I recently found this blog through Katie in Uganda www.servinghischildreninuganda.blogspot.com. This girl, like Katie, also lives in Uganda. She helps to run a feeding program, but also uses her home as a center to care for and educate parents of children who are extremely malnourished or extremely sick. The children and sometimes the parents will stay with her while she helps to bring the children back to health at the same time educating the parents on how to properly care for their sick children. Nearly every post I've read from her has brought me to tears. There have been stories of 20 something year old girls who only weigh 36 pounds and have been abandoned by their families for a disability they have; the parents didn't want the responsibility to care for them any longer. It hurts to read those stories. But the most recent one I think has been the most difficult to read. A one month old little boy named Robert who suffers from an extremely rare genetic disorder called Epidermolysis Bullosa. It's a skin condition that causes the skin to be extremely sensitive to nearly EVERYTHING, the slightest movement or friction causes the skin to tear or rip right off of the body which leaves open wounds that generally will fill with fluid or blood and cause blisters all over the body. There are many different forms, sometimes it's mild and will only affect the soles of the feet or hands. In Robert's case, his whole body is affected. Through reading the post about Robert I started reading some of the comments people had posted, and one in particular caught my eye, it was a link to another blog about a little boy named Daylon from California that has the same condition, and his is extremely severe. I clicked on the blog link, and as soon as I saw the pictures I couldn't stop sobbing www.lovingbabydaylon.blogspot.com
I spent most of the day yesterday reading about this little boy and just the struggles he faces on a daily basis, and I couldn't stop crying. I hurt for how much pain he is in and I hurt for his parents knowing how much pain he was in, and there was nothing they could do and I was mad at God for allowing this little boy to have to go through this at just 13 months old. WHY?
I had called Scott earlier in the day crying for these two little boys and asking him what we could do to help. We know of an organization called Hands That Heal that helps to get medical visas for extremely sick children in third world countries to come to the US to receive medical care. I thought maybe we could refer Robert from Uganda for this program. But right now there is no cure for this condition. There are some clinical trials that are being done and Daylon is actually participating in one now at the University of Minnesota. He received a bone marrow transplant from his brother, and they hope this will help the body to heal itself, although he's had a pretty tough time over the last 80 days. You can read about his whole story through their blog.
When I got home last night I wanted to show Scott both of these blogs, and again as soon as I opened up Daylon's blog I was crying uncontrollably. I'm so sad for him. I look at his swollen face and in his eyes and I immediately feel so hurt for him. This has never happened before, I've read about young kids and babies that have leukemia or cancer and have to go through all sorts of treatments, and it's sad, but I usually don't think too much more after that. But this was completely different. I haven't been able to stop thinking about these two little boys. I asked Scott last night, through sobbing tears, "why does God do this, why would He let anyone hurt so much"? And he said, "because we live in a fallen world, but this isn't our final home and you have to know that whenever Daylon and Robert go to heaven that they won't be in pain anymore." And it is comforting to know that, that someday there will come a time when they won't hurt anymore. But selfishly, I don't want these little boys to go to heaven yet. I don't want their families to be sad if they're not here anymore. I want God to heal them and I know He can. Please God, these boys are completely under your care and I just pray that you miraculously heal them of this horrible disease.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Isaiah 65:24
I recently read this story on Renee's blog www.servinghischildreninuganda.blogspot.com and wanted to share.
This story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa.
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies, and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). And ‘it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. 'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts Your job is to keep the baby warm.' The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon. While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say 'Amen?' I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!' Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her? 'Of course,' I replied! That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child – five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'
“Before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.”
This story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa.
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies, and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). And ‘it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. 'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts Your job is to keep the baby warm.' The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon. While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say 'Amen?' I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!' Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her? 'Of course,' I replied! That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child – five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'
“Before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.”
Isaiah 65:24
Isn’t that AMAZING! Before we pray, He has already provided for that need/request/desire, before we even speak it. We may not see right away, it probably won’t come in our timing, but in HIS timing, in HIS timing all things are perfect. He knows. He knew before that baby was even born that she was going to need to stay warm: He provided. And did that 2 year old sister need a “Dolly”? No, but that’s just like our, God. To give us the unnecessary joys in life, the things that we don’t really need, that make us smile, laugh, and remember that, “God loves me”! He will grant me (and you) the desires of my heart; He knows what they are before even I. But first, we must have “childlike faith”, we must trust like, Ruth. She had no doubt that God was going to send that Dolly & water bottle (that very day). No second thought. She knew; she had confidence.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
For Sale
We recently went to this super cool bazaar when we were on vacation. It was sort of like an outdoor market that totally reminded me of the markets in Africa, except that everything at this one was EXTREMELY expensive! They had so many cute things though, just way over priced. So at that moment I decided that as soon as we got home I was going to try to make some of the things I saw at the bazaar and I would use all of the money I raised for our adoption. So this is what I've come up with so far. This is all new so I haven't set up any type of online payment. If you're interested just leave me a comment or email me at whitneysaucedo@gmail.com
Price: 1 pair for $4 or 3 pairs for $10
I'm also working on some cool tote bags, but they still need some work. I'll let you know when those are ready.
Hope you like the earrings!
Price: 1 pair for $4 or 3 pairs for $10
I'm also working on some cool tote bags, but they still need some work. I'll let you know when those are ready.
Hope you like the earrings!
Monday, July 12, 2010
More Pics Coming Soon!!
This is just a teaser! This was at the first school we visited. At each of the schools as we would approach you could hear the kids singing and clapping. Once they could see us the singing would get even louder and they would start dancing. It made my heart beat faster every time I saw them all crowded into their tiny little school going crazy for us just being there. I should have been the one singing and dancing for them; thanking God for all of the blessings that I receive each and every day. These kids have nothing, most had no shoes, they only received one meal a day, which generally consisted of nothing but rice and a tiny piece of chicken. They have nothing to be hopeful for, yet they still are, and it melted my heart every time I looked into a pair of those dark brown eyes.
FYI: You'll have to pause my music player at the bottom of the page to be able to hear the singing in the video, which you definitely have to hear to experience all of the cuteness! OH, and sorry I can't rotate it, I turned my camera to get a longer shot and I shouldn't have done that. Just turn your computer screen.
FYI: You'll have to pause my music player at the bottom of the page to be able to hear the singing in the video, which you definitely have to hear to experience all of the cuteness! OH, and sorry I can't rotate it, I turned my camera to get a longer shot and I shouldn't have done that. Just turn your computer screen.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Countdown to Take Off
I leave for Africa in 3 days!! I can hardly believe it! People keep asking if I'm nervous, I don't know how to take that question. Does it mean maybe they know me pretty well and know that I tend to get nervous about lots of things, or does it mean that maybe this is something I should be nervous about? Either way, I'm not at all. I have dreamed about this day for years, and now it's actually here. I told someone the other day that I still can't believe that God chose me to go on this trip. He could have picked someone smarter, someone more outgoing, someone more wise, but I don't think he could have picked anyone that wanted to go to Africa more than I do. So I think he has some really cool stuff planned for me while I'm there.
I've gotten tidbits of information about our trip, but I'm still not totally sure what to expect. Every free minute I get I look up information about Nigeria. Lagos, which is where we'll be staying is a very populated city. They say it's about the size of New York with 3 times as many people, and it's chaos all the time. We'll be staying in a hotel and then going out from there each day to do our distributions.
I daydream alot about what I'll see and how I'll feel and how difficult it will be to leave the kids in the orphanage and it's all little overwhelming. I'm not even there yet, but what I picture makes my heart sad already.
So, I have alot to do in the next two days. I have most of my stuff laid out, but I haven't packed anything yet. I'm overwhelmed with how much I need to take and what little room I actually have to take everything. Since we're taking shoes with us and that's what will be considered our checked luggage, I only get to take a carry-on item for all of my stuff. I'm not a light packer, but I'm determined to make this work and not let it stress me out. Although there is a huge pile of medicines, sunblock, bug repellent, sanitizing wipes, nair (yeah, can't shave my legs because they said not to take a chance of any water getting into my system...please pray the Nair works...Nancy, Mandy and April, you know what I'm talking about), shampoo & conditioner (can only pack the travel sizes, which I can go through in 2 days), face wash, lotion, snacks and who knows what else. I hope security doesn't think I'm trying to build some contraption on the plane and throw away all of my liquids.
Anyway, tonight we're going on a bike ride and then dinner for my birthday (at La Piedad, YUM) with friends and family. It will be a great night and will get my mind off of the packing dilemma at least for a little while.
I've gotten tidbits of information about our trip, but I'm still not totally sure what to expect. Every free minute I get I look up information about Nigeria. Lagos, which is where we'll be staying is a very populated city. They say it's about the size of New York with 3 times as many people, and it's chaos all the time. We'll be staying in a hotel and then going out from there each day to do our distributions.
I daydream alot about what I'll see and how I'll feel and how difficult it will be to leave the kids in the orphanage and it's all little overwhelming. I'm not even there yet, but what I picture makes my heart sad already.
So, I have alot to do in the next two days. I have most of my stuff laid out, but I haven't packed anything yet. I'm overwhelmed with how much I need to take and what little room I actually have to take everything. Since we're taking shoes with us and that's what will be considered our checked luggage, I only get to take a carry-on item for all of my stuff. I'm not a light packer, but I'm determined to make this work and not let it stress me out. Although there is a huge pile of medicines, sunblock, bug repellent, sanitizing wipes, nair (yeah, can't shave my legs because they said not to take a chance of any water getting into my system...please pray the Nair works...Nancy, Mandy and April, you know what I'm talking about), shampoo & conditioner (can only pack the travel sizes, which I can go through in 2 days), face wash, lotion, snacks and who knows what else. I hope security doesn't think I'm trying to build some contraption on the plane and throw away all of my liquids.
Anyway, tonight we're going on a bike ride and then dinner for my birthday (at La Piedad, YUM) with friends and family. It will be a great night and will get my mind off of the packing dilemma at least for a little while.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Preparation
I need some help!! I've been thinking of all I need to do to get ready for Africa. I spoke with the travel clinic this morning, and got a better idea of all of the shots and antibiotics that I need to get/take. That's kind of out of the way meaning I now know exactly what I need, but now I just need to get over my fear of shots and schedule my appointment to get them all done. I think it's going to be better for my mental well being to just get them all done at the same time, so I don't have to think about going back a second or third time. Although with the Hepatitis A & B, it's a series of 3 different shots over a period of time, so I will have to go back a couple of times. Ok, so you might think, seriously Whitney, stop being such a big baby, it's only a few shots. YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! When I was in first grade I had to have my tonsils taken out. So, before the surgery I had to have my blood drawn. I don't remember alot of my early years, but I do remember this, and it was nearly WW3 with those nurses trying to get blood out of me. They were literally sitting on top of my trying to get that needle in my arm. I remember lots of screaming and crying, seriously, I thought I was going to die. Anyway, I'm not looking forward to this whole shot thing, but I know it's seriously not even an issue if it means that I get to go to Africa. I'll take 20 shots if it means I get to go.
Please stay tuned. They told me that I didn't have to come in until 2 weeks before we leave, but I would really like to get it out of the way in the next week or so. I promise to give a full report, and hopefully there's no episode this time.
Please stay tuned. They told me that I didn't have to come in until 2 weeks before we leave, but I would really like to get it out of the way in the next week or so. I promise to give a full report, and hopefully there's no episode this time.
I'M GOING TO AFRICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had almost kind of put it out of my mind for now, that a trip to Africa probably wasn't going to happen this year. Originally we thought we would be in South Africa for the World Cup. The organization I work for has a partnership with the World Cup and we are distributing 100,000 pairs of shoes to children in need in and around the cities where all of the games will be played. Things didn't quite come together though like we thought they would, and it turned out that our team that is already on the ground will be working with YWAM to distribute all of the shoes. Basically we were no longer needed in South Africa. I was disappointed, but not crushed. My dream is to go to Uganda, so I kind of felt like God had something else planned.
So, Scott and I came up with a plan that we would go to Uganda on our own, we would try to visit Katie, and visit the orphanage that we want to adopt from. And we were going to raise money to take enough shoes to distribute to all of the little ones that Katie supports. We were trying to come up with some creative fundraising ideas. And we decided, or mainly Scott agreed, to run the Mini Marathon in his bare feet. He has been practicing the Pose method of running which basically is the most natural form of running, it teaches you how to run with the least amount of impact on your feet...at least I think anyway (should probably ask him for a more scientific explanation). Anyway, to make a long story short that really didn't come together all that well either. We never really got a final decision that we could do this until just a couple weeks ago, and we never got a final answer about what the best time would be for us to come to Uganda. Scott ran 4 miles in his bare feet on the Monon, and he literally couldn't walk the next day. He had several, very painful blisters on his feet. So, all of this combined...I just kind of thought it wasn't going to happen this year.
Well last week, one of my co-workers got a call from the founder of our organization saying that someone had donated some extra money to be used for an employee to go on a mission trip. They wanted her to go because she hadn't been on one yet. And they wanted her to go on the Nigeria trip. She was super excited, and I was super excited for her. She said though, "I really wish you could come". I thought it would be pretty cool, but I didn't really take it very seriously. Honestly I thought there was no way I could raise $3500 in just 6 weeks. A couple days went by, and all I could think about was how much I wanted to go to Africa. So just out of curiosity I sent an email to the director of our International trips and asked her if the Nigeria trip was still open, when she would need a final commitment from me and as an employee, knowing we get a percentage off of trips, what would my total cost be? She said she would do some checking and get back to me, but the trip was still open, she would just need a commitment ASAP because I would need to get the Visa process started right away. At the end of the day I got an email back from her saying that I needed to talk with Manny (our founder) and his wife regarding what my cost would be. I sent him a quick email right before I left the office for the day. Later that night I checked my email again and he had responded by saying that they would give me 50% off of the total trip cost!!! Bringing my total down to $1700. I was almost in tears I was so excited. Scott was hanging out with the guys, so I called him right away and told him all about it. He was so excited for me, and said we couldn't pass it up. So, I'M GOING TO AFRICA!!!!
I sent off all of my paperwork this past Monday, so they could start working on the Visa. Sent my support letters out yesterday. My next step is getting all the shots I need. Hepatitis A & B, MMR, Polio, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever. Just looking at that list makes my arms hurt already. I'm waiting on a call back from the travel clinic to make sure there's not anything else they suggest. Hoping to get all of these taken care of though in the next few days.
I leave on June 16th, which is only about 6 weeks away...I can't believe it! There is just a small group of us going, only about 5 people, but we'll be traveling with a team of Dentists who will be providing dental care. We're going to Lagos, Nigeria which is the capital and also where Manny is from, so we'll be meeting his family. We'll be distributing about 2,000 pairs of shoes, and hoping to do more. We have a shipping container full of about 10,000 pairs of shoes that has been siting in Lagos for about a year. When it was shipped, money was given to the director of an aid organization in Lagos to pay to have the container released. Well, he spent the money, so the container hasn't been released. We're praying that having Manny there in person will help and that the container can be released.
The most exciting part about this trip for me is that we'll be visiting several orphanages in Lagos. We'll be playing with the children, helping during meal times, conducting basketball clinics, just doing lots of fun stuff. Please pray for me though, it's going to be really tough for me to leave those kids. Pray that I can pour out God's love for these children while I'm there, but when it's time to leave that I'm at peace with knowing that I'll be back in Africa soon when we go to pick up our new son or daughter. Pray that God reveals his plan for us regarding adoption while I'm in Africa.
I'm so excited...I think about Africa all the time. Who will I meet while I'm there, will I get to hold a little baby in the orphanage. I hope we get to go out to a remote village and meet people there. So many questions and pictures that my mind keeps coming up with.
Please stay connected with me while I'm gone, through my blog. I'll post as much as I can, and take tons of pictures.
So, Scott and I came up with a plan that we would go to Uganda on our own, we would try to visit Katie, and visit the orphanage that we want to adopt from. And we were going to raise money to take enough shoes to distribute to all of the little ones that Katie supports. We were trying to come up with some creative fundraising ideas. And we decided, or mainly Scott agreed, to run the Mini Marathon in his bare feet. He has been practicing the Pose method of running which basically is the most natural form of running, it teaches you how to run with the least amount of impact on your feet...at least I think anyway (should probably ask him for a more scientific explanation). Anyway, to make a long story short that really didn't come together all that well either. We never really got a final decision that we could do this until just a couple weeks ago, and we never got a final answer about what the best time would be for us to come to Uganda. Scott ran 4 miles in his bare feet on the Monon, and he literally couldn't walk the next day. He had several, very painful blisters on his feet. So, all of this combined...I just kind of thought it wasn't going to happen this year.
Well last week, one of my co-workers got a call from the founder of our organization saying that someone had donated some extra money to be used for an employee to go on a mission trip. They wanted her to go because she hadn't been on one yet. And they wanted her to go on the Nigeria trip. She was super excited, and I was super excited for her. She said though, "I really wish you could come". I thought it would be pretty cool, but I didn't really take it very seriously. Honestly I thought there was no way I could raise $3500 in just 6 weeks. A couple days went by, and all I could think about was how much I wanted to go to Africa. So just out of curiosity I sent an email to the director of our International trips and asked her if the Nigeria trip was still open, when she would need a final commitment from me and as an employee, knowing we get a percentage off of trips, what would my total cost be? She said she would do some checking and get back to me, but the trip was still open, she would just need a commitment ASAP because I would need to get the Visa process started right away. At the end of the day I got an email back from her saying that I needed to talk with Manny (our founder) and his wife regarding what my cost would be. I sent him a quick email right before I left the office for the day. Later that night I checked my email again and he had responded by saying that they would give me 50% off of the total trip cost!!! Bringing my total down to $1700. I was almost in tears I was so excited. Scott was hanging out with the guys, so I called him right away and told him all about it. He was so excited for me, and said we couldn't pass it up. So, I'M GOING TO AFRICA!!!!
I sent off all of my paperwork this past Monday, so they could start working on the Visa. Sent my support letters out yesterday. My next step is getting all the shots I need. Hepatitis A & B, MMR, Polio, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever. Just looking at that list makes my arms hurt already. I'm waiting on a call back from the travel clinic to make sure there's not anything else they suggest. Hoping to get all of these taken care of though in the next few days.
I leave on June 16th, which is only about 6 weeks away...I can't believe it! There is just a small group of us going, only about 5 people, but we'll be traveling with a team of Dentists who will be providing dental care. We're going to Lagos, Nigeria which is the capital and also where Manny is from, so we'll be meeting his family. We'll be distributing about 2,000 pairs of shoes, and hoping to do more. We have a shipping container full of about 10,000 pairs of shoes that has been siting in Lagos for about a year. When it was shipped, money was given to the director of an aid organization in Lagos to pay to have the container released. Well, he spent the money, so the container hasn't been released. We're praying that having Manny there in person will help and that the container can be released.
The most exciting part about this trip for me is that we'll be visiting several orphanages in Lagos. We'll be playing with the children, helping during meal times, conducting basketball clinics, just doing lots of fun stuff. Please pray for me though, it's going to be really tough for me to leave those kids. Pray that I can pour out God's love for these children while I'm there, but when it's time to leave that I'm at peace with knowing that I'll be back in Africa soon when we go to pick up our new son or daughter. Pray that God reveals his plan for us regarding adoption while I'm in Africa.
I'm so excited...I think about Africa all the time. Who will I meet while I'm there, will I get to hold a little baby in the orphanage. I hope we get to go out to a remote village and meet people there. So many questions and pictures that my mind keeps coming up with.
Please stay connected with me while I'm gone, through my blog. I'll post as much as I can, and take tons of pictures.
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