Time to start blogging again!

Hello everybody,


I guess it is time for me to start blogging again.   Thank Angela Grobben for your blogging help.
I will be blogging about the November 2014 African Journey of Hope for everyone interested.
Today’s blog is for team Journey

Team Journey has 13 members:
Anne, Therese, SueZann, Colleen, Kristi, Terri, Delia, Marietta, Scott, Curtis, Randy, Babu Bill, and me Papa Bill

Colleen is constructing a fundraising page on Facebook and Therese is working on several other fundraising methods.  This is for all thirteen of us and will be used on the Journey website, Facebook and other sources.  You will be able to share your link with any of your friends.  We want each of you to come.

I am convinced we have a great team.  I have been asked how this team was selected.  The answer is simple.  When I put out the notice that the four of us (Babu, Randy, Curtis and myself) were going to Africa, you were the first ones who responded with definite interest in joining us.  Most of you indicated you needed financial help. We are going to help you all to try raise the funds you need in order to be able to go.

When Kristi Smith let me know she was definitely interested I was aware that the list was at thirteen people.  I said “that is enough. It is a great team, I hope they all go”.  That is  all I can justify to the JOH Board as far as obligations, for me personally and for the organization. 
Other people may join us in a second group, but they will be totally responsible for all of their expenses although we will help them in other ways.

Colleen needs your information for the Facebook page.  See what she has done with Delia and Therese’s segment. 

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/75414-send-journey-of-hope-speakers-to-africa-november-2014?new_post_id=904483

I am a member of the First United Methodist Church in Anchorage, Alaska.  Some years ago some of its members began the First United Methodist Church Foundation.  The foundation awarded the Journey $1000 for the 2013 Indiana Journey of Hope’s World Day Against the Death Penalty Tour.  This year I requested $2500 for traveling expenses for the African Journey of Hope.  On Saturday I received a check for $2500.   This award was designated to SueZann Bosler to enable her to take her powerful story to both Kenya and Uganda. SueZann is Journey of Hope Cofounder and also a sitting board. We are estimating about $2500 for those going to Uganda and $3000 for those going to both. 
Here is what we know so far.

Kenya:
The reason we are going to Africa in the first place was because Babu wanted to watch Evangelist Martin Ndolo graduate from Diguna Bible College on November 8.
I talked with Martin today by Facebook SKYPE.  While we are in Kenya, we will stay in college dorm rooms.  It is clean and a very reasonable price.  I have the name of their director I need to contact about speaking venues. 

Pastor George Thiongo was the reason we went to Kenya in 2011.  He has an elementary school and church in the slums of Nairobi and we are more than welcomed back there.

Carlo Santoro, a great friend from Rome has informed us that the community in Nairobi also wanted to have a service with us.  We expect more events to come up.  All Team members that are going to Kenya, will fly to Entebbe, Uganda around March 5.  Ronald Katongole will rent a van and drive us to Kenya.  We return to Uganda around the 12th where the rest of team will join us.  We will be in Uganda until the 24th.  A few may stay longer.

Uganda:

I have noticed that on flights to Uganda, JFK New York a round trip ticket was something like 850 for a round trip.  For most people going it might be much cheaper to book through JFK when the time comes.

You will need to make sure you have a current passport.  For those wishing to go to the death rows in Uganda need to have a copy of your passport that we can send to Edward Mpagi to apply for visits.  Because we want to bring cameras they want us to apply 6 months in advance.  Please send me an electric copy of your passport ASAP.  If you have an idea on how many days you will be with us please indicated that also.

During our Uganda stay the guys will stay at Kathy Nicolas’s home, two with Kathy and her friend (Marietta and SueZann most likely) and the rest at an apartment nearby that Bill Babbitt has volunteered to pay for.

I at least want to try to use this blog to communicate so please feel free to add your comments and we will see how it works.

I am very excited about us going to Africa with a united message of love and compassion for all of humanity.  We are going to continue to spread good seed.

I am going to be posting more about Edward Mpagi.  He is the hero in all of this.  We need to help his voice be heard.  We will stand at his side and we will have his back.  I would like for us all to know his story well.  We will also speak in high schools and colleges while in Uganda.

Thank you for being part of the team.

Have a wonderful day.  Bill