The World at Airports – My Journey Begins

Hello everyone, I am the International Manager for Africa with Chalice. The TANCAN team begin to depart this evening for our third medical mission with our Congregational partners in Tanzania but I am already on route. As the Mission Operations Manager I travel alone to arrive a couple of days in advance of the team to ensure our on Site logistics are ready for the next 3 weeks of activities. Sitting in Heathrow airport in London, England I am going over our schedule and taking in the international sites one experiences at a major air transit hub. It never ceases to amaze me the beauty and complexity of the human race as it chorines through corners of the world. There are at least seven different languages being spoken around me as I sit here typing. 

The travel to our final destination is no small feat. The majority of the team will take at least 3 if not 4 flights over the course of 2.5 days to arrive in Dar es Salaam. On arrival we will proceed to gather over 45 large bags of medical supplies and luggage to board a bus and begin our 16 hour land excursion to the south western part of this beautiful and peace loving country. Our bus journey will bring us through protected reserves where we are sure to see a few of the finest elephants, zebras, and giraffes not to mention the monkeys seeking to see a glimpse of a Canadian (or more likely aiming to steel a piece of fruit from an inattentive passenger on pee break).  

By now our team has reviewed the contents of their bags for the twentieth time and are taking a guess at the risk of being slightly over weight on their donation bag – it is more than likely we have re-packed more than once to ensure we can get the most of our donations overseas. Donations from supporters and champions of Chalice have been outstanding this year and it never ceases to amaze me how God’s grace in the everyday offering exceeds our expectations. Thank you all for your gracious and generous hands. I can assure you that every donation is well managed and makes a significant difference to the mother, child or elderly that receives it with the warmest of thanks and most humble of hearts.

The first announcement for boarding has just been made as I am quickly typing out this first blog. I hope you will continue to follow our TANCAN mission online as we seek to share Christ with all in need. TANCAN is about building a community of love and life especially for the newest members of our world as they enter it as small folk and hopefully will experience the wonder of our great big planet someday sitting here at London Heathrow airport wondering how their work will make a difference for the next generation too.

Many Blessings,

Suzanne L Johnson, International Manager