Ending Our Long Silence and 2023 Journey to the U.S.A. (Part One)

We apologize for being so silent to our Facebook friends, but in our defense, this year has been, to say the very least, … challenging. This latest trip to the U.S. would prove to be no exception. We are also in the process of transforming and updating our website and internet presence.

It has been said that the Lord doesn’t keep us from troubles or challenges but faithfully goes through them with us. This trip really illustrated this wonderful truth. From the beginning to the end, two months later, it was quite the ride. Filled with such trying things as … delays and canceled flights, hours added to layovers, lost baggage, ambulance ride, emergency room visits, non-anticipated sicknesses, just to name a few.

How do I describe our latest journey to the United States? Most of our trips to America have been filled with amazing stories of God’s grace and examples of divine intervention across the troubled waters of international travel. Amazing tales of baggage actually making it all the way to their destination, storms dissipating for smooth sailing, extra seats appearing with plenty of room to stretch out, etc., etc., have been a common occurrence during most of our travels. There are always a few blips along the way but spread out … but not this time.

Here is the story:

It seemed to begin in a hotel near the airport in Nairobi waiting to make the 30 minute trip from the hotel to the Airport and board a plane for Newark, NY. A little hint of what was coming revealed itself right before we departed for the plane.

My carry-on suitcase, after five or six years of faithful service, decided not to return its handle into its internal home within the suitcase. No amount of physical persuasion or pleading about the timing of this stunt (three hours before boarding the plane) could convince it otherwise.

Now those who frequently travel know that the extendable handle of carry-ons must return inside of the carry-on or it will not fit in the bin above your seat, which in turn will cause utter pandemonium and disturbing stares from flight attendants and fellow passengers alike.

Yet, as previously stated, the Lord showed Himself strong on our behalf in that every trial would be followed by His grace. After an hour Njeroge managed to fix it. We were supposed to fly from Nairobi to Frankfurt Germany, then to Newark NY, and on to Raleigh NC. But all that had to be rerouted before we left due to bad storms on the east coast. This would add 6 hours to our total flight time.

We finally made it to North Carolina … but … our luggage wasn’t so lucky and wouldn’t arrive until two days later. I had to wear my son-in-law’s pajamas for a couple of days but that wasn’t too bad.

In spite of these small inconveniences we arrived at our daughter’s house and began to have some wonderful times with the family.

The third day we were there, I got up in the middle of the night (per jet lag’s revenge) to visit the bathroom. The moment my feet hit the floor I passed out.

I woke up to my wife calling my daughter and her husband for help. When they tried to get me up … I passed out again. That’s when they called the ambulance. When the paramedics arrived, my usual slightly high blood pressure was 86/42.

They rushed me to Duke University Hospital Emergency room and put me on IVs. There were no available rooms so they rolled me into the hallway and gave Cynthia a chair to sit next to me.

The doctor finally returned and said I was severely dehydrated and informed us I had … Covid. I started wondering … what’s going on?

After a few hours or so… Cynthia told Yiskah (my daughter) she was feeling terrible and asked if she would call Dean, her husband, to bring Cynthia back to their house. We would find out later that Cynthia had Covid as well. At around 9 am in the morning and two IV bags later they let me return to Yiskah’s house and my dear sick wife. We quarantined there 5 more days.

The next place on our agenda was Daytona Beach, Florida for a family reunion at the beach. Cynthia’s family gathered at a Condominium that her parents owned and stayed at once a year for the last 40 years.

Our original plan was for Yiskah to drive us, the kids and our luggage to the beach. But before we were to start the 8 hour trip … Yiskah tested positive for Covid! The children were devastated … thinking they were going to miss out on the 4 day beach trip and might develop Covid as well. Sadness!

Leandra, our 15 year old granddaughter, began faithfully giving everyone in the house herbs and vitamins and praying that no one else would get sick. Her faith was rewarded … it worked!

As Yiskah had to finish her quarantine, we knew that if we didn’t go soon we would miss the family reunion in Florida completely and lose our connecting ride with Chris and Renee (our other daughter and husband) back to their house in Alabama.

Being too weak to ride a bus to the beach (with hundreds of pounds of luggage) we decided to bite the bullet and take a flight to Daytona. We did so and a few days later Yiskah and the kids joined us at the beach Covid free.

Because of the delay we missed seeing some of the family who went home early including Cynthia’s younger sister who had to leave because her husband fell off a ladder and broke his leg in two places. He’s ok and will recover but it was a bad break. So Leandra stood in for her aunt for the t-shirt picture.

It just so happened that my dear wife’s birthday happened on this trip. I asked her what she wanted for her birthday and she said, “just a good lobster dinner”.

So, family and friends packed up and headed to a seafood restaurant on a pier where she devoured some delicious lobster. The food was outstanding.

The young adults and our children loved the live band playing there, as well as watching the birds and fish. The only problem was the invasion of hundreds of small insects, almost invisible to the eye but whose bite felt like a mosquito. We and the other 70 or so people eating there began scratching and twisting around as the little critters began their feast … on us.

It finally got so bad people began getting up and going to their cars and warning everyone in the parking lot not to go back on the wharf. There were literally scores of people leaving. When we got back to the Condo we looked like we had the measles.

While in Daytona Beach, I was blessed with seeing my dear old friend Bill Tinsley, his wife Donna and my brother John with his wife Patti. We chatted about days of old and what we were all presently doing. Both of these blessed saints are still following Christ and holding to His testimony. Bill and Donna generously donated funds to help us finish some ministry projects we’re doing back in Kenya. It was so good to be with family and friends.

While in Daytona Beach, I was blessed with seeing my dear old friend Bill Tinsley, his wife Donna and my brother John with his wife Patti. We chatted about days of old and what we were all presently doing. Both of these blessed saints are still following Christ and holding to His testimony. Bill and Donna generously donated funds to help us finish some ministry projects we’re doing back in Kenya. It was so good to be with family and friends.

The rest of our time at the beach was enjoyable with only one disturbing incident. During the night a man on drugs in the condominium was running around screaming in the stairwell. Cynthia and her sisters, heading toward the stairwell, stopped and decided to ride the elevator.

Next morning we awoke to five police cars and a firetruck (paramedics) outside the condominium. Turns out the screaming man had overdosed on drugs and sadly died that night.

A day later we loaded up in Chris’s truck, said our goodbyes and headed for their house in Warrior, Alabama.

The adventure continues in part 2, we’re exhausted and only a third of the way through the trip.

End of Part One