The Journey Home

It´s an overflight night from Buenos Aires (via Santiago, Chile) to Toronto and then to Ottawa. I´ll have the Labour Day weekend off into to get everything sorted at home--laundry, grocery shopping, sorting through three months of mail and email, etc. I officially begin work on Tuesday, the day after Labour Day. It´ll be like a new beginning.

I am looking forward to coming back home. It will be nice to sleep in my own bed, where it is quiet, dark and without sharing accomodations. No more travelling out of a suitcase, with its limited selection of clothes. It´ll be good to get back into a regular rountine, though hopefully not get so bogged down with meetings and work that I forget the pace of the last three months.

Unlike my previous trips, I have not purchased many souvenirs. (Even my large house is getting too full of them). But I do have lots of pictures to sort through--nearly 2500 of them. Selecting, printing and posting the best ones will keep me busy for months.

Six more sleeps until the 8th.

Buenos Aires

I had two full days to explore Buenos Aires, the capital and most important city of Argentina. While we arrived in hot weather, it changed over night. On my first full day of exploring, I got drenched as it poured all morning. While my hat and rain jacket kept the top half dry, my pants and shoes were totally soaked. When it rains here, it pours buckets. For the afternoon and the next day, it was dry but cloudy and cool, about 15 degrees. This is typical for this time of year. After all, it is the end of winter.

Despite the weather, I explored the city in these two days. The hotel was centrally located so that I could walk wherever I wanted to go. And so I just wandered the streets, admiring the beautiful architecture--not just the churches but many buildings. There are many remaining buildings from the late 19th to early 20th century (1880s-1920s), and the style of that era has character, unlike many modern buildings.

One unique site to visit was the cemetary. That´s right, a cemetary. The "tombstones" are small buildings, containing the coffin or religious icons. They are works of art. You´ll see what I mean when I post my pictures.

I am now preparing for my journey home.

Iguazu Falls

Save the best for last.

After a long day drive, we went from Bonito to Iguazu Falls. We left the rain behind and arrived in brilliant sunshine, which we enjoyed the three full days we were here. This is the last major stop before Buenos Aires and the end of my trip. The best was saved for last.

On the first day, though, we saw the large dam on the river between Brazil and Paraguay. It is one of the largest in the world and we were able to get a good tour of it, both inside and outside of the dam. In the afternoon, I went to a bird park. While I perfer to see the birds in the wild, this park allowed a close up view of some I saw only from a distance and others I was not able to see.

But the main attraction here is Iguazu Falls. On the second day, we viewed it from the Brazilian side, the third day from the Argentinian side. Words and even pictures can not describe the beauty, majesty, and immense scale to these falls. It put Niagara Falls to shame. It is three times larger. It is even more impressive than Victoria Falls (in Africa) or Angel Falls (in Venezula). It was simply awe inspiring and we were able to get up close and personal, through boardwalks and even a boat ride that got us drenched. This was the highlight of my three month journey.

After the Falls, we drove three days to get Buenos Aires, where we just arrived. We had two nice campgrounds along the way and enjoyed the beautiful weather. I now have a few days in BA, before my journey home.

Bonito

We had two full days in Bonito. The first day was brilliant, while the second day was a complete washout.

The first day began with a visit to a site where macaw birds hang out. Macaws are some of the most beautiful birds in the world and it is not easy to see them close up. But at this sink hole, they have established nests and as a result, it was possible to get good pictures of them flying around.

But the major activity of the day was snokelling down a small creek. It is spring fed and because of the nature of the water, it is absolutely clear. And so we went snokelling down this creek, able to a wide variety and amazing amount of fish. It was like swimming through an aquarium. (unfortunately no pictures of this experience because my camera doesn´t go underwater.)

At the end of the snokelling, it began to rain. And it rained and rained for the next 24 hours. One thunderstorm after another, with heavy downpours. As I mentioned before, this is the dry season. It rarely rains in a couple of months, let alone one thunderstorm. Because of the rain, all the activities of the second day were cancelled. Thankfully, we were at a hostel and not in tents.

The Southern Pantanal

In the last leg of my journey, we visited the northern part of the Panatal--a vast area that becomes wetland during the rainy reason. In this leg, we visited the southern part of the Panatal. This required driving two and a half days across Brazil.

As was the case in my first visit to the Pantanal, weather became a major factor. When we arrived it was a hot and humid afternoon. We could do the afternoon activity of a short boat ride, but the evening night ride (to see the animals active at night) was cut short by a massive thunderstorm. In fact, we just got back when it started to hail. The hail was as large as tennis balls (I have pictures to prove I am not exaggerating.) The tiles of the roof began to break. As a result, all of the rooms began to leak, some quite seriously. Plastic tarps were brought in to cover the top bunks. This left only the bottom bunks available for sleeping, cutting down the number of beds available in half. Some slept in the truck; couples shared a single bed. So we all ended up being able to sleep. (This storm was highly unusual and made the national news in Brazil. This is suppose to be the dry season).

The next day the tiles were fixed and the rooms were cleaned. We were also able to do a full day of activities: taking a jeep tour around this large ranch (cattle and rice are its two major activities in addition to tourism) to view wildlife (mainly birds), go horse backing riding (where we saw a large anteater), and a night safari. On the third day, we went canoeing. After lunch we left to our next destination--Bonito. This took only the afternoon--most of it on dirt road.

Paraty

After leaving Rio, it was a three-quarter day drive down the coast to Paraty. This small town has a very historic center, which is well preserved. It dates back to the 18th century when gold made this region very rich.

We had two full days in this town. On the first day, there was an included boat cruise. We didn´t go too far by boat before anchoring at a great beach. After swimming for a while, we pulled anchor to go to another beach, for another swim. This we did several more times. In between, we had lunch served on board. A very relaxing day, with good weather.

On the second day, we were able to do our own thing. Five of us went on a jeep tour, going to three different waterfalls. At the first, we could just dive in to the pool of water below the small waterfall. At the second, we used a swing rope to splash into the water below. At the third, the rocks formed a natural waterslide. While we went down on our back side, the locals went dowm standing up, which was really impressive. Again another relaxing day.

Relaxing in Rio

Tonight (thursday the 13th) we have our group meeting where I will meet all the new travellers for the third leg of my journey. I am the only one from the second leg continuing on (except of course the crew of 2). Tomorrow we leave Rio.

So for the last week, I have been relaxing in Rio, on my own. So what have I been doing?
-walking along the beach, as well as entering into the water (the water is fairly decent to swim in, with plenty of waves to play in)
-going to the markets to buy souvenirs (though this trip will not have many souvenirs as other trips--but plenty of pictures)
-going to a professional football (soccer) game in the 120,000 seat stadium, with crazy Brazilian fans on all sides of us.
-a city tour that took in `Christ the Redeemer´ the famous statue that overlooks the city, as well as Sugarloaf mountain that also provided fine views, as well as a few other spots
-when it rained Tuesday morning, sorting out laundry, banking and eventually finding a bird guide book (I´ve tried to find a bird guide book ever since I arrived in South America and after several hours in many bookstores in Ipanema, I found one. Expensive, but I bought it)
-phoning mom on my birthday
-renting a bike and biking along the coast, going 35km before turning back; after 15 km back with more head wind, my legs rebelled, so I took taxi the rest of the way back (which gave me a greater appreciation for those who did the Sea to Sea bike tours).

It´s been good to have this week in Rio, but it has been expensive. I´ve also been spoiled--a great hotel room to myself. Back to share accomodations, in hotels that often don´t have hot water, or camping; as well as group meals.

Truck Troubles

It´s Thursday and this morning we were all excited to be heading from Ouro Preto to Rio, where we should have arrived this afternoon. However, 20 km from Ouro Preto our truck developed problems--a major problem. The air compressor went (key to shifting gears and braking). As a result, we´re now waiting in a little hick town for repairs. The goal is to have it done by 6pm and head into Rio--perhaps arriving by 2am. While I do have a lot of time in Rio, others are leaving fairly soon after arriving. (Rio is the end of the second leg of my trip). As a result, this delay is a major disappointment for those whose time in Rio is very limited. It also means our final group dinner will no longer be possible. After several hours of searching, I finally found an internet place, so that I can write this and fill in some time. Hopefully, the wait will only be a few more hours.

...Well 6pm became 8pm. But at least we could leave. Unfortunately because the problem wasn´t completely solved the truck was not up to its full speed. As a result, it took nearly 12 hours to get to Rio. We arrived at our hotel at 7:30am. (One small delay was being pulled over by police who were curious about the truck and took pictures of it.) So we missed a good night sleep. But we could shower in a room and have a good breakfest.

Afterwards, I took a taxi for my hotel for the next six nights. (I´m on my own until the third leg of the tour starts on the 13th.) My hotel is close to Ipanema and Copacabana beaches of Rio. Now I just have to wait for the sun to come out. Its cloudy and 22 degrees.

Ouro Preto

From Alto Parasio, it was a long day drive (6:30am-9:30pm) and then a half day drive to Ouro Preto, where we spent the rest of the day and the next two full days.

Ouro Preto is a historic town that has kept its 18th century features. On the back of slaves and with the wealth of gold, the Portugeuse created a town that would revival the ones back home. The architecture is well-preserved. In the core of the city, there are over twenty churches. On the first full day, I explored many of these churches. While the outside of the churches are plain and reflect their age, inside there are beautiful carvings, paintings and altars. They are pieces of art. On the second day, I took a brief tour of a gold mine. There wasn´t much to see, except some deep caverns and a place where we could go for a short swim.

As a major tourist destination (especially for Brazilians), there are plenty of good restuarants to chose from. So eating out was also part of the experience, even if it was more expensive than the rest of Brazil. It also had some good chocolate shops. Our hostel provided a create view of the city. This was a wonderful place.

Alto Paraiso

We escaped the Pantanal on Tuesday. It took four hours for the truck and our stuff to get reloaded onto the truck before we could head down the road, but we were able to leave. Then it was three long days of driving, past vast farmlands (corn was being harvested.) In the morning of the third day, we had a quick drive through tour of Brasilia (the capital of Brazil), before reaching Alto Paraiso.

We then had two full days to explore the national park beside this little hippie town. The first day we all went on a hike that took us past some waterfalls. The second day, four of us hired our own guide and car to explore the park further (the rest did some high aderline activities like zip-lines). The adventure for the four of us was more natural. We went to three different places, one to a small canyon, another to some swimming spots, and another to landscape that is called Valley of the Moon--because of how the river eroded the rocks. It was a brilliant day and it was good to be part of a smaller group.

Pantanal

The Pantanal is a vast wetland. In the rainy season, it is nearly completely flooded, while in the dry season, it is not suppose to rain. Unfortunately, that´s not always true. We had just arrived when it started raining. It poured and became cold (down to nine degrees). It meant several of our activities were canceled. But more importantly, our truck could not leave. Because it was too heavy for a few last bridges on the road into the lodge, it took another track. But after the rains the track became impassible. As a result, we have spent two extra nights here, plus tonight. Hopefully, we can leave tomorrow. But this puts us three days behind schedule.

In the meantime, we have time to explore the area around the lodge. I have been able to take pictures of 50 different birds. We also saw a few mammals, plus an anaconda. I also rode a horse. The weather has now warmed up again, so we can use the pool and it drying the track. Trying to stay patient and take what comes.

Brazilian Drives

In Brazil (as in all of South America), things don´t always go as planned. Our truck arrived one day late. Oh well, we had a day of rest in Porto Velho. Then it was three days drive to get to Pocone, gateway to the Pantanal. Brazil is a huge country and we can only drive an average of 70 kmp.

Tomorrow (July 23), we go to to Pantanal for three days and two nights. This is a huge wetland area of Brazil (larger than several European countries). I hope to tell you more when its done.

Ferry Travels

The only way to go from Manaus to Porto Velho is by ferry. We left late on Tuesday night and arrived on Saturday at 3pm. It took that long to do the 1000 mile journey. Throughout this time is no bridge of any sort and very few towns. Just trees and trees. It revealed how vast this country and the Amazon basin really is.

During our time on the Ferry, we could simply relax, reading books, playing games, watching the jungle go by. We slept in hammocks on the second deck. There were about a hundred of us, most of them locals. As a result, we could interact with some locals, but language is a great barrier--very few Brazilians know English and my Portugese is worse then my Spanish. (I can barely say thank-you properly). These Ferry Days were relaxing, even it wasn´t a fancy cruise ship.

Our truck left the morning we went to the jungle becuase it had to go on a barge. The barge is much slower than the ferry. Unfortunately, it is taking its time. We arrived in Porto Velho on Saturday afternoon, but the truck is not yet here. So we can´t proceed until it arrives. Hopefully, that will be tomorrow. In the meantime, we wait.

Jungle Journey

From Manaus, a city of nearly 2 million, located on the Amazon, we set out for a three day, two night adventure in the Amazon jungle. But before we did that, we made a short boat ride to the . At Manaus, two tributaries join together to form the Amazon. The one from the north is clear water, while the one from the south is very dirty, due to its sand content. When these two rivers meet, the waters do not quickly merge, but remain separate for many miles. And so we could see the very clear division of the river: one side clear and the other side dirty.

We arrived at our Jungle Lodge, which was 80 percent under water. That´s because the Amazon river was at its highest level since 1953. The banks were overflowing. Thankfully the building for our sleeping was high enough from the water, while a new eating area was made. From the Lodge we made several walks through the jungle, watching out for spiders, snakes and other small creatures. Our guide explained the flora and created, with his machetie, a blowdart--including the darts--though no poison. On the water, we tried to fish for pirrana, and at night searched out for alligators--we did find them. It was a very enjoyable time.

Roraima Trek

After an overnight bus trip, six of us arrived at Sainte Elaine, near the Brazil border. This was the base from which we did a six day, five night trek to Roraima. I borrowed a packback from one of my fellow travelers. We had to carry our personal stuff that we needed for six days, but not the tent nor food. The guide and two porters took care of that gear. They also cooked for us and we ate very well.

Roraima is a high plateau, jutting over a 1000 meters over the Grand Sabana (savannah). This isolated flat mountain top has very unique species of plants and animals, like a black frog that only crawls and does not jump. Its landscape is very barren, almost moon like in quality. It is other worldly. (It was the inspiration for Sir Coylan Doyle´s The Lost World).

The first day involved driving to the trail head. After lunch we headed off. It was about a 12 km hike to camp. The next day we did another 10km to the base of the plateau. This involved an elevation gain of 800 meters. The third day was the actual ascent. Though only 2.5 km it took four hours to do. That´s because we had to go up 900 meters, with some very steep and slippery sections. Once on top, we camped under a ledge that provided protection from the weather. It can be very rainy around Roraima, especially at this time of year. But fortunately, the rains while we hiked was minimal.

We stayed two nights on the top. So the fourth day was spent just exploring the landscape of this unique ecosystem. In between the clouds, we got some views of the cliff face and savannah below.

Day five involved a long hike, returning over the same territory we had covered on days 2 and 3. Though downhill might seem easy, you had to very careful about your footing. As a result, it took just as long. Day six repeated day one. We finished by lunch time, tired and a little worn, but thoroughly pleased that we had done the Roraima Trek.

Thankfully the next day was a chill out day in Sainte Elaine, where we could do laundry and catch up on this blog and my dairy. Tomorrow we cross the border into Brazil.

Angel Falls

Angel Falls is not only a wonderous sight to beyond, it is also an adventure to get there. That´s because the world´s highest waterfall is very isolated. We had to take a 5 passenger Cesna plane to get to Canaima, the base village. This flight took just over an hour. Then it is a four hour boat ride to get to the base of the falls. This is done in a long narrow motor boat, holding ten people plus gear. This can only be done when the water levels are high enough to get through the river. Even though this is the rainy season, we still had to go through rapids to get to our destintation. This meant getting wet. It was like white water rafting. Along the way, you can see the high plateau on the right side of the river. Many waterfalls come off the plateau into the lower level.

Our first day then consisted of getting near the Falls. On the second day, we hiked a trail to get to the base of the Falls, where we not only got good views, once the clouds allowed it, but we also swam in the river pool at the base. After lunch, during which it poured buckets, we headed back to the base village. On the third day, we enjoyed some time around a much smaller waterfall, close to the village, walking behind the falls, as well as jumping off the cliff into the water. That afternoon, we took the small plane back to where we staying with the overland vehicle.

Los Llanos

We crossed the Andes again, back to the eastern side. We headed into the region called Los Llanos. This is an area that is very flat and most of it floods in the rainy season. (we're at the beginning of the rainy season). It is cattle county, with vast ranches. But it is home to incredible wildlife, especially birds. But we were also able to see anteaters (which were much larger than I imagined, with a great furry tail), caimen, capybara (very large rodent), river dolphins and iguanas. We went fishing for purana, but caught nothing, though one night we did have them for dinner.

We spend two nights in this region. Afterwards we headed to Cuidad Bolivar (this took two days), where we are now. The next week will be full of activities. Tomorrow we leave for a three day, two night, exploration of Angel Falls, the highest waterfalls in the world. Then I'll be doing a six trek to Roraima, the high plateau, with its unique environment.

ps. Because this isn't a tourist country for Westerns, postcards are not available so probably none will be sent out from Venezeula.

Merida Adventures: Catatumbo

All of the group chose the two day optional trip to go from Merida (where we had three days of options) to Catatumbo. This is on the largest lake in South America. There was an hour on a river before we reached the lake. On the river, we went on a leisurely pace to view birds, monkeys and other wildlife. On the lake we went 1.5 hour at full speed to the place where we stayed the night. This is part of the country that few tourists ever go. (Overall there are very few Western tourists in the country--we always seem to be the only ones here! And very few people speak English, but I´m getting by.)

The villages here are on stilts and fishing is the main occupation. The main reason for coming here is to watch the nightly lightning show. We slept in hammocks (with mosquito nets). We went early to sleep--9 pm, because at midnight we were woken to see the lightning show. The night sky is full of lightning. After an hour, we went back to sleep, only to be woken again just past 2am when a huge downpour came down. Again the lightning was amazing. After another hour of viewing nature´s show, we headed back to bed. At this time of year, this lightning show happens every night.

The next morning, we went butterfly hunting. Our guide, Allen, has discovered two new subspecies of butterflies here. He manged to capture one, now named after his grandfather. The color of blue in its wings was very beautiful. He was unable to capture the one, now named after him, because it flies in the high canopy. But we did glimpse it.

Afterwards, we took a tour of slilt village. (Venezeula gets its name from these villages, because in Spanish the name means little Venice). You can tell no tourist come here, because there were no tourists trinkets for sale. This is real deal--seeing how local people actually live.

On the return trip on the lake, we encountered a rain storm. We got totally soaked and the waves were larger than the day before. It was like a free amusement ride. We arrived back in Merida after 9pm. What a contrast between the noise and grime of the city versus the wonders of the nature world.

Beach & Travel Days

On Wednesday (June 17)we left Caracas to Puerto Columbia, which required going through a high mountain pass. We arrived there by 2pm. Our goal here is to enjoy the beach, which is what we did that afternoon and the next day. The waves were awesome to play in--it was like we were kids again. It was a great place to chill out.

On Friday (June 19) we left to go to Barinas. While it was only 530 km, it took us over 13 hours. Why so long? Because of the mountain pass we had to cross again, the traffic in the cities, our breakfast and lunch stops, as well as a grocercy stop. Saturday was another long drive--only 230 km, but we crossed the Andes. As a result, it took 7 hours. But the scenery was specatular--where we had lunch was simply amazing. We´re now in Merida, which will be our base for activities for the next several days.

Caracaus Concrete City

Well, I have managed to figure out how to log in on a computer, with Spanish instructions.

As I mentioned in the comment section, I arrived safely. The plane landed around midnight and by the time I went through customs and did the taxi ride to the hotel it was 2 AM when I could hit the pillow. But at least, I survived the taxi ride. While you do have to be careful around the city, I am staying in the safest part of the city. At nights, I have been people watching at the Plaza (public square) till 8pm, without any sense of danger. The metro (subway) is also clean and efficient.

The biggest challenge has been the cost of things in Caracas. It´s very expensive here, especially at the official bank exchange rate (about 1US to 2.1 Bolivar), while the black market rate is 1 to 5. So for example, a Big Mac meal is 35 Bolivars, which at the offical rate is over 15US dollars. That`s typical. Even at the black market rate it is 7 US dollars. It should become cheaper once we leave the city.

As for Caracaus, it is a Concrete City--a very busy commerical city. The old heart of the city has very little of the colonial era. While a few churches do date back to the 1600's, most of the buildings around them are modern buildings, in poor conditions. Today, I went up Mount Avila by cable car (with fellow travellers) and got a great view of the city. But I will ready to leave the city tomorrow.

I have met my fellow passengers. There will be eight of us, plus two leaders, in this leg of the journey.

Sabbatical Sojourns

It's the day before I leave on my 11 week journey to South America. The office has been cleaned, as well as the house. The bags are nearly packed. And the summer student has arrived. I'm ready to go. But why this Sabbatical Sojourn? Why to South America?

I have developed this itch for traveling. It really only began in 2000, when I did a five week exploration of Europe and Egypt. Since then I've done some major trips, including southern Africa for nine weeks and Australia for three months. Each time you think you're in the trip of a lifetime and that this trip will be the last major trip. But one trip just spurs you to do another.

And so now I'm on my way to South America--Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina. Why here? Because it was an area of the world I had not explored. (I have been in Peru but that will be very different than this region). Asia is the other part of the world I need to visit, but the climate fit better for SA. (Asia is heading into Monsoon season). But after SA, South-East Asia will be high on the list of areas to explore--perhaps Thailand some winter.

Why now? Well, I've been in Williamsburg for 4.5 years. A good break will allow me to come back refreshed and rejuvenated. It's like getting a new start, but already knowing the lay of the land. A good break allows me to break some of the ruts I've been in (eg. like my messy office), and come back with renewed vision to work on certain areas of ministry.

I hope to update this blog at least once a week, depending on availability of Internet access. In this way, family and friends can follow my sojourn. I don't know whether I can post any pictures. That requires too much time and high speed connection. Besides, I don't want to spoil the Dessert Social.

For those who want to know more about the trip, they can check out the Dragoman Website. The journey code is JBV and I am on the June 16th departure from Caracas. (I am arriving in Caracas a few days early in order to acclimatize to the 30 degree plus weather.)

Saturday Stop

It was a day driving--nearly 1200 km from Christiansburg to Williamsburg. We left just before 7 AM and arriving just before 7 PM. We give thanks to the Lord for excellent driving conditions and a safe arrival home.

Now its time to adjust to life back here. Hopefully, I will do some further reflections in the future, but for now, it's time to do laundry, watch basketball and just sleep in my own bed, without sharing a room.

Friday Finish

Today we wrapped things up as best we could. The "closet" house required some finishing touches on the closet, while the "kitchen" house required sanding and priming in the morning, while in the afternoon, it was given a coat of paint. A few girls stayed at the settlement in the morning and worked in the office, sorting labels that they use as a fundraiser.

The first project was finished, as best we could, by 2pm. The second project group returned at 4 pm. Since everyone was packed, we quickly emptied the truck of tools and filled it up with luggage. By 4:30pm we were on the road, arriving at Christiansburg at 9:30pm. This allows for a manageable drive tomorrow and the weather looks good.

Thursday Thrills

I'm not sure that I would call today a "thrilling" day, but it does alliterate with Thursday. The night was more spills than thrills.

Everyone went on a job site this morning. At the home where we are building two closets, we are also painting the girl's bedroom. That meant that I actually used a paint roller for the first time. It wasn't bad. I think I found my niche. They mudded and put trim up in the kitchen in the other house. Work in both homes continued in the afternoon.

I stayed behind in the afternoon with three girls. They helped out in the post-school program, cleaning up the room and assisted in the reading program when the kids arrived after school. In the meantime, I tried to figure out our options for returning. We decided to leave Friday night after supper and return to Christiansburg, leaving a decent drive for Saturday.

After supper, we had group devotions and then at 7 pm we were entertained with some local talent--two men on guitars playing mountain music. Afterward, many of us went to the gym. In looking for the lights, one of our youth (who will remain nameless, right W.D.?) accidentally pulled the fire alarm. Eventually it got turned off. Then it was a game of intense basketball between the leaders and youth. I did survive, though barely. Right now C.H and R.O are painting my toe nails. (Don't tell mom).

Wednesday's Wanderings

Wednesday is often an off-day at the Work Camp. But we decided to work this morning. I remained on site with two youth and ended up working in the greenhouses--me, who is definitely not a gardener. At the two project sites, the dry wall was finished and mudded. Because of that, it needed to dry. As a result, we could give ourselves the afternoon off.

And so after lunch, we drove to Pine Mountain State Park, where we walked two trails, one giving us a great view of the valley below and another view of a small waterfall. (Erin got a little wet under that waterfall thanks to Reuben and Andrew.) We played some mini-golf and went to Pizza Hut for supper. It was another afternoon of bonding as a group and exploring the region in which we are working.

Back at the Settlement, we planned tomorrow morning's group devotions, which we are in charge of doing. We're all have a great time. Right now as I write this the group is behind me, playing games just before bedtime.

Tuesday's Tales

The two projects continued to be worked on. In the one where the closets are being made, they were able to dry-wall the one closet and make the frame for the other. In the other home, the kitchen has been dry-walled. This has been a challenge because of the small space and that it is still a working kitchen. A few girls stayed at the Settlement in the morning, working in the Thrift store, mainly folding bed sheets. In the afternoon, a few did a number of odd and ends around the Settlement.

As for me, I was sent to the "kitchen" site, where I managed to learn how to drill in the screws for the drywall. In the afternoon, I stayed behind at the Settlement, doing some odd and ends, including doing clean up along the road. It is amazing the amount of trash in the ditches. Our garbage bags soon become heavy.

As for the weather, the day started foggy. By noon, the sun come out and it was a beautiful day, over 20 degrees. I was able to wear shorts and T-shirts, and after work to wear my sandals. In the evening program, there was a short presentation about the area. We learned that nearly 30% of the people in this county live under the poverty level (21,000 US for a family of four or 10,000 for a senior). Only 57% have high school education (compared to the national rate of 80%). It is the 20th poorest counties in the US.

Monday Work Start

The arrival of Monday meant we could begin our work projects. Before I describe the two major projects we'll be working on, let me share what will be a typical day. By 7 am everyone from all groups are expected to come together for opening devotions. Breakfast follows at 7:30 am. Then it's off to the various work sites. We come back for lunch at 11:30 and head out again for the afternoon. We end by 4:30 pm, with supper at 5:00 pm. At 7 pm, there is a presentation of some sort, lasting up to an hour. (Today it was a film on the history of the Henderson Settlement.) Then it's free time, except for group devotions. Free time involves games, gym activities, and limited time on the computer. Curfew is at 10:30, with lights out at 11 pm.

We are two main projects. One group is building two closets in a home. I was with that group today. So far, we framed one closet, after cleaning the areas where they will be built. I discovered that I'm not so good at the power drill. I'll leave that for Andrew to do.

Another group is repairing a kitchen--putting up drywall (ceiling and walls) and all what follows after that. Try doing that while the couple is still using the kitchen. Gerald ensured the (loaded) guns were placed in a safe place, before the youth went to work.

Since we'll be working on these projects throughout the week, I'll try to provide more details in future posts. In terms of the weather, it was a very wet day. But at least it didn't feel cold.

Sabbath Sojourns

On this Sunday we experienced God in worship and creation. In the morning, at 11 am we attended the Hope Methodist Church, right across the street from Henderson Settlement. Afterward, they provided us with a very delicious potluck lunch. mmmmmmmm.......

We then decided to climb the mountain behind the Settlement. This involved a steep climb at the beginning, making me realize how out of shape I am. Then we followed a ridge for awhile, before heading down the backside of the mountain. This proved very interesting, with a small tunnel to go through, as well as discovering a salamander, a vine that Greg climbed and a turtle shell.

After supper, Jerry, the work site coordinator, gave a humorous introduction to the place and the week to come, followed by a brief devotion by the Chaplain. We then had our own group devotion time. By this time it was 9 pm and we had own our personal down time.

(Oh yes, as for the night's sleep, it wasn't bad, but not quite like home.)

Arrival in Henderson Settlement

We have arrived. We left Christiansburg at 7:45 am after a decent "free" breakfast at the hotel. It was cool and rainy. It rained throughout the day, but thankfully it was above freezing. We made our way to Cumberland Gap National Park, where we had a tour booked at 2pm. This was a two hour guided tour of a large cave, with many interesting formations.

After supper we continued to Frakes, getting onto roads that took us up and around--into the back country of Kentucky. We arrived at 6:30pm and are making ourselves at home here. That's all for now, I'm tired and need a good night's sleep. Will that be possible in dorm style bunks of over 40 people? (There are other groups as well). Stay tuned for the answer tomorrow.

First Day Drive

We left Williamsburg at 6:38 AM and headed to the border. Our prayers for a smooth border crossing were answered, as we just had to show identification, without even leaving our vehicle. Then it was 1200 kilometers on I-81 to Christiansburg, VA, where we are staying at the Quality Inn--sweet. It was sunshine most of the way, though at the end, we had some rain. While we lost the snow in Pennsylania, it reappeared in Virginia, where it must have snowed hours before we drove through. We arrived at 9 pm at the hotel and are now chilling out in the lobby, watching TV and on computers.

Entering Into the Blog World

It is with some hesitation that I enter the sphere of blogging. On the one hand, this is a great vehicle for me to share my thoughts and comments with friends, family, church members and anyone who happens to come by. That's why, on the other hand, I am hesitant to do this. My thoughts will be out there for everyone to see--from parishioners to complete strangers. But given my upcoming trips to Kentucky and South America, I thought it is time for me to make this move. Besides, I usually have to something to say and not everything can be said or should be said from the pulpit.

The name of this blog is "John's Jots." The name goes back to a newsletter that I sent out to friends during the days when mail, rather than email, was the means of communication. The companion to this blog is my Smugmug picture website. It's at http://johnhenry64.smugmug.com. Enjoy the pictures posted there.