Information update!

Still don't have my information packet - I was wanting to wait until I had my information packet in hand before I updated, but I had some exciting news to share! 

I am 49% to my goal! How amazing is that?
UPDATED Wednesday  - 50% of the way there!

Nothing on the job at the census yet, so I guess I'm gonna go out and put in some applications this weekend. If you know of someone that needs evening/weekend help - let me know!

Oh! And keep your eye posted - I've been assigned my Compassion International child! I'll post that in the next day or two!

And I can officially update my CHECKLIST

• Application in the mail with $50.00 deposit....CHECK
• Three reference letters mailed to FAME...CHECK 
• New Social Security card...CHECK 
• Get birth certificate corrected....CHECK 
• Apply for passport...CHECK
• Start shots...CHECK

Upcoming items:

• Put out job applications this weekend
• Next round of shots - April 6th
• Chick-Fil-A Night - June 7th
• Collect over the counter medicine to take with me and leave behind at the schools
• Keep my eye out for my passport - end of April

Wow...so much to do!  Hard to believe that we are down to just over 5 months!  

Compassion International "Adoption"

I mentioned a few weeks ago I signed up to sponsor a child from Compassion International. I hadn't heard or seen anything yet so yesterday I contacted them. Well, since I specifically wanted a child in the Mathare Valley it takes a longer to find a child. So after an fun "live chat" with Brett w/Compassion I decided to just go ahead and sponsor one in Kenya. I mean, all the kids are screened and are in need. Since I'm going to a specific area it would have been nice to have a personal connection but I know that is not the purpose behind sponoring a child.

But I decided that I did want one in Kenya.   I also wanted one that has been on the waiting list for a while. That narrowed it down to about a dozen kids - and they were all boys. Do you know how hard that is? To pick one over the other. I looked at each boy and the area they lived seeing if I could find close to where I will be at. I was sure I wanted an older child - seems like all the girls and younger kids get picked first. I was hoping I felt a leading towards one or another - It didn't happen. I finally found a link that said, "Let us pick your child" - POW! I was so there!

So it's official! I should find out more information in the next day or two! I will share everything as soon as I find out! I'm so excited to finally step up to the plate and do this!

41% of the way there!

Things are moving right along! As I previously posted, I am over 1/3 of the way there! To put it a different way, I am 41% of my goal!! How exciting is that!?!!?


Today I appiled for my passport. Not impressed with the picture, but oh well. I should have it by the end of April he was saying! How exciting is that?

I know the leader of my trip was back from Haiti Monday or Tuesday - hopefully she'll be able to mail my trip packet by the end of this week. I know she probably has a horrible case of jet lag. I know my travel time is something like 23 hours. Maybe that is a good thing. We will be getting there a full day ahead and not something like the middle of the night. Does that make sense? Or maybe that is just me making myself feel better!

Anyhow, I'll update with the scoop just as soon as I get my trip packet!

1/3 of the way there!

I'm just in shock. It's been two weeks since I started fundraising. And today I am officially over 1/3 of the way there!


My trip leader should be back from Haiti anyday now - so I should have my trip packet next week! I'll be sure to share everything I find out!

In the meantime, here are some photos from last year's trip to the same place. Note that the mission group brought over-the-counter medicine for the outreach program there (I will be responsible for that as well) as well as crafts and even some candy! I'm thinking some Smarties and some Dum-Dum suckers. I can get lots of them for a good price!

Anyhow - enjoy! There are a few hundred pictures to view - so make some time to browse the pictures!

Kenya #1 2009

Kenya #2 2009

Kenya #3 2009

Restless Night

They say that dreams are our minds way of dealing with things.


Last night I was dreaming about shots and kids. Not sure it if was due to my appt yesterday, due to the pictures from the Compassion International group that were posted of where I am going or what. But my heart was heavy about the kids not getting the shots they need. Here I am bellyaching about shots that I need to go on my trip to give kids the shots they need to save their lives. Parents in the United States have access to free vaccinations that their kids need to keep them healthy. Polio, Mumps and Measles are practically gone in the US. The kids in Kenya (and other places) don't have access to shots they need unless others step in to help. How can a government - people - allow this to happen?

Anyhow, no more bellyaching from me.

Today, I called Compassion International and sponsored a child! It's been on my heart for awhile and I've prayed abut it. I want to sponsor one from the Mathare Valley. I asked for a little girl. But I also said that should they have a child that has been waiting for a sponsor that I would take that child instead.

It is $38 to sponsor a child for a month. Less than $10.00 a week. I gave up cokes and I was spending more than $10.00 a week on cokes. So this child isn't "costing" us anything. But that may soon change as well. My heart is torn for these kids - and I want to make a difference for as many as I can. So I am gladly going to be going to JoAnns & Hobby Lobby less. I will continue to watch my budget and pack my lunch.

I can't wait. I will get my information in the mail...I'll keep you posted!

Compassion in the Mathare Valley

MckMama - Mathare Valley

Mathare Valley

Brad Ruggles

Many more found HERE

Two Down...

I made an appointment today at 4pm for my first two shots. Hepatitis A & B and the T-Dap.


I left work early to come home and change. I wore a long sleeve shirt to work and decided to come home and change so I didn't have to undress for the nurse. I get there at 3:55 and sign in. After some minor confusion between the tetanus and the tetanus/pertussis shot and why I wanted the second one I filled out my paperwork and waited. It was packed. Good thing I had an appointment!

Lots of young young moms there. Most of them looked like babies themselves. Maybe it is because I am getting older, but they seemed so young. Some of them brought friends with them, most of them texted while they were waiting. There was one young mom there - she had 5 kids. The oldest had to be no older than 1st grade and the baby was no more than 6 months old. She sat and read to them - they were so well behaved. I asked if they were all hers (they were) and I complimented her on how well they were behaved. I continued to sit and stitch and people watch.

4:45 they called me back - good thing I had an appointment, huh? The nurse was nice enough - went over the questions and the side effects - I signed off and it was shot time:

The nurse told me to turn my head, she asked me where I was going and as I was answering I got the shot. Barely more than a sting. Then came the second shot - this time the question was when I'm going and she gave me the second shot. This one stung. It was the amount of the medicine going in more than the actual shot.

Two band-aids, $90.00 and out the door I went. Next shot (part two of three for the Hep A&B) is April 6th. This summer I'll get Typhoid and Yellow Fever (I hope that is it) and then round 3 for Hep A&B right before I go in September.

I guess it is really happening, huh? =)

Daddy's Girl!

My birth certificate has had my dad's middle name wrong all these years - Henry - uh...no!

It was never an issue until now that I need to get a passport.  So today I had to go to the board of health and get it corrected.  I called last week and she said I needed a copy of dad's certificate and Nikie's birthdate (since she was born in Indy and dad's information was correct in the computer for her) and I could get it fixed.  

So today I took any early lunch and went and got it!  After an initial scare that I would actually need dad to come down, they decided to go with what I was told last week.  

Twenty-five minutes later it was done.

I'm officially daddy's girl.

40 Photos & 40 Words

Absolutely wonderful BLOG from one of the team members of the Kenya Compassion International Trip.

Enjoy!

Drat, Drat and Double Drat!

Well, didn't get my first shot today.  My plan was to since I had a regular Dr. appt today I would go ahead and get my tetanus shot (it would all be covered under my $20.00 co-pay) - well, at the end of my appt when it was time for my shot I found out they don't do the D-TAP shot that I need.  So I'll add that to my list next Tuesday when I go to the Board of Health. 

Hopefully I'll have better luck tomorrow when I go get my birth certificate fixed!

And I still didn't get my into packet in the mail.  Each day Andrew checks the mailbox for me after school and calls me at work.  HOPEFULLY it'll be here tomorrow!

I've been following the tweets from the Compassion International group - looks like it took them 27 hours to get to Kenya via Amsterdam (per the tweets from someone just north of me in Carmel.)  

Are you kidding me?  =)  I'll need LOTS of leg pills for this trip!

No adventures in the kitchen tonight.  Andrew started dinner (the BBQ ribs I froze two weekends ago) and I finished it up with mac & cheese and green beans.

Michael is down with the cold Andrew gave him.  Hopefully he'll feel better soon!

Other than that, it's been a quiet night. 

Compassion International Trip to Kenya

Shaun Groves, a Christian music artist, has teamed up with Compassion International and a bunch of bloggers (Stellan's parents are a part of the group) for a trip to Kenya. I don't think they are going to the Mathare Valley, but the will be in the area I'm sure.




You can follow them on Twitter here. I just thought it would be interesting to see what they all say!