Thursday 27 August 2015

Multiply Trip East Africa 2015 Day 16 August 26 - UK

I managed three hours sleep, then went for a walk around to get my circulation going, find some fruit juice from the stewards' kitchen and sample the fancy blue LEDs in the Dreamliner's toilets.  After breakfast, about halfway through 'Minority Report', the seatbelt alert came on and I had to put away the video screen.  Then we had an announcement that we were being 'stacked' at Heathrow (the result of the late take-off), and I had to twiddle my thumbs for an hour.  Viv tells me the film doesn't end like you'd think, but I guess that now I'll never know. 
(Jinja)  "You can't avoid vultures flying over your tree,
but you can stop them from perching in the branches"

We didn't see anything of the approach to Heathrow because of cloud, and as we stepped out of the cabin onto the air bridge, cold rain dripped through the canopy.  Baggage reclaim took ages, and it was 8am before we rendezvoused with Sam.  I dozed for about an hour on the M1, and the car heater kept my toes warm.

At the Farm Central Offices, Claire was all, "Aren't you excited...?!".  Well, not really, because I'll need to stay over until after the Bank Holiday Weekend Festival, as it's pointless making unnecessary journeys back and forth to Sheffield.  Viv, or Len's son, George, may get a chance to knock a bit of video together for the Saturday evening event feedback.

I dumped my bags in the bedroom, freshened up and then went to see Kelly.  We're on a roll, with Annual Church Convocation on Saturday and lots of Disclosure Process stuff to discuss at tomorrow's Apostolic Team meeting.  Claire announced that 42 RAW folks had signed up for the November 2016 India adventure, and Kiran Paul from Chilipatnam will be in UK in September, giving us a chance to get planning.

I was too late to book in for tea and a visit to Phil and Donna, now settled in Bugbrooke.   At the Farm mealtime, I entertained the guys with my parody of an African preacher doing the worship, bible teaching, prayer for healing, prophesying and tithes announcement one-man-band routine.  Gav rang in the evening so I could say goodnight to the children.  At my desk in the Multiply office, I faded away about 9pm and succumbed to the need for sleep.  (Just as well, because next morning my body thought that 4.15am was a perfectly acceptable time to start the day.)  I'm hoping that Mary will bring my trainers so I can have a jog round the Memorial Park in Coventry when we finally meet up and stay at New Kings.

What stands out in my mind from this trip?  Well, we stayed within budget overall, and nobody got sick.  The visit to the balokole in Magodes was quite special, and the overland journeys in the minibus have given me an idea for Rwanda next March.  The team we've identified in Kampala have the ability to make it work, and Hilary and Janet have given the sewing project in Nairobi a flying start.  But most of all I look forward to using the hand-held mosquito zapper that I got for £3 from a local street trader.


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