Bob & Sandie's Excellent Adventures

2008-08-24T21:38:00.002-05:00

From this perspective, it looks like we are finished except for putting stuff back on the walls. I think some of it will be different, so that decision is still to be made.

Doin' Somethin' New

2008-08-20T19:36:00.003-05:00

We're working on getting the kitchen/dining room decoration to match the century we are living in. More pictures to follow as the work progresses.

Family pictures

2007-11-06T09:34:00.001-06:00

Green is Beautiful

2006-10-20T16:18:00.000-05:00

Patience and water and all Robbie's (and friends) efforts have produced a beautiful expanse of green in our front yard!

Yard transformation is begun!

2006-09-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

Robbie worked all day yesterday transforming our front yard. Now we will water and wait.

Here is what it looked like 2 years ago.

a quiet country setting

2006-08-16T21:34:00.000-05:00

We were able to spend our anniversary at The Barn north of Topeka. It was a quiet, relaxing evening and morning.

a beautiful wedding

2006-07-04T15:41:00.000-05:00

Carly Geiger and Kyle Walters had a pretty near perfect wedding in the back yard of her parents' home on Satuday, July 1. Here are a few pictures of the festivities.

First, we have a little personal shower and a pose with both mothers.

Then, a nice shot of Martha and Emily preparing a delicious drink for us all

2006-06-14T22:43:00.000-05:00

Colorado in June

2006-06-05T23:10:00.000-05:00

Well, we are traveling again, or I should say, we traveled to Colorado and we are staying in one place for a week of quiet reflection and rest. This is the view from the deck of the condo where we are staying. Isn't God good to provide this? (and much thanks to the generous friends who are letting us stay here!) We even have wireless internet access.

We are Home!!

2006-05-08T16:46:00.000-05:00

We had a very uneventful trip home, thankfully. All flights were pretty much on time, and there was nothing exciting going on at the various airports, for which we were thankful. We had enough computer battery to watch one episode of "Alias" in the London airport. Waiting for us as we arrived in Kansas City were Dee Anne, Todd, Robbie & Gail and their children. We were so excited to see them. Then, when we arrived home, Lynn & Jean, all the staff and some of their families surprised us by being here to greet us. Thank you all for making us feel so welcomed and celebrated! We are still getting our bodies to believe we are in this time zone instead of Kenya's, but gradually it is happening. We are both occasionally surprised when our body says "okay, I'm going to sleep now!"

Thank you for following along with us in our travels and blessing us with your comments and encouraging emails. We are so thankful for God's protection as we were gone. We certainly felt your prayers. God bless you all, Sandie (for Bob, too!)

Mombasa and the Indian Ocean

2006-04-18T06:29:00.000-05:00

We just got back to Nairobi after 10 days with friends at a beachside resort in Mombasa. The time there was spent meeting new friends and learning about their lives and work. We did get a little time to play, too!

We got to walk along the beach a number of times. There are people with their wares set up all along the beach, and they are not shy in approaching you to buy their goods. It was difficult to get them to understand that we wanted to walk quickly for exercise! This picture was taken when the tide was up and most of the vendors had packed left for the day.

Below you see me walking when the tide was a little lower. The weather was quite warm there, and the water was too! It was refreshing to swim in the hotel pool after a walk. (I didn't intend for the picture of me to be so big. Not sure why that happened, but don't want to risk losing it by redoing it!)

We're back at our Africa home!

2006-03-28T03:36:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful and very full 2 weeks with our lovely daughter and son-in-law which ended with some fun train travel and tourist stuff, and then some not-so-fun intestinal issues (all 4 of us!) I won't give details on anything except fun stuff. Our impressions of this city run the full range of fascinating, friendly people to crazy traffic and overpowering noise. We walked with S & J as they visited friends and neighbors on a special holy day. We participated in their group meetings, were invited into the homes of their co-workers, and experienced what it means to "shop" in their city. There are lots of tiny little shops everywhere, so you don't have to go too far to get what you need, but there is no phone book or yellow pages, so your feet must do the walking to find what you need. Most little shops carry only a few items, so you must go to many places to complete your shopping. J is asking for a special friend who will enjoy exploring the city with her.

Here you have the full view of the Taj Mahal, one of the best known monuments to love the world knows. It is truly a beautiful sight. The symmetry is amazing, down to the smallest details

This closer view lets you glimpse a little of the detail that went into the construction. It was built of white marble and inlaid with jewels and precious stones.

Due to the aforementioned intestinal issues, no one was very photogenic during our "tourist" phase, so I won't be able to post people pics here!

Back by popular demand!

2006-03-21T09:27:00.000-06:00

Hello folks,
I know it has been a long time since my last post. We have not had easy access to the internet, but I'm making a special effort tonight. Everyone else is already in bed, and the computer is all mine (actually, S&J's computer!) We have been having a wonderful time with J and S in their city. Here are a few pictures to let you see some of what we've been doing! This one of S & J was taken at a friend's house on the roof. In the background you see a couple of temples. This roof overlooks the famous river at their city.

On the left you see us walking out of their street. This was taken on Sunday morning on our way to a meeting.

A couple of blocks from the home where we had our meeting, we ran across this family taking a morning siesta.

This is one of the major forms of transportation.

And here we all are in the garden of the restaurant where we enjoyed lunch after the meeting. Great day for fellowship and meeting friends.

Cape Town

2006-03-06T08:55:00.000-06:00

Our sightseeing today took us to beautiful Hout Bay and then on to Table Mountain, then to the waterfront in the city bowl of Cape Town. We have been so blessed to see so much of God's beautiful creation! Here we are at Hout Bay.

Then we took a cable car to the top of Table Mountain (1,086 meters above sea level) and had a view of the city of Cape Town which covers all sides of the mountain.

South Africa!

2006-03-06T00:14:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since we've been able to connect to the internet, so I'll try to get caught up while we are connected. We left Nairobi on Feb. 26th and flew to Johannesburg for a conference of leaders in central, eastern and southern Africa. We met in a lovely conference center just outside of town. The weather was a huge contrast from our earlier travels! It rained almost every day we were there, buckets and buckets of water!! The grass and foliage was lush and the temperatures were cooler and very pleasant.

From Johannes we flew to Cape Town on the 3rd. We are absolutely the farthest South we have ever been!!

On Saturday we visited the African Penguins at The Boulders,

and then went to Cape Point. The beauty and variety of God's creation around here is amazing.

Special Request

2006-02-22T14:06:00.000-06:00

I've had some requests to put up more pictures with me in them. This picture was taken in Zanzibar. I've been trying to be sensitive to appropriate attire wherever we've gone. I still don't quite have the technique for applying the head covering, but at least it stayed on.

Okay, I took the bait!

2006-02-21T01:45:00.000-06:00

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern

At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent

You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet

Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Tanzania -- on the Island

2006-02-20T12:03:00.000-06:00

We stayed with friends on the island of Zanzibar in a lovely house right on the beach! We were able to spend leisurely mornings on the upper level of their patio under a thatched roof. The breeze off the Indian Ocean was cool and refreshing. Our friend took us on a walking tour of Stone Town. Buildings are so close together it doesn't look like you could get a car in there, but some of the streets were open to traffic!

I just had to include a photo of the spectacular sunset!

And one of the beach on the east coast of the island! I know, we are really suffering!

The beach in front of our friends' home was covered with the nets of the local fishermen. They spent most of the days we were there mending their nets. It was easy to imagine I was observing fishermen from centuries ago. Their voices were audible, but didn't disturb the peace of the scene before me.

Tanzania -- Life in the village

2006-02-20T09:46:00.000-06:00

Our first few days in Tanzania were spent with dear friends, Mark & Cara, in a village about 3 hours west of Dar es Salaam. Here you see the fellows who bring water to this family. They each haul 3 of these big containers on their bicycles, making 5 trips a day, 5 days a week. When the rains come (and please pray for all of East Africa to receive rain. It is sorely needed), they will be able to collect water from the guttering around the roof.

Family time around the table learning a new game, Skipbo. It's been years since I've played, so we had to have the directions out to learn it correctly. Caitlyn, Lauryn and Benjamin were quick learners. Natalyn couldn't sit still long enough to get into the picture!

We took one morning to drive through a protected wild life area. These elephants were very close to the road. I'm taking this picture from the car.

The fee for driving through the game reserve was a stop at the lodge for a cup of tea or a soda. Then we loaded up and drove back through.

I wish I had a picture of the dear lady that Cara and I stopped to see. We sat with her on the dirt floor of her home and chatted about her new life in the Lord and the upcoming delivery of her 3rd child. What a privilege to be there!

Kibera

2006-02-08T12:44:00.000-06:00

Today Bob and I went to observe what is being done by AfricaAid in the largest slum in sub-Saraha Africa. There are more than one million people living in an area less than 3 miles square. You can see there are small businesses set up in small temporary structures.

There are little huts as far as you can see, packed together so tightly it is difficult to navigate. Most people live in one room and that one room will shelter up to 7 or 8 people. About 20% of the population of Kibera has HIV. AfricaAid is seeking to care for victums of HIV/Aids. They are also helping people with very small loans to set up their own business and support themselves. These people then band together to help others. AfricaAid is also seeking to bring the Gospel to these people.

Independent Business Owners

2006-02-08T12:07:00.000-06:00

About 20 of these small business owners met with us in the building that AfricaAid is improving to provide a place for some of them to work. They will bring in a loom for weaving fabric and some sewing machine for them to use to make mosquito netting and other items.

We were able to walk by some of the stalls where these people were selling their wares.

Happy Birthday!!

2006-02-06T09:12:00.000-06:00

One of our very dear friends is celebrating her birthday today, and we have been unable to contact her directly.
Jenn, I hope you see this message! You have been much in our prayers and on our hearts. We hope you have a very happy birthday!
Love,
Bob and Sandie

Java House Coffe

2006-02-06T08:48:00.000-06:00

Nairobi has an excellent chain of coffee shops called Java House. This one even has wireless internet access. And I'm told the coffee is top notch!

Parklands Baptist Church

2006-01-28T12:34:00.000-06:00

This is the largest Baptist church in Nairobi. Many of the students attend this church, and it is where the students meeting is held on Friday evenings. Last night Bob had them discussing
1 Thess. 1.

Kenyatta

2006-01-28T12:05:00.000-06:00

Bob went out to Kenyatta University with Samuel Mwiti (back row on the right). He is working faithfully to train disciple makers among the students there.

Cuteness

2006-01-24T07:19:00.000-06:00

This is Teresa and her two youngest children. Teresa worked with us on staff for several years before she married Clinton. Cory and Ian loved having their picture taken. That's dirt on Cory's face. He attracts it as easily as "Pigpen." But oh the fun he has doing it!

They're keep us busy!

2006-01-24T00:57:00.000-06:00

Tom (on the left) and Rogers are leaders of the Student Discipleship Ministry. They are both graduates who have stayed in Nairobi to work with the students at University of Nairobi.

Moses was a student when Bob was in Kenya in 1982. He is faithfully making disciples and working with students at multiple campuses. We sure appreciate his wisdom and help with the students at Nairobi University. Bob and Moses are planning to travel by bus to another city about 3 hours from Nairobi on Saturday to visit a campus group at another university.

Natasha's place

2006-01-21T15:11:00.000-06:00

Jon & Priscilla took us to see where Natasha is living on Saturday, then we all went to Java House for lunch. Great food and the best coffee (according to Jon) in Nairobi.

Golfing in Kenya

2006-01-21T09:16:00.000-06:00

This morning Bob went golfing with a fellow volunteer from KC and shot 18 holes at Windsor Golf and Country Club in Nairobi. Borrowed clubs were his very good excuse when asked about his score. Bob was able to get in his one game of African golf.

Africa Greetings

2006-01-20T06:40:00.000-06:00

We have arrived in Nairobi and are almost over jet lag. We've been here a week now, and we're lovin' it here. The weather is ideal. They say it is one of their hottest months and it is a lovely partly cloudy 75 degrees. The mornings and evenings are a little cooler and it can get quite windy. We are staying with our good friends, Jon and Priscilla. This is a view of their home and a tiny bit of the office showing down the slope on the left.
We have enjoyed meeting with the univesity students here in Nairobi. Several of them along with their leaders met with us at their church last Sunday afternoon, then we joined their weekly meeting on the campus of the University of Nairobi on Monday evening. We will be meeting individually with some of the students and their leaders.
One interesting thing about the student ministry is that at least 3 of the Kenyan leaders were discipled as college students in the 80's by one of our alums who was here for 2 years as a Journeyman. The investment she made has multiplied so many times, I'm not sure we will know the extent of it until we get to heaven!

A bit of nostalgia: Jon and Bob posing in front of the Pizza Garden. They ate there with their team of students in 1980. They all stayed in Nairobi for a few days before heading to Zambia. The Jackaranda Hotel is still there across the street.

Colorado

2005-08-31T17:24:00.000-05:00

Our trip to Colorado started with a visit at Council Grove lake with Jon & Tarenda and their boys. Tarenda fixed us breakfast which we enjoyed on the deck looking out on the lake.
Then it was on to western Kansas and an overnight visit with Randall and Michelle. Randall was still recovering from a run-in with a bull, which laid him up for several weeks. He was still hobbling around on crutches when we were there. That didn't keep him from grilling a fantastic chicken feast. We had a great time catching up with them and their family and took off the next morning (our 35th anniversary) to drive through western Kansas and eastern Colorado to Aspen. It was a breathtaking drive over the pass.
We were able to stay at a beautiful condo graciously offered by friends. We had 5 wonderful days there with Dick, Nancy, Emily, Bethany and Lynn ,Jean, Amy, Jesse, and Anna. Our daughter Jessica and her husband Sam joined us mid-week. Daryl and his girls Courtney and Tiffany joined us on Saturday night so they could climb Castle Peak with Bob, Lynn, Anna, and Sam.
We moved our party to Dillon on Sunday and welcomed the rest of Daryl's family, Tomma and Corbin. Tim, Sharon, Kristi, Jon, Kari and Karrisa came in on Sunday night, too. One of the things we did that ended up being the favorite of most of us was a bike ride down from Vail pass.

Alaska is beautiful

2005-07-07T19:12:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to give details of each day of the cruise 'cause that would take way too long. I just want to say that this cruise met every expectation I had. The scenery was literally looking at God's creation without any interference by humans.

The first day we visited College Fjord, the second Glacier Bay.

We didn't stop and leave the ship until day 4 when we spent the day in Skagway, AK, an old gold mining town. We did a little hiking or walking around at all the ports, but didn't take any excursions. Day 5 was a stop at Juneau, and day 6 at Ketchikan.

We ended up in Vancouver and spent the day getting up to Grouse Mountain overlooking the Vancouver harbor and the city. Too bad it wasn't a clear day. The view would have been spectacular. As it was with the drizzle and haze it was only fabulous.

This picture was taken by Bob as the ship came into port very early on July 4.

We've been cruising!

2005-07-06T18:11:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that I am very intimidated by the thought of actually "writing" anything that someone would want to read. I trust that even though my words don't go together as beautifully as either of my daughters', I will be able to at least describe what we have been doing.

I've wanted to go on a cruise for decades, and it hasn't even been on Bob's list of possibilities. I've been wearing him down, though! With the encouragement of friends, we went online together to look at what was available for Alaskan cruises. It was a fun evening sitting together at my desk playing with the various combinations of cruises and flights to points of embarkation and debarkation. We finally settled on what we thought was all the various pieces and booked the cruise and the flight in early June, just 3 weeks before we left for Alaska. This is called cruisin' on a shoestring!

The only piece of the puzzle that we didn't know was missing was the transportation between airport and dock. When we arrived in Anchorage and were on our way to the hotel via their shuttle, we asked the driver if he also drove their guests to the cruise ship dock. He informed us that it was an hour's drive away and we would have to arrange our own transportation. Thankfully we had arrived the day before our ship left, and we found a shuttle in the Anchorage phone book. No problem! We then took full advantage of being in such a lovely city with beautiful weather by taking a long walk. We discovered the busiest float plane "airport" in the world at a lake nearby. Of course Bob was fascinated watching the planes land and take off.

2005-06-23T16:24:00.000-05:00

Bob & Sandie at Frontier Ranch in Colorado, March 2005.

The Adventure Begins

2005-06-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

As we start this year of traveling I'm going to begin a journaling adventure that far surpasses any writing project I've ever attempted. It may not be very good reading, but I'll try to capture what we are experiencing. I'll have Bob post his musings, too. We welcome your comments.