Before the trip:  38 days until we leave

This post is from 2017 for the 1st return trip.

​38 days until we get on a plane for South Africa, then Zimbabwe! We are doing well in our preparations. Vanessa and Digby, who are the people who found Maemu, are hosting us for two weeks. They live close to where we believe is the original location of my village, and also close Maemu’s community. Their generosity is astounding to me.  After they take us across the Zimbabwe border we will continue our research in South Africa. If we are correct in our research, we will be staying in Mapungubwe Park within a mile of where I was taken across the border. Being there with the sights, sounds, and smells is the heart of my location research. Our next step is to hire a researcher to seek out any records of my 1977 hospital stay in South Africa. In between all the logistics that have to be arranged, I pause and can hardly believe this trip is finally happening – for 40 years I have been waiting for this return.

A special thank you to all who have donated toward our journey. So far, your donations have covered 50% of our needs for the trip. Thank you also to everyone who is supporting us with your thoughts and prayers. It means so much to me that I have a supportive community involved in this adventure. This is an incredible contrast to being abducted in secrecy as a child. You are all part of my healing.