Well, we leave two weeks from tomorrow. We will be driving to Houston on the 13th to spend the night since our flight leaves at noon on the 14th. We just thought it was smarter than trying to drive there at 2am! We'll spend the night on the way home too probably.
I simply can't believe it is so close!!! My trip is paid for but there are a few needs left and several things I want to take with me. The generosity of my friends, family, and even strangers has simply blown me away. My church has been particularly supportive and I could not be doing this without their help!
If you'd like to help still here is the list of things we'd love to take with us:
*Stickers
*Hard Candy
*Soccer Balls
*Paperback books
*Crafts that are easy to pack
*Bibles in Swahili
And the two big things are:
*Gently used or new shoes - all sizes, male or female - most of the people there do not own a pair of shoes. Our team leader, Darren, told us when they delivered shoes in March many of the people were hesitant to wear them for fear of getting them dirty. They've never owned anything that nice. Pretty incredible when I think of the 20 plus pairs of shoes sitting in my closet. Pretty sad all the way around.
*Gently used or new shoes - all sizes, male or female - most of the people there do not own a pair of shoes. Our team leader, Darren, told us when they delivered shoes in March many of the people were hesitant to wear them for fear of getting them dirty. They've never owned anything that nice. Pretty incredible when I think of the 20 plus pairs of shoes sitting in my closet. Pretty sad all the way around.
*Finally, money for goats ($40 each) and chickens ($10) each. These animals are given to the families there who have suffered so much loss from HIV/AIDS. They are required to give back when their animal has babies so we can pay it forward. I think that's pretty incredible! If you'd like to donate for a chicken or goat, let me know! I'll be sure to send you a picture of what you've done for someone else. 100% of the money goes directly to purchasing the animals!
Again, I could never say it enough thank you so much for your love, generosity, and most importantly your prayers. I'm surprisingly feeling calmer the closer the trip gets. I can't wait to share God's love with these people! I am beyond thankful for this opportunity!
*PS If you given in any way, you haven't been forgotten. I plan to send thank you cards when I get back with pictures so you can see where your money went, and how you changed someone else's life with your generosity!*
