Greetings from the Meads!! I am sipping some coffee this morning, but everything seems a bit off today. I opened the front door and saw a small enclosed space with a tree stump. Behind the low wall, a palm tree rose with its drooping branches. Where is the Rift?!?!? No birds were singing. The air was warm, much warmer than I am used to. The cool rains of Michigan have been left behind once again. This time Jana and I left alone, not to return to our comfortable Kijabe, but off on our new adventure. We are finally in Al Ain, UAE!

Our trip was unremarkable, which is always good. We started from Muskegon by car. We entered a bus at Michigan City, Indiana, which took us right to the international terminal of O’Hare in Chicago. We had checked in online but still faced a line to check our bags. A quick meal prepared us for the final line through the check-in process for travel. All items are scanned and probed. Since I beep when I pass through the metal detector, I am blessed with special treatment with metal singing wands and nimble fingers. I passed yet again, so we settled in for the wait until departure. All passengers are asked to arrive very early to give time to be processed without stress. Sometimes the majority of time is used, but more often you are faced with a couple of hours with uncomfortable chairs or strolls along the gateways, killing time.

The flights themselves were pretty standard. I tried to sleep at least part of the first leg to London. Then we stretched our stiff legs and strolled along the shops waiting for part two. (I must admit all the duty-free shops in Heathrow never even tempt me to buy.) Jana and I finally arrived at Dubai at nearly midnight. Passport control took well over an hour for some reason. We therefore met our driver and started to Al Ain after 1AM. The roads from Dubai to Al Ain are divided, beautifully smooth tracks through the desert. We entered Al Ain seeing the ‘Coffee Pot’ roundabout. The driver then totally lost me through the twists and turns. Previously, we stayed across the street from the Oasis Hospital, so I kept searching for the hospital. This trip we were scheduled at another place. Bwana Asifiwe (Praise the Lord)!! We arrived safely.

The guest house is very nice, with several levels and rooms. We are temporarily settling in here as we will be looking for a house to call ‘home.’ We have toured the Oasis Hospital, where all staff members tell us how anxious they are for us to come join the family there. We too are anxious to get going. My licensing process is proceeding along at a very slow rate. I am not alone here in the UAE. Last week there were a group of eight hospitals joining together to discuss the process and their problems with governmental groups. Hopefully, there will be some changes or at least a speedy processing of my application. Then I need to arrange an oral examination and, finally, a license. When this is done, Jana and I can get a longer, non-tourist visa. It is easy for the many wishing to come to the UAE to get frustrated; I am, too. But I know nothing happens without a purpose, and God is in control of all life.

I am using this time to get to meet many of the CURE Oasis staff. As time progresses, I plan to work on protocols, review equipment currently available and what is needed, look at the total joints available for us in Al Ain, read and write, get to know the town of Al Ain, and make some friends. AND, of course, spoil the love of my life – Jana.

So the adventure begins. Like many adventure books and movies, we experience initial uncertainty and a period of quiet preparation, not knowing what is to come. The scene is being set; the characters are being introduced. Soon the action will start and build rapidly. We face this time with some uncertainty and a degree of anxiety, but Jana and I both know we belong here in Al Ain. Most important, however, we know we belong and are firmly in His grip.