Good morning to you. I hope you are doing well and enjoying your day.
Well, we continue to prepare for our time in Haiti at COTP.
Sara and I (mostly Sara) spent a significant amount of time yesterday packing and repacking our luggage. In the process we found out why the suitcase we bought at Goodwill was at Goodwill: the handle/side support bar is broken at the handle which compromises the ability for the airport baggage handlers to lift and throw that bag with confidence and assurance that the whhole thing won't come apart (remember the gorilla behind the plastic luggage conveyor belt curtain in the old commercials?) But, have no fear. a few minutes on the bench with drill in hand and an added piece of strap metal, a few bolts, washers and nuts and we're as good as new-well hopefully.
Sara calculated what we expect to pay the airlines to get the "extra" stuff to Haiti and I'm thinking that luggage is where they're making their money these days. Rather shocking...!
I must say we seem to be pretty close to ready; just need to tie up a few loose ends as far as house care and bill paying and dog care and yard care and oh, allright, so we've a bit more to do, but we're getting there.
Oh, did you know that the vacuum bags one can buy that collapse things down to a fraction of their former selves don't all stay collapsed perfectly? My hope is that they will last at least two days-please, just get us to Haiti-pleeeeease... Hmmm, wondering if the newly repaired suitcase will actually hold the vacuum packed queen sized foam pad if the vacuum bag leaks? Oh, the trials of a modern-day missionary!
Good to "see" you (if only in my mind!) and thanks for being there.
More later,
J
12/29/11
12/28/11
12/22/11
Shot in the arm!
Sara and I continue to prepare for our trip to COTP in Haiti.
We spent an hour at the Arcadia Family Travel Clinic this afternoon as we had decided to get the Typhoid immunization this trip.
We got our updated tetanus back in 2010 along with the Hep A-county health clinic was running a free "sale" on that one so we thought what the heck, might as well, the price is right.
We talked about getting the Hep B series but it's now too close to our travel date so we couldn't get it all done before we leave. Aaaw, I am sooo disappointed! Can hardly hold my arm up now with the one shot, can't imagine how some do it when they get eight shots at the same time! Really, the nurse practitioner told us some actually do that!
Bought some more stuff at Wal-Mart including antibiotics for whatever might ail ya! Have you ever talked to a medical professional about all the things out there that want to make us their lunch, breeding ground and/or nursery for their young?! First, it's totally gross and second, it's totally scary! Sure glad none of that stuff lives in Haiti...wonder why the map on the computer shows Haiti in the red zone...red's good, right?!
Oh well, when one stops to think about what it was like to do something like this in the past, and not that many years ago, when there weren't drugs available to help insure a safe and healthy time; when there was no cell service, that instant link to almost anywhere in the world; wasn't an airplane just a few minutes away to whisk one off to the luxury, comfort and safety that we enjoy to the point of taking for granted, a sore arm is a miniscule price to pay. Hardly worth (perhaps NOT worth) mentioning. Oh well, too late. I already mentioned it and I'm not going back to change or delete it. Hah, so there! ;-)
Anyway, we continue to add stuff to the pile and will travel to our nearby Goodwill store (hopefully on 50% off Saturday) to find some cheap luggage to supplement what we already have in order to get all this stuff there. That's always a bit of a hassle but worth it as a lot of it is stuff for COTP and the kids and not so much our own stuff, although there's plenty of that too! (Wow, there's a lot of stuffs in those sentences!)
Enough 'stuff' for now.
Thanks for taking the time to share our stu...uh...experience. You're the best (not 'cause you're reading our blog but because...well, you're the best!)
Later gater!
J
We spent an hour at the Arcadia Family Travel Clinic this afternoon as we had decided to get the Typhoid immunization this trip.
We got our updated tetanus back in 2010 along with the Hep A-county health clinic was running a free "sale" on that one so we thought what the heck, might as well, the price is right.
We talked about getting the Hep B series but it's now too close to our travel date so we couldn't get it all done before we leave. Aaaw, I am sooo disappointed! Can hardly hold my arm up now with the one shot, can't imagine how some do it when they get eight shots at the same time! Really, the nurse practitioner told us some actually do that!
Bought some more stuff at Wal-Mart including antibiotics for whatever might ail ya! Have you ever talked to a medical professional about all the things out there that want to make us their lunch, breeding ground and/or nursery for their young?! First, it's totally gross and second, it's totally scary! Sure glad none of that stuff lives in Haiti...wonder why the map on the computer shows Haiti in the red zone...red's good, right?!
Oh well, when one stops to think about what it was like to do something like this in the past, and not that many years ago, when there weren't drugs available to help insure a safe and healthy time; when there was no cell service, that instant link to almost anywhere in the world; wasn't an airplane just a few minutes away to whisk one off to the luxury, comfort and safety that we enjoy to the point of taking for granted, a sore arm is a miniscule price to pay. Hardly worth (perhaps NOT worth) mentioning. Oh well, too late. I already mentioned it and I'm not going back to change or delete it. Hah, so there! ;-)
Anyway, we continue to add stuff to the pile and will travel to our nearby Goodwill store (hopefully on 50% off Saturday) to find some cheap luggage to supplement what we already have in order to get all this stuff there. That's always a bit of a hassle but worth it as a lot of it is stuff for COTP and the kids and not so much our own stuff, although there's plenty of that too! (Wow, there's a lot of stuffs in those sentences!)
Enough 'stuff' for now.
Thanks for taking the time to share our stu...uh...experience. You're the best (not 'cause you're reading our blog but because...well, you're the best!)
Later gater!
J
12/19/11
We're not there yet but we're getting ready!
Yes, we're headed to Haiti. That's not unusual as we've both been there before. The difference this time is we're staying for a bit longer-nine weeks.
We leave Phoenix on January 8, 2012 arriving in Cap Hatien, Haiti on the 9th and will be staying through the middle of March. We will spend the nine weeks at Children of the Promise (COTP) creche (child care center) which is located a couple of miles outside of Cap Hatien in a village called Lagosette. We are excited to be headed to COTP as we really sense this is God's direction for us right now.
Want to know about them, check out their web-site at childrenofthepromise.org.
No doubt I will spend a lot of time working on plumbing (read: making toilets function properly) along with whatever else needs fixing. I'm already hearing that the COTP folks are making a to do list so it appears I will not be bored. I hope I'm up to the challenge. :-)
Sara will be kept busy trying to be a fairy god-mother to all. She really does have a "magical" way of lifting others up and finding just the right way to help at the right time. She also will not be bored as there is always so much to be done at COTP.
We look forward so much to spending time with and working alongside with Chante, Nick, Nikki, Adam, Mateja, Sheila and whoever else may be hanging at COTP for the next few weeks. (Actually, if the truth be told, we can't wait and just want to be there with them all, NOW!)
We would like to ask you to consider helping us. First we ask for prayer as we seek God's direction and help.
Secondly, if you could help us financially it would be greatly appreciated.
Located to the right of this note is a button one may click on to donate funds through E3 Scottsdale's (our home church) PayPal account. Or, gifts may be mailed directly to E3 Church Scottsdale, PO Box 15071, 85267. All donations that go through E3 are tax deductible. Please be sure to mark the gift "Stumbos in Haiti" or something similar.
Thanks much for your time and support.
More coming soon.
J
We leave Phoenix on January 8, 2012 arriving in Cap Hatien, Haiti on the 9th and will be staying through the middle of March. We will spend the nine weeks at Children of the Promise (COTP) creche (child care center) which is located a couple of miles outside of Cap Hatien in a village called Lagosette. We are excited to be headed to COTP as we really sense this is God's direction for us right now.
Want to know about them, check out their web-site at childrenofthepromise.org.
No doubt I will spend a lot of time working on plumbing (read: making toilets function properly) along with whatever else needs fixing. I'm already hearing that the COTP folks are making a to do list so it appears I will not be bored. I hope I'm up to the challenge. :-)
Sara will be kept busy trying to be a fairy god-mother to all. She really does have a "magical" way of lifting others up and finding just the right way to help at the right time. She also will not be bored as there is always so much to be done at COTP.
We look forward so much to spending time with and working alongside with Chante, Nick, Nikki, Adam, Mateja, Sheila and whoever else may be hanging at COTP for the next few weeks. (Actually, if the truth be told, we can't wait and just want to be there with them all, NOW!)
We would like to ask you to consider helping us. First we ask for prayer as we seek God's direction and help.
Secondly, if you could help us financially it would be greatly appreciated.
Located to the right of this note is a button one may click on to donate funds through E3 Scottsdale's (our home church) PayPal account. Or, gifts may be mailed directly to E3 Church Scottsdale, PO Box 15071, 85267. All donations that go through E3 are tax deductible. Please be sure to mark the gift "Stumbos in Haiti" or something similar.
Thanks much for your time and support.
More coming soon.
J
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