Sep 16
Pure Michigan campaign ads had persuaded trolls—residents of Michigan’s lower peninsula, like me—to crawl out from our homes south of the Mackinac Bridge. It was Labor Day weekend, the last chance for many families to head up north before the start of a new school year. For my family, this was the perfect time to explore the …
Sep 15
Crouched in a blinding sleet storm on Mount Adam’s summit, I was alone and numb all over. Stranded in howling mist and 50 mph winds, it was early afternoon on what was supposed to have been a normal tranquil June day in 1989. Any thoughts of a view south 3,000 feet above the Great Gulf …
Sep 06
Tuesday, April 5: Our group gathered in the hotel lobby for a visit to a predominately Maori school, Kaitao Middle School in Rotorua. Kaitao is a recipient of Grand Circle Travel donations. Roger again acted as our chief for purposes of introductions. A few selected students and staff welcomed each of us with the traditional …
Aug 16
“This is my command: Love each other.” ~ Jesus (John 15:17, NIV) Oliver sits directly in front of me. The five-year-old was a student in my vacation Bible school class. He snuggles up to his mom. With a broad smile and a gleam in his eye, he leans in to kiss her cheek. She puts …
Jul 01
Travel outside of one’s country irrevocably changes one’s perspective about the world, one’s own country, and–if you’re really lucky–oneself. While in Astana, Kazakhstan, I saw the meaning of true mutual respect among teachers and students, “the” best hospitality I’ve ever known, and the kind of manic driving that makes any urban setting in the United …