here we go! this is it! my first flight takes off in just a little over 12 hours.
as far as i can think, my packing is done. so all that's left to say is that from here, i wont be blogging here during my time in africa. for the next 10 days, please switch to the main Sweet Sleep blog
sweetsleep.blogspot.com
i think someone will post there when we've arrived safely, and then various team members will blog during the trip. so thanks for keeping up with this process... surely MUCH more interesting things to come when i get back! til then :)
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Advice & tips for the trip?!
well, here I am, just finishing my breakfast before my final day of work before the trip. it's pretty exciting. I havent really let myself think a lot about the trip this week because when I do, nothing gets done and I cant sleep. So it's quite the nice thought to know in 10 hours, I'll be able to completely focus on getting ready. I'm a little nervous about getting my medicine refilled... they've been a bit of a hassle recently but hopefully when I speak to them today, it will work out. I'm eager to get to packing, to get to shopping for all the random stuff I need to pack. So I guess my question for you all is: for anyone that's been to africa (or is there now!) or to anyone who's been out of the country recently, I'm looking for traveling tips, best ways to pack you've thought of, or advice you can give on things that made your trip better! Thanks in advance for your tips & thoughts!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Paid. In. Full. and more.
at last! today is the big day! well not the big day, but a big day still! Today marks the end of the money process! Tomorrow I will mail in my remaining balance to be PAID IN FULL!!! Looking back over the past 2 months, it's pretty incredible and my gratitude cannot be put into complete words. What has been so amazing to me and what I've been eager to share is the range over which this $4,500 and supporting prayers come from. 12 [my favorite number] states to my knowledge. I'm an incredibly lucky girl. So thanks to the following states, and those that represent them!
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Indiana
Missouri
Nebraska
Ohio
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
Wisconsin
And I know many more of you have been sending thoughts and prayers my way. I just cant tell you how grateful I am.
As I mentioned originally, I hoped to go into this money part using my savings for some and hoping others would join in the journey. Some of you may be curious how it ended up - 42/58! God has done great things and taught me much in this process. I havent felt stressed at all about the money side of this, and yet even now I'm realizing how fear has held me back. Sitting here, I can think of 5 people off the top of my head who said YES they wanted to help financially and I was too afraid to follow up! Oy! Silly me! the good thing is that whether you donated, prayed, contacted me, or perhaps did nothing at all, if you're reading this, you ARE a part of this! I'm thankful that you even know about it, that you might get to learn about a place and a people you've never considered before. I couldnt begin to imagine what each person who's heard of this trip will gain/think/consider/etc. I guess that's why I'm so excited. Because I'm not one for irony & coincidence. If you're reading this, it's for a reason. And to know that something is happening in your life - no matter how big, small, intention, unintention, no matter when it shows up or makes its reason known - its a crazy great thing.
And so here I am. July 10, 2009. I fly to uganda in TEN days!!!
Before I hang up for the day, in case there is anyone reading (not sure how likely this is, but just in case!) this who is upset that you didnt get a check in the mail, there are still ways to be involved. Financially speaking, you can still mail a check - but it would need to be made out to me & it would no longer be tax-deductible. OR (and truly the better option) you can mail checks directly to Sweet Sleep (or me & I will pass them on) - made out to Sweet Sleep but with nothing in the memo line - this money would go directly to helping build more beds (and there is always a need for more beds!) Everyone else, prayers are always welcome and maybe start doing some research of your own if this has piqued your interest. Maybe next time, you'll be the one going :)
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Indiana
Missouri
Nebraska
Ohio
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
Wisconsin
And I know many more of you have been sending thoughts and prayers my way. I just cant tell you how grateful I am.
As I mentioned originally, I hoped to go into this money part using my savings for some and hoping others would join in the journey. Some of you may be curious how it ended up - 42/58! God has done great things and taught me much in this process. I havent felt stressed at all about the money side of this, and yet even now I'm realizing how fear has held me back. Sitting here, I can think of 5 people off the top of my head who said YES they wanted to help financially and I was too afraid to follow up! Oy! Silly me! the good thing is that whether you donated, prayed, contacted me, or perhaps did nothing at all, if you're reading this, you ARE a part of this! I'm thankful that you even know about it, that you might get to learn about a place and a people you've never considered before. I couldnt begin to imagine what each person who's heard of this trip will gain/think/consider/etc. I guess that's why I'm so excited. Because I'm not one for irony & coincidence. If you're reading this, it's for a reason. And to know that something is happening in your life - no matter how big, small, intention, unintention, no matter when it shows up or makes its reason known - its a crazy great thing.
And so here I am. July 10, 2009. I fly to uganda in TEN days!!!
Before I hang up for the day, in case there is anyone reading (not sure how likely this is, but just in case!) this who is upset that you didnt get a check in the mail, there are still ways to be involved. Financially speaking, you can still mail a check - but it would need to be made out to me & it would no longer be tax-deductible. OR (and truly the better option) you can mail checks directly to Sweet Sleep (or me & I will pass them on) - made out to Sweet Sleep but with nothing in the memo line - this money would go directly to helping build more beds (and there is always a need for more beds!) Everyone else, prayers are always welcome and maybe start doing some research of your own if this has piqued your interest. Maybe next time, you'll be the one going :)
Monday, July 6, 2009
2 weeks and counting.
Hey everyone/anyone :) just a quick note. Two weeks from right now I'll be on a plane to Brussels with 20 strangers (well... I guess like 300 strangers, but you get what I mean). I'm definitely counting down the days (okay... again, I guess I've been counting down the days since April). I just had a good friend get back from a mission trip from Greece and while I dont know if I'd categorize this trip a mission trip (somehow that term only seems appropriate if going through a church, which this is not) but still, it makes me excited still.
I'm currently out of town for work, so sitting in my hotel. I'm hoping and praying that a little more support/donation money will come in while I am out of town working. I have just shy of $1,000 to go... so anything that comes in this week will be amazing, and then I'll cover the difference. If no further donations come in, that would put me about 50/50 - 50% donations, 50% savings. But I'm not begging for your money, just offering an outlet if you're looking for a way to make a difference, which your money toward this cause will certainly do.
Either way, I leave in two weeks and am eager to see what happens from there. I'll probably start packing this weekend, simply out of excitement, and wanting to make sure that absolutely nothing is forgotten... and hopefully that will give me time to also not overpack!
Well, dear friends from Wisconsin will be here soon. On vacation in Texas, they decided to route their return trip through this little town I'm camped out in all week - so incredibly generous of them. If anyone reading this wants to make a last minute donation, email me immediately: theugandajourney@gmail.com and I will tell you where to send the check and please let me know if a check is in the mail so I can know how much my portion of the last bit will be.
I'm currently out of town for work, so sitting in my hotel. I'm hoping and praying that a little more support/donation money will come in while I am out of town working. I have just shy of $1,000 to go... so anything that comes in this week will be amazing, and then I'll cover the difference. If no further donations come in, that would put me about 50/50 - 50% donations, 50% savings. But I'm not begging for your money, just offering an outlet if you're looking for a way to make a difference, which your money toward this cause will certainly do.
Either way, I leave in two weeks and am eager to see what happens from there. I'll probably start packing this weekend, simply out of excitement, and wanting to make sure that absolutely nothing is forgotten... and hopefully that will give me time to also not overpack!
Well, dear friends from Wisconsin will be here soon. On vacation in Texas, they decided to route their return trip through this little town I'm camped out in all week - so incredibly generous of them. If anyone reading this wants to make a last minute donation, email me immediately: theugandajourney@gmail.com and I will tell you where to send the check and please let me know if a check is in the mail so I can know how much my portion of the last bit will be.
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