I recently realized I never updated my journal after my trip. I was so swamped with catching up with my classes and finals. Plus, there really was no time in country, and despite all my best intentions I really didn’t journal. But I did take pictures, and really, they conveys my experience better than my feeble writing.
So sit back, grab your Kleenexes and come to Ghana:
Oh. My. Word.
I’ll be boarding the plane for Ghana at 12:30PM on Saturday. (Well really the plane that takes me to Chicago to board the plane for London where I board the plane that takes me to Accra, but you get the picture.)
Am I prepared? No.
Am I scared silly? Yes.
Am I excited? Yes!
Thankfully Juli got released from the hospital on Tuesday so at least I’m home where I can pack and attempt to prepare. Mostly I just feel like I’m running around with my head cut off, and seem to be on the verge of tears at all times.
Last week as we took Jamie to the airport (*tear*) I announced I didn’t want to go to Ghana anymore. I’m just not up for saying goodbye to everyone here, then going there, falling in love with EVERYONE and then having to say goodbye to them. But He is with me. And He’s lead me thus far, so off I shall go!
Back to packing and taking some minutes to snuggle with all my babies . . .
Adieu!
I can’t believe how close it is now. I know the time will fly right past, especially given how busy this month will be. I have two friends flying in on the 12th to volunteer at the Wonder Valley JAF Family Retreat from March 16th-21st. They’ll leave on the 26th, and then right around the corner is my departure!
Things are still going great. I’ve gathered a good amount of donations, and the ladies Bible study at my church has offered to pay for a 3rd bag for donations.
I really need prayer that I will continue to do well in school even with missing three weeks of classes for Retreat and Ghana. My teachers have been wonderful about everything, but I really want to do well this semester so I would appreciate any prayer in regards to school!
Jasmine
You know, our God is truly an awesome God! As I posted earlier, getting my last two vaccines has been a huge pain, but I can now see the purpose!
I got to the office early and while I was waiting two of the chaps there started talking to me. They were two of the four besides myself who were there for the Yellow Fever vaccine. We started talking about where we were going (they were headed for Brazil and various Latin American countries) and I told them a bit about my trip, though I didn’t mention anything about the donations I was trying to gather, which is why it was totally God when one asked if I was taking eyeglasses! Astonished, I told him yes, and he immediately asked for my address and promised to send me a box full of all his old reading glasses! How’s that for Divine Appointment?
So I’m now ready to avoid Typhoid and Yellow Fever! Sadly though, I found out the Malaria medication I had already paid a chunk of money for doesn’t do anything for the malaria in Ghana. So I had to pay an additional $161. But hey, at least I found out rather than getting over there and thinking I was safe when I wasn’t!
All in all, it was a very successful trip!
Only two more months to go!
Jasmine
I think grace and patience are two of the most important things that we should show others, and something I always need to practice, and I’m definitely getting to practice them as I work to get my Yellow Fever immunization. There is a shortage of it, something I was unaware of till I showed up at my appointment last Friday, waited forty minutes and filled out sundry paperwork. At last the nurse called me up and informed me of it, something that would have been nice to know before the three hour drive to the clinic. I wanted to go ahead with the Typhoid, but the nurse said it was better to do them at once since it was a whole consult. So I made an appointment for the 22nd of Feb. Today I called to move it up to the 13th, only to learn that they wouldn’t have the vaccine till sometime in March, which is useless to me since I have to have it six weeks prior to departure. No idea if they planned to call me to tell me that, but I’m very thankful I did call because if I’d found out at the appointment on the 22nd I would basically be unable to go to Ghana, as there would be no time to find another place to do it.
So I found another place to get it, also in Phoenix. They can only get the vaccine in sets of five doses so they have to schedule five people at once. They had two people signed up for next Tuesday, and are hoping for two more, so I went ahead and scheduled for then. Even if they only get three, they’ll still do it, but I have to prepay because they keep the money if I don’t show. That’s not going to happen because I have to pay $209 total! Ouch. But there’s a silver lining in everything, and Tuesday is my mommy’s birthday so I’m going to try to take her out to eat while we’re there. 
In other news, I sent off my passport and paperwork to get my Visa! Very exciting.
I’m also working to gather some donations for the trip. The team is going to try and assemble some hygiene packs to give out to the people at the distributions. I’m collecting travel size shampoo, deodorant, lotions, etc. Also hand soap, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. The first night in Ghana the team will combine everything they’ve brought along and we’ll put them in the quart size zip lock bags. We need about 200, which my mom offered to buy at Costco, but if anyone would like to donate toward that as well, awesome. The leaders also asked that we bring along some glasses, various prescriptions from like the dollar store or Wal-Mart. The hope is that if we bring 4-5 each that we’ll have the right one, or one close, for some of the older Ghanaians. If anyone is interested in helping with this, please let me know! (untamed_shrew@msn.com or books.music.photography.love@gmail.com)
Jasmine
On Tuesday I got my polio booster. I’m starting to feel like a pin cushion! Next up I have an appointment on the 25th in Phoenix to get my Typhoid and Yellow Fever at Good Samaritan. I also got a scrip for Malaria medication, so I should be set.
I also decided to sign up for the Wonder Valley Joni and Friends Retreat, up by Fresno. It’ll be from March 16th-21st. Should be fun! If all goes as planned I’ll be doing four Retreats and two Wheels for the World trips this year! Fun stuff for sure.
Keep up the prayers!
Jasmine
I officially have all my funds, and even a little over! I’m currently at $3,404! Many thanks to Dr. & Mrs Shillito, Aunt Rita, Aunt Marian, Mr & Mrs Spielman, The Loftus Family, The Wagner Family, The Grissum Family, Lilly of the Valley Church, and everyone at Messiah Lutheran! I am in awe of God’s provision. By December, barely two months after signing up, I had all the money needed. Now any extra funds will go toward my tentative trip to Ukraine.
Today I went in to the Health Department to get information about immunizations, and somehow ended up getting two shots in each arm. I loathe needles and am an admitted coward when it comes to shots, but I’m now safe as far as Tetanus, HepA, HepB and Meningococcal are concerned! I still have to find out if I need a booster for Typhoid, Polio or MMR, and I have to find a place to get the Yellow Fever Vaccine. The other vaccines are just recommended, but I have to get the Yellow Fever vaccine to enter Ghana. Hopefully I can get it somewhere in Phoenix.
That’s about it for updates. Life has been busy with finals for school, a new sister, the holidays, a five day stay in the hospital, and preparing for a new semester. Only a few more months to go till Ghana!
The brunch went fantastically! There was a huge turnout, and with some earlier donations and what was given at the door, we raised over $1200! This added to the $800 matching grant leaves me with over $2000 toward the $3200 I need! Our God is an awesome God! I am so thankful to all of the people who so generously gave. Their love and support means so much to me and they are changing the future of the people of Ghana!
Tomorrow is the fund raising brunch. It will be really interesting to see how it turns out, I just couldn’t say. I don’t even know how many people to expect, nor do all the lovely ladies who are donating yummy food. So we’ll all either have lots of leftovers, or lots of hungry people.
Today I made a poster board display with pictures from an outreach in October, a story about one wheelchair recipient, and an explanation of WFTW, where I’m going and what I’ll be doing. I also put a breakdown of the total funds I need, deadlines, and what the money goes for.
So it’s not the most spectacularly eye-catching piece of work, but I haven’t gone yet! I promise my after trip display board will be much more impressive.
Anyway, please pray that tomorrow is a success, that God will open the hearts of those who attend and that they will see the need and respond, with prayer and/or financial support.
Well so far I’ve received $150 in donations from my church family. This will be added to whatever we raise at the brunch to go toward the grant, so really it’s $300! Others have also said that they will be donating. I am so blessed!
I’m working on a display to have at the brunch on Sunday, and the couple who are leading the team in Ghana were kind enough to share a story, from one of their recent Outreaches there, for me to use for the display. I thought I’d share it here.
GHANA STORY, OCT. 2007
The second day of distribution in a small village church in Ghana S.K. Maddy was carried in on the back of his Brother-in-law. You could see that in previous years he had been a tall, strong, confident man that probably took pride in being able to take care of his family. But now he was reduced to slumping in a wheel chair, head down tears streaming down his face. His loving sister wiped the tears away as they waited for Therapist Kelly Gallion to ready her area to evaluate S.K.’s condition. He had a stroke and appeared to have given up on ever walking again. As Sister and husband watched Kelly comfort and encourage S.K. and they could see progress being made in his attitude as she worked. Kelly discovered he had considerable strength left and decided to see if he could use a walker. It was like watching a miracle right before your eyes. S.K. had been carried there on anothers back and now with some help from loving and caring people he was walking again. You could see the change in his countenance, it was like his self worth and confidence had been restored. He was also given a wheelchair to help when he was tired, but he could walk! The relief for his family and the restoration of his dignity is immeasurable. What a joy to see Gods grace being pour out in this way.
