ok seriously- now I'm really leaving in 2 weeks!

WOOHOO!!

It's official folks - plane tickets booked - I'm leaving in less than two weeks!! AHHH! I am so excited and ready to go, just need to finish a little packing!! My two big Wal-mart runs have me stocked up on a few necessities like: contact solution, fly swatters, sunscreen, chapstick, deodorant, allergy medicine, vitamins & calcium chews, soy sauce, mio/water flavor packets, coffee creamer, vanilla musk (perfume that doubles as bug spray so I don't have to wear that smelly sticky junk everyday!!), lots of journals, etc! I think I should be prepared for almost anything! :)

Since I moved back to Spencer in May I have been helping at the Many Hands Market. Most of you should know - but in case you don't - it is a higher end thrift store that is totally not your typical thrift shop (no popping tags please.) It has been fun getting things ready there and seeing the opening, but I am ready to move down to Haiti and start some projects in a new place.

The house in Savanette isn't done yet, so Cassidy and I will be living in Pignon to start. It will be fun to see all my good friends who live there, and to be able to chat with teams as they come every week. It will make the move a little easier too!

School is out for the summer so we won't start the after school program for the Pella Christian school until the fall - I think October. In the mean time we will be helping launch a new program called "Thrive to Five" and I am beyond excited for it! We will help pick out 100-150 kids right in the Savanette area that are 0-5 years old and invite them to come to our place to be fed 5 days a week. Kids who are older than 5 usually are sponsored and attend school and get fed there so we want to reach the LITTLE little ones who typically are not fed as much! We will also be taking them to the hospital and making sure they have all their needed shots. Every week/every other week we will be talking to their mothers and giving them tips on how to keep their children healthy. Basic healthcare 101! We will also be making chlorine to give to the children to take home - with 12 drops of it you can purify a liter of water in 30 minutes. Whenever they have used up their chlorine, they will bring it back to us and we will give them another small container of it. For those of you who know how awful I was in science, the news of me making chlorine terrifies you I'm sure! :) Bible stories will also be shared with the mothers and their children so we can meet their physical needs as well as their spiritual needs! I can't wait to get started!

I know these next two weeks will fly! I will update when I get down there, but in the mean time I could always use the prayers!

Bon nwit!
Tampico