Sorting out VAT, and on our way...

 

We are leaving Conwy, North Wales tomorrow.  I expected the delay, but it doesn't make it any easier.  Having Willie With me will be a good thing I believe.  He is an invaluable asset for anyone, and has a great heart to serve others.  He really has the mind, heart, and love of Christ Jesus.  He is a gruff man, who is very disciplined and rigid in his stance, but very kind hearted and full of the Joy of the Lord, which is his strength.  I met Willie about 1993 in Peterhead, Scotland with a dear friend and Spiritual Father Arthur Burt.  I was just coming back from Russia as a Missionary, and the UK was a real culture shock for me.  I needed a translator to understand Willie back then.  but even in 1993, not knowing me or anything other than Uncle Arthur had brought me he took me in, took me to meetings, fed me, and was such a blessing to me.  AMAZING.  Fast forward 25 years, I have seen him off and on and his lovely wife Eileen, watched his children go from little to serving in the Royal Services.... Its amazing really when I stop to consider this side trip to Wales just how much I have been helped, blessed, and have a real Christian family because of the fellowship in PenmaenMawr, North Wales.  

I have made two meetings at the fellowship in Bron Wendon, been with Steve and Dawn for dinner, had three meals with Mike and Rachel, (who I really connected with back in the day...) and though I didn't get to see Joe, I trust all is well with he and his...  These folks knew me, loved me, and helped me when no one else even remembered my name.  They welcomed and embraced me in the worst of states with Alchoholism, etc... and loved me through it.  Uncle Arthur on more than one occasion passed great distances, to minister the Love of God to me.  For that I am eternally Loyal and forever grateful.  So now once again, after the April 2011 Convention I had a vision of sailing a sail boat right to the Oasis, (the convention center) and to start my circumnavigation of the globe... and do you know that is exactly how it happened, and rather than go it alone, which is almost an impossibility, Willie said without any prodding that he would join, and that he wanted to join.  I am so grateful.  You can't think this stuff up:-) 

Well, so now tomorrow we are departing Conwy, Marina around 10:00AM.  Blue belle still needs a piece of artificial turf mat to go and mentally be able to do her business, but when the urge is there she does eventually go.  She is so needed.  I would not want to do this trip without her.  she is amazing.  I am so grateful for her.  She is now going to be the focus of the videos and the places.  cannot wait to showcase her to the world.  well, here we go.  I am on the train right now.  We are leaving tomorrow from the UK so I went to the airport to turn in my VAT papers.  I wanted more back, but something beats nothing.. Ill get about 285 pounds back which is a lot of money... but keeping in mind I spent 500 pounds yesterday to get the engines running the way they are supposed to, seems a little bit of a joy killer.  So I am on the train back from Manchester Airport where I began this journey over 1 month ago,  now I have about a month to get back to the USVI, and I am not sure that is feasible.  we have only sailed 200 miles of an almost 6000 mile journey..  at 6 MPH sailing straight through with no stops is only 4,320 miles.  I need to face the fact that I am not going to get back in time to be responsible and restart my job on time, but I am still hopeful.  After all, I don't want to be there unless I have a boat on the water to live on.  Water will be an issue, and electric, and gas, etc... but I am up for the challenge and happy to be a part. 

Well, here we go:-)  Are you excited?  I am ... I am wondering how it all is coming together, but I am praying for no more engine trouble, no more pain, no more delays, and no more suffering.  I  refuse to believe that a boat is a wooden hole in which all your money goes.  I also refuse to believe the two happiest days of a mans life are the day he buys his boat and the day he sells it.... FOR ME, MY BEST DAYS ARE STILL AHEAD!  I AM GOING TO ENJOY EVERY DAY WITH MY BOAT.  AFTER THE TEETHING PROBLEMS ARE SORTED OUT IT IS GOING TO PAY HANDSOMELY AND I AM GOING TO SAVE, SAVE, SAVE...  OH BOY, THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME BEGINS NOW. 

Well, thank you for sharing and hope to hear from you in the comments section soon.  Please also remember to visit our gofundme page if you are so inclined to support us.

 

http://www.gofundme.com/yq7sys

 

Also check out our videos on Youtube.:-)

 

All the best and brightest for you and yours. 

PS- I only got back about 1/4 of the VAT I paid...  but the story is yet to be told...  Hopefully we can sort it all out....

 

Work this because your Worth this... Remember the Purpose.

We have a new day for leaving, if all goes well it will be one week from Today.  The engineer is coming tomorrow to help me sort out my engine troubles and I got the bow thruster working on my own today. YAY...  I am happy to be in Wales, but am very grateful to be heading out toward the US Virgin Islands.  After all, that is where I am supposed to be:) and the semester starts September 3, 2015... so Mr. needs to move it on up...  Hope to hear from you soon.  Also I am always cognizant of doing things for others who cannot do for themselves.  Yes, I am asking people to donate on go Fund me for this trip, and I am worthy of your support because at the end of the day we are doing what we do for those who cannot do for themselves.  But, let us not forget those who could do for themselves, served our Great nation, God and world, and through the high cost of war and conflict lost their lives and limb.  Lets remember those who labored for our freedom.  I am asking you to go to my fundraising page for the Semper Fi Fund and donate to the women and men who have put themselves in harms way for yours and my freedom. Thanks!!!
check out
www.semperfifund.com

also see my fund raising page:

www.fundraising.semperfifund.org/RUNforthem

My first donors, check them out so cute and alert...

Thanks Corey, HA, HA on the comment to Hubby.  You all are doing such a great work!!! When you all get a chance, check out Scond Chance Dog Rescue...  Big thanks to Dan the Man as well, who is my very second donar and who has been a true brother and friend for more than 23 years now.

Trying for more videos...

more videos, most are too large to send...

Conwy Library, YAY WIFI connection without...

Well we have discovered a few problems, that should have been sorted out before we left Scotland, which is another story, and a bad taste toward our Engine survey guy... but we are working it out, and I am still scheduled to take off for the Canaries within 10 days...God Willing of course... Here we are now hopefully with footage of the trip from Scotland to Wales videos, etc....

VIDEO FROM SCOTLAND TO WALES

This is taking so so so long because the internet connection is atrocious...  so I am only able to upload one of these tonight because the conversation I am listening to at this pub is ridiculous...I cant take it anymore...

PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES...

We made it to Conwy North Wales

leg one of the journey is complete.  Leg two is longer yet but I feel as though willie and I are up to it. We made it 200 miles with no real issues other than some engine trouble at the end and of course the engine trouble we already knew we had with the Starboard engine... However the batteries are not charging and their is some smoke coming from the exhaust pipe and the fire blanket wrap is burned through... But to consider the port engine ran like a charm until the last leg and it just wouldn't stay started...we will look at this, provision a bit better and off we will go in about ten days.  Having Willie with baby Blue and Ihas proved invaluable.  He is an invaluable asset and worth his weight in pure gold... We will keep you posted.  I am having some wifi troubles here but am trying to upload as much as I can to keep all of you posted...After All we are riding, running, swimming, and Sailing for those who can't do it for themselves.  I love you all dearly and thank God you are with us along the way... Remember our Gofundme page as well😀thanks...a...million...

Delay is not denial

well, another day wasted... Hoist crane is broken, so one more day spent wasted on the land and not sailing in the water ...  Unbelievable really, two weeks wasted here, with no progress to getting home... Ok, I've enjoyed nice food, good company, and a much better way of life than experienced in St. thomas, yet I need to get back, and soon...  Oh well, here we go hopefully tomorrow.  Not a complaint as much as frustration at just sitting, spending money, and not moving...

Blues video

Alcohol and Drug abuse rob us of our dreams and keep us and our loved ones from moving forward in faith!  Let's smash drug abuse and addiction by choosing the power of saying NO!:-)

Photos of the dream start...

The journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step...

When I was about 8 years old, we lived in a wonderful house in a town called Calioaka, Alabama in Saraland, Alabama.  Well, while there my mom bought a canopy bed from my aunt which I slept in. MIT was some Ethan Allen masterpiece to be sure, as my Aunt and mom are crazy in love with this type furniture.  She also bought some Captains chairs from her as well, which plays into this a little later.  Well, while playing, I would pretend I was sailing on my big ship (the canopy bed) and then once I would reach the natives islands, I would get in my dinghy (the toy box) and oar over to them, preach the gospel to them, see them saved, baptize them, and then off to the next place.  I also had this idea of conquering them as well, but that was only when we arrived and if they were hostile toward us.  I remember asking mom who sat in captains chairs and she told me captains which made me think of these big great ideas of captain Nemo and 20,000 leagues under the sea, which was also a movie I fell in love with and helped shape my life as a small boy.
Well, this was my life long dream and goal.  I thought about my life long dreams and goals as I rode my bike across the United States in 2012 with blue belle my blue tick beagle.  (Christopherlangham.blogspot.com). Many people asked was this a life long goal you had to bicycle across the USA? I'm would repeatedly say no,mount it did make me start to think about what my life dreams were and how to achieve them.  I truly set out to ride across the USA for those who couldn't do it for themselves.  For our wounded warriors who may need some help and inspiration to start again, and for those like my neighbor at the time who I loved very much; who had an accident on his bicycle as a child and was paralyzed from the neck down as a result.  The ride was a success, and we started at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in Boston, MA and finished in Peugot Sound, WA at the (COCA) Center of Contemporary Art.  I found that appropriate since I am a minor in Fine art, with a major in Physics, and Art has been a catalyst to help me overcome serious obstacles and disabilities in my own life.  I am forever grateful to all those who helped make that journey possible, although I had hoped to raise much more awareness and support than I did for the Wounded Warrior Project, and for the ARC, DAV, etc...  Yet during this trip one of the recurring themes in my mind was how God intended for us as people to grow, much like the trees.  Strong roots, stable lives, branches and their number one objective in life is to continue to grow.  That's it.  Well, that was the beginning of this dream coming to life.  Summer ended, I went and ran a 50K ultra marathon in the mountains of California, visited my father and mom, and went back for another year of University.  I thought the dream would come alive by starting a charter boat company, but that didn't happen, yet this opportunity to go to the Virgin Islands did.  I had applied for over 200 jobs, and the only solid one with any chance of future growth that was really an opportunity was the one I am in now.  I teach Science (supposed to teach Physics) at the local High School in St. Thomas.  So on 1/10/2015 just days before the worst blizzard in the history of Massachusetts I set off with blue belle to the Caribbean to teach.  Well, I had secured housing in the public housing sector from putting my name on a wait list 5 years earlier.  So my name came up the same time as the job, and off I went.  No solid contract, no promise of an actual job when I arrived, only a brief Skype interview and an encounter with some administration from a previous visit to check it all out.  Well, it was a culture shock to say the least.  My first week there I walked up on a murder scene, and 9 more followed in the next weeks and months ahead.  I walked up on another murder scene two months later.  By walk up I mean literally hear the gunshots in my apartment, and while walking up the hill thirty minutes later see police CSI VANS, CONES WITH NUMBERS ON THEM AND OFFICERS RUNNING UP TO ME ASKING ME WHAT I AM DOING AND MAKING ME FEEL MORE UNCOMFORTABLE THAN I ALREADY DID.  I decided then that is it.  If the trash everywhere, strewn car parts, broken glass, muck and mire, assault rifles being fired off all hours of the night, loud music, ghetto life.... wasn't enough, then that was.  So I started looking for a loan and a boat immediately.  There is no place on the island I want to live unless of course I had a place with the other multi millionaires who seclude and keep out all undesirable life.....but I don't.... What I do have is a 1977 Catalac Catamaran that will be moored in RedHook and give me million dollar views on a piecemeal budget.  Glory to God!!!  He provides.  He truly is The Provider.  Well, so now here blue belle and I are in Scotland, having spent the last ten glorious days, waiting for the money to be wired which was paid out on the 22 June.  Why they kept it that long and made me pay for a bed and breakfast, hotel, and food, is a mystery to me.  I should have been able to live on the boat.  But it is what it is, and now I am free,  the money wired today, I am moving on the vessel tomorrow and the real adventure now begins as we are going to sail to the Canary Isands, and then on to St. Thomas, USVI.  What a great life Blue belle gets to live!!!!  So please follow along, enjoy the videos and pictures and after we are done enjoy the YouTube video of our journey.  Consequently there is a video up on YouTube as well of our trip across America called (blue belle takes America by heart)... We will keep you posted, and in the mean time ENJOY!!!!!!