I Need Your Help

Thursday I visited the County Health Dept. to see what immunizations they had available.  I was able to get an MMR booster, the first Hepatitis A in the series, and a Tdap all for just $15.  I have decided to pass on the Hep B series.  I don't think I will be at risk if I'm careful.  So all that is left is one more MMR (available from the Co. Health Dept.), one more Hep A (also available from the health dept.), Typhoid and Yellow Fever (which will cost approx. $250 from a travel clinic.)  All in all the vaccinations for this trip will cost me around $300.  That's a far cry from the $700 we were originally quoted.  God is good!  I knew there had to be a better way.

Now I need to ask for your help.  In addition to these needs that I posted about in my last post, I am responsible for putting together some kits that we will be using for arts and crafts with the children while we are there.  If there is ANYTHING that you are able to help with, please let me know.  You can email me, send me a message on facebook, or leave a comment here.  This is what I need for the craft kits:

• 1 box of gallon size freezer bags
• 30 bottles (4 oz.) of Elmer's glue
• 30 rolls of scotch tape
• 600 popsicle sticks
• lots of yarn (300  50" pieces) multi-colored is great (I can cut it, I just need the yarn)
• 300 ziploc sandwich bags

I will copy the things I mentioned in my last post and put them here just in case any of you have any ideas about how I can get a hold of some of these things.  Maybe your kids have two of the same book and would like to send the 'extra' one to kids in Uganda and Kenya that don't have books.  Let me know, and I'll come get it.  If you have outgrown children's clothing or sandals/flip-flops that you could send with me, lots of people would appreciate it.  Some of Brenna's 'extra' silly bands will be disappearing to Africa.  ;-)

• Clothes and shoes (flip-flops and sandals) for children ranging in age from 5 to 16
• Children's books (this is my favorite!), both Bible-based and secular as it is very rare for them to get to hold a book themselves.  :-(
• Small toys and stuffed animals, balloons, cheap toys you get at the dollar store, silly bands, nail polish
• CANDY - it is suggested that we bring bags of individually wrapped hard candies

A cash donation to this church would be very helpful as they normally don't have enough money to pay their teachers

There are, of course, many other things the people there are in constant need of:

• School supplies
• Medical supplies
• Toothpaste
• and just general things that are required to take care of children

Just a couple of hours ago Brenna and I were at a bridal shower for a cousin of mine.  Just before I left (Brenna was leaving with her grandmother), she came up to me with her hand on the back of her head saying there was a bump there.  I checked it out and explained to her, standing there in the church building, why it was there.  I told my little one about how when she was a baby living in the orphanage, there were too many babies and not enough adults to take care of them.  The adults that were there never had the luxury of cuddling babies.  It was all they could do to keep them fed and as dry as they could.  She spent her days and nights laying on her back in a crib.  Because of this, the first time I saw her, the back of her head was pretty scabbed up.  She will have those scars forever.  Oh I thank God that my girl's scars are few.  I got to her in time. 

The hundreds of orphans that I will meet on this trip are scarred.  I can't wait to snuggle them.  I'm going to give as many hugs and kisses as I possibly can in the 2 weeks I am there.  I'm hoping to take some things to meet some physical needs too.  Do you have anything lying around your house that you'd like me to take with me?