Nakupenda...

We are sitting on the KLM airliner headed to Amsterdam.
The plane is only half full and the three of us have monopolized the back two rows of our section. As I write Charity and 2TT’s Bill are practicing pronunciation of Swahil,i words Bill has brought along.

 As we were going over Bill’s list the flight attendant stopped by and expressed an interest in what we were doing. By the end of her ten minute visit with us we had explained why we were going to Africa and parts of each of our stories.
We shared information and our flyers on the Journey of Hope, The ELLA Foundation, and Dream One World. Dream.

One World’s flyer is about Edwards’s orphanage.

Speaking with her about our reason for traveling to Africa was very cool.
We have another fan and supporter. She then told others attendants and several stopped by to wish us well.

This morning at the hotel where Bill and I spent the night in Dallas we were joined by Charity, Rais
Bhuiyan and Gennifer Kaye. Rick Halperin was supposed to have joined us but his Dean at SMU had
called for an emergency meeting so Rick was not able to come.
I have known Rick for over 20 years and it is always good to see him, so I was disappointed but understood.
When we return from Africa, Charity and I will participate in the 12th annual march against executions on October 22 in Austin. Rick plans to meet us there so at least I will see him on this trip.

It was great to meet Rais, a man who has really impressed me with his story of forgiveness and
reconciliation. It was a real honor. It was also great to meet Gennifer Kaye, a human rights activist with
Amnesty International from Dallas.
Gennifer is a friend of Rick and Rais and has become friends with Charity through Facebook. Charity had dinner with them last night before Bill and I arrived.

The trip has started like clockwork, like it was a trip that was meant to be. Several more donations have
come in from James, Jenni, Aleksandra and Peter since the trip started.
James and Jennifer also paid for lunch and breakfast respectively.

I was worried about our connection once we got to Nairobi because we only had one hour to catch our next flight to Uganda, and since we would have to retrieve our luggage, go through customs and then catch the last flight of the night to Entebbe, Uganda it was a tight schedule.
Fortunately the KLM agent was able to check our baggage all the way to Uganda.  So we had no longer to worry.

I was able to talk with Randy Gardner before we got on the plane.
He will arrive in Uganda about 36 hours after we do.
We will be the four musketeers at that point and our team will be together.

Also we were able to talk with Sister Margaret who serves with Sister Helen Prejean.
She wished us God’s blessing on our Journey. If God be for us who can be against us? Although I missed the Faith in Action program in Anchorage yesterday, my preacher, Ron Meyers, talked about our Journey and hold a prayer for it.
Amen.

How wonderful to have a pastor who feels the same way about the death penalty as I do,
and he is supportive of my work?

Blessings to all who read the Journey of Hope diary and blog.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

This trip was meant to be, each of our life’s journeys has brought us to this point.
It was no accident.
The stars are all in alignment.

Peace and Love,
 Bill

Nakupenda: Swahili for I love you – Thanks 2TT’s