As we prepare to journey across two countries, our team has finally assembled and arrived.

Jeremy (Pamoja’s Director) was the first to arrive in Surrey, BC, Canada, making phone calls and getting things arranged. Next, came the Americans, Shelley and Amanda (me). After spending our first night in Surrey, we made our way to the Vancouver airport, hoping that soon our very large vehicles would no longer feel so empty.

While Shelley and I parked the vehicles, Jeremy checked the arrivals board. The Maasai’s flight was right on time. The plane had landed 20 minutes before we arrived and now we only had to wait until they cleared Customs. So, we sat and waited…

…and waited…

…and waited.

An hour and a half later, we were still waiting, and getting very anxious. Knowing that “Information” wouldn’t be able to confirm that our Maasai had even made it onto the plane, Jeremy went to see if there would be any sort of information that they could tell us. What we learned was that an hour and a half was not a long wait. That would be the shortest amount that some people may have to wait if someone got pulled aside for further questioning.

We would just need a little more patience. We sat, watching more and more people arrive, being greeted by loved ones, but still no sight of our colorful Maasai friends. Finally, Jeremy decided that he would try his best to talk to Customs and help things along if he could. Just as he left and got into the office, Shelley and I saw a wonderful sight: bright red shukas walking down the hallway leaving Customs! Our Maasai friends had arrived and we were all reunited once again. For some, like Jeremy it had only been a short while since visits, Shelley a few months, but I had not seen these friends for a little over a year, back to when we recorded and produced “Hope of the Maasai.” Now, God had brought us all back together in Canada.

We would meet our last team member, Natasha, in Victoria, but for now, we had what we needed to begin our two-month journey.

Welcome to the 2011 Hope of the Maasai Tour featuring the En-kata Choir!