Every journey has a beginning.

This journey is no different, and our beginning is cold, cold, cold!

Sue and I are helping lead a team from Oregon and Central Texas that is heading to Maua in two days to work at Maua Methodist Hospital, and to lead two, two-day seminars for clergy – on in Meru and one in Nairobi.

It is summer in Kenya, which is a good thing, because our beginning here in Oregon is anything but summer.

We woke up this morning in Sisters, Oregon, to 6-8″ of new snow.  The car was buried, the driveway was buried, the neighborhood road was buried, Central Oregon was buried – when I first saw the car I sighed, broke out the broom, the scraper, gloves, my snow boots and a heavy coat.

Out to the car I went.  I brushed.  I scraped.  I shoveled.  I shivered.  And then I drove the car around the loop of the driveway about six times – kind of a poor person’s plow.

I went inside, took a shower, had a cup of coffee, and looked out at the car…another 6″ of snow on it.  So I brushed…scraped…shoveled…shivered…drove the loop, and then we loaded it up and blasted out of the neighborhood.

We got 500 yards or so and then Sue asked, “Did you remember to bring……?”  Obvious answer?  “No…”  So back we went to the house, plowed a bit more and finally hit the road.

Our number one route was closed because of an avalanche (Santiam).  So we took the long route.  Not good either.

This is what we encountered as we drove up the highway and started up the flanks of Mt. Hood.  The weather finally broke near the highest part of the pass and we went from white-out to:

Bottom line on all this is that we made it to Oregon City, just outside of Portland, and are spending the night with our kids.  We packed six duffles this afternoon of various school and medical supplies, and will leave early tomorrow for Ft. Worth, where we will pick up the rest of the team.

Over the next few weeks we will be in Kenya, and I will try to give you a day by day blow on our joys, sorrows, travails, and work.  So many of you have supported us through supplies, financial support and prayers – we could not do this without you!

So read the posts, note God at work, and email if you have questions or comments.  All are welcomed!

We will be gone until the 21st of January, and will return with stories and witnesses to how God is changing the world through the efforts of our team members!

Baraka – Blessings!

Jim