Roaming the World

Son & Dad Road Trip - Mont Blanc & Chamonix, France

2012-01-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

Chamonix enshrouded with fog

Views going up Mont Blanc

Chamonix from Mont Blanc

Mont Blanc called the roof of Europe for a reason

Chamonix

Glacier on Mont Blanc

Summit of Mont Blanc 15,782 feet

Chamonix

Glacier

Chamonix looking straight down Mont Blanc

Chamonix

Awesome Ngorongoro Crater!

2010-08-29T12:04:00.001-07:00

Ngorongoro Crater in north central Tanzania is considered to be the 8th wonder of the world. It IS the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world. It IS inhabited by an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 mammals. It IS awesome!

What is interesting about Ngorongoro Crater is that there are no giraffe or female elephants. This is because of the lack of trees and nutrition for them. This giraffe was photographed outside the crater itself.

Since I could not afford staying in the park itself, I stayed in this quaint little hotel called Bougainvillea 15 minutes from the main gate.

Early morning before the sun arose we headed into the part. Enshroud in such a dense fog we could barely make out the sides of the road as we inched up the steep crater sides with it's steep drop offs. My heart started to sink as I thought I'd spent all this money and be fogged in. :(

But as we crested over the crater lip, there it was! The crater was clearing! Here is what I saw through the camera lens...

I saw 15 lions and a pair of cheetahs.

Hildebrand's Sterling.Kori Bustard.

By far the Wildebeest are the most populous animals in the crater.

Ngorongoro Crater is an awesome place!

Thoughts Twenty One Days Later

2010-02-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

I've witnessed a metamorphosis here since arriving here 21 days ago. Then, the words I could use to describe what I saw was a whole city in shock, walking around like zombies, walking wounded. Blank stares. Hollow eyes, caked with mud, now dry from an inability to produce more tears. A survival mentality had set in - each one for themselves. Walk right past someone trapped, because they needed to get home to find their own loved ones.

Today, car horns blare from 4:00am on late into the night. The continual roar of traffic, occasional squealing of tires, movement everywhere. Life is returning to Port-au-Prince. It started like a drip - in dire need of food and water, street vendors started setting up shop - hawking anything and everything. Fruits and vegetables started appearing. Clothes, used and new - recovered from the rubble of someone else's house - who knows - now hand on clothes hangers covering a filthy crumbling wall like royal curtains. Mountains of shoes have also made it to the street vendors. Even seen a place where you could buy just one shoe! Not sure why, either they had a niche for those that could only find one of their shoes. Or more morbid, selling shoes to all those who lost limbs because of this tragedy.
Fuel supplies stabilized, so that there were no longer block long lines at the pump hoping to get a few gallons of diesel. Shortly there after, the money transfer companies started forwarding money from loved ones outside of Haiti to their loved ones who were going on week two of no banking system, no ATM, no electricity, no water, no grocery stores, no bed to sleep on - only the hard pavement of the road in front of their house. Lines circled around corner for the hundreds that desperately needed cash.

After a governmental decree, banks started opening their doors - well not throwing them open, but just a crack. The armed guards at the door let one customer in at a time. Still, there is no electricity in Port-au-Prince. In the last few days a couple restaurants have opened. Very few shops are open, but some just now getting back into business. Food is still hard to come by, with huge crowds crushing to get anything possible. It takes military escorts to get a food distribution done without disturbances or getting your truck emptied en route. The medical emergency continues - as seen by this "ambulance" (medical team unknown) to the airport to be med evac. Digging out will take months.

Life is springing forth from devastation. This banana plant demonstrates the resilience of the Haitian people.

The biggest prayer from people in Port-au-Prince is that it does not rain! Living in the streets, with most not having even a tent will be horrible if it rains. Sprawling tent cities will become mud holes if it rains. It is estimated that there is only 1 porta potty for every 2,000 people in the camp. Rain will bring serious health issues.

The metamorphosis is not yet complete. But three weeks ago, this mother lived through the worst natural disaster Haiti has experienced. She was just a few miles from the epicenter. This photo taken today, shows resilience - hope!

Keep praying for the Haitian people during these extremely difficult times!

Random Images

2010-02-01T04:10:00.000-08:00

My incredibly supportive and wonderful wife always says she wants to see photos of me while I am in Haiti. So here are some random photos - no rhyme or reason - just to give you a glimps of what life is like here.

Walking aroung Port-au-Prince these days you see heart breaking, gut wrenching scenes of pain, desparation, and hopelessness. But,

You also see beauty,

Proud mamas,

Joyful kids,

Hopeful, aspiring stars, (Casting for Haitian remake of Titanic?)

And, passionate pastors!

Awsome accomodations at the Haiti Hilton - with complimentary early morning wake up calls (rooster), jet tub (broken water pipe flooding a tent), aromatherapy (burning plastic next door), and orthopedic beds (concrete parking lot).

Bob acting weird.

Medical team from USA & Haiti after a long day treating patients in Leogane, an area where over 90% of the buildings were destroyed.

Bob on tarmac at PaP airport with US Airforce C-17 in background. Bob still acting weird!

US Navy hospital ship Comfort in PaP harbor. Tent city of displaced people.

Life From Dust

2010-01-31T08:56:00.000-08:00

The "primary color" of Port-au-Prince is chalk-creamy-white. That is the color of the sand used in making concrete blocks and cement. Crumbled buildings have released clouds of dust which now blanket EVERYTHING in the city! People wash their clothes, just to dry them over a broken down wall, a bush, or razor wire fence - just to be covered again by the dust. Eyes burn, throats are raspy, your skin gritty - just being here.

Out of this dust, life is breaking forth. Broken water pipes become comunal baths, were children splash, play and laugh. Grandmas bathe buck naked - much of the dignity is gone. Water is gathered for drinking and cooking.

Street vendors are everywhere! A few supermarkets and gasoline station ready marts are open, but very little else. So these entrepenureal individuals - desparate for meal tonight, sell anything and everything they can get their hands on. Piles of shoes, used clothes hanging neatly on hangars looped over a length of telephone wire nailed to a broken wall. Piles of tangerines neatly stacked in baskets on the curb. Life is returning.

Church services today.

Cool drinks?

Coleslaw?

Meat market.

Laundry.

Preparing Lunch.

Walking Pharmacy. What ails you?

Grocery Store?

Looking Sharp! Too bad it's with a Gillette!

Picking up the medical team last Sunday and their luggage on the tarmac - right under the wing. Bob and Andy Russell ride on back to protect supplies from possible thieves. (Photo by Tiffany Morgan)

Emergency Medical

2010-01-27T16:23:00.001-08:00

Fourteen days after the devastating earthquake that destroyed huge sections of Port-au-Prince, Haiti one would not have expected to see what we saw today. Over a dozen broken bones - several had not had any treatment! Three traumatic amputations of toes or fingers. And many serious infections, abscesses, and wounds. We treated around 300 patients in the past couple days. Girl who lost a finger and may lose more when she has surgery tomorrow.

I shadowed Dr. Angus Graham an orthopedic surgeon and assisted with most, if not all splinting of broken bones.

Heather Rubin, a pediatric trauma ICU nurse doing wound care to a woman with a serious and infected gash to the head.

Tiffany Morgan, pediatric trauma ICU nurse, does wound care to a girl who had been trapped by a block wall.

Heather and Tiffany assisting patients at their station.

Even after being treated for a huge gash to the face and a broken arm, this young lady even manages to smile!

Other patients were a little more hesitant. But in the end, everyone was grateful that we would "bother" to go to their community and provide loving medical treatment in Jesus' Name. Few even notice they exist. A true sign of poverty - "invisible".

Because of this wonderful team, hundreds of beautiful people are on the road to recovery!

Downtown Port-au-Prince

2010-01-25T03:54:00.000-08:00

God's Grace, Haiti's Hope - It's Children!

2010-01-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."Luke 18:16-18

But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Luke 18:15-17 (Holy Bible)

Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest." Luke 9:47-49 (Holy Bible)

And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:4-6 (Holy Bible)

The reseliance God built into children is a testimony to His Goodness! Children in Haiti dance, sing, laugh, play, fly kites, well - are children. There IS hope for Haiti! One day, one of these children will lead this beautiful nation and will be all the stronger because of God's Grace and January 12, 2010.

Decapacitation of a Nation!

2010-01-22T18:49:00.000-08:00

Presidential Palace of Haiti (equivalent to the White House of USA) destroyed by massive earthquake.

Judicial Building (like Supreme Court in USA)

Military Barracks.

Ministries of Health and Finance.

Internal Revenue Service.

Catholic Church.

Haiti Earthquake in Pictures

2010-01-22T05:01:00.001-08:00

Destroyed commerce. Satelite dish still looking for hope.

Home where one of our kids was killed.

Demolished house where 2 of our children died when it came crashing down the hill in a landslide.

Picking through the rubble for anything of value. Banks are not open. Businesses are just starting to open. There is no electricity. All means there is no work or money for the poor. They are forced to scavenge for survival.

Port-au-Prince University were hundreds of Haiti's brightest minds perished.

Haiti in Ruins!

2010-01-21T18:01:00.000-08:00

There are not words to describe what happened here in Port-au-Prince, Haiti the afternoon of January 12th. Twenty years or so of advancement were erased in 45 seconds! The massive earthquake that struck that fateful day demolished an already impoverished nation's hope. Many of the schools were destroyed, burying hundreds of children. At least 3 universities that I saw were reduced to a stack of pancakes - killing hundreds of the brightest minds that someday could have lead this country. "School" may not return for a year or more as every level must be rebuilt.

I arrived in Haiti on Sunday to assist for three week the earthquake response Compassion is conducting. The tsunami in South East Asia is the only thing that can come close to describing the loss of life and destruction. An estimated 200,000 people may have perished - but in on tiny geographical area - as contrasted with the tsunami that killed 229,000 in the Asia region. An estimated 2 million Haitians are homeless tonight because of those 45 seconds of terror. Rich or poor, all suffered the same fate. No one but God can add one single moment to our lives.

The sights, sounds, smells, hollow - vacant eyes, anger, fear - are unique. Pictures may better describe the heaviness in my heart for these beautiful people.

Graduation 1, Graduation 2, Graduation 3

2009-05-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

What a month! My 3 kids have all graduated... well Kaitlin on Saturday! Heather and Nathan from college and Kate from high school.

En route to Minnesota this week for Nate's graduation we saw a coyote face to face - only about six feet away! The problem was he was running about 1o miles per hour. So it was kind of a tan blur. Compounding this was that we were traveling at 80 miles per hour. We only saw the blur for milliseconds. The blur and us met on I-80 in the middle of Nebraska. The coyote did not make it. Our car... well significant damage. Pushed all the stuff up front (radiators, fans, skirt, etc) all the way back to the engine, even knocking off the oil filter!

Stranded with a disabled car is no fun! Becky no longer sighs for the poor bambi's she sees dead along the highway. Now is poor driver! But after calling Nate and his being able to get a phone number for a tow truck in Kearney off the internet - we were checked into a cheap motel by midnight.

The plan was to make it to Lincoln NE so that the next day we could be in time for Nate's graduation ceremonies. Now we were stranded! Friday morning I dealt with the insurance company and the repair shop. Being Memorial Day weekend, we could not find a rental car from any of the 3 companies in town. But as the LORD does all the time, HE provided! A guy "happened" to be at the shop visiting a friend and heard the story of the coyote encounter - and wanted to check out the car. Only one other time had anyone heard of a coyote being hit! But his friend worked for Thrifty. He called in a favor and then handed me the phone - saying "he has a car for you"! So by 10:30 am we were on the road again!

Made it to Bethel University with a whole 30 minutes to spare! And we were so thrilled and proud of Nate for his accomplishment!

BAD COP, GOOD COP. GOOD WINS!

2009-04-19T00:45:00.000-07:00

Oh the realities of traveling in the developing world! Heading to Dar es Salam, Tanzania yesterday we ran into the president of the country's motorcade. Like the driver was supposed to do, as soon as the lead motorcycle approached us on the two lane highway, he pulled off on to the left sholder. (The drive on the left side of the road here). A few moments later a wish of 10 or so SUV's blur past and on their way. After the route was cleared, we pulled back on the road.

A mere 200 yards or so down the road a police man pulled us over. Ordering our driver to get out of the vehicle, they went behind the vehicle and it was clear the officer was very upset! He was accusing us of blocking the president's motorcade and passing stopped vehicles during a presidential motorcade. After 45 minutes or so of heated discussions and the realization that our team was not going to bribe him, he insisted on raising the stakes and made us go to the police station in the next town. There he took our national staff in through the side door for further "discussions" and attempt to force the driver to sign a mia-culpa document! Well these were totally false accusations as the 5 of us in the vehicle testify to and can prove it. But he was facing either a severe beating or years in prison for this "hiddious crime"! After two hours of delay, it was agreed that the driver would return on Monday to appear in court so that the "visitors" could make their international flights.

He was released on condition of appearing in court - and of course, having his drivers license and vehicle doucments confiscated until the judge ruled on this case. We were about 1,000 kilometers from Arusha - so this demand was going to be costly, especially as he would need to bring our lawyer in order to get some form of justice.

We drove just a couple kilometers further under a cloud of doom until we reached the project we were supposed to visit for lunch - now hours late. We were discusing this incident with the staff we were told that this police officer was recently transfered there and already had a reputation of being a "trouble maker".

Come to find out, the project director is the head of security for the province. The chief of police is also an active member of the congregation! One phone call to the chief and another to the national level "fixed" the problem. The chief himself came to the church to get things straightend out. The driver would stop by the his house to pick up the confiscated vehicle documents on his way home! All charges were dropped! PTL!

The corrupt cop will most likely not be around that town much longer. In his zeal to make a buck or to "do one for the president", did not realize what he was doing. This was a very visible way that God demonstrated His grace. Trumped charges an all we were able to walk away praising God... and making our flight home!

This is normal life - their daily bread - in many countries. Prayer every time you get in the car is more than "keep us safe", but it is also "deliver us from evil"! Evil has been defeated! And we know in WHOM we can trust!

Uganda - Beautiful, Facinating, Complex

2009-04-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Uganda, the Pearl of Africa... the source of the Nile... a beautiful country that can produce anything! It is a lush paradise that grows whatever you plant. There should be no hunger in Uganda, but there is. HIV/AIDS has devastated the country. UG has made great strides in reducing the new incidences of infection... but now it is growing again, but within married couples! So marriage could be seen as a risk factor. Extremely sad.

The dictatorship and wars has destroyed communities' economic productivity. Cities that used to have many factories and jobs, now are just barely surviving. Mostly on reselling things brought in from elsewhere.

Lake Victoria - the source of the Nile river.

Cemetaries in the yards are common in Eastern Uganda. HIV/AIDS has been devastating. Now almost 40% of the new infectons are within marriages.

Project that is growing citrus, tomatos, passion fruit, papayas, bananas, beans, corn and cabbage for the children.

Spring protection and source we developed to provide 10,000 people safe drinking water.

Move over Mario Andretti, WE can change a tire in 2 hours!

2009-04-12T05:43:00.000-07:00

In Africa, everything has thorns or bites! As is "normal" around here, we picked up an acacia thorn in our tire. We were 5 handy men... we can handle ANYTHING! ;-)

Pulling the spare, we discovered it was flat too! Someone else had found the thorns too, but forgot to fix the tire. No problem, we are in Arerti, Ethiopia - a town of 20,000 people. We ran down to the local tire repair shop - no Goodyear Shop - only a pile of old tires, a canvas tarp and a compressor. What else do you need?

Well, there was no electricity, and had not had any all day, so the compressor did not work. Ugh! Hey, we are guys... so we will figure it out. Aha! The well we put in 2 years ago has a Deutz 5 cylinder diesel generator. But it is about the size of a tiny car. It also puts out 44o volts. Guess the tire repair guy would not appreciate it if we fried his compressor! Also forgot to say that it was over a mile away! That won't work. So off we were, trying to find someone that had a generator.

It happened that we were near a school and a couple pastors from the church we work with are also teachers here. And yes, they did have a generator we could borrow. A horse drawn cart came to our rescue, taking the generator and our two flat tires to get repaired. Sorry Toyota, your new Hilux 4x4 pickups are less reliable than the old fasioned horse! Needless to say, we did make it back to Addis - 2 hours later than expected. Hey given the situation, not even Mario Andretti could have beaten our time in changing the tire!

Palm Sunday Mass at the Basilica in Rome

2009-04-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

Seems impossible, but posting this Palm Sunday Mass at St Peter's Basilica in Rome now seems anti-climatic! But being with these beautiful children in Ethiopia has been more rewarding. Here is more of Rome as I promised. It is out of place, but I have had no or pitiful internet connectivity for the last 5 days, so please accept it as it comes.

Ethiopia's Hope

2009-04-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

The beautiful children are the hope for this great nation! Given an opportunity, they can be who God created them to be! Enjoy their smiles...

Ethiopia - A Culture of Desperation

2009-04-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in Harare, the antient walled city built 1,500 years ago near the Somalia, Djibouti and Ethiopia borders, I experienced a clash in cultures. Ethiopians are loyal to family and say "I will die with my child". Recently a new culture has surfaced. The culture of desperation. Some mothers see themselves forced to throw away their babies. (Sound eerily familiar?) This beautiful days-old little girl was abandoned in the streets. A prostitute in the house next to where we were had picked her up and taken her home.

Was the mother HIV+? What was the desparate situation that pushed her to abandon her baby? The Compassion project we visited found that nearly 75% of the caregivers that went for voluntary counseling and testing proved to be HIV+! What made this comunity so much worse than the national average of 10% or so? We were told that there is a large military base there. No wonder! It is sad that those who are there to "protect" a country are in fact "destroying" it! But it is beautiful to see these children and adults have a second chance through our HIV program.

I wished there was something I could do for this precious little one that born innocent - now will be forced to live a life of desparation herself! My prayer is that the local church will be able to somehow reach out to this "new mother" that will be raising her and lead her to the Feet of Him who transforms lives! Then this precious little one will have the opportunity to reach her God-given potential even though she was tossed out like garbage by her birth mom.

More Coloseo

2009-04-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

Rome in Six Hours Flat!

2009-04-05T15:14:00.001-07:00

The Colosseo

The Vatican Guard

San Pietro (Saint Peter's) Basilica where the Pope gave Palm Sunday Mass today

River Tevere

Piaza Navona in evening lightThe Pantheon

Sidewalk cafe at night.

Stay tuned. More Rome to come!

This ain't Rome, they are speaking German!

2009-04-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

After being snubbed by American Airlines yesterday in New York JFK, we ended up in Zurich Switzerland instead of Rome Italy! How did that happen? We were forced by air traffic to make circles over the ocean for 40 minutes before they allowed us to land. Geoff and I ran to another terminal making it there just before take off time. The plane was sitting there at the gate, but AA staff would refuse to let us on! There were about 15 of us there in the exact situation, but they would not listen. They even confessed they were sending the flight to Rome with empty seats! So much for customer service! They knew full well there were that many of us were delayed, but could care less! Thanks to Maryln we got on Swiss Air to Zurich later that night, then on to Rome. But the Pope would have to do Palm Sunday mass without us! Thanks American Airlines for taking away that once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Dominican Republic Feb 22 to Mar 3, 2009

2009-03-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

My life purpose is to minister to people like this woman and her 2 year old son who is undernourished and sick.

Tromping through the slums of Santo Domingo with raw sewage flowing down upon those less fortunate to be down stream. This is the most dangerous slum in the DR.

The other face of the DR is the extravagant wealth!

2009-03-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Mt Princeton, Colorado

2009-03-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

From the Colorado Rockies to the beaches of Indonesia, my "job" allows me to visit some of the most exciting places on the globe! I wanted to create this blog to share my experiences with you as I travel.

So welcome to Roaming the World!