Tag: Travel

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Thoughts from Travel in Europe

Our family had the privilege this summer of travelling for three weeks. We spent the first in Cyprus at a resort for a conference. While the amenities were luxurious in many ways (A/C, pools, someone else cooking and cleaning everything etc.), there were also similarities to Senegal as far as heat, power outages now and again, no access to certain types of food and a major language barrier (worse here since we can at least communicate in French in Senegal).

Our following two weeks however were spent in Denmark and Sweden where English is spoken by almost everyone, the weather is cool, many of the foods we miss are plentifully available, craft coffee is a staple, green spaces and parks (AND DISC GOLF!!) are abundant, walking around, biking and public transportation are all super accessible (we stayed in capital cities) and everything is SO clean!

Disc Golf in Copenhagen
Flat White and a Latte from Coffee Collective in Copenhagen

There were moments of longing for some of these things and moments of grieving our kids getting to explore nature or walk down a street with ease. Adam reveled in his cool weather runs to amazing places around Copenhagen and Stockholm. I relished having windows open to fresh, crisp air and the ability to cook in a cool kitchen with ingredients I miss. The trip actually brought on a lot of homesickness for me and longing for our family in Michigan as well which I wasn’t expecting.

Our first Airbnb in Copenhagen
One of the *many* parks we visited, this one was in Stockholm

Mixed with these emotions though, and overwhelming them, were feelings of deep gratitude. What a gift it is to live in Senegal and be growing in our understanding of the people and culture! And as an extension to that work, what a gift to then explore and experience three more cultures and countries! One day Mia figured out that at 6 years old she has already been to 10 countries! What a gift to be a part of an agency that prioritizes member care and allows time for conferences which strive to encourage, refresh and bring unity to it’s members. What a gift to have so many people and churches on our support team, invested in our family and the things God is doing in West Africa.

By the time we were wrapping up and heading home we felt that we had been thoroughly refreshed and, though a bit apprehensive about returning to the dust, heat and noise of Dakar, were ready to be home.

On that note, a cool story. We have often commented on the smell we encountered the first time we visited Senegal in 2020. As soon as we stepped off the plane it hit us. It wasn’t a bad smell, just a very distinct one. We’ve come to learn that it’s the smell of the dust in the air. As happens when you live anywhere, smells like this become a part of life and you don’t notice them anymore. When we got back home from this trip, however, we were again struck with that smell. The first time we experienced it, it was new, unfamiliar and strange. This time, however, it brought feelings of peace and comfort. We were home. This in itself is an answer to so many prayers. Senegal, especially as a location for ministry, is not an easy place to be, but it is where God has called us to be and it is home. We are so excited to be here and to see what He has in store in the months and years to come. 

-Selina

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Some Highs and Lows of International Travel with a Baby

Before leaving for Michigan I prayed a ton about the people who would be on the planes with Evie and I. Our travel to the States included a several hour flight, a ten hour layover in Paris and another several hour flight. Our travel home to Senegal was a short flight then an overnight from JFK to Dakar. Needless to say, this was daunting to anticipate, especially for someone who had never flown alone before. Throw in an 11 month old who’s teething and you just don’t know what you’re going to get.

God was so gracious to answer my prayers with amazing flight attendants who were exceptionally kind and helpful, particularly on my first flight out of Dakar, as well as neighbors who were understanding, sweet with Evie and patient with the, sometimes frequent, crying. In fact I can’t think of a single person who even side-eyed us or grimaced when Evie was struggling. That being said, it was still a grueling experience as anyone who has small children and has flown can attest to. The layover in particular felt a bit like a time warp where I just sought new positions and places that might lead to Evie napping without my back being wrecked.

There is something to be said for the energy that is produced out of excitement though. Despite the difficulty of travelling and the lack of sleep I felt very motivated to keep going and press through because I knew that, on my way to Michigan, family and friends I hadn’t seen in over two years were waiting and, on my way back to Senegal, Adam and the kids were waiting (this was the longest I had been apart from any of them).

One story in particular is worth sharing. Let me preface by saying that before I left Mia kept saying that she was praying for me to be able to share about Jesus with the people next to me on the planes. After our first flight I felt like that was going to be a long shot. I wasn’t talking to my seat mates, I was just surviving and trying desperately to prevent Evie from kicking them or chucking toys at them.

However, on our final flight which was the seven hour overnight from JFK to Dakar I had just that opportunity.

Unlike all our previous flights in which we sat in rows with three or four seats this final flight was just us and one other seat (Evie was on my lap for the flights). As each person boarded and came our way I wondered if they might be our neighbor for this trip, the unlucky person to be trapped against the window by a mom and her baby.

A young woman around my age approached with a kind smile and slid in beside us. We shared some small talk before settling in for the flight. It was quickly apparent that she was a very laid back and kind woman, interacting easily with Evie and chatting freely with me. She asked how Evie did flying and I shared about the exhausting journey we had had to get to Michigan two weeks prior. I told her about how Adam and I had travelled with two young kids before but it was easier because, even with more kids, you always had a second person to help. To that she replied, “Let me be your second person for this flight.”

And she was. Anything I needed she was happy to help with from keeping my meal and coffee on her tray since I couldn’t unfold mine with Evie sleeping on me (something that had caused me to skip the meals on previous flights) to helping me collect all my luggage after we had gotten off our flight (for reference: I had two bins, two suitcases, a car seat and a stroller to collect on top of all of the things I had with me on the plane which included a diaper bag, a laptop bag, a carry-on suitcase and Evie in a carrier).

After eating Evie passed out and stayed that way for several hours which was no small miracle and I found out our kind neighbor wasn’t able to sleep on planes and was open to chatting so we got to talking about our lives.

I found out she is from Israel and was headed to Dakar for a work trip. She’s married to a man from Africa, but they are living in New York City, a dream of hers. I shared about our life in Senegal and why we were there. We spent a long time talking about faith. She is a secular Jew, but vividly remembered meeting Christians for the first time on a short term trip to Haiti and her husband is actually a Christian. We talked about the hurt and brokenness in the world, so clearly apparent in places like Haiti and her homeland right now. I shared about the hope I have in Jesus, for this life and for eternity. We talked until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. It was such a sweet time and so unexpected. I’m staying in contact with this awesome lady and hope she continues to ask questions about the gospel and that one day she might know Jesus personally as her Savior.

God provides in the coolest ways!

– Selina

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A Visit from Grams!

At the end of April my mom came to visit us. This was much anticipated as it was our first visitor, but the trip didn’t pan out quite as we expected. The original plan was for her to come see us for the first part of our two week vacation. We would spend several days in Albertville then all take a train together to spend time in Paris which is where she would fly out from.

After weeks of planning and waiting the week of her arrival was upon us. Towards the start of the week my mom started to not feel well and then the day before she was supposed to fly out she tested positive for Covid! This was so disappointing, and also a little crazy as it was the first time she had gotten Covid even after having worked in an urgent care where she primarily did Covid testing over the last two years.

Thankfully we were able to rework her tickets and our timeline so that she could still come. Rather than start in Albertville, Adam, the kids and I took a train and met my mom in Paris where we spent three days sight-seeing and exploring. This was the kid’s first time on a train, but they did wonderfully! It was so sweet to arrive in Paris, exit the train station and find my mom standing there waiting for us. The kids were so excited as well and it was as if no time had passed at all since we saw her last.

While in Paris we visited and saw many places including the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur , The Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Panthéon, the Luxembourg Gardens, the Moulin Rouge, the Seine River, and Place Vendôme. We also ate at lots of amazing restaurants, tried tons of pastries and coffee and just enjoyed being together in Paris. I never would have imagined that our family and my mom would spend a vacation together in beautiful Paris, but this is one example of the beauty of living overseas! We are so thankful to get to experience new places like this and to have guests who can come and experience them with us!

After our time in Paris we all took a train ride to Albertville and spent several days showing my mom what our life is like. We went up to the medieval city of Conflans twice (about a mile walk with lots of incline). We had my mom try our favorite pastries around town, had kebabs (one of our all time favorite things here), introduced her to many of our friends, relaxed in our apartment and cherished the time we had together. It was so special to get to show her where we’re living and what life is like in Albertville.

The evening she left I walked her to the train station. We prayed together and cried as we walked. When we arrived we said a tearful goodbye and I settled her on her train headed to Chambery – with an eventual final destination of Paris where she was going to stay the night before flying the following morning. I sat waving goodbye to her until her train pulled away feeling a pit in my stomach that she was leaving and that this goodbye would be for a lot longer than the last one. Then I walked home.

To my surprise, when I arrived home, Adam asked if my mom was with me to which I laughed and said of course not! It turns out that she had mixed up her train time and I had put her on the wrong train! He had hoped we would have noticed before sending her off which of course was not the case.

The train she was on happened to be headed to the same destination as her actual train, but unfortunately with enough of a time difference (mere minutes) to cause a ton of problems. With Adam’s gentle coaching and quick internet searching, she ended up getting on a couple trains before eventually having to take a bus overnight to arrive in Paris in time for her flight. What should have been a relaxing train ride and hotel stay in Paris before flying out turned into a frantic, stressful trip trying to communicate with little to no French, navigate trains, ride a bus overnight without sleeping and then jump on an airplane. Needless to say I think she was thankful to arrive home!

Between the difficulties at the beginning after she got Covid and the chaotic voyage from Albertville to Paris at the end we have been joking that we hope she isn’t too traumatized to travel overseas again! But seriously, we are so thankful for her willingness to travel here to see us and also for the many people along her journey who were so kind to help her (ie. the person who just gave her their charging block so her phone wouldn’t die as she stayed in contact with us so we could help get her to Paris).

Since she left we had a whirlwind of activity with all of our birthdays in May, two of my brothers then our field directors coming to visit plus our studies in general. I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet that it will probably be over a year before I see my mom in person again. Saying good-bye has definitely been the hardest part of moving overseas. Her trip here was so good though and it reminded me that, though there is a great space between us and many people we love so dearly, our relationships with those people will always remain special and strong. And each time we do get those face-to-face interactions we will savor them. We thank God for such incredible family and friends who make saying good-bye so hard!

-Selina

Louvre Pyramid
Sacré-Cœur
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Saying Goodbyes and an Aching Heart (Selina)

Our first couple of days in France have been a whirlwind. I can’t even keep straight what day it is! We flew out of the Detroit airport on Tuesday and had an overnight flight to Amsterdam. Then sometime Wednesday we got into Amsterdam and quickly flew out of there to Geneva. We got to Geneva sometime Wednesday afternoon and a taxi drove us plus our 7 totes, 2 suitcases, 2 car seats with sleepy children, a double stroller and 6 various sized carryon/personal items to our school in Albertville, France. We arrived shortly after 4pm here and have been here two full days now…so I guess that makes today Friday!

In all seriousness though I have been amazed by this process and wanted to attempt to share what it’s been like.

The weeks leading up to our departure were far more stressful than I anticipated – Adam and I both ended up getting sick the week before we left which in hindsight was probably due to stress and lack of sleep more than anything else. Regardless, this made us particularly nervous for our Covid tests the night before we flew so we felt enormous relief when we heard our results were negative. We finalized packing that night – the end of a tiring process of constantly second guessing what was worth bringing.

Then came the morning of our departure which was probably one of the most difficult days of my life. Adam and I have both lived in Midland practically our whole lives and our family is very close. In our old house in Midland we lived minutes away from both of our moms, my dad and all my brothers. My sister and brother-in-law were only 30 minutes away so it was not unusual to see various members of our family several times a week, especially in the months leading up to our departure. Additionally we spent our final two weeks in the States living at my moms house which brought us all the closer to everyone since we were with many of them all the time, even my sister who was on Christmas break and spent several nights at my mom’s as well.

The morning we left my dad came to say goodbye to us in first so the tears started early. When it was time to leave for the airport we said goodbye to my four younger brothers (their ages range from 13-21) which were some of the most difficult goodbyes for me as we don’t know that we will see them again before we come back on home assignment at some point. Then both of our moms, my sister and her husband drove us to the airport. We had a long check in process (see earlier list of what we brought) which allowed us extended time with them in the airport. Moments I will always cherish. Then came those final goodbyes. So many tears shed. While our moms plan to visit us in France we don’t anticipate my sister and her husband coming since they are due with their first baby, my first nephew, in just a couple weeks.

We hugged each of them tightly then rushed to get to security. In our haste I remember realizing that I hadn’t turned back for one last wave goodbye, but they were already out of sight. Then my heart soared when we got up to security and I was able to glimpse the four of them one last time. The flights and travel were so crazy that I did not have a ton of time to think about those goodbyes.

Then came our first night in France, which went well from a practical standpoint – the kids fell asleep quickly and only woke up once before sleeping in until 10:30am, but for me it was one of the more difficult nights I’ve experienced. I had been tearful the whole evening and exhausted from our trip, but then I woke up in the middle of the night and felt truly awful. I have never experienced such an ache in my heart. Every time I thought about each goodbye with our family and with dear friends the days leading up to leaving I felt my stomach drop. The reality of being away from home, from all that is familiar and those who we so deeply cherish was all hitting me at once. I was overwhelmed with feelings of sadness and even regret. Why had we chosen to do this? Why would we leave all those people we love? How would I get through this pain? In the midst of that I felt the Spirit remind me, “You can’t get through it, but Jesus can carry you through it.” And I knew I needed to cry out to God. There was no way to make myself “feel” better or to explain to myself all the reasons why we are here. So I cried out to God and prayed for the peace of His Spirit. I begged Him to minister to my heart which continued to ache. And even in the dead of the night He was there, comforting me and allowing me to fall back asleep.

The next morning I stepped into our apartment and saw all the natural light streaming into the living room. I looked out the window and saw the incredible mountains that surround Albertville. I thought of all the past couple of days had held and instead of a hole in my stomach and a throbbing heart, I felt at peace. The longing for my loved ones and the familiarity of Midland is still there obviously, but with ease the Lord has already lessened that aching. By His Spirit He is providing peace that only He can give and continually cementing a foundation in Him for why we are here and why all of this is so good.

He also prompted me to journal and reflect on all the many ways we saw His hand on the trip here. He allowed the kids to do SO well on the flights and taxi drive. He provided awesome neighbors in our apartment building who moved all our luggage in (we’re on the second floor), provided us dinner our first night and cookies the next day, took us grocery shopping and who have answered a million questions for us already. He has allowed our little apartment to already feel so much like home in just the time it took to unpack. He has given us such an amazing support system of family, friends and prayer warriors (you who are reading this!). He has allowed us to live in a place that is so breathtaking in it’s beauty we can’t help but praise Him for His creativity and workmanship! He has and continues to wrap His arms around me, around our whole family, to provide, comfort and encourage in ways only He can. This has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I know the difficulty and discomfort will only continue as we start school Monday and put our kids in preschool/daycare for the first time. In those things and beyond I don’t know what is in store for us, but I do know that God has gone before us and will be with us each step of the way. I’m so excited to see what He reveals of Himself through all of these changes and transitions as well as the heartache. He is so worthy of it all!

-Selina