Soon after informing you of the bug bite problem I had in China, I received a comforting e-mail from my mother where in she told me that she was always thinking of me, was sorry about my bug problems and then she offered me a little motherly advice - "Jeremy, now don't you go scratching at those bites. You know how you have a habit of scratching and picking at your skin, so don't you go and get an infection." I laughed and thought, "Yeeees Mother, you don't have to worry about me. Your little boy is all grown up now." [View Full Entry]

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Arriving in Singapore was a pleasant change, although I do admit I somewhat miss the chaos. Unlike its Asian counter parts, Singapore is very strict to enforce its laws and has proven in the past to go a little to the extreme in doing so. As many of you probably remember the case of the 18 year old boy from St Louis, Missouri, who was sentenced to receive 6 strokes by a cane after pleading guilty in a Singapore court to vandalism (spray painting and throwing eggs at cars) and possession of stolen property. Yeah, that's not your normal pattling. That's [View Full Entry]

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Despite a not so pleasant sleep at the Hong Kong Airport, my excitement brought my body back to life as our wheels touched down on the Saigon landing strip. As many of you know, Tam, a long time friend of mine, was born and lived the earlier part of his childhood in Vietnam. I spent many high school weekends at Tam's house harassing his younger sisters and devouring every morsel of food his mother had prepared in the kitchen (her spring rolls are to die for). I'd heard much about his distant homeland and always hoped to one day visit. That [View Full Entry]

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Ni Hao, Xishoujian zai nali? Quing bangmang! Jino yisheg! See, there's no need to worry folks, I've got this Mandarin mumbo jumbo down. This tonal language has only 4 tones to work with as opposed to the 6 tones used in Cantonese (the main language in Hong Kong). It's no wonder I had such a difficult time communicating in the Kong; now everything should be smooth sailing from here on out - I'm Sure! Let me start this journal off by giving you a brief description of the normal procedures I go through when entering a new country. Before my flight [View Full Entry]

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“We’re not in Kansas anymore Toto,”…Toto…Toto…dear God, some one has eaten Toto! Just kidding, I haven’t seen any rotisserie dogs thus far, so you can stop gasping ladies. I have only been gone for five days, but I thought I’d check in. I’m slowly adapting back into the swing of traveling. It’s not easy, especially the older you get. The sixteen hour flight took a toll on me. The Cathay Pacific plane was packed full and the seats were made for little people. Hong Kong is twelve hours ahead, so when I arrived it was night b [View Full Entry]

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Just when I thought that I could settle down, plant my roots and get back to a some what normal life, I up and bought an around-the-world ticket. Hello, my name is Jeremy…I’m a Travelaholic. Alright, here’s the run down. After returning from Africa in June, I just couldn’t get the desire to travel out of my head. I was back at work, but my mind drifted else where. I began skimming the internet for cheap ATW tickets (that’s “around-the-world” - mother) and different variations of possible travel paths. I was merely looking out of curiosity and [View Full Entry]

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Well, this is it - the last installment of my trip to Kenya (my travel experiences to and from Africa). Don’t worry though, it has been so long and I’ve written so much already that I’m just going to give a brief summary and call it a trip. Like every long distance trip, I had my share of long layovers, chaotic airport lines, irritable bowels and sleepless periods of total exhaustion. This time, instead of going solo, I was accompanied by my good friends Beth and Kemble (who I had just met in person for the very first time). Beth and [View Full Entry]

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As I stared out over the open plains of the Masai Mara, my mind played through the events of the past two weeks and I couldn’t help but smile. It had been a rollercoaster of mixed emotions and it was hard to believe that it was almost over. So much had happen in such little time and I guess it hadn’t completely sunk in yet. I stood there amped full of energy, for this was my first experience in a game reserve and I eagerly awaited my first glance at African wildlife. The Masai Mara Game Reserve (721 square miles) is [View Full Entry]

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Throughout our trip, from start to finish, the one thing that gave our group its strength was prayer. “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." - Matthew 18:20. We came together as a team and reached out to Kenya in His name. The five day visit to Kisumu was by far my most powerful experience. God not only worked through us, but worked on us. That is the beautiful thing about a mission trip. It strengthens your faith and touches your heart just as much as it does those you encounter. The city [View Full Entry]

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The first day of our travels delivered us a big dose of culture shock and emotion all thrown together and the three days that followed continued to stir our hearts. The first part of the mission itinerary was to spend some time at the IAA orphanage, doing minor repairs, organizing, painting, and just spreading the love. Now, before I proceed, let me introduce you to the team and IAA staff. The IAA team consisted of Jane Jackson (founder), Annette and Penny (sisters), Tom and Debbie (husband & wife), Beth and Kemble (mother & daughter), Debbie and Lauren (mother & daughter), Tyler, [View Full Entry]

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