Pictures of Angola So Far...

Off Like a Herd of Turtles Part 2

June 2^nd-Day Three

Location: Somewhere over the Atlantic-Dakar-Johannesburg

The plane landed in Dakar at 2am our time and 5 or 6 local time. The now sleepy children and their mother got off and some other adults that were not nearly as entertaining took their places and the journey continued.

We were given breakfast about an hour after we took off from Dakar and after breakfast, Sara and I were both able to sleep a little.

The plane landed at 4:47pm South African time and our flight to go on to Windhoek was to take off at 5:45pm. It took awhile for us to get to the gate and being at the back of the plane meant that we had a ways to go in a short amount of time. We grabbed our stuff and got off as quickly as we could. Due ot the fact that we were technically in transit we had to go through the transit line which only had one person working it stamping passports with a transit stamp and then you have to go and get in the security line and get another stamp that says that you are no longer in transit. However by the time we got through both the lady checking boarding passes looked at ours and told us that our flight was already boarding and there was no way that we were going to make it. She told us to go stand in the SAA ticket line in the transit lobby.

So we got back in line and waited and waited. We finally got to the front of the line and got rebooked on a flight the next morning at 6:05 which would mean getting to the airport very early to check in because he couldn’t print our boarding passes until the next morning. He told us to be there right at 5:00 because that was when their desk opened and the flight was going to start boarding at 5:35. Sara and I went and got a room at the airport hotel, and relaxed and got a little bit of sleep before it was time to go stand in line again.

Day Four-June 3^rd

Location: Johannesburg-Windhoek

We got to the SAA ticket counter at 4:55 just to be sure that we were not going to be late and it would give us plenty of time to get our boarding passes and get to the gate. However, the SAA people did not get to their desks until 5:10 and only one lady was working and she was working on the business class passengers. Finally at 5:25 Sara and I were called up to the desk and printed our boarding passes and told to go immediately to the gate because there wasn’t much time. (Really? Like we didn’t know)

We got to the gate 2 minutes before the bus was loaded to go out to the plane.

The rest of the trip went very well apart from the fact that our bags did not make it on our flight but they did come on the next one and they were actually delivered right to the guest house where we were staying.

The rest of the day is pretty much a blur and kind of boring. We lazed around and did not do much of anything. My uncle and his son drove down from Angola to pick us up and they arrived that evening after driving for 18 hours. We all turned in pretty early because we knew the next day was going to be VERY busy.

Day Five-June 4^th

Location: Windhoek

We all got up early and Uncle Stirling had a quick breakfast and then went to go and drop one of the Landrover Defenders at the off-road workshop to have some work done on it so that we could drive it to Angola on Sunday. While he was out with the car, I called the airline to see if Tiko had arrived at 5am like he was supposed to. The conversation went something like this…

Me: Good morning, I was just calling to see if my dog has arrived from Frankfurt on the flight this morning?

Man on the line: Is this Miss. Helena?

Me: Yes it is.

Man on the line: Yes he is here and he looks very sad and neglected. You need to come and get him immediately.

Me: Oh okay. I will be there as soon as I can. Is all his paperwork in order?

Man on the line: Yes, yes, everything is in order. You need to come quickly, he is very sad. I have been trying to play with him and talk to him but he is very sad.

Me: Okay. Thank you so much. I will be there very soon. Thank you.

So as soon as Uncle Stirling got back we drove out to the airport which is a thirty to forty-five minute drive one way. We went to the office and sure enough, as soon as he heard our voices he started crying and barking. Everyone there was very nice and we got through the paperwork quite quickly considering they had to go and pick get one form from another part of the airport. They customs lady that cleared us had actually gone to university at Campbell University in North Carolina so she knew where Greensboro and Raleigh were. So we had a nice conversation with her and we were very thankful that the Lord put her in our path because I think that helped speed us through the process although all his papers were in order and I had about three copies of everything. Tiko was VERY HAPPY to see us!

After picking Tiko up we went back to Windhoek and Uncle Stirling dropped us off at the guest house and he had to run out and do more errands. At 1:30, Uncle Stirling and Jeff went off to go and get Daniel and his friends from the airport. They arrived with no problems and then Uncle Stirling and I went to go fetch the Landrover that he had dropped off at the shop earlier because it was ready.

That night we all went out to a restaurant called Joe’s Beerhouse. They serve the best game meat for a really good price and it is one of those places that is really cool to look around so you go for the experience as much as the food. We all had a fun time and I don’t think that we frightened the guys too much.

Day Six-June 5^th

Location: Windhoek

We spent Saturday running around Windhoek taking care of errands for all of us. Uncle Stirling had to buy things at a couple of different places around town and the boys had to get their bus tickets for South Africa and Sara and I had to get a few household items for Angola.

We somehow managed to get it all done and get the car all packed and ready to go by 9:00pm. Daniel and his friends wanted us to take their big suitcases so they would only have their backpacks in South Africa. Both cars were packed pretty high but we did manage to get it all in. We all turned in early because we were going to be up at four to leave by 4:30.

Day Seven-June 6^th

Location: Windhoek, Namibia-Tchincombe Ranch, Angola

Four-thirty-five am found us in the cars and on our way out of Windhoek heading north. The roads on in Namibia are very good paved roads so apart from driving on the left side of the road the driving was pretty easy although both Uncle Stir and I both were very, very tired and we kept having to stop every couple of hours to stretch and wake up a little.

We finally made it to the border around 3pm and were across by 4ish. Which is very good time by the way. The border post that we went through is one that is kind of out in the middle of nowhere but it makes it easier because there is less of a crowd and Uncle Stir knows most of the people that work there.

The roads/tracks through the bush on the Angolan side were more of a challenge to drive. We finally reached the ranch around midnight after stopping for a quick bite to eat and another stretch break although it was easier to stay awake! There were a couple of times that I was pretty sure that there wasn’t a real road and that Uncle Stir was just driving blind.

We finally got to the ranch and got some dinner and then on to bed.

Day Eight-June 7

Location: Tchincombe Ranch

Sara and I woke up late and showered and headed over to Aunty Donna’s kitchen for a cup of coffee and lunch in an hour. We had a lovely lunch and a very restful afternoon just hanging out and visiting with cousins and friends. Sara and I went on a walk with our 10 year old cousin Meghan and we helped her plan out her play “town”. Then we got back to the house and helped with dinner and found out what the plan for the next day was.

The plan it turned out was to drive in convoy with Uncle Stir again to Lubango so that he could fix Mom’s Landrover Discovery so that I would have a car to drive.

That evening we hung out with the cousins and watched Star Trek and basically got packed up and ready to go again. Breakfast was planned for 6:45 so that we could leave by 8ish. Sara and I were both pretty tired from the trip still and decided to head over to bed relatively early. (we stayed in another house about a 1km down the road.)

Day Nine- June 8

Location: Tchincombe Ranch-Lubango

Sara and I arrived for breakfast at 6:50 and everyone had already started (when they say 6:45 they really mean 6:45). After breakfast Aunty Donna typed up a document saying that I was allowed to drive their car, just in case I was stopped by the police. We loaded up the car and off we went with Uncle Stir leading the way. It was a pretty uneventful trip. The off road part wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been coming up from the border. We did have to go through a control where the authorities were checking passports and making sure that everyone has their documents. Uncle Stir was in front and I could see that he was gesturing towards our car and making sure that they knew that we were with him. One police man came over and asked for our documentation. We handed him our passports and just then the other policeman waved Uncle Stir through and told us to go as well. He gave us back our documents and off we went. From there it was only another 45 minutes to an hour until the city. When we got to the city traffic was crazy, which is the normal state of events now. I stayed right behind Uncle Stir so that I wouldn’t get lost and so that I could see how he drove in a place where the driving rules are slightly different from what I am used to.

We arrived at Mitcha right before lunch. We unloaded and unpacked and decided to spend the rest of the day visiting and not doing much of anything. It was so nice to finally be here and realize that this is now home.

Off Like a Herd of Turtles...

May 31^st-Day One

Location: Greensboro, NC

It was finally time to go. When we started planning it seemed like our departure date was so far in the future but all of a sudden it was time to make sure that we could actually pick up and carry our carry-ons and that our suitcases were not over-weight, (Something that I had been working on for a week by the way). Our departure time from Piedmont International Airport was 3:03pm so we loaded the cars with our five suitcases and two carry-ons each.

We got to the desk to check in and we noticed two problems immediately; our plane was delayed with no departure time listed yet and the family in front of us did not speak English and they looked very frustrated. So Sara and I got in line behind them and practiced our waiting skills. There was only one lady behind the desk and she was just as frustrated as the poor people that she was trying to help. Eventually another man came back from his lunch break and he just asked for our names and our paperwork and he stared and typed away at his computer for about half an hour and then he looked up and said that there wasn’t anything that he could do for us because our plane was delayed in Chicago and hadn’t reached Greensboro yet so that meant that we were going to miss our plane to Johannesburg and because our tickets were booked through South African Airways he said that he couldn’t get in to change them. So our next step was to call our travel agent who said that South African Airways wasn’t open because of Memorial Day and that we should just wait and call first thing the next day.

Slightly disappointed but trying to see God’s hand in the situation we went home unloaded the cars and then my cell phone started ringing and it was our travel agent. He said that he had been on the phone with SAA and they said that the airline was absolutely responsible for making sure that we reached our destination even if it meant going with another carrier and that we were to go back to the desk and make them put us on a plane and get us to Namibia, no matter what. If they had a problem with anything we were to call him and he would put them through to SAA who would make sure that it was done.

After hearing these inspirational words we all loaded everything back in the cars and sped back to the airport, which is all of five minutes from our house. Fortunately the line at the airline desk had lessened somewhat and we were able to go right up and explain our situation to the same, still somewhat frazzled lady behind the desk. She immediately went to work figuring out how to get us to Windhoek, Namibia. There was no way for us to leave that day but she was able to book us through Raleigh (about an hour and a half drive from our house but it was where Tiko was booked out of so it made it more convenient for Mom and dropping him off) early the next morning and get us to Dulles with several hours to spare as we waited for the flight to South Africa and then from there we would catch our flight directly to Windhoek.

Once again the cars were loaded and we went home and had ice-cream and a cup of tea, or for those who needed something a little stronger, i.e. me, a cup of coffee. In the end we spent a nice quiet evening at home just relaxing and not doing much of anything. Sara and I went to bed early so as to be mostly alert for our early check in and departure time.

June 1^st-Day Two

Location: Greensboro-Dulles-Somewhere over the Atlantic

“Is this Ms. Fabiano?”

“Yes it is who is this?”

“This is Ron (*aside* I don’t actually remember his name) from Continental. The flight that you booked your dog on has been cancelled.”

At this point my heart thudded down to my feet. Not what I wanted to hear right then. How was I going to fix this? I was supposed to be boarding the plane to go to Dulles in about 15 minutes.

“Oh, so what now?” I tried to ask in a somewhat calm voice although that was far from what I felt.

“Well, we have a flight at 11:15 and another at 3:15 that we could put him on, do either of those work for you?”

“The 11:15 would work out perfectly for me. I am getting ready to board my flight and my mom is going to be dropping him off in just a few minutes then. Thank you.” Thank you, Jesus.

“Thank you and have a safe flight.” Click.

I frantically called Mom and she had to turn around and come back to the airport ASAP. She thankfully was not too far and was able to turn around and bring him back and get him all taken care of just as Sara and I were getting ready to take-off to go to Dulles.

Apart from that slight moment of excitement/panic the rest of the day/traveling was largely uneventful. Sara and I found our gate and then walked and found something to eat and then sat at the gate and read until it was time to board.

The flight was its usual long ride. Sara and I were sitting the middle section towards the back of the plane and there was a seat between me and a rather large man so I was able to stretch my legs out a little bit. The one highlight of the trip was three children from Senegal who were absolutely thrilled to be flying. I am not sure if it was their first time on a plane but they had a great time and they really had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It was so refreshing to watch them see things for the first time and really get excited about the roar of the engines or the shape of the wings or the fact that they had their own personal televisions. So often we take the fact that we can fly across the world in relative comfort and in a relatively short amount of time for granted when in actual fact it is totally amazing that these machines can take us across the world.

More to follow...

Potluck!!!

Goodbye/Send-off Potluck

What: Potluck, so bring whatever you would like to eat!

Where: 1824 New Bedford Dr., Greensboro, NC 27410

When: Anytime after 6pm. Feel free to stop by anytime for whatever length of time!

I hope that you can come! Sara and Daniel will be there too so you can catch up with them too...

11 days...

May 20, 2010

Hello Everyone,

11 DAYS…and counting…

I thought that it was about time for a quick update about how the last minute things are coming together. I am just going to give quick highlights. If you would like more details please let me know and I will be happy to oblige.

I sold my car this week which is a huge relief. It has been giving me some problems this Spring but it seems to be all fixed and running well. A friend of the family has bought it and has given it to Daniel. This is a wonderful answer to prayer for the whole family!

My room is slightly more packed. I am planning to try and pack my suitcases early next week just to see how much all my stuff weighs.

Kuatiko(my dog) has his vet appointments to get his various health certificates and paper work done. He has to have a European Union Health certificate because he is going through Frankfurt and he also has to have an import certificate and a veterinary health certificate for Namibia. They all have to be done within a certain number of days of traveling so it means that it is cutting it close on getting things back and forth to different offices on different continents. Please pray that all the paper work goes through quickly and with no hassles. I called the Namibian Veterinary Service last week to ask if it was okay if I faxed them his Namibian paper work for them to approve and they said that was no problem. Vamos ver! (We will see!)

It has been a very encouraging week as I have received gifts from a couple of churches and individuals. Thank you all so much! I can’t believe the incredible team that the Lord is drawing up around me. It is going to be truly wondrous to watch Him put all this together. I am however still lacking in my monthly support. I need more support for the first 6 months or so, until the school is opened and then tuition from the school should help cover my living expenses, which in Angola are pretty high. I know that God has this all in Hand that He will provide what I need but being human it is hard to keep from worrying about these sorts of things. Please pray for God’s provision and my resting and waiting in His provision.

This Sunday (May 23^rd) I am going to be sharing briefly with the High School youth group at church and then again at the Singles meeting in the evening. The High School meet at 5pm and the Singles at 7pm. I would definitely appreciate your prayers for both of these times. My prayer is that people would see the passion that the Lord has given me for doing His will wherever and however that might be!

One last thing, we are hosting a Goodbye/Sendoff pot-luck party at my house on Thursday May 27^th around 6:30pm. If you can make it that would be great! I would love to see you before I leave!

Please call me if you have any questions or would like to just chat! 336-508-7856.

In Christ Our King,

Helena Foster Fabiano

Donation Information:

AGA Inc.

25 Maple Street

Addison, NY 14801

Please make checks payable to AGA Inc. and put “01019” in the memo line.

The End of the Month

It is official now, I am leaving at the end of the month. Just 30 days from now I will be on my way to Angola!

I am excited but also a little nervous...there is still so much to do and get ready in the next few weeks, not to mention the huge job that awaits me on the other end. I have figured that the only way I will make it is to just take one step at a time and hold onto His hand the entire time. He has it all figured out and I can trust in Him to take care of the details.

At this point I have mostly packed up my books and a lot of miscellaneous stuff that I have collected over the last few years. I have some things that I am hoping to ship in a container when there is one heading over there.

Another thing I have to figure out is what to do with my car. It is an old car with lots and lots of miles on it and to top it off it hasn't been running all that well recently. (by "all that well", I mean not at all.) I am having a mechanic look at in the next couple of days so please pray for wisdom as I try to figure out what I should do with it.

The BIGGEST prayer request at the moment is finances(of course). I still have a lot of my monthly support to raise as well as my one-time out-going expenses. I have raised about 30% of my monthly and 35% of my one time. So please pray with me about this. I know that the Lord has this all in hand. I am learning to trust Him more and more.

*If you feel God calling you to partner with me through prayer and/or financially you can email me at hffabiano@gmail.com, call me (336-508-7856) or you can send donations to 25 Maple St., Addison NY 14801, just put my name in the memo line. You can also donate online at www.hopeforangola.org.*

I have had several encouraging "happenings" this week. I was contacted by the mission committee of a church in High Point to come and share about my ministry in the next couple of weeks. I was also contacted by a church that a friend of the family attends in the Chicago area and they also asked me to share, via letter, a few more details about my ministry. Both these things were a huge encouragement for me.

I also heard from the Indian family in Lubango that have a little girl that they want to put in the school. They are anxious for me to come and they said that they have told several different families about me coming and that I will "not want for admissions to the school". It was so nice to hear that they are still looking forward to me coming.

My small group leader from when I was in High School also had my mom and I over for dinner last Thursday night to share with her and her family about what I will be doing. It was really fun and a huge blessing for both Mom and I. We have known this family for awhile and haven't had a chance to catch up like that for a long time.

If you have a group that you would like me come speak to or share with about my ministry I would love to do that. One of my favorite things to do is share what the Lord is doing and what He has asked me to do with my life.

Well, I think that I have babbled long enough and I have to run and try and get my car across town to the mechanic.

Thank you all so much for your love and support throughout this entire process. It means a lot to me.

6 Weeks!

Dear Friends,

Happy Spring!!!!

I hope that you are all doing well. I was talking to a friend the other day and we got around to talking about my leaving and I realized that I leave in 6 weeks! It is hard to believe, time has flown right on by. So I figured that it is about time to give you guys a little bit of an update about how my preparations are coming along.

I spent yesterday afternoon and this morning packing up what I can in my room. It has been mostly a sorting and throwing out party but I have managed to pack up most of my teaching and children’s books to send to Angola. I rediscovered/remembered/found that I have some amazing resources and I cannot wait to get to Angola and use them. J At the moment, I think that I have packed and thrown away what I can.

It has been very encouraging to see how God is putting a support team, prayer and otherwise. I have raised about 25% of my monthly support and about 20% of my one-time outgoing expenses. I am trusting God to continue to build my team and provide what I need. Please continue to pray for His provision of the rest. If you feel God calling you to join my team please feel free to contact me or send donations to AGA Inc., 25 Maple St., Addison, NY 14801.

The next few weeks are going to be very busy as I go through the last minute preparations. I have to get vaccinations, vet appointments and paperwork for Tiko(my dog) to travel and of course more packing and sorting.

Several friends are planning a little get-together for me towards the end of April or the beginning of May. If you would like to come please let me know and I will get you more information. I would love to see you there. If you would like me to come speak to a small group or gathering of people please let me know. I am happy and excited to share about the work in Angola that God has called me to do.

Thank you once again for all your encouragement and support. It means so much to me.

In Him,

Helena

PS: I have put some pictures on my blog. Check them out http://helenashappenings.blogspot.com/

Contact Information: email: hffabiano@gmail.com, cell phone: 336-508-7856, skype name: Angola86 and of course through Facebook. Looking forward to hearing from you. J