For my special friends!
Sept 11. I want to celebrate something very special in that day, and I would like with you. Naturally many will think about the big disaster that occurred in New-York 9 years ago. This is not my topic. My one is a joyful beginning of this amazingly great trip I did with Andy all around the US last year.
Same day, exactly same exceptionnaly beautiful weather, same latitude, . . . but another country, another way to go: today it is by foot !
For now, I just want to remember that without you this trip was simply not possible. You were an essential part of the success of it. How wonderful, how amazing and comfortable it has be to have a point of reference where to land! And not only to land, because in theUS there is such a huge quantity of airports, but to find some great people, some friends as you are.
For now, I just want to remember that without you this trip was simply not possible. You were an essential part of the success of it. How wonderful, how amazing and comfortable it has be to have a point of reference where to land! And not only to land, because in the
The preparation of this trip has taken many months, trying to figure out how to solve some unknowns. When I initially thought about doing something like this, I wondered: flying is an aspect, living is another. And in my mind it was absolutely clear that I wanted to go some people, not to the hotel. But I knew nobody, and America is at the other edge of the world. Notwithstanding that, I pursued my idea, making some contacts, using the relationship web. Considering this aspect of lodging, the big problem was to find some possibilities not only in one confined area, but from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic one, from the Canadian border to the Mexican one. Now when I think about this idea, I do have the goose bump …;-)… it was crazy.
Sept 11, 2009 was then the beginning of such a big adventure. You can have an overview at http://www.rapelli.org/home/en (The basic site is in French, I try to translate it English, it must be more or less ok). My remembrance is surely full of all those landscape I have seen, those incredible sceneries, those giant plains, those strange rocks. But over that, I do have a very special memory of all the persons I met. You are in their. I had the chance to be able to discover the life from the totally isolated ranch to the house in the middle of a huge city, as well as in some little or intermediate size cities. I do have to say loud and clear that everywhere it has been so great, so precious to be with you in your house, in your context. We have shared a lot, we have spoken about many things and I never felt to be a foreigner.
If I were a magician, I would like to invite all of you in the center of gravity of that trip to do a big big big party. Do you know where it will be? In one of those rare States I didn’t overfly (funny isn’t it?): Kansas . And just in a little village (213 inhabitants) called Levant , KS.
Going to Levant , KS to do this party with you seems not to be possible, unfortunately. But going to the Levant to pursue my objective to become mission/humanitarian pilot seems to be still possible. I continue to believe in that, and I am still in relationship with some NGO.
A dream became true a year ago. This gives me the hope to see some other dream becoming true. And I hope I will be able to tell it to you in a short time, with people like you. During this trip, you have been God’s hands and heart.
For all of you, my friends: Matt Lehde and Nancy in Seattle (WA), Lynn Tucker in Seattle (WA), John Hook in Nampa (ID), Andrew Schanz and your parents nearby Miles City (MT), Dick and Betty Lou Kessler in Custer (SD), Kevin and Jeannie Koch in Goshen (IN), Doug Dening in Waxhaw (NC), Aja Angel in Waxhaw (NC), Brett Zwerdling in Richmond (VA), Cathy Hayes in Mobile (AL) (oops…I am so sorry I don’t remember your husband’s name), and Tony and Diana Howard in Fort Worth (TX) I will continue to praise the Lord. Be abundantly blessed.