More Waiting, Now in Atlanta

When we should be flying somewhere over the Atlantic, we are sitting in a Carribean cafe just off Peachtree Street in Atlanta, eating dinner and making use of their wireless connection. Very early this morning, Biz dropped us off at Logan Airport, and we flew to Atlanta. We rushed to the South African Airways gate, only to learn that the airplane just then landing would not leave until 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Meanwhile, we are provided with a lunch, then given vouchers for an overnight hotel stay at the Grand Hyatt and transported to the hotel.

Drinking tea at Joe Muggs, we meet our captain, who immediately complains himself about not returning to Johannesburg today, since he has been in Atlanta nine days. He assures us we will fly tomorrow--that he is well rested and eager to return home. That sounds like good news for our flight. Not so good news is that we are not assured we can fly to Harare Sunday, so we must wait until we are in Jo'burg to discover how long we will be in a holding pattern there. Sadly, I will miss my preaching appointment Sunday morning in Harare, but we are reasonably certain we will reach Harare and join our group before too long.

Good News!

We have just learned that they SAA strike has ended. The unions announced earlier today that everything should be running smoothly by Friday--the day we are scheduled to fly to Johannesburg from Atlanta. Our fingers are crossed--but once again, we are on track to fly from Boston early Friday morning. Thanks much for your prayers. We hope they will continue.

More Waiting

The South African Airlines strike continues. Today, the airline and the striking unions are in a mediation mode, supposedly aiming at "a swift settlement of their dispute." Could it be that SAA planes will be flying Friday? At present, it seems unlikely, but we are waiting. No alternative routes are currently available. Will we actually fly to Harare Friday? Check back to find out.

Awaiting News

Annette and I are in Maynard, MA, today with Biz and Skip after flying many hours yesterday from Portland, OR, to Manchester, NH. Now, we are awaiting news about the South African Airways strike which, if it continues, will prevent our flying to Harare this Friday. Meanwhile, we go on with various contacts in the Boston area to further prepare for our trip. This afternoon, we will meet with the others in our mission team (who are flying British Airways, not SAA), and we will enjoy typical Zimbabwean food prepared for us by Abiot and Tsitsi Moyo. Thanks much for your interest and prayers.

To Zimbabwe

Last summer, Annette and I became acquainted with Pastor Abiot Moyo when we began attending the United Methodist Church in Maynard, MA. Abiot came to the U. S. from Zimbabwe with his family seven years ago. Now, he and his wife, Tsitsi, are both U. M. pastors in the Boston area. (To learn more about the Moyos and their ministry, click here: http://www.thebigm.org/index.shtml.) One result of this valuable friendship is that we will accompany Abiot and Tsitsi and 15 others on a trip to Harare where we will spend almost two weeks, beginning July 30, with friends of the Moyos and learn about life there. We will live in a home of church members.

After our Zimbabwe experience, we will fly to Gaborone, Botswana, and then ride a bus 600 km to the far side of the Kalahari Desert to Ghanzi where our friends, Jim and Jan Lundeen, are just beginning a 27-month Peace Corps assignment, working with persons with HIV/AIDS. We will return to Boston August 21.

Depending on availability of computers and on-line opportunities, I will attempt to add information and, perhaps, pictures to this blog. We will be glad for your interest and prayers.

Jim