fly 2 hours to Johannesburg. After a 5 hour layover, they will fly 12 hours on UAL #4608 to London. Then a 3 hour layover followed by a 9 hour flight home on UAL #929. They are scheduled to arrive at O'hare at 1:20pm local time on Tuesday.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for the team. Please continue to pray for their safety as they travel home.

Safe return to Windhoek

Jean called today- the team returned to Windhoek safely on Thursday. Everyone is well. Their time at Kalukembe was very productive. The workshops were a success. Jean spent significant time at the hospital training the nurses on assembly of the Trike, and they were able to give the trike to a woman and train her to use it. Hopefully this will be the start of a long relationship between the Kalukembe Mission Station and His Wheels.

Jean sounded exhausted, satisfied, both joyful and somber. The team was witness to tremendous suffering, the kind that is hard to put into words. I imagine that the more than 600 pictures Jean took will help to describe their experience. The team spent time worshipping in church with the local people nearly every night. Jean said that the faith she witnessed among the people was amazing. She also said that the hospital is without a doctor and sorely in need of one. Perhaps this is not the only time a Fisher will visit Kalukembe?

On Friday, the team will travel to Okapuka Ranch, a Lodge about 20 miles north of Windhoek. They will spend two nights there debriefing and catching their breath. They may have the chance to see some giraffe or even some lions. On Sunday they will return to Windhoek to begin the journey home.

Email from Jean

Today I received an e-mail from Jean. The team arrived safely in Lubango! Her message was brief. She said that they witnessed much suffering, but they also witnessed God's active, working hand. The Trike made it in safely and was well received. The soapmaking efforts worked. Both are answers to prayer!


Tomorrow (Thurs) the team will head to the Lubango airport and fly on TAAG #571 back to Windhoek, Namibia. Once they return to Namibia we may hear from them by phone.

Heading to Lubango

On Wednesday the team will pack up and leave the Mission for Lubango to visit the headquarters of the Igreja Evangélica Sinodal de Angola (IESA), the seminary that established a divinity school in Kalukembe and helped sponsor the women's conference. Lubango looks to be about 120 miles from Kalukembe, but takes 8 hours by ground as they will be traveling over some rough terrain. They may have the chance to take a flight with Mission Aviation Fellowship but it is uncertain.

In Lubango they may get to see a large statue of Jesus overlooking the city. They will visit with the leaders of IESA and begin to debrief from their time at Kalukembe.

Workshops Continue

Monday and Tuesday are full days of workshops. The women will again start the day with a devotional at the hospital. Diana gave Monday's and Jean will give Tuesday's. At the end of Tuesday's workshops, the team will say goodbye to the women with whom they have become friends over the past week. I am praying for a sweet time of praise for what God has done and a celebration of hope for what God will continue to do.

Sunday worship

Today (Sunday) the team will worship in the Kalukembe Mission Church. I must admit to being jealous of the opportunity to experience yet another side of our multi-faceted God through new music, language, and people. I imagine it will be an emotional time for the women. How reassuring it is to know that 7500 miles apart we are praying to and worshipping the same God!

Workshop Day #2

According to the itinerary, Friday will look much like Thursday. Michelle will lead the hospital devotion in the morning. I have been praying about saponification- Jean and Karen are teaching a soapmaking class, and there are so many factors that will affect the success of the soap- materials, measuring equipment, outdoor temperature and humidity- I am praying that they will find a method that allows the women to produce usable soap with available materials.

It is hard to imagine the devastation that Angola experienced during their civil war, or the obstacles to restoration that its people are now facing. Chicago Public Radio featured an excellent interview of an Angolan native who survived the violence (his wife and children did not) and is now working here in Chicago to establish a university in his hometown of Kuito, also in central Angola. The interview gave me a better understanding of the challenges facing the Angolan people. Listen here.

First Full Day at the Mission Station

Today (Thurs) will be the first full day in Kalukembe. The women will start with a 7am breakfast at the hospital, and their team will share a devotion with the hospital staff. Karen is giving today's talk with the help of Isabel who will translate into Portuguese or Umbundu, depending on their audience. Next they will set up for their workshops and lead the women in worship songs and a Bible study, followed by their skills-training sessions. It looks like this will fill their day until dinner at 7pm.

According to data I found at the US Naval Observatory, sunrise in Kalukembe this week is at 5:25am and sunset is 6:20pm.

Flying to Kalukembe

A view of the Ngiva airstrip in Angola via Google Earth. This morning (Wed) the team will fly from Ngiva to Kalukembe. a distance of about 250 miles, with an altitude rise of about 1700 feet, as they ascend into the highland plains of central Angola.

They will fly today courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship. Since 1946, this outstanding organization has flown missionaries and relief organizations to remote areas all over the world.

Once they arrive, they will settle in to their home for the next 9 days. They will tour the Bible School, hospital, and church and meet the pastors and directors of the facilities. The "Kalukembe Guest House", their sleeping quarters, is an abandoned church with no electricity or running water, where they will sleep on the floor in their mosquito nets.

Heading for the Border

Spoke to Jean again today. The team spent Monday loading up on supplies in Windhoek, and they will leave at 4am Tuesday to drive to the Angolan border. It is about a 400 mile drive. You might get a good idea of what they are seeing on their drive here or here or here or here. I believe they will pass near the Etosha Pan, a large salt basin where they may see this or even this.

When they arrive at the border they will hopefully cross smoothly without any trouble. The team is in good spirits, excited to get to Angola. There may or may not be a phone at Kalukembe, so today may have been the last contact until they return to Namibia on 12/11.