Travel to Ethiopia

Four days and 2 continents later, we are in Ethiopia.  It took 15 hours of international flight time (8 hours from Washington, DC to Rome, Italy), an hour in Rome to clean and refuel the plane, and then another 6 hours from Rome to Ethiopia.  I’m not sure of exactly the correct mileage, but it is in the neighborhood of 8000 miles I have traveled to get here.  8000 miles – staggering to think about that!

Our Brush with Celebrities

We had a few hours to hang out in the Dulles Airport in Washington today.  Guess who we saw?

The President and his wife were gracious to allow us to take a picture with them.  Otherwise, the day has been uneventful.  We've done a lot of hurrying up and waiting!  We get on the airplane for Addis Ababa in another hour or so.  Looking forward to a good night's sleep on the plane!

2009 Christmas Photo!!!

Every year I try to take a family Christmas photo.  Sounds simple, but the reality is much different.  Lots of pretty smiles and happy faces; can't see the blood, sweat and tears it took to get here!!!

Hortons in Houston

Highlights from our scouting trip to Houston:

We left on Saturday (12/19) and drove 6 hours in the rain, 4 hours of that were torrential downpours. At one point, I was on the bridge across Lake Ponchatrain in New Orleans, and there was literally more water than I had ever seen in my life (above, below, beside, on top, etc.) It was tense. I prayed my way through New Orleans! After a twelve hour drive, we made it in to Houston. I now have a definition for a BIG city: when cars are driving in places airplanes should be, you know you are in a BIG city! Oh my word! Some of these interstate bridges are literally in the sky! It freaks me out - I'll have to get used to that.