Thank you for your support

Hello Friends and Family

Alot has been happening lately since the previous post. I have recieved alot of money for my trip, I have about 31oo dollars right now. Most of this has been coming from friends and family. A large amount of it, about 1000 dollars came from my school; they payed me back some money that I borrowed for a loan and never ended up using. Thank you for donating to this trip if you did, and thank you for praying. I would not be able to go without donated money; the response to my support letter asking for this has been overwhelming. Thank you so much to those who are supporting, I am so encouraged by it.

Sunday was my 20th birthday and I received some money for it--I put it toward the trip. My parents let me order a pair of Chacos for my birthday present from them. Chacos are hardcore sporty sandals that you can do pretty much anything in. They will be very nice to have in Africa.

Here's a picture :

I wrote a check for my plane ticket this morning and mailed it this afternoon. The ticket was about 2100 dollars and the itenerary has us flying from Houston to Washington to Paris and then finally to Niamey, Africa. D and I are flying together.

Also, I am very thankful because a family member has offered to order my mosquito tent for me. This means I may not have to sleep with the African spiders after all :)

I have stopped worrying about all of the things that I need to do right now. I still need to apply for a visa, and I just recieved my passport in the mail. I am storing my passport in an ancient passport/travelers checks/railroad card holder; a present that I received a couple of years from my aunt.

Tomorrow I will fill out my visa application and mail it with my passport and money.

An interesting thing to look at: We recieved a list of items that we need to bring to Africa. It is insanley detailed. Here it is:

Alarm Clock
American food (Bring any that you would like because everything here is from scratch! If you want Mac & Cheese, PB, chicken, cereal, or any snack foods, etc). You will be eating meals with a family and won’t have your own cooking supplies. American outfits (You should bring two or three American outfits to make you feel at home on days off or at English church…can be jeans, skirts, etc.)
Athletic pants for girls
Baby Powder (the girls will want it between their legs when wearing skirts)
Band-Aids
Bandanas for head coverings for the girls
Battery Powered Fan (You will want a fan to keep in your mosquito net at night, since you have no electricity.)
Bed Sheets (1 pair of Twin Sheets)
Bible
Bible Study books (optional)
Body Wash/Bar of soap
Books to read (optional)
Bug spray/Mosquito Repellent (bring 3 or 4 bottles)
Camera bag so the sand doesn’t get in it
Camera charger/batteries
Camera/film or digital cards
Cash for souvenirs
Cereal (If you want for breakfast at times)
Chap Stix
Comfortable shoes to walk a lot (I wear flip flops or chacos every day, but I prefer flip flops)
Clothing (You should bring a lot more snack food than you do clothing because the Africans wear the same clothes every day. You can have a couple traditional outfits made for about $10 each if you would like to bring money for that. Otherwise, bring a few ankle length skirts and t-shirts for girls and pants and t-shirts for boys.
Conditioner
Contacts (enough for your time here)
Contact solution
Cotton shirts (T-shirts or short sleeved shirts are good)
Cough drops and sinus/cold medicine
Decent shorts for sleeping and possibly tank tops if you’re in a closed compound
Deodorant (Aluminum deodorant helps you sweat less)
Ear plugs (It can be really noisy at night between animals and people…you may get some on the airplane)
Earrings (They call girls a sheep’s mom if she doesn’t have earrings on)
Extra contacts
Face wash
Family Pictures and things that make you think of home
Feminine Hygiene (You can only buy a few places and it’s super expensive)
Fingernail clippers
First-Aid Kit (Lunchbox size one is good)
Flashlight/Headlamp (Headlamps are flashlights you wear on your head and free up your hands…they’re great for the bathroom at night or cooking without electricity!)
Foot scrub/pumice stone (If you want, your feet will be super dirty from the sand every day)
Floss
Girly things to make you feel good (lotion, etc.)
Glasses (the dust may blow a lot to where it hurts to where contacts some days)
Gum
Hair Bands (The girls will want to put their hair up every day)
Hand Sanitizer (a couple bottles)
Insulated water bottle and or Nalgene bottle
Jewelry (Just don’t bring expensive stuff, but they do where jewelry here)
Journal/Pens
Laptop and Case (This is optional and will be left at Kollo house while your in villages but you may bring it if you like. The heat and dust is hard on them, but that is up to you..)
Laundry Bag (optional)
Lotion
Louffa
Make-up (You don’t need much, but it’s nice to feel pretty sometimes)
Malaria Medicine
-Prescription Meds need to go in your carryon and should be enough for your time here
Mini fan (They’re less than $1 at Wal-mart and use 2 AA batteries)
Mosquito Tent (This is OPTIONAL because we will provide you with a net, but the tents are much more convenient. They are called “Single Mosquito Bar” and can be purchased at www.sportsmanguidegear.com or on other websites. They are between $60-$100)
Music (You’ll want to listen to music out in the villages…MP3 player, etc.)
Nail Polish (Optional)
Nail Polish Remover (Optional)
Neosporin
Passport
Passport wallet
Peanut Butter (Optional)
Pepperoni (Please bring 1 pack for our American weekend pizza)
Pictures of family in small photo album (Africans love seeing your family)
Pillow to sleep on (Mattress will be provided)
Q-Tips (Your ears will be filled with dirt every day)
Razors/Shaving Cream
Safety pins (these will be used to tie the girls skirts…I use at least 3 when I do it)
Scissors
Sewing Kit
Sewing Needles
Shampoo
Shot records (Make sure your yellow card book is with your passport at customs…they’ll have to check it before you come through so it shouldn’t be in your suitcase but in your passport…Also have your address of where you are staying to put on your customs form…”Mission Baptiste” B.P. 10038 Niamey, Niger”)
*You must have your boarding pass to get off the plane since it will continue to Burkina Faso
Skeeter Stik (to put on itching bites)
Skirts that cover your ankles (you need a few before you get outfits made)
Small flash light
Sunglasses (The sun is super strong so you’ll be squinting all the time)
Sunscreen
Swimsuit
Tank top or spaghetti strap shirts to sleep in
Tennis Shoes/Socks for sports
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
T-shirts (5 or 6 should be plenty)
TSA locks for bags (even for carry on b/c they might make you check it at the gate)
Tuna/Chicken in a bag or any other sides to make in the bush when you just need some American food
Undergarments (Sports bras, panties, bras, socks)
Vitamins (Very important!)
Wash Cloth and Towel
Zip Lock Bags (Opitonal)

Snack Food ideas (They are expensive here and hard to find):
Granola Bars, Power Bars, Peanut Butter or Cheese Crackers, Beef Jerky, Animal Crackers, Dried Fruit, Chex Mix, Peanut Butter, Oreos, M&M’s, etc. (Most chocolate will melt in seconds!), Mac & Cheese

My parents and I will be making an extreme Walmart visit before June 2. I'm not sure that they are aware of this yet..

Thank you to all of you who are helping me right now. I would not be going to Africa if it was not for your prayer and support. I am being blessed with strength, confidence and supernatural peace as the days inch closer to June.