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The Journey Begins…
On January 3rd we will leave Fort Lauderdale, Florida for our World Cruise. This is the first time we are attempting to Blog our adventures so…fingers crossed. Some explanation may be required concerning our Tagline: “Seeing God’s Hand at Work Around the World“. My brother, Brian, is an architect and when he travels, he takes…
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Sea Days…
January 5, 2024 On the way to Trinidad At home no one’s voice comes on an intercom and announces when the sun will rise and set. Captain van der Hoeven does that each evening…to the minute. “Sunrise will be at 6:18…Sunset at 5:57. Have a nice day”. I like that. It makes my day feel…
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Devil’s Island…
January 11, 2024. sailing toward French Guiana We are sailing down the Amazon on the northeast coast of South America, past Venezuela toward Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. This is desolate rain forest. Picture the terrain of Jonestown, the massive massacre that occurred in Guyana in 1978 and you will get a picture of this…
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Hope for Boca da Valeria…
I first read about Boca da Valeria, Brazil, in 2022. This indigenous community of about 100 people 850 miles up the Amazon River is arguably the smallest port of call in the world. In a good year, three or four ships may visit allowing the most adventurous passengers to embark a river boat and disembark…
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The power of a seed…
January 14 and January 16, 2024 Manaus and Santarem are two Brazilian ports located in the center of the Amazon rainforest. Rubber made them the richest cities in South America during the 1800’s. Many wealthy European families settled in these two cities and brought their love of European art, architecture and culture with them. They…
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St. Georges Hospital…
January 20, 2024 Well, this was not part of the itinerary! I woke up in the morning and had elevated heart rate upon exertion. I decided it best to go to the ship clinic. My blood work revealed I has a D-dimer level of 3190. (Simply stated, D-dimer is an undetectable protein fragment produced when…
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Home is where the heart is…
February 5, 2024 First, thank you for all the love and concern shared by my brother Brian and family members, our children and many friends. I was airlifted from Granada and arrived in Orlando late Monday night, January 22. It was determined that I had developed a blood clot in my leg that had gone…
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Aloha from Hawaii…
February 8, 2024 I tested these new clean arteries with two long back to back flights (Orlando to Los Angeles 5 hours, Los Angeles to Honolulu 5 hours) and all is well. Best for me to get back in the saddle as soon as possible. There are 8 schedules sea days between Hawaii and Guam…
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Eat with Gratitude…
February 16, 2024 On the way to Japan my blog was down. Time to catch up. I was raised in a tradition where our family “said grace” before we ate meals. I can still remember the simple blessing: “Bless us O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty,…
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Guam/Saipan…
February 20, 2024 This is my first time to the Microasian islands of Guam and Saipan. Enroute to Japan I have always travelled through the South Pacific so it is always fun to visit somewhere you have not been before. Guam and Saipan both have a strong US military presence so it is typical to…
The Hope For Today Charitable Trust. Seeing God's hand at work… Around the World.
Ever dream of getting on a ship and sailing around the world? Tom & Chongae did! Join us on this epic journey. We look forward to you traveling with us.