Hello friends and family, (From our friend Justin Shulmire)
Monday has marked one week since arriving in Kenya. It has been so good to be back and see the many faces I have gotten to know and all smells, sounds, tastes and sights that Africa has to offer. Right now we are traveling to Zambia to pick up some paper work for a refugee in Boise. This journey is one set out on faith. Neither Danny nor anyone else on the team has traveled to Zambia, so everything is new to all of us. God has been faithfully putting us in the right situations and has been connecting us with the right people who know a little about the places we are going. It is a long 
journey, about 1500 miles one way. We think! And the best part is that its all done by public transport, buses! It has been interesting, we have had some real nice buses. Some not so nice and some that stop every 30 miles to pick up or drop off people. Some rides are comfortable, others are interesting as they try to cram as many people, bags and even chickens on as they can.
One leg of our trip took us to Tanga, Tanzania. Danny knows a family there and so we spent two day relaxing at the Talley's home. It sits right on the edge of town over looking the Indian Ocean. And yes we went swimming. On the first night there, the Talley's daughter took us what they call “Mangrove Mucking.” It was a blast and I have never had so much fun in my life. It's basically where we went out and waded through a Mangrove swamp in the Indian Ocean. We waded out probably 300 yards into the Mangroves that eventually opened up into the Indian Ocean. And then on Saturday we went to a little beach and we took a dhow, also know as a sailboat, out to a coral reef and went snorkeling. Snorkeling has never been a top priority on my list of things to accomplish in my life time. But it was definitely a lot of fun. It took me a while to get the hang of it, I swallowed probably two gallons of salt water in the process.
Now I know that this sounds more like a vacation than a missions trip, but the resting and being able to relax was needed. Traveling across three different countries in Africa is hard enough, but public transport makes it even harder. And the fellowship and laughs we had with the Talley's was encouraging not only to us, but also to the Talley's as well. Tim was even kind enough to drive us from Tanga to Morogoro where we stayed with some people at Pioneer Bible Translators. We were able to talk with some of the people who work there and get a better idea of what they do.
Right now we are in Lusaka, Zambia! We arrived early Thursday morning around 8:00. We rode a bus 17 hours all through the night to get here. It was a long and somewhat boring drive. We did see three people get kicked off the bus, one because he didn't want to pay. And two others because they were intoxicated and on had gotten off the bus at a little bus station and tried to bring alcohol back onto the bus. But the bus drivers and workers kicked him and his buddy off the bus. So that was a little interesting, its fun little stories like that that make us all laugh and get through these long bus rides.
It has been a blast to get to know Tony Cole and Jacob Vaden. They are both a lot fun and very spiritual men. We have had a lot of good fellowship and good conversations along the way. Each day God is doing something new in all of us. And each day brings us all closer to each other and to God. I would ask for your prays for me as I am a little homesick. I know that sounds lame, but let me explain. It has been a struggle to find time to grieve the loss of my great grandma. I feel at peace with it, but if feels like I went from her funeral to the airport and wasn't able to grieve. I understand that grieving is a process, but at times I wonder if coming was the right decision. In my heart I know it is, but its not always easy to see that. I find myself trying to process everything only to be distracted easily. Processing a whole different culture is hard enough, doing it when you heart and mind aren't with you makes it a little tougher.
I thank you all for your love and prayers as I am here in Africa. I know that God is faithful and he will be as I grieve. Know I am doing well as are my teammates. I miss you and love you all!
In Gods Hands,
Justin Shulmire
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