JAMBO! WELCOME BACK TO KENYA
Wednesday, February 21, 2024—Nairobi, Kenya
I am writing this journal “by faith.” As I type, the North African continent has just appeared outside the airplane window. We’re not in Nairobi yet. But, we have made it to Africa. Unless God has other plans, in a few hours we will collect our luggage, make our way to our hotel, enjoy a long hot shower, and climb into bed exhausted.
But, what a wonderful exhaustion it is! It wasn’t fun a few hours ago, but as I replay the images of our brisk walk through the Atlanta airport yesterday….well, I have to laugh to and at myself. Teresa has a wonderful team of doctors. One of her favorites oversees her Rheumatoid issues. He is a seasoned mission traveler as well. He has made the trek to Africa often. He knows the toll that international travel takes on the body. He asked Teresa to request wheelchair assistance from gate-to-gate in the airport. His logic was, “your knees will only tolerate so much pounding on hard surfaces. Save your knees and legs to walk over those uneven Kenya streets and trails.” And so we did.
It was great advice. Teresa’s “ride” was waiting at the head of the jet bridge when we landed in Atlanta. By the time I secured our backpacks and hand luggage, Teresa’s assistant was disappearing into the sea of people in the Atlanta terminal. A couple of weeks ago on a hunting trip with my son Josh, my achilles tendons began to flare up. New problem for an old body. The pain was enough that it caused a visible limp. But, limp I did to my favorite Alabama swamp deer stand. But, every night at the end of the hunt, I knew this Kenya trip was bearing down on me.
For the past week I have gone to physical therapy daily, strengthening and rehabbing my legs. But, I was not ready for the “Atlanta airport sprints.” I finally swallowed my pride, and conceded the race to Teresa’s young wheelchair guide. While I was catching my breath on the elevator ride down to the Atlanta airport tram, I caught a familiar smirk and twinkle in Teresa’s eye. “What’s the problem? Can’t keep up with old crip?!” That’s when I knew. I knew that not only was Teresa going to make it to Kenya. But, we were going to have some of the best fun we have ever had on any of our “God-adventures” together.
God has honored every prayer and met every need.
Every flight was onetime. We even got an exceptional tailwind and arrived in Amsterdam ahead of schedule. My app says our bags in the hold under the plane just now, waiting to be unloaded in Nairobi. We both got sleep on last night’s flight to Amsterdam. We will arrive Nairobi at 10 P.M. and be showered and in bed by midnight. No schedule tomorrow, means no clock set. We sleep until our body says get up. Eat, get outside in the African heat, and let our internal clocks catch up with the ones our wrists.
At breakfast this morning, God had arranged for us to sit with a young American lady on her way home from a “spiritual pilgrimage” in Dubai. She had been telling Teresa her story while I got our breakfast. By the time I made it back to the table, the conversation had somehow turned to Jesus and how He was so much more than just another prophet. Teresa didn’t marry an evangelist…this evangelist married one of the world’s great evangelists!
We have flown in the lap of luxury. Up front with the folks who have real jobs and make real money.
I’m sure the friend who insisted we fly business class on this trip would have enjoyed seeing Teresa snoozing in the lay-flat bed last night.
I started this journal by admitting I was writing by faith. We’re not in bed yet. But, if you get this journal with this paragraph still in it, it means God did what He said He would. We made it. We’re well. And we’re headed to bed…in Kenya!
My mentor who taught me the faith life was a master paraphraser of the Word: “We must act like and believe that a thing is, while it is not, so that it can be.” We did. We’re here. God did it. And you were able to be a part in joining Him in His work.
Your prayers = our fuel.
By, grace, your brother, Mike Curry
Eph. 6:19-20