Ouagadougou

West Africa. Check.

A last minute work trip took me to Burkina Faso for a week in March and so I am able to say I have been to a tiny portion of West Africa now. It was a good week with colleagues and one where in spite of the security issues, I was able to experience a little more than just going back and forth between the office and my hotel. I was able to eat at several different restaurants in the evening and went to a gallery of furniture and crafts owned by the son of a man who was the Air France Manager for years in Ougadougou. Mangoes were coming into season and the temperature was hot - 106 F during the day. This of course made me happy as it was not 106 degrees back in DC. 

Of aviation note, I flew there on Air France via Paris. On the return home because of the security situation Air France at the time was not having their flight crew overnight in Ouaga. Instead, they pick up passengers in Ouaga and continue south another hour to Cotonou (another lovely name), Benin, where they switch crew (but don't pick up passengers) and then fly six hours back to Paris instead of the five that it would be from Ouaga. So technically I was in two countries in W. Africa!

Sunset over the Sahara

Ouaga Sunset

My hotel - largest structure for miles

Views from hotel (just a little different than Bangkok the previous month)

Lots of dirt roads

Duncan

A week in Bangkok... but mainly a Huahin update

For the first time since arriving in Washington DC, work took me to Thailand as part of a team that spent a week  at the end of January with the USAID mission in Bangkok. It was a good week and I think having a local boy being part of the team was an added bonus to staff there. I was able to take team members to various places for introductions to food and culture.

Hotel room view

Which one is the US embassy? (hint: the one that looks like a fortress)

View of the US Ambassador's house along Wireless Road. To the left is the Dutch Embassy and next to it, out of view, is the US Embassy.

Part of the team, sampling the amazing Marian Plum (Mahprang)

Other team members enjoying last dinner together along the river with a view of Wat Arun

Wat Arun

A brief visit with Fern and Fink (friends mentioned previously in this blog!)

The bonus (in addition to being in Thailand for work) was that we had scheduled a week of vacation for the following week, long before I knew I would even be in Thailand. We decided that Andrea would fly out so we could spend a week at the beach in Huahin at Veranda Lodge, our favorite little hotel there that I have been wanting to return to for almost ten years. Full hotel review can be found here. 

Seattle to Los Angeles

Leaving Seattle with a beautiful sunrise

Usually January is when we take our 'get out of DC/Winter' vacation. This year because we knew we would be in Seattle for a longer time for Christmas and the 80th Birthday surprise we decided to tag on a few extra days and instead of flying somewhere far away, we stayed in country, but we still desired a little warmth and sun! (We got some warmth but left the sun in Seattle!)

The day after my mom's birthday, we caught the train from Seattle down to California. The train left about 9AM and arrived in Santa Barbara the following day around 6PM. We have taken long distance trains in Thailand/Malaysia as well as South Africa and we have wanted to take a slower journey like this in the US for some time. We also splurged (but not really much - it's really quite affordable to get a small compartment so we each had a bed to sleep in at night. This option also included all meals for the trip. The compartment was tight (there is a larger option) but from there we could look out the window and watch America go by.

Plane fuselages lined up on rail cars outside of Boeing Field

 

It was interesting to pass through Tacoma, our former hometown.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge

Another Successful 80th Birthday Surprise!

Long time followers of this blog will remember that four plus years ago, our family managed to pull off a successful surprise party for my dad's 80th birthday. Andrea and I knew that when we planned on being in Seattle for Christmas 2017, we would be sticking around for my mother's 80th birthday on January 2. The challenge was to figure out how to also surprise her with a birthday celebration without her knowing about it.

We are happy to report that the surprise was successful and that the birthday girl felt very celebrated. With help from my sister Esther and various others and the gift of technology, we were able to gather emails, cards, photos and other greetings from around the world in advance, some of which were displayed on a large poster board cut into the shape of '80'. All of her brothers and their wives were able to join us as well as a few long time friends - both in person and via skype. And the key to the surprise...holding the party on New Year's Eve, two days before her actual birthday!

We enjoyed two big pots of soup made by Esther and Andrea, yummy bread (including our great Aunt Mary's soda bread made by our Aunt Lura) and of course a large carrot cake by request!

Enjoy the photos below  - and thank you to all who sent cards and best wishes and especially the brothers for making the long drive!

Skype call with Robert and Muriel Williams in the UK (who is the dapper couple in the background?)

Jon, Hana, Naomi

Help from the youngest one in attendance blowing out the candles

Brothers Jim, John and Dave

plus ones

Martha and her brothers and spouses and Duncan and Andrea, Esther and Jon and Hana and Naomi

Martha and long time friend Gloria

Face time with Grandfather Nan in Napajat, Thailand

Birthday girl in front of her giant 80!

Duncan

Christmas 2017

This year...has been a challenging year for many, ourselves included. We have worked at strengthening our supports - seeking community, finding a new church, enjoying our apartment, focusing on what is important - but even this has been hard at times. Recently I heard someone talking about how moments of grace and hope can often be found in the wilderness. She encouraged us to look for signs of hope noting that often those that most embody hopefulness in the wilderness have several things in common:

1. They have fully accepted that they are in the wilderness - even if they don't like it. They are not going to spend one more ounce of energy railing that the wilderness exists but rather they simply ask where God is in the midst and how am I supposed to live?

2. They are able to speak the hardest truth in a way that everyone can hear - not just appealing to either side - See Bryan Stevenson, Shane Claiborne and others.

3. They have tapped into something that sustains them - they keep following, looking, reminding all of us that this is not the end of the story.

I admit I have spent much of this year, not being able to do #1 even while I hold to #3 that what we see around us is not the end of the story. May it be so. 

This year our card has a few moments and reminders of hope, of breath, of peace and goodness - all things we long for as we wait and anticipate. 

Merry Christmas!

Duncan and Andrea

Bangladesh X 2

Work has taken me to Dhaka, Bangladesh twice this year, first in April and then in August. Highlights were meeting wonderful colleagues and making new friends. Due to security restrictions I wasn't able to see much between the hotels I stayed and the office I worked but here are a few snapshots of the two trips.

Each trip begins with a long Emirates A380 flight.

Iranian mountains

Dusty Dubai...

...in contrast with flooded Bangladesh in August

Dhaka (a small portion of this massive city)

Views in Dhaka

Where I would like to live if I lived in Dhaka!

Duncan