luke's top 4

luke's top 4 highlights:

jane and me seeing my old context - meeting people and seeing places connected to his past (eg, talking with tim bannister at brackenhurst and then at dinner)

night with theological students when luke did swahili bible study

praying in DC airport with chaplains

visiting martin luther places in wittenburg and erfurt with hardy's family

highlights

highlights from our trip... (in no particular order, and probably not exhaustive!)

1. seeing a rhino, cheetah, baby elephant at maasai mara (kenya)
   
2. the luxury tent at maasai mara (kenya)
   
3. seeing luke's context - meeting people connected to his past ... kongwa, madindas, molleni at mvumi (Tanzania), RVA (Kenya), chris and jeanette in geneva
4. finding molleni in the mvumi shamba (her field) and her talking on our phone to mum and dad (she doesn't have a phone)
   
5. walking to the chemchemi (water spring) in kongwa (Tanzania)
   
6. jane talking to the mamas (women) about kangas (cloth used for various pragmatic purposes like carrying babies) and watoto (children)
   
7. seeing luke speak swahili
8. time with hardy and claudi -> the night before we left, everyone praying together
9. seeing alex and monica and their excitement at spending time with us - eating lots of beans and tortillas and cheese!!!
   
10. jackie and alyssa shining the torch on janey's tummy to try to feel kizawadi
    
11. ultrasound with hardy and claudi in gera
12. sermons in london at all souls' langham place (roger salisbury - haggai 1 - priorities) and st helen's bishopsgate (william taylor - hebrews 11 - risk taking in the light of gospel realithy)
13. meeting christian brothers and sisters all over the world
14. feeling kizawadi grow and move -- luke feeling him at claudi and hardy's wedding for the first time
15. talking with tim bannister at brackenhurst and then at dinner
16. "meeting" zoe (our brand new niece) via skype
17. zoe's birthday(s) celebrations in washington DC
18. presentation of australia/aussie life to alex' classes of young teens in mexico
19. being so loved and hosted by H&C, by gunter and karen and claudia, sylvia and dirk -- eg, the eucalyptus stuff for a bath, pregnancy pants, borrowing coats and socks etc.
20. driving at 200kmh on the autobarn, kissing jane at 180kmh in germany
21. catching the train in dresden by about 10 seconds
22. checking out "real life" west wing haunts
23. learning about US history, presidents etc.
24. a random night with jenn bell and the canadians and going to TGI fridays for tea in DC
25. fun relaxing with chris and tessa - contrast to luke's visit in 2007
26. bagels in NYC. talking to a man (paul?) on the subway about his life and perspective
    
27. buying the lonely planet in nairobi
28. seeing naomi in nairobi
29. time with neville and elspeth carr
30. night with theol students when luke did swahili bible study
31. time with elizabeth taylor in dodoma - ali baba's cave, watching movies, relaxing
    
32. lunch/tea with 2 bishops on christmas day
33. getting luke a tanzanian license
34. killing the rat in kongwa - team effort
35. wittenburg and erfurt with hardy's family
36. jan and lia saying they stand on hugh and dorothy's shoulders
37. riding camels at the pyramids of giza
38. "i have exactly what you are looking for -- a belly dance costume!" - cairo
39. jane's 25 hour birthday (nairobi to cairo) and the 1:30am wake-up
40. singing "waltzing stefani"
41. praying for H&C at their wedding
42. laughing in the augustine beer hall in munich with jose, leo, C&H
43. jane's hair styling in kijabe: 6 hours, 2 women.
    
44. cafe in moshi (tanzania) run by st margaret's - passionfruit and mango juice
45. "settlers of catan" with matt and kristy at RVA
46. parents and dan calling jane on her birthday in cairo
47. finding the red dudus (bugs) in dodoma and kongwa
48. killing the black mamba (snake) in kongwa
49. mama foibe talking to dad also with helpers holding the phone
50. wearing RC's clergy shirt to visit the codex sinaiticus (within 10cm of it!!) in the british library
51. relaxinug in the marriott luxury (eating tescos express food)
52. free internet in the kilburn library near the marriott just before it shut for 3 weeks
53. marriott gym and vibration fitness machine thing, sauna with middle eastern guys
54. jane being able to follow more of luke talking swahili
55. watching luke talk to jane's tummy
56. being together 24/7 and finding that at enjoyable experience
57. visiting neubeuern and introducing luke to bri and ebi and the house (germany)
    
58. new belly piercing thing in london - long and good for big belly
59. the maasai warrior guarding us who would suddenly appear to escort us to dinner at sekenani camp (he protected us from the howling hyenas)
60. watching lions mating
61. the incredible breadth of flora and fauna in east africa
62. mdimi mhogolo's name
63. watching the movie avatar in 3D in berlin (in english!)
    
64. baby bjorn thing in DC
65. bird museum in saltillo
66. lincoln's 2nd innaugural address at the lincoln memorial in DC
67. posing for "zoe memory" photos in DC
68. praying in DC airport with chaplains
69. people who were kind because of jane's pregnancy
70. C&H berlin survival package
71. catching up with the Fletchers in Mexico
72. the angle of buildings in Mexico city
73. 2 sittings of raqulette (swiss cheese dish) with Colin in Geneva
74. V Australia airline (especially compared to Air Asia)
75. meeting Thearith and his family in Richmond, Virginia
    

back in melbourne

landed safely back in melbourne on tuesday after 2 less than exciting flights with air asia from london via KL. on the first flight jane had to sign a special pregnancy form! did some really great reflecting and processing on the second flight, some of which may appear here - eg, highlights, struggles and learnings. and you can also expect some more pics!

halfway home

Germany/Switzerland/France... -9 degrees was the coldest, with a wind of much colder than that coming from Russia or somewhere.

 

London... -4 to +2 degrees. With a lot of SUN!!!! (?!?!?!?!)

 

Malaysia... 29 degrees with humidity.

 

Melbourne...? With one of the hottest overnight nights of the past 100 summers, probably it will be hot and dry.

 

 

It's good to be going home. Still some blogs to add, last pictures of our visits and adventures, and lots of processing to do of all the different people we've seen, places we've lived in... about the struggles and joys of living in each of the different cultures... (have put aside some good time to do some of that together over the next weeks in a nice little melbourne cafe... aaah... maybe sitting outside!!!)

 

We've been reflecting together on some of the changes that we've faced during our travels, but also comparing pre and post travels, and still the changes we will face as we settle back into Melbourne. It's good to have had some space away together - means 24/7 we are together, rather than work/study all day and just catching up in the evenings. Hopefully that will be a good foundation for a job change, the Little Prentice arriving, moving house... doing such things together, not just married together, or in the same room together, but united in how we face the changes together.

 

Anyway, it's been a jolly interesting trip with some very hard things, scary things, great delights, delicious foods from such a range of places... and so, so lovely to see so many friends in their home contexts.

 

Now for the last flight... leaving 1:20am from KL... Nasi Lemak for dinner (breakfast?)... :-)