Off to Botswana this morning

We made it to South Africa last night around 8pm local time but were too late for the flight to Botswana. We stayed in a hotel here in Jo'berg and are now up and ready to take the shuttle back to the airport to head to Gaborone. We should be in country by 9am. We will make church and start the week off the right way, in worship. It's been a much longer journey but we are a much closer group (if not a little smellier). See ya!

Antionette

Just a quick message from your kids. Destiny says"I love you mommy snd I hope your having a great time in Africa, and I hope you have lots of fun! (P. S. don't forget the rocks.) "
Dante says. "I love you mommy and I miss you, please stay safe and know that we send you our love every night by angel delivery. Love Dante!"
Hey hon all quiet on the home front all my love!

Susan....

Hello! Much respect and many prayers for you. Just wanting you to know we're thinking of you. May your trip not be in vain. I am sure God will use you and those around you. Lots O' Love! Stephannie & Family

Susan? You OK?

Billy Joel, eh? Not McConahey (sp)? I thought we discussed this, young lady. Drugs are for sellin', not for takin'. Despite this, we are all praying for safety and rest for you all. I suppose I need to focus my prayers on one particular person!

Jordan and Jacob ran themselves ragged at the WH game. Dad will watch them tomorrow as I go forth to the sacred hunting grounds. While there in my solitude, I will pray for an awesome work to be done by our group in Botswana. I might even pull for the Taaaagers tomorrow night, if Scott and Mark promise to confiscate that pill bottle. I predict 34-13 Climpsin.

peace and love
John

Pray for Flight to Gabarone tomorrow

We have a chance to hopefully catch a flight from Johannesburg, South Africa to Gaborone, Botswana tomorrow afternoon that is scheduled to depart after we should arrive in South Africa from Senegal.  Of course, that all depends on us getting out of Senegal as planned at 7am tomorrow.  We are being fed well and enjoying the $4 French coffees here in Dakar. In case you were unaware, Senegal is a former French colony.  The meals are on Delta, along with the rooms, but coffees are extra. We learned that the hard way!  The internet phone is doing okay as long as the internet is fast enough.  I will give a plug right now for magicjack.  It's a great deal and is working good enough to make free calls but it's dependent on the internet speed. 

 

So, focus your prayers on our flights:

1.  Get out of Senegal on time to make the plane from Jberg to Gaborone

2.  Pray for room on the plane from Jberg to Botswana for the who

It's gonna be okay and we will be too!

 

Susan and Kristi send "Hello" and "I Love You"'s to their kids and husbands

Kristi also says "Austin, no more tears!"

Mark says "Go Tigers, Beat Bama!"

Scott says "Pray, Pray, Pray" and "Go Tigers"

Robin says "Howdy to All"

Kevin says "Ain't seen no stew pots yet!"

Susan (on Ambien) says "Call Billy Joel"  >> you had to be there!

 

Several of us are in the bar area (drinking coffee and Pepsi Light (aka Diet Pepsi)) playing cards and watching CNN.

Thanks for your prayers!

Still in Senegal

We are still in Senegal and this has been delayed again. We should leave the hotel at 2am local and not 9pm. The flight is scheduled to leave at 7am local get us to South Africa at 6pm South Africa on Saturday.
Our internet phone is not working so well and we need someone from ADBC staff to call VIP travel and tours 1-850-878-4657 to let them know of our delay. Our reservation code is JSMUUP. So far, we have gotten some extra rest but we are a little restless. Keep praying!!!

Mark

Stuck in Senegal

Well, first we didn't have tickets when we got to Columbia because someone thought we had e-tickets AND someone else forgot to mention the tickets were safely secured in the safe at the church. But, God made it work and we got off on our trip without delay.

 

However, we are now stuck here in Dakar, Senegal because of a plane malfunction.  Delta has put us in a hotel on the other side of the city and we are not sure when the plane will be ready to head to South Africa.  We have heard that a mechanic is enroute from Atlanta (Delta) to repair the plane and we now think 3am is the departure.  We were just told we might leave the hotel at 9pm local time (it's 8am on the East Coast in the USA, Friday morning) and fly out some time after midnight.  So, pray with focus for the mechanic and a smooth departure from Senegal.  We are on the coast looking at the ocean, the 1 hr ride from the airport to the hotel was an eye-opener for many.  It's trips like these that really make you appreciate clean streets and basic security.  But, other than tired and a little slap happy we are fine and safe and God is in control.  That's easy to say when you can't do anything and have no idea what is going on.  But, our mission is to be here and we will take it as it comes.  We will post more when we get to Botswana!

--
Mark H. Johnson

Praying you through and home in good time

Hey Susan Holladay!
I am so thrilled for you and proud too! You are a brave, strong woman of faith that I admire greatly, and I am proud to call you cousin!
I've been praying a hedge of protection around your group, the trip, the encounters, the people you will meet, and the lessons that God will give you through your trust in Him!

I plan to visit you in Sumter on Sept. 13th to hear your tales of wonder.

LOVE YOU!
Dixie

Phone number while in Africa

803-883-2095 this number can be used to contact us while in country.
The only caveat is that must be connected and on (its an internet phone). See ya!

--
Sent from my mobile device

Mark H. Johnson

The bus is loaded and we are ready to go

Are we all ready to go yet? I was ready yesterday! Not really, but it sure feels like it.

We got ALL 22 of our checked bags (and our carry-on bags) loaded on the bus this VERY humid South Carolina evening. I don't think anyone wasn't sweating when we were finished. We packed two last minute bags, weighed, and reweighed our bags this evening. We are praying that my scale, that we were weighing our bags on, is as accurate as possible to the airport scales, because we are MAXED out on our weight with the things we are bringing over to our new friends in Botswana.

I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I pray that I will be able to sleep tonight. I have not gotten very much sleep over the past few nights.

I can't wait to get over there and love on those beautiful children!

Thank you in advance for your prayers, we all appreciate it.

Have a blessed Wednesday evening.

In His Steps,
Kim Wright

Ready to go

We are all set and ready to go. Excited yet scard, who knew. Please prey for us and keep us in your hearts. Thank You for all the support.

Holladay-test

Testing... uno dos tres

Prayers for our Families

As we draw closer to the day of departure and the beginning of our journey to Old Naledi, I want to ask you to lift my family in your prayers. School just started and this is only Tricia's 2nd year teaching 1st grade. While it is SO MUCH easier than last year, I can see tension and anxiety in her eyes. Please pray for smooth classroom time and at home while I am away. I am going to miss a few soccer games and flag football games for Miles and Dylan but they both have been so encouraging for me. Miles had his kid's church group praying for our mission trip last week! Talk about awesome! Dylan is a little worried the man-eating ants are going to get us (if you saw the last Indiana Jones movie you will understand his fears); but, I have assured him that is a lot of Hollywood and not really true (I hope :-) ). So, just remember to include our families who will be missing us while we are in Africa ministering and building the relationships with our new friends.

I look forward to seeing you on Thursday morning, bright and early. I encourage you to write on the blog if you have family members you would like us to remember and lift in prayer. It's always harder on the ones we have to leave and they will need God's comfort and protection just like us!

See ya!

Ready to Roll!!!!!!!!

I can't believe this day has come soooooo fast! I am so excited and anxious to see what God has in store for us. The emotions that I am feeling are so real and undescrible...I can't even begin to put into words what I am going through. I am 100% sure that there is a reason for the things I have gone through in my life, the battles and struggles I have faught and overcome! I pray non-stop for the good Lord above to show me who He wants me to talk to and to give me the words to speak. I know that this trip is going to be a great adventure and an awesome life lesson for me to figure out who God wants me to be.

I also know that because of this trip, I will have 10 amazing, lifelong friends, whom I will never forget.

It's not Thursday yet?? What's taking so long?!?!?! I can't wait to leave!

God Bless,
Robin