Neil has said several times that this has been his best trip ever. He knows that you all have played a key role through your support and prayers. Shown above with some of his friends in the Kisii District, Neil called the above picture "Neil and his girls." Neil bid farewell on Monday as he headed to Nairobi to return the borrowed van and spend the night with his friend Cosmas.
Please pray for Francis, Neil's translator and traveling companion. Francis' aunt, who had gone into the hospital for what they thought was a routine procedure, died unexpectedly before he had a chance to say goodbye. Francis and the family are grief-stricken.
Neil and Francis' journey from the Kisii District to Nairobi in Cosmas' van was a testament to their resilience. Despite the ailing transmission, it held up all the way, thanks to Neil's guidance and Francis' determination. Neil, always the mentor, gave Francis, who is a relatively new driver, valuable tips on handling the van throughout the journey. Cosmas had planned to travel to Minnesota with Neil but changed his plans to address concerns in their school, where his wife Eunice is the headmistress. Before bringing Neil to the airport, Cosmas and his family brought Neil to a restaurant to enjoy a meal together.
Neil's plane departed from Nairobi around 4:00 p.m. Minnesota time and will arrive in Amsterdam at approximately 2:00 a.m. Minnesota time. He has just a 2-hour layover in Amsterdam, so we can pray that he makes that connection smoothly. He is due to arrive in Minneapolis at 11:35 a.m. on Wednesday. There, our friend Anne Crump will meet him and drive him to their home in Hudson, Wisconsin, where Neil's Toyota 4-Runner awaits. We can pray that Neil can stay awake after 42 hours of travel with little sleep.
Neil will hit the ground running when he returns. Our friend, Doug Wing, has arranged for Neil to speak at Grace Life Church in Marshall, where Doug is the pastor. Neil is looking forward to being with our friends there. However, that means we will miss seeing our friends at The Church in the Pines in Alexandria this Sunday. Neil has several important visits when he returns home. Always the farmer, Neil is also looking forward to getting his garden started. He planted several seeds indoors before he left that I have been carefully watering. Although they didn't all sprout, the ones that made it are doing well.
Prayer
- Holy Spirit, thank you for the comfort you are bringing to Francis and his family after the loss of Francis' aunt.
- Lord, we trust you to usher Neil through the various checkpoints in the Amsterdam airport in time for him to catch his plane to Minneapolis on time.
- Dear Lord, we also ask that Neil be given the strength to drive home safely from Minneapolis after his arrival.
- Jesus, we praise and give you glory for all you accomplished while Neil and Francis were traveling and teaching in Kenya! May your healing and provision continue to be given to our friends there.