First Term Updates – Cote d’Ivoire/Senegal

After a week’s delay, we have all 4 action packers with everything in them! Thanks for your prayers. We’ll send more details in our next newsletter.

We were able to finish up a few last-minute details this afternoon and will be headed north tomorrow. We’re starting very early in the morning, hoping to avoid any trouble.

We can’t wait to get ‘home’, even though ‘home’ at ICA has its limitations. For example, since we have no phone lines to the campus, we will be doing e-mail with my cellular phone – a connection slower than normal phone lines – and pay 75 cents per minute. SO, we want to ask you to please take us off of your forward lists. Thanks.

We covet your prayers as we travel. We again have seen the power of your prayers.

Abidjan – Again! Our luggage didn?t come in last night. Supposedly it came as far as Accra, but the flight from Accra to Abidjan didn?t come last night ? not an unusual occurrence out here. The frustrating thing is that we don?t really know if they know where our luggage is or if they are just telling us what they think we want to hear.

So here we sit in Abidjan with very little to do. We are thankful for the guesthouse apartment we are staying in. It has a kitchen, so we?ve been able to cook some things.

I guess we are getting some days of relaxation that we didn?t know we needed, even if there is the tension of not knowing about our luggage. I washed some things out by hand today, but with the humidity the way it is, I?m not sure they will dry by tomorrow. Now Bob is thankful for the last-minute pieces of clothing I forced in our bags!

Please continue to pray that our luggage makes it. By Tuesday, I think we?ll head up to Bouak? without it. When ? and if ? it comes, we?ll have to make another trip down here or have it brought up by others who have room.

We’re in Abidjan – Finally! But our luggage is not?nothing but our carry-ons.

The man at the airport was able to trace it to Frankfurt and is checking to see when it can be expected to be here.

After waiting in Cleveland for 2 ? hours because of bad weather in Dulles (Washington DC), we missed our connecting flight to Brussels. So we waited in a long line at Dulles for about 2 hours and were finally rerouted through Frankfurt, Ethiopia and finally Abidjan. Rather round-about way, but that was the only way they could get us out within the next 2 days. Of course, since there was a way, they wouldn?t pay for a hotel. Because of bad weather, everything was booked.

We had a 6-hour layover in Ethiopia. I was dreading it, expecting a hole-in-the-wall airport like Abidjan used to be with horrible bathrooms (that make you prefer the bush) and no place to sit but the floor. We were very pleasantly surprised by a modern airport with very friendly and serviceable people who all spoke English! Believe you me, I was very thankful!

It?s hot and muggy here. I actually enjoyed my cold shower! Bob is sleeping. We?re getting ready to go out and do some shopping soon.

Because of the luggage situation, we?re not sure when we will be traveling up to Bouak?. We?ll try to let you know. As for now, please pray our luggage on its way to Abidjan.