Week 1: Travelling

Instead of telling you how I got here, I figured I would draw you a helpful map (you can tell I’m very artistic..). But here are the details:

Step 1: 11:50pm flight from Toronto to London, England. Approximately a 7hr flight, landed at 12pm local time. Attempt to sleep in the airport = failed. Brave enough to try some food=Negative.

Step 2: 7:00pm flight from London to Nairobi, Kenya. Approximately a 9hr flight, landed at 6am local time. Attempt to sleep in airport = somewhat more successful. Brave enough to try some food=Negative.

Step 3: Flight delayed, 2:00pm departure from Nairobi to Antananarivo, Madagascar. Approximately 3:30hr flight, landed at 5:30pm local time.

Step 4: Greeted at the airport by a lovely Mercy Ship lady named Kathy who helped us through customs, and brought us to a bus where we were loaded in and driven to the hotel where we would be staying. We had our own rooms, showers and delicious food. I was able to get some sleep (finally!) and feel clean again. It was a great opportunity to get to know some of the other people who would be coming aboard Mercyship (about 20 of us).

Step 5: Spend the day in Tana (Antananarivo – which is the capital of Madagascar), walk around and explore, relax, etc.

Step 6: Get up really early the next day, and take a 9 hour shuttle ride all the way to the coastal town of Toamasina (also known as Tomatave). It was a beautiful drive through the mountains and rural areas.

Step 7: Board the Mercyship!! We had a brief orientation, some paperwork and then we were told where our rooms were. It was very exciting to see where we would be living for the next 5 months! I am in an 8 berth cabin, with 7 other lovely ladies (2 of whom arrived at the same time as me).

And that my friends, is quite a start to this adventure!

One new thing: I tried some Zebu, which is basically the Madagascar version of the cow (but it has a hump on it's back) and it tasted exactly like beef.

One thing I observed: The people are very friendly! I got a lot of greetings while walking around, Bonjour Madame, etc. It looks like my French will come in very handy here, as many people speak both Malagasy and French. 

One thing I felt God was telling me: Sometimes, things will be difficult. You will be uncomfortable, hungry and tired. You basically won't speak to another human for 40+ hours. But God is always with you. You can always trust in Him. The second I stepped off the plane I knew this was where God wanted me. It made all the travel completely worth it to come serve Him in this place. Very thankful!

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. - 1 John 3:16-18