Getting Here Safely

One of the challenges of this trip is now accomplished--arriving safely! The airline flights were uneventful, other than some rough air while coming into Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C.

Each flight departed--and subsequently arrived--more or less on time. The flight from Kansas City International (or Kansas City Inconvenient, for those who lived in Kansas City in the 1970s) to Dulles International took about three hours. The flight from there to Johannesburg, South Africa took about sixteen hours, divided into two eight hour segments with an hour and a half on the ground in Dakar, Senegal.

Along with the time of the flight, we moved ahead seven time zones! The last flight from Johannesburg to Harare was about an hour and forty minutes.

Our luggage all arrived on the same plane with us in Harare, which was a blessing. We made our way through the entry process without incident, and there was a welcoming committee from Mutare on hand to greet us--and provide transportation to our hotel in downtown Harare.

We stayed at the Jameson Hotel, and got situated about midnight. It was up for breakfast at 7:30 am.

After a typical English breakfast, we walked to the headquarters of the church in Harare. It was a busy, active, noisy journey. No one that we hoped to see was available. We left what messages were possible and then visited a craft shop operated by (or at least on behalf) of The United Methodist Women in Zimbabwe and the printing press that is still used there.

The next leg of the journey was by van. There were five of us on the VIM Team, the driver, and his wife. There were several police or Army checkpoints along the way, but that is fairly standard these days. The trip from Harare to Mutare took about three and a half hours. We stopped for the noon meal at "Half Way House," logically located half way between Harare and Mutare.

We arrived in Mutare about 3:15 pm, had a brief orientation meeting, and then departed to be with our host families. I am staying with the Masunda family.

Now to get some rest and ready for the real reason for the trip!