Well, this is long overdue, but I will share the highlights of my trip to the U.S. As I got ready to leave for the airport in Gaborone, I told my housemate Jen that I would be hiking a mountain in those same clothes. After a long journey, that was indeed the case. But first, I’ll share the interesting parts of the long journey:
The long journey started with the drive to the airport on Thursday 22nd. I was driving a YFC car because my car wouldn’t start, and then the YFC car started having major issues and smelling like burning enough that Jen and I knew that it was best to pull over. Always awesome when you’re on the way to the airport! So I flagged down a man in a pickup truck who kindly drove me to the airport. Now lest you think I’m incredibly unwise and naïve to hitchhike with a stranger…it is very common and safe here in Botswana. People hitchhike all the time…and well, in my circumstance it was the only option to make my flight. So once at the airport, Air Botswana’s computer system was still down (I had called to confirm my flight and it had been down then). But then they couldn’t find my name on the printed out list from the day before. They called the Johannesburg airport and airlines, but my ticket reservation was nowhere to be found! They sent me to go upstairs to Air Botswana’s office where it was determined that the Gaborone to Johannesburg leg of my journey had never been paid for!?!! I booked it all through a travel agent in the U.S. who still has no idea why that happened. So…just 35 minutes before my flight, I had to buy a ticket on the fly (literally!) with a credit card, rush back downstairs to check in, check my luggage, and go through security. You could say my heart rate was increased slightly for those few minutes until I reached the gate and made it on the plane!
Colorado!! Reuniting with old friends and making new ones!
After that, everything was smooth…Johannesburg to Atlanta, then arriving in Denver, Colorado around 9:45 am Friday 23 September. Fresh off the plane, I rented a car, drove down to Mission Training International (MTI) where I’d been training before our tragic accident in 2008. I visited with the staff, but one was currently teaching the participants for a couple more hours. So…in the meantime, I drove out to a small mountain outside of town and hiked it (so I did hike a mountain in the clothes I left Botswana in, as I had hoped!).
Then I returned to see that MTI staff member after classes had ended. I stayed for dinner and asked if any of the participants had planned to hike a mountain the following day—indeed there was a group hiking Mt. Herman on Saturday. Back in 2008, I had attempted to hike Mt. Herman with Jon (who also hiked Pike’s Peak with me), but the access road had been iced over and we ended up getting on the wrong trail and never reaching the top. So I was excited at the prospect of summiting it. I knew that if I didn’t hike some mountains before the conference in Denver, I would not enjoy myself as much being drawn to the mountains in the distance but stuck in a city hotel.
That first night I stayed in Littleton with the George family who were some of the first on the scene of our accident. I’ve stayed with them 4 times now! It was great to see them and see how the kids have grown, and have an excited welcome from their dogs Hunter and Kirby. The next morning I drove back to MTI to meet up with the other hikers, and we hiked to the top of Mt. Herman. With jetlag and altitude adjustment, it was a good workout. There was a great view of Pike’s Peak and the surrounding countryside from the top, 9000 feet above sea level.
After that I spent a couple hours reflecting and journaling near the memorial at MTI for our friends Karin, Jessica, and Isaac. This is the view of Mt. Herman from near there (it's the tallest one):
That night I enjoyed a home bible study at the George’s place. The next morning on the drive out of Littleton to church, I saw all these people biking in the beautiful scenery. I love riding a bike, but I haven’t since 2009. I really wanted to ride one again! I recalled that the Georges have bikes, and I could go back and ask to take one out for a ride instead of going to church. But I had planned to revisit the church where I’d gone the day after I got out of the hospital, so I decided to just keep driving to that church. Now in retrospect, I’m very glad I did. (I’ll share more about the church service in the next post).
After that it was on to the hotel in Denver for the YFC International General Assembly, which ran from Sunday to Saturday. Once there, I learned a beautiful fact—my roommate told me the hotel had bikes we could check out for free! But then I thought, Oh, but I need to wear a helmet…. But then she told me they provide helmets too! But then I wondered aloud, Oh but I don’t know where to go; what if I get lost? Then she replied that there is a bike trail just down the road from the hotel that leads past a lake! So I checked out a bike four times that week and within a few minutes was at a beautiful lake framed by the Rockies. So I got to ride a bike after all! God is good!
At the conference, it was great to reunite with YFC friends from the U.S. but also ones from Africa that I’d met in Namibia or in Botswana last year when many National Directors were trained here. There was great worship, speakers, and training with leaders in YFC from 80+ countries. I was in the “Effective Leadership” track and learned a lot to enhance my leadership here.
On Wednesday that week they took us on an excursion down to Colorado Springs to visit Glen Eyrie, a gorgeous retreat center owned the The Navigators (a worldwide Christian collegiate ministry with whom we work here in Gaborone). We toured the castle there and were able to explore the beautiful trails through a canyon. Then we headed to the nearby Garden of the Gods, which is where I had spent most of the Sunday before the accident with Jessica and a couple other MTI friends. So it was a bit different this time around…but still beautiful.
Thursday night was a celebration open to the public where each area of YFC’s worldwide family had time to share what God is doing in their region. Overall, God is really moving—YFC pioneered into 23 new countries since the last General Assembly 3 years ago! The Buyela Dance & Drama team from South Africa performed several times throughout the week, including that night. Their first performances were in Botswana in March 2010, so it was great to see them again:
Before the program began that evening, I was looking for a place to sit but all the chairs were filled. As I stood and waited while more chairs were brought, who should I see walk right in front of me but author Philip Yancey and his wife! They were really excited to see me. [The reason I know them is that we had been on our way to hear him speak when we’d gotten in our accident in 2008; he had called me in the hospital, sent me his books, and had the survivors (Scott, Andrea and me) over to their house; and now we keep in touch via email and newsletters. He has been helping me with some advice & connections in the writing/publishing process]. They brought up my second rollover this July in Botswana and how it’s crazy that it happened, but also amazing how I’m fine. I ended up sitting with them for the program. What an unexpected blessing to run into them!
On to Minnesota!!
After YFC’s General Assembly and one last bike ride to the lake just before checkout, I flew to Minnesota. There I stayed at my brother’s house. It was great to see him again. We really enjoyed seeing the movie Courageous in the theater, so I highly recommend it! It speaks of the value of fathers and mentors in our lives.
I needed to get my jaw checked out at the specialist there in St. Paul, and have a week between visits. So I got a new appliance (the old one was breaking) and time will tell if it really will correct the issues. I think my jaw is more in line than when I first reached Minnesota, but not the best it’s been post-accident. So I’m praying that this time it really works to keep it in line. I also visited the chiropractor to get massage therapy on my neck to loosen up the tightness and to make sure my spine is aligned. He couldn’t tell I’d been in another rollover accident—my back wasn’t way out of line by any means! So that’s good! He also taught me how to use my spring-loaded Activator so I can make small adjustments to my neck and jaw here in Botswana (where there are, count them, NO chiropractors!). So now I “shoot myself” once a day in four places to try to maintain a proper alignment. This should help with my jaw because if the neck is out of line, soon follows the jaw.
Though 9 days was not enough time to see everyone I would have liked, I was thankful to reconnect with several friends. I was invited to share to the youth group at my church. I also shared a longer Powerpoint presentation after church to update people on the ministry here. One of the current leaders of the Cru bible study fellowship at my first college, St. Kate's, came to hear me share and it was great to catch up with her. I'll try to share more on that another time.
On to Michigan!
After this, I flew to Michigan to see my mom and friends/supporters there. One of our good friends from my childhood in Dexter, MI came up to visit, and I also saw many friends when we hosted an open house where I shared a Powerpoint about the ministry here in Botswana. During church, I was also called up to the front with no advance notice to share a bit about the ministry here and receive prayer from the pastor/church.
I am also grateful to have had the opportunity to visit some of the more meaningful places to me. Thankfully we know the people who bought the cottages where we used to live on the lake in Lexington, and they’ve said I can go and sit on the boathouse or use their ramp/stairs down to the beach. So I was able to walk along and pray on the stretch of beach where I often prayed (where God called me to missions and to Botswana, and where I walked during my recovery months).
Then I spent a night at our friends’ prayer cabin in the woods up near there to have some more quiet reflection time with God. It was refreshing. After that I visited my dad’s grave in that town. It was stereotypically rainy and blustery as I stood there in the cemetary, so I didn’t stay long. I just felt a strong sense of the truth I know—that dad’s not there; but he’s with God in heaven. His body is 6 feet under, but his spirit is high above.
One exciting addition to the family is a cat that we adopted who came with the name Tiger Lily. We’ve never had a cat because my dad was allergic. After Chester (our beagle) died, my mom thought it best to adopt a cat instead of a dog. So Tiger Lily came home while I was visiting. She would often curl up on my bed with me. She’s a keeper!
Back to Botswana!
My journey back had no major issues (i.e. not having a ticket!), so that was nice. It was a WARM welcome back—I arrived at the beginning of a heat-wave that lasted all week, with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. One day it was 105 degrees! Thankfully we had a big rain and the temps have come down a bit, though it’s still quite warm (89 is the high today).
I’ll share more in a later post about things here. But here are a few prayer requests, if you’re interested:
1.) Tomorrow we are starting a three-week holiday program for the students who just graduated Standard 7 (essentially 7th grade). Tomorrow, a newer German volunteer and I will be explaining the gospel message to the youth. Please pray for many youth to come and for their hearts to be open and ready to receive the message.
2.) Please pray for students, especially Tumelo and Slim, as they are taking their final exams that matter a LOT here in Africa. Slim’s are intermittent through this month, but Tumelo will have exams every day!
3.) Please pray for one of the YFC volunteers from Gabs who stopped by and shared deeply with me yesterday. Pray for God to give him direction, wisdom, and the courage to do what is best.
Alright, well, I also have more meaningful reflections to share from my U.S. trip so I’ll likely do that next post. This one was long enough!
Thanks for reading! And thanks for your prayers & notes of encouragement.
Blessings,
Em
