Phhhew!

Great news!  I no longer need to stalk the mailbox!  My passport has finally arrived!  Crazy that I'm leaving in just over two months!  Still super excited.  We had our second conference call late last week.  We got our official action packed itinerary which I will post here next.  Too tired tonight.  Off to bed with dreams of Africa swirling in my head!

Waiting

I've been patiently waiting.  The funds are coming in, my arms are aching from my vaccinations, I'm gathering the supplies for my trip.  All that seems to be missing is one little tiny detail.  My passport.  It's been weeks since my check was cashed.  How about some prayers and good wishes that it shows up soon?  Please?

Vaccinations

Got my shots yesterday!!!!  I have never been so excited to get poked in all my life!

Eric Ludy - Depraved Indifference

A Day Late

A day late but that's ok.  Yesterday was World Aids Day.  Wish I would have posted this link then but better late than never right?  This family is incredible.  What they have done and what they are encouraging others to do is awesome.  Please check out their site and open your heart to these very special orphans.

Project Hopeful

Fistula Hospital

I'm so very excited that we will be visiting the Fistula Hospital while we are in Ethiopia. The doctors at this hospital are absolutely amazing.  They save the lives of women and girls who have been shunned by their own families.  I can't imagine enduring the loss of a baby and then the loss of life as you know it.  The smiles on these women's faces when they are "cured" just fills me with joy.  Please take the time to watch the film "A Walk To Beautiful" if you have Netflix.  It streams immediately and is well worth watching.

Donations

There have been some questions about how exactly you donate to my trip account. If you would like to donate, please follow the link below, under gift designation, choose February 17-26, 2011 Ethiopia trip and under would you like to designate this donation to a specific team member check yes then enter my name.


www.visitingorphans.org


I have until December 17th to raise $1200 more to purchase my plane tickets.  Every dollar helps!  Thank you!

Korah Dump Ethiopia

The Girl Effect

Huge Surprise

OK so it wasn't anything to do with a fee reduction and as it turns out Brad and Angelina probably won't be there.  The fantastic news is that we've been invited to do a Tom's Shoe Drop!!!  We will be fitting and giving out 5,000 pair of shoes!  That's 10,000 feet that have likely never had new (or any for that matter) shoes on them!  Can't wait to see the looks on the kids faces! :)  If you are in the market for new shoes, check out Tom's - cute shoes, great cause!

Conference Call

I have my first conference call for the trip today.  There will be information shared and a HUGE SURPRISE announcement at the end.  I'm hoping and praying that it's a reduction in our fees or that Brad and Angelina are coming with us!  Stay tuned! :)

Sara Groves, "I Saw What I Saw"

Ethiopia

I can still feel the sadness in my heart.  I was a very little girl when I first saw images of Ethiopian children in the midst of a famine.  You younger people won't know what I am talking about here but unbelievably, back in the seventies and early eighties, there was not twenty four hour a day television.  I remember waking up in the early mornings with my dad, sitting cross legged on the living room floor watching "snow" on the monitor until finally programming started.  I can still see clearly in my mind the images of swollen bellies and insects swarming around precious children's faces.  The looks on their mother's faces.  The utter despair and feeling of hopelessness you could see in their desperate eyes.  Suddenly I had forgotten that I was expecting cartoons.  What was this all about?  If they are hungry why are their bellies so full?  Why were these people hungry?  Can't we just invite them over to our house?  No?  Then let's go pick them up and bring them here.  It's too far? Maybe we could just send some breakfast over there then?  It would be bad by the time it got there?  And the list of questions went on.


Fast forward to 2010.  I'm still asking the same questions.  The difference now - I can do something to change the answers.  No longer are the simple answers good enough for me.  The time has come for me to make a difference. I am so very proud and excited to have been accepted to be a part of the Visiting Orphans Mission team that will go and help the beautiful children of Ethiopia in February 2011.  As most of you know, my arms have been empty for many years now.  I can't wait to go and hug so tightly the children who have no arms to hold them.  To make them laugh and wipe away their tears.  To feed them and play with them and tell them that people do care.  To tell them that I love them and that I will never forget them. To tell them that I won't let others forget them either.  To someday return to find and bring home my children.


This adventure is going to be emotionally devastating no doubt.  I'm preparing myself as best I can for the horrors that I will see.  I imagine that when I return my life will be forever changed.  That's a good thing.  Most people don't want to know about the ugly things that go on in this world.  From the way our food gets to our plates to the unimaginable atrocities that take place all day everyday all over the world.  Most people choose to look the other way when things are uncomfortable.  They allow a feeling of helplessness to take control as opposed to doing something to help.  I won't be that person anymore.  I'm going to follow my heart and do the best I can to make a difference.


Unfortunately, the mission trip is going to be expensive.  Cost estimates are between $3000-$3500.  If anything that I have said has touched your heart, I humbly ask for your support.  If you would like to donate, please follow the link, under gift designation, choose February 17-26, 2011 Ethiopia trip and under would you like to designate this donation to a specific team member check yes then enter my name.


https://www.visitingorphans.org/donations/donate.aspx



Thanks for taking the time to read this.  Please keep in mind that I'm new to blogging but will do my best to keep things updated.  I'm hoping to share all of my experiences along the way and hopefully touch others hearts and help them to hear the cries of the orphans.