Reunion

It was a scene straight out of the TV show, "The Amazing Race." Matt and I were in a strange country...with a map in a different language...a specific destination in mind...and only a few hours to make it!

We had most of the day off on a recent assignment to Reunion, so we decided to take in some of the local sites. Reunion is an island formed by a volcano (which still smokes and is active sometimes). The island is known for its extreme sports - surfing, kite surfing, rappelling, canyoning, paragliding, diving, etc. With so many options, we decided to go for one that wouldn't take a lot of time - we chose to find some of the famous waterfalls on the island.

With a map in hand and my very bad French - we set out in the car. No surprise that we got lost and had to stop to ask for directions. We got a little worried when everytime we asked the answer was, "Whoa - you have to go straight, go straight, go straight, go straight, go straight and keep going straight!" But the directions proved to be exactly right - we went straight for a very long time. And "voila!" we found one of the millions of waterfalls on the island. Even though we thought we were the only competitors in the "amazing race," there were several others that beat us to the spot - so we were eliminated. (ha-ha!)

We also had a chance to eat some really great French cuisine and Creole food. We met some really great people. One lady I talked to came from a family of 20 kids. While that's not a lot for an "African" family, Reunion Island is not considered "Africa." Reunion is a French protectorate. So, in essence, it is France.

If you ever get a chance, visit Reunion. It's in the Indian Ocean - just a bit east of Madagascar. It's nothing like what you would expect for an Island off the coast of Africa. It's a little piece of Europe, hidden in the Indian Ocean.

Lamu, Kenya

We were stranded on a deserted island. We could see civilization but it was just too far to swim... so...we sank back on our wooden lounge chairs and ordered another Diet Coke.

Yep - our deserted island came complete with a waiter and a chef. Not bad for a weekend getaway! Julie and I spent a quick weekend on the tiny island of Lamu - located just off the coast of Kenya. This island is totally different than where we live in Nairobi. It is 99.9 percent Muslim, there are no cars, women wear the complete boui-boui (Muslim outfit and headcovering), fresh seafood, old-fashioned dhow boats, fishing, etc.

Lamu has no cars. Most people walk everywhere or ride a donkey. Boats get people from tiny island to tiny island. Since, there's not much to do in Lamu, Julie and I took a boat everyday to a private beach on a small island. We had the beach to ourselves everyday!

Then, we'd walk the streets of stonetown for shopping or to find an ice cream shop (it was extremely hot and humid). Back in stonetown, the roads were cobblestone. I wondered how many shoes crossed this path to make the stones so smooth. The streets were very narrow - just large enough for a donkey and rider.

The interesting thing about Lamu is the carved doors. These are Swahili carvings. Each door tells a story and has a significance in the Swahili coastal history.

Most people on this island make their living on the boat fishing. These boats are called dhows. Most do not have motors but use sails. The fishermen know which direction the wind blows during the day. Julie and I went on a sunset dhow ride. Not only did we see the sunset from the boat, but we got the chance to "drive" the boat. When the wind whipped the sail hard and the boat tilted, we almost fell out of the boat.

After eating fresh seafood (at the same restaurant every night), Julie and I drank Lamu Coffee. This coffee has less than a teaspoon of actual coffee per pot. The main ingredients are cinnamon, cardamon and cloves. It's a really cinnamony sweet drink. The fun part was buying it from a vendor on the road. Then, we'd sit down and drink it -- with everyone surprised that the Americans liked their coffee.

Moldova

There’s more to Moldova than you think!

Wait – where’s Moldova you say? It’s a small country in Central Europe, whose location most Europeans don’t even know. Those who do know about this former Soviet Union republic normally associate it with intense poverty, illegal organ trading, human trafficking and communism. While all of these images are true, there’s so much more!

Isolated villages nestled in lush valleys carry on traditions from long ago. Gentle rolling hills burst to life in the spring time as the world-renowned vineyards bloom. Fields of sunflowers decorate the landscape. Amazingly friendly people invite you into their homes and share their culture, food and families.

My time in Moldova was fantastic and freezing cold. I met some really great people and ate some awesome Moldovan chocolate everyday (usually for lunch).

One of my favorite people to hang out with was Marika. She had a black belt in Tae Kwan Do and used the sport to tell about Jesus. She had an infectious smile and rosy, red cheeks. She served as my translator several days. She is the only evangelical believer in her family. At one time, her entire family disowned her because she chose to be a Baptist and have a personal relationship with Jesus. Now, her parents allow her to visit, but are still not believers. She prays for them daily.

One day, I convinced the media team I travelled with that we needed to do some interviews at the monastery carved into a cliff. The travel book made it sound really cool. It talked about prayer rooms carved into the cliff that were hidden from view. This was used during Soviet times to allow Christians somewhere to meet and to go pray. Now, it is used as a monastery and a place of solitude.

Of course the trip didn't go quite as planned. We got lost along the way and think we ended up in the Ukraine for part of the trip because our cell phones gave us all a "welcome to the Ukraine" message. (A totally different country) When we finally got there, we found out the paths were narrow and steep. I'm not sure who's bright idea it was to carry heavy video equipment down the edge of a cliff for an interview (wink, wink), but in the end, it turned out to be a really neat place. It was neat to imagine secret church taking place in the carved out rooms.

The Russian Orthodox Church was a new experience for me. We were able to watch a few weddings. Can you believe there are no benches or seats in the churches? The churches don't have electricity. Instead, they are illuminated by candles burning to the saints. Orthodox believe that as long as the candles burns, the saints are petitioning for them.

The Baptist churches in Moldova were like traditional Southern Baptist churches in the States. The thing that impressed me most, though, is that all of the Baptist churches we visited were involved in starting a new church or preaching point. Every church was active in carrying out the Great Commission.

I wish you could have heard the way Moldovans pray. They pour their heart out to God! One pastor told me prayer is so important to those who lived in the former Soviet Union because it was the only thing the KGB couldn't take away from them.

Istanbul, Turkey

Where else in the world can you eat breakfast on the continent of Asia and then 20 minutes later be drinking tea on the continent of Europe!

Istanbul was a blast! Everyone should go visit. This is where Europe and Asia meet.

I had a couple days to spend in Istanbul during a layover. I had some friends living there and visited them. They showed me all over town. Some of my favorite things were visiting the famous Blue Mosque. This mosque is open to visitors. It has a lot of gold in it.

I felt so safe walking the streets of the neighborhood I stayed in. Turkey even has McDonald's, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Of course, I didn't eat there -- not when there were so many great Turkish dishes to try. I even drank REAL Turkish coffee underneath a bridge. Here, I also tried fish sandwiches. The fishermen literally took the fish off the hook, stuck in on the grill and handed me the sandwich. For fish - it was pretty good. Other great treats were eating Turkish Delight for the first time. I had no idea there were so many different flavors or kinds. I also had the best bacclava I've ever had in my life. (And there are also different flavors of this sweet pastry.)

Let's Get Started!

Thanks for reading my blog. It will take you all over the world. You'll visit a few tourist spots, but mostly, you will discover out of the way places - holes in the wall.

Join me in discovering the world and seeing what God is doing through His people. Believe me, it will always be an adventure (and sometimes even involve "mis-adventures").