A little more than 24 hours and I'll be on my way! 24 hours after that and I'll be in Haiti! I can't believe it's finally here! After 6 hectic weeks of preparation, my journey is going to begin!
I have a huge backpack (thanks to Sara) stuffed to the gills. I have found many pockets to hide peanut butter packets and crackers in; I have a travel pillow (again, thanks Sara) water bottle, umbrella all strapped in; I have my towel, mosquito net and sheet stuffed in; in other words...I am ready! Let 's get this show on the road!
I'm a little concerned with the tropical storms that don't want to let up. Matthew hit the tropics pretty hard last week and the resulting rain caused havoc in Haiti, where 5 people died. The island is not ready for such powerful storms and the results are devastating. As long as I can get there, I am ready for anything. My worst fear is getting stuck in Miami and shortening the time I have in Haiti. Pray for clear skies!
I'm loading up my ipod with new tunes as we speak. I'm charging up the camera battery. Passport is packed---off I go!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Nesting
A week to go and I cannot wait for it to get here! I feel similar to how a new mom feels in the day leading up to deliver; anticipation, anxious, excitement- all that jazz TIMES 1000! So I've taken up to nesting. Now that I've gone through at least a dozen Project Cure boxes getting supplies and there are no more, I took up to cleaning the break room at work tonight. That microwave has never looked so good!
We are doing the big pack Sunday. I have been soooo truly humbled by the amount of donations. We have obtained hundreds of pounds worth of medical supplies, thousands of dollars worth of medications and many many other contributions. Zander's class donated many school supplies and flip flops. I was able to use some of my financial contributions to purchase additional flip flops- now we will be able to give all 50 kids at the orphanage a brand new pair of flip flops! I can't wait to see their faces! I'm also planning on donating soccer balls and diapers. I'm starting to think that we are gonna be over our 1000 pound limit. That would be just fine though, because the organization sends down two containers annually, so we can just send extras down at a later date.
That's all I have for now. Thanks again for reading my posts, your prayers, your thoughts, your donations, your advice---I couldn't do this without ALL of you!
Love
Courtney
We are doing the big pack Sunday. I have been soooo truly humbled by the amount of donations. We have obtained hundreds of pounds worth of medical supplies, thousands of dollars worth of medications and many many other contributions. Zander's class donated many school supplies and flip flops. I was able to use some of my financial contributions to purchase additional flip flops- now we will be able to give all 50 kids at the orphanage a brand new pair of flip flops! I can't wait to see their faces! I'm also planning on donating soccer balls and diapers. I'm starting to think that we are gonna be over our 1000 pound limit. That would be just fine though, because the organization sends down two containers annually, so we can just send extras down at a later date.
That's all I have for now. Thanks again for reading my posts, your prayers, your thoughts, your donations, your advice---I couldn't do this without ALL of you!
Love
Courtney
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
A little more than 3 weeks?!?!
PREFACE: It is 3:30 am, so please forgive me if this doesn't make all that much sense.
We leave 3 weeks from Friday! THREE WEEKS! Wow, how time flies! We have almost solidified our plans. We are getting to the point of just "hurrying up and waiting" for the big date to get here. Vaccines are done, anti-malaria medication is in hand, passport here...just gotta wait for October!
Our next big step is to start packing our 1000 lbs worth of supplies. We are just waiting to finish gathering everything. We are collecting over the counter meds, flip flops, clothes, coloring books and just about anything else...As the saying goes- "nothing goes to waste in Haiti!" We are having a "packing party" on Sept 26 (a mere 5 days before we depart!) and are going to eat some Haitian food to give us an idea of what to expect. Can't say my stomach is all that excited about the possibility of goat hair soup..but we shall see. With any luck, it will taste like chicken!
I have heard such tragic stories of the healthcare available down there, I am beyond antsy to offer any assistance I can. A teammate was telling me how umbilical cords were cut using bottle caps! Bottle caps! I can't even fathom the idea. I won't be surprised to see items such as gavage sets and bottles being reused (a far cry from the use once and toss I'm used to at work), but I may faint at the sight of such infection causing practices!
I have to thank, thank, and thank everyone for their generous donations. My fundraising efforts have exceeded my expectations and I can't appreciate that enough. Any extra funds will be going to supplement our supply of medications. Antibiotics are truly lifesavers and we can't get enough of them!
My prayers are in full force these days. I'm praying that I can remain healthy not only during the trip, but leading up to it. I'm praying that the Lord will provide opportunities for me to use my skills to benefit as many as possible in the short week I will be in Haiti.
I can't think about this trip for more than a few minute without tears forming, so I may have to cut this short. The anxiety and excitment only to continue to grow. I know this is going to be a life changing experience and I just can't wait anymore!
We leave 3 weeks from Friday! THREE WEEKS! Wow, how time flies! We have almost solidified our plans. We are getting to the point of just "hurrying up and waiting" for the big date to get here. Vaccines are done, anti-malaria medication is in hand, passport here...just gotta wait for October!
Our next big step is to start packing our 1000 lbs worth of supplies. We are just waiting to finish gathering everything. We are collecting over the counter meds, flip flops, clothes, coloring books and just about anything else...As the saying goes- "nothing goes to waste in Haiti!" We are having a "packing party" on Sept 26 (a mere 5 days before we depart!) and are going to eat some Haitian food to give us an idea of what to expect. Can't say my stomach is all that excited about the possibility of goat hair soup..but we shall see. With any luck, it will taste like chicken!
I have heard such tragic stories of the healthcare available down there, I am beyond antsy to offer any assistance I can. A teammate was telling me how umbilical cords were cut using bottle caps! Bottle caps! I can't even fathom the idea. I won't be surprised to see items such as gavage sets and bottles being reused (a far cry from the use once and toss I'm used to at work), but I may faint at the sight of such infection causing practices!
I have to thank, thank, and thank everyone for their generous donations. My fundraising efforts have exceeded my expectations and I can't appreciate that enough. Any extra funds will be going to supplement our supply of medications. Antibiotics are truly lifesavers and we can't get enough of them!
My prayers are in full force these days. I'm praying that I can remain healthy not only during the trip, but leading up to it. I'm praying that the Lord will provide opportunities for me to use my skills to benefit as many as possible in the short week I will be in Haiti.
I can't think about this trip for more than a few minute without tears forming, so I may have to cut this short. The anxiety and excitment only to continue to grow. I know this is going to be a life changing experience and I just can't wait anymore!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Getting the details
We are gradually nailing down the details of our trip. Surprisingly, there aren't a ton of planes flying into Port-au-Prince daily, so we are going to spend a good day (at least) traveling. We are debating whether we should leave Denver early Friday (Oct 1) and get to Miami at 2pm or take a later flight and go through Dallas to get to Miami around 8pm. Our flight to Haiti doesn't leave until 5 am on Sat morning, so we may try to stuff a bunch of us into a hotel room so we can get a somewhat decent night's sleep until the real journey begins. I'm a little bummed about the trip beginning a little sooner than we expected, because Oct 1st is Jace's 3rd birthday. However, every time I look at him, I feel completely blessed that he (and the rest of our family) has so much to be grateful for, and that only drives my desire to complete this mission.
One of my mission mates, Ashley, has been on numerous trips to Haiti through Red Rocks Church. She sent me slideshows from both her 2009 and 2010 trips. Her pictures were amazing and only intensified all of my feelings towards this trip. Her pictures show something that most of us can only imagine and to know that I will be THERE, taking similar pictures myself, in a month can be somewhat of an overwhelming thought. Luckily, I have so much to do, I don't have time to think about it!
We are starting to narrow down our supply list for the clinics we are visiting. Zander's second grade class has taken up a collection for children's flip flops, soccer balls, colors and coloring books. It's really exciting to see him get the "mission bug" and inspire his classmates to donate to the cause.
We have decided to ask for help collecting over the counter medications, such as Aspirin, Ibuprofin. We are also hoping to get some antibacterial ointment, fun bandaids, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, oral care stuff and q-tips...just for starters.
My fundraising is going well and I cannot even begin to express my appreciation!
I still have seats on my casino bus for Sept 18th. If you mention, this blog, I'll drop your ticket price to $15!!!! So grab your friend, your gaming card, and your lucky rabbit's foot and come along!
Thanks for reading!
Courtney
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Photos from Sara's Trip.
I "stole" these photos from my Sara's blog. It's hard to imagine living a life this way- and these were all taken before the quake. I am counting down the days until I can add my own photos!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
How can YOU help?
This trip is not a solo mission by any stretch of the imagination! I need your help to make the most out of this outreach experience! Here's how you can help:
I have set a fundraising goal of $1,500. You can contribute in a couple of ways:
- Join me for a bus trip up to Fortune Valley Casino on Sat, Sept 18 at 6 pm. We will be leaving from the Englewood Walmart parking lot. For $20, you get free transportation to Fortune Valley, free drinks while gaming, and $5 in coin! Not to mention---100% of the bus fee goes to the Haiti Mission!
- I am also accepting financial donations made to Red Rocks Church- with "Eggers-Haiti" in the memo line. You can hand me a check or mail it to me!
Our group is also taking much needed supplies. Currently we need:
- medical supplies
- soccer balls
- children's shoes
- school supplies
Finally, I think I need some help with my own wardrobe! If you have any culturally appropriate skirts (light weight -it's gonna be HOT) I will be happy to take them off your hands!
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog--your support makes this giant step out of my comfort zone much easier!
Did you know?
As I prepare for our mission trip, I'm doing some research and learning more about the culture, people and environment of Haiti
• Haiti
• 10% of the child population in Haiti
• Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere .
• 7% (337,000) of the children in Haiti
• $25 can feed more than 70 starving people,
• The language of the Haiti
• 45% of the Haitian population is illiterate.
• $50 can provide medical care for more than seven people.
• 70% of the population lives below poverty level.
• $100 or more can provide an abandoned child with a bed, food and medical treatment for almost a month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)