It’s time to test our Tetris skills again! Let’s see if we can fit everything we need for deputation in Montreal plus everything we need to serve for a few months in Africa into the back of the car. Read the list and let me know if I’ve missed anything!
Tomorrow morning we hit the road, Montreal bound! Lord willing we’ll arrive Saturday at the latest. If you’re in the Montreal area please come to a get together we are hosting at Lakeshore Church on Wednesday, April 26th at 7:00 pm. Along with coffee, tea, and treats we’ll provide an update on our ministries with a few hands-on stations and an overview of our upcoming trip to the Republic of Congo. We also have a few times open during the week to get together with you one-on-one. Please refer to the side bar below for details.
We depart for Congo (from Montreal, via Paris) on May 1st. We will be in the Republic of Congo for seven weeks serving at a rural hospital.
Okay, how do we look?
① Tom – Navigator extraordinaire, computer engineer, and Jack-of-all-trades. I’m so thankful he’s my partner through this crazy ride over the next few months! His French language skills will come in handy, not only in Montreal, but even more so in Congo. In Montreal he’ll present on our ministries and in Congo he will be testing SonSet Solutions field equipment, helping fix hospital equipment, and looking after the boys when I’m working with the hospital staff.
② Me (Candice) – The family’s Chief of Operations officer and community health consultant. I’ll be the one doling out raisin boxes in the car, arranging get togethers in Montreal, reading stories on the airplane, and implementing a feeding program for all inpatients at Pioneer Christian Hospital in Congo.
③ Jonathan (age 6) –Kindergarten graduate at the Scatliff Homeschool Academy. Jonathan is thrilled to be traveling with Monkey (a stuffed animal Tom or I usually take while traveling without the family), roadmaps, a world map, and a sketchbook (in case an invention comes to mind during the journey). He is very much looking forward to coming along on this trip, even if it does require long car and airplane rides and eating crocodile.
④ Matthew (age 3) – Relatively recently potty-trained Matthew will be testing his limits during the total 12 hour car ride to Montreal and 15 hour flight time to Congo. He loves all things dirt and has a vivid imagination, which makes playtime possible just about anywhere.
⑤ Box of support-raising material for Montreal – Brochures, SonSet Radios, prayer cards, and the like. We pray this material is informative to those interested in our ministries. Also in this box is Tom’s computer, laser pen, projector, and Prezi slideshow. Tom is our spokesperson at churches and comes prepared with his own gear to use if need be.
⑥ Coffee supplies – Stovetop espresso machine, milk frother, and many bags of ground espresso beans. Have caffeine. Will travel.
April 20th – Depart Elkhart
April 22nd – Arrive Montreal
*April 23 – Speak at LEC morning service
*April 26 – Present at Lakeshore Church, 7:00pm
May 1 – Board plane to the Republic of Congo, via Paris
May 3 – Arrive in Brazzaville (capital of Republic of Congo)
May 5 – Fly to Impfondo, the location of Pioneer Christian Hospital
*We still have a few free times to get together for breakfast, coffee, lunch, dinner, or dessert during our time in Montreal. Please email us at
if you’d like to get together while we are in town.
⑦ Clothes – Clothes for travel, clothes for presenting, clothes for get togethers, clothes for the layover in Paris, clothes for the Congo heat, clothes for the Congo rain, and clothes for formal church wear, multiplied by four. And shoes. My goodness, there seems to be an abundance of shoes.
⑧ Suitcase of personal items for the kids – Pillows, teddies, books, bath time duckies and the like to create a sense of home for the kids while we are away from home for the next few months. If you would, please pray that our children will transition well during this journey. We will be traveling through many different time zones, climates, and cultures. May they stay healthy and thrive in these new environments!
⑨ Carry-on suitcase for our trip to Africa – This contains all we absolutely need to arrive with us, including our malaria medication, flashlights, camera, and toy trains. Add to that for each of us: an extra pair of clothes, Yellow Fever vaccine card, insurance, work visa, and passport documentation.
⑩ Extras for Africa – Bag of over-the-counter meds, bug spray, bug nets (to sleep under), sunblock, Tupperware containers (to help keep the cockroaches out of our food supply), a fry pan, two-way radios, headlamps, flashlights, portable power bank, and lots of extra batteries. We’re headed to a very remote area with only solar power electricity… and lots of bugs!
Did we forget something? I sure hope not — here we go!