Time Crunch

So how restful do you think 2 weeks in Nigeria will be? I have a couple of projects at work that I'd like to wrap up before I leave and I was told of another one that I may have to shoot and edit before Friday as well. AND to add to the fun, I have a second interview with the school district on Thursday afternoon. Oh, and I'm going to have to get my second hepatitis vaccine on Friday since the health dept. was closed yesterday and they only do walk-ins on Mondays and Fridays. Yay! Nothing like a nice relaxing week to prepare for an international mission trip! Oh well, such is life and I should be thankful that I have a job to keep me busy.

Oh yeah, Russ isplanning on all of us going into London on Saturday for lunch, which means I'll get my fish and chips! And hopefully no one will mind if I have a pint of some English beer to go with it!

Happy Tuesday!

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

To borrow the words of Mr. John Denver, and anyone else who's sung Leaving on a Jet Plane through the years. My bags are packed and I am ready to go. Well, mostly. I got all my stuff into one bag and that bag is now in a U-Haul box with another trip-goers' stuff. It's Bob's stuff to be exact. Since there are still a few days left, I may find a couple of last minute items I need to pack or stash in my camera/carry-on bag, but for the most part I am done packing.

We met tonight to go over some final details and pack the stuff we had into boxes. There are 14 boxes of meds being stored at a refrigerated foods warehouse in town, 8 boxes on their way to us from another Faith Alive person, and 5 boxes of supplies in the office. That leaves 3 pieces of luggage that we can check. Russ and Kay are sharing a bag, Bob & I are sharing a box, and KJ has some room in a duffel bag she's packed. Everyone else is packing their stuff in their carry-on.

Oh well, there's more to say, but it's late. And besides, I need to have something to say the next few days. Thanks for reading!

The Great Commissioning

Yesterday was our last Sunday in church before we leave, so there was a commisioning/blessing and laying on of hands at the 11:00 service. It was really nice to have not just the pastors, but about a dozen or so members of the congregation come up for the prayer to show support. Afterwards I did a short on-camera interview with everyone about their pre-trip thoughts. I plan to use it as an intro for the video I want to make that is First Pres specific. It was pretty neat to learn why everyone has decided to go and what they're expecting to take away from the trip. I even did an interview with Russ being my interviewer. I must say, I am much more comfortable behind the camera. I felt kind of awkward, but I suppose that's how most people feel in that situation.

I also packed last night. I didn't start until 10:00, so I hope I wasn't too tired to get what I need. I'm actually impressed with the size of my pile of clothes. If I weren't carrying on the video camera, I'd be able to fit all my stuff in a carry-on with ease! It certainly helps that we'll be able to get clothes washed while we're there. I probably need to pack an extra bag or something so I can bring back some gifts. After all, we'll be taking 2-3 boxes of meds apiece on the way over, but nothing is coming back except our personal belongings.

Oh well, I'm actually at work right now, but wanted to get an entry in for yesterday's events. Thanks for checking in!

One Week Left!

I don't have much new to report, but figured I should at least check in since we leave in a week! In fact, in one week I'll be on a plane bound for London at this time. Wow.

I picked up the camera from Bryan today, so I get to play with it this weekend and make sure I know everything I need to about it.

Good night!

10 days and counting

10 days! That's it! I still don't think it's completely sunk in. Maybe when I'm on a bus from Abuja to Jos I'll finally believe it. In the midst of my disbelief, I still have to act like I'm really going to Nigeria at the end of next week. We're meeting on Monday to pack our boxes of medications and we're supposed to bring along what we're planning to take with us. We're allowed 3 pieces of checked luggage each and a carry-on. Other folks are probably going to be able to put their clothes in their carry-on, but I'm out of luck. I need to carry on my camera so that it's handled with care, so my clothes are either going in a shared suit case or in a box with meds. Honestly, I'm not sure how much to take. We can have our laundry done while we're there, so I can go on the light side. Plus, it's going to be 80 so shorts are going to be a mainstay. I guess I'll end up packing very light and doing my best to stay clean!

So like I said last night, I am looking forward to one thing in particular when we're in London. What you ask? Fish and chips. Yep, good ole fried fish and french fries. It makes me hungry just thinking of it. I was in London for a couple of days in 2002, but it was near the end of my trip and I was definitely on a budget. I cooked most of my food myself. In fact, my one memory of food in London was swiping some dipping sauce from a McDonald's to put on a sandwich I'd put together from a trip to the grocery store. I don't know if I'll get my chance this time either, but I'm going to mention it to Russ on Monday. Seems like those fish and chip stands were pretty common, so as long as I can get into London, I can clog my arteries!

Thanks for reading! God be with you!

Put it on my visa...

My visa finally came yesterday! I've never applied for a visa before, but it really seems like it's a way for the country your visiting to get a sort of "entry tax." It seemed like much more of a formality than a screening process. With that said, I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes of the Nigerian consulate and they may have done a background search on me for all I know. But I think it's much more probable that they just wanted my money.

And that brings me to some exciting news. I spoke to Russ on the phone today and he says that by his latest count we've actually raised $9,000 more than we needed for our trip! That means that the 7 or 8 (I keep forgetting how many) of us have raised around $14,000!!!! I take no credit in this and I applaud those of you who made a donation of any amount! It is truly a blessing for Faith Alive and for our little group. Just so you know, all of that excess money is going to Faith Alive. And that is in addition to the half-million dollars in medication we're delivering!

I knew that this trip would have a lasting impact on those of us who are going, but I never imagined how much more our trip could give just by us showing up!

Thanks for reading! I'll be posting more and more as the trip closes in, and maybe even while I'm in Jos. Next time, I'll reveal what I'm looking forward to in London....

Happy New Year!

I'm now less than 1 month from departing on my trip. Actually, I leave in a little more than 2. January 25, to be exact. I got all my vaccinations about 3 weeks ago, so I'm now resistant to Hepatitis A & B, Yellow Fever, Meningitis, Typhoid, and Polio. I also should be getting a visa issued from the Nigerian government sometime soon.

Things are coming together for our trip, but it still doesn't seem real. I've been through a bit of an ordeal with securing a camera for this adventure, but I have one lined up that should do a great job. That's the one problem with being a professional videographer...it's really hard to be satisfied with "cheaper" cameras when you're used to shooting on really nice equipment. After purchasing and returning a camera, I will now be borrowing one from another member of our church, Dr. Bryan Willson. I actually helped him pick out this camera a few years ago when he was looking for something that was easy to use, small for travel, and somewhat inconspicuous. Who knew that I'd need a camera with those same qualities? I think my chance run-in with Bryan at church and his volunteering the camera (before I even asked) is just another way that God is involved in this crazy adventure of mine.

I have much more to say, but I need to save something so that I actually come back to this and update it more often. Thanks for stopping by!!!