Travel Tally

We are in the last leg of our journey, spending 4 days making our way home. We leave Morocco, head through Ceuta to Algeciras, through Gibraltar to London, then to San Francisco to Portland. Please be praying for us as we travel; it’s a long road, and can be exhausting. But we’ve had a good week in Morocco, spending some time with friends here, encouraging them. We’ve both been a bit sick, but are now feeling better.

We've been working, before and after our time in Morocco, in Algeciras, Spain. There we have been working with OM Artslink alongside the local OM team. It's been great, and we feel like we knew these people well after only a few hours together. Fritz has been photographing what they do (making art, leading a bookmaking/life-story workshop with local women, etc.) for OM. And Shannon jumped right in, cooking, setting up, etc. It's been a delight.

It’s been a wonderful journey, and Fritz could keep going, but Shannon is ready to go home. And it’s a good time to do so. We’ve met so many wonderful people on this trip, rested, ministered, served, photographed, worked, cooked, vacationed, toured. Don't forget to check Fritz's blog, to see photos from all these places (www.fritzphoto.blogspot.com).

Here are some fun numbers we came up with as we reviewed the past 3 months:

The Tally

Countries and the number of times we’ve visited them (colonies and enclaves listed separately):

England 2x
France 2x
Austria 2x
Slovakia 2x
Hungary 1x
Spain 3x
Gibraltar (Britain) 1x
Ceuta (Spain) 2x
Morocco 1x

Languages Used:

English
French
Chinese
Spanish
German
Slovakian
Hungarian
Arabic
Italian

Beds (Different Places Stayed):

Munsie-Rodman Family, Hazel Grove, Manchester, England
Carnegie-Brown Family, Old Maids Farm, Brompton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, England
York Bed and Breakfast, York, England
Manna House, London, England
Paris Apartment (converted 16th C. horse stables), Paris, France
Drouet Family, Nantes, France
Plaster Family, Paris, France
Nesca Rt. Ctr., Torremolinos, Spain
Sebo Family Cabin, Blatnica, Slovakia
Nameless Soviet Era Hotel, Budapest, Hungary
Sebo Family Home, Bratislava, Slovakia
Mercure Hotel, Montpellier, France
Gite Coume, Plavilla, Languedoc, France
Mas de la Senancole Hotel, Les Imberts, Provence, France
Wycliffe Hospitality House, Algeciras, Andalucia, Spain
Hernandez Family, Cabo Negro, Morocco

Modes of Transport:

Planes
Trains
Automobiles
Bus
Underground

Trolley
Ferry
Canalboat
Bicycle
Foot

Favorites:

England: Hiking the Yorkshire Dales
Paris: Hanging out until 2am over dinner with Parisian friends; Musee d’Orsay
Western France: Mt St Michel
Torremolinos, Spain: Sunshine and Birdsong in the Garden of Casa Nesca
Slovakia: Barbecue and Home Winery Tour
Hungary: Budapest’s Schezenyi Spa
Languedoc, South France: Hiking the countryside, Hill Towns, Wine and Pinochle, and the All Night Bird/Frog Serenade
Provence, South France: Hill Towns, Bories
Algeciras, Spain: The First Communion Parade
Morocco: Riff Mountains to Chefchaouen

Overall Favorite:

Getting to know people from all over the world (English, Welsh, Irish, Zimbabwean, Filipino, German, Dutch, Finnish, Singaporean, Chinese, French, Slovak, Hungarian, Moroccan, Nigerian, American, Canadian)


Things we missed most about America:

Plentiful public drinking fountains
Free wifi
Shannon’s bicycle

Thing that surprised us the most:

Squatty-potties in France

Thing that most annoyed us in Europe:

The exchange rate on the weak US Dollar

One thing we wish America would adopt from European culture:

The leisurely, multi-course meal, with more cheese.