Issue #93
July 12, 2001

Dear Friends and Family,
A few days ago I returned from Cote d'Ivoire for the last time. (At least for the immediate future.)  It has been a wonderful four years.  The kids at ICA were truly a joy to work with during this time.

The return trip had its adventures as usual. I think adventures follow me around. The bus that was supposed to take myself and the rest of the group to the airport never showed up, so at the last minute we had to take taxis. If you have ever heard stories about riding a taxi in Abidjan, you will understand it is always an adventure. At the airport, we all had to pay for extra piece of luggage.  (At one point we were going to get these free, but it changed a few days before we left.) I had to check my carry-on when I got on the plane in Abidjan. Somewhere along the way it was broken into. As far as I can tell, nothing was taken, just a missing lock and broken zipper.  It was really just a bunch of odds and ends that I ran out of room for in my suitcases.  Other than that I arrived safely in Oklahoma and have been running ever since.

The rest of July will be filled with traveling. I will be leaving on Saturday to attend the National Convention in Detroit. A week after that I will be attending some friends' from ICA wedding. Then it will be August and time to settle down.

I did have good news this week. I was able to find a place to live. It is a nice little house in Moore. I will be working at Hillsdale so this is convenient. Now, I just have to find something to put in it.  The joke has been that my microwave and I will be there together. I didn't store any furniture or things like that when I left to go to Africa so basically it is starting over.

Thanks again for your support through the years.  I really appreciate it. I will probably send out a couple more of these to let you know how my traveling to churches is going.

In Christ,
Traci Epps