It was a long way down / up

Several people have asked how I hurt my foot, and I realize I didn’t make that very clear in these posts. Well, my very first day at the GO Conference in Germany, I found that walking downstairs from the third floor of a no-elevator hostel in Mosbach was a bit too much for me.

I paid attention to the steps, held onto the hand rail, and made it to within a couple of steps from the bottom when I slipped and fell. I had glanced over to see if anyone was at the desk in the lobby, and the next thing I knew I was face down on the tile floor. I had no broken bones, thankfully, but I did have a badly sprained ankle with torn ligaments – a level 3, my local doctor informed me. I could feel my right foot swelling inside my shoe and pretty soon it started really hurting. As I pondered how I’d gotten into such a ridiculous position and how I would get out of it again, I realized no-one was around.

But in just a moment several people came into the lobby. “Are you okay?!” they exclaimed. “No,” I replied, “I think I’ve sprained my ankle.” One person got on the phone and called the resident doctor, another brought me a pillow, and after the doctor arrived and examined my foot, others packed my belongings for a move to a building with an elevator.

Over the next ten days or so, I iced some, rested some, kept the foot wrapped up and elevated as much as possible while attending meetings and eating meals. Sightseeing was mostly restricted to from the front seat of a car.

Eventually I arrived at the Logos Hope, sore foot and all, with lots of help from friendly younger people to carry suitcases and lend an arm as I limped my way along.

Facing the gangplank leading to Deck 5, I wondered – isn’t there any other way to get onto that boat? (My Navy brother says not to call a ship, a boat.) Someone in front, another one in back, grip the handrails tightly, and don’t look anywhere except at the very next step, forget about the twinges from the ankle, just take one “plank” at a time… and that’s how I got back down that gangplank, too, when it was time to fly home.

Both times it was dark and I didn’t get a chance to really look at the outside of the ship. Of course, going up and coming down the steep gangplank, that may have been a good thing for me.

Anyway, look at this view and you’ll get a glimpse of how big the Logos Hope is, and how far up and down it is from the quayside!

“World Traveler…”

I took dozens of photos of places and people while in Germany, and asked a couple of folks to take snapshots of me also. The first one was standing on a hilltop near Mosbach surrounded by a wonderful view. Ken Miller and his family were taking me on a driving tour of the area around the little valley where Mosbach is located, and we stopped for a few minutes at this lovely picnic spot.

The next photo was taken in the dining room of the Logos Hope, OM Ships’ newest sailing ship.  I spent most of my week here in this spot with my sprained ankle resting on an adjacent chair.

News stories and longer articles will be included on my regular website (www.BetteCox.com), both my blogs, and on www. omships.org/carolina.  I had the privilege of interviewing and chatting with folks from around the world during this trip, some of whom have volunteered off and on with OM and OM Ships for fifty year!  Their stories are well worth recording (my part) and reading (your part).

While leaving in the jet plane…

This photo was taken through my plane window as we ascended over Frankfurt, Germany.  Because of bad weather on Saturday my flight from Hamburg to Frankfurt was delayed, thus I missed the connecting flight to Atlanta.  Lufthansa paid for me to stay in the Sheraton Hotel (nice place!), meals included, so I actually left Frankfurt on a gorgeous, clear Sunday morning. What a view!

Leaving on a jet plane…

Guess that song gives away my age and era.  Tomorrow morning (Saturday) I leave Kiel for Hamburg by car, then leave Hamburg on a jet plane to Frankfurt, jet plane to Atlanta, and from there homeward to Florence, SC, USA.

My stay aboard Logos Hope has been a mite different from planned, since I have spent most of my time in my cabin with foot propped up, or in the dining room with foot propped up.  I have talked to quite a few people, though – interviewed and photographed some and just chatted with others.  I will start inputting my notes into the computer back at home.

There is one older lady I especially appreciate – Geri Weirich – and one young lady too – Sarah Glendinning.  They are worth their weight in gold to me and to many others on the Logos Hope.  They are obviously and enthusiastically, kindly and lovingly expressing the love and joy of the Lord here, there and everywhere.

More when I get home.