PACKING.....

PACKING...... SO what does 50 lbs = in my suitcase ....112 dresses that the ladies & young women at my church made, http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/ , 24 boys T-Shirts (thanks Dawn) 16 books, 18 headbands 10 pair ballet slippers, 8 balls, 6 color books & crayons, 8 trucks,  6 sesame street stamps, 4 slinkys, 36 bubbles (thanks Monique) , 20 pair flip flops, 6 paddle balls, 8 mini frisbees, 20 CHOC T Shirts for the Kenyan Team members, & LOTS of stickers! It was easy to pack that suitcase. Now packing for me has been more of a challenge.....scrubs, clothes for 13 days?, my "nurse" supplies, lots of Purell, medications of every kind in case I get sick, power food (Meal Bars in many varieties, Dried fruit & Trail Mix -(thanks Cheri), crystal light mixes, oatmeal packs, pnut butter etc) I am packing based on the Op Smile list & advice from others.  They say you never know what you will have to eat & sometimes the days are long into the night & you just want something quick to eat & then go to bed. 

My Visiting Teachers from church brought me over some magazines & all sort of great stuff...really I think I am pretty ready - just not organized & I need to get "my lives" organized to be gone for 2 weeks - CHOC, my store, my family etc.....lists all around for everyone - so many details you take care of every day that you never think about. I have been gone for 5 days before but this will be the longest I have ever been away from my family.  They will be fine days 1-5 its days 6-13 that are new territory for all of us.  With Ryan away at school Doug will be in the house w/ 3 teenage/young adult girls....wish him luck - he may need a little break from all the hormones & emotions! The girls are mostly worried that they will have food in the frig & dinner - no worries a Costco run was done yesterday :) & while I won't be filling the freezer w/ meals I will leave a list of ideas for them! As I pack it is really just sinking in that I leave in 2 days...Tuesday morning....WOW!!!   I am both excited & a little nervous at not having any idea of what to expect...definitely an adventure!    

How this came to be.....

Welcome to my BLOG about my upcoming Medical Mission to Nakuru Kenya Africa.  I have never been a "blogger" so this is new to me but friends have said they wanted to know what goes on on as I prepare & when I'm gone so here goes.

A few of you have asked how this all started so I thought I'd answer that here. Some of you know that in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit I felt an overwelming neeed to go & help so I contacted the Red Cross, boarded a plane for Houston (I had friends there) & basically "showed up" at the Astrodome/Reliant Arena & ended up working/volunteering in the Pediatric Pavillion there for 12-16 hour days for a week - it was a great experience & opportuntiy to serve...I truly felt the reality of the bible verses in Matt 25:34-40...inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me.

After that I wanted to do more & was aware of & checked into Op Smile but the "application process" was cumbersome & I was busy with 4 kids at home. Fast forward to 2009 - I was contacted by the LDS Church Humanitarian Services to be in their Volunteer data base & happily sent in all the required documentation. Early in 2010 the Earthquake hit in Haiti & I was asked to go & help but a week before we were to leave the volunteer need for Haiti missions was canceled & the church was asked to provide other aid. In the Summer of 2010 thru LDS Humanitarian Services & the Navy I was going to volunteer on the USNS Mercy or Comfort Ships & go to Vietnam/Cambodia but the minimum "rotations" were a month & that wouldn't work for me with my son returning home from his 2 year mission. I started to think this just wasn't the "season" for this type of service & maybe I'd go in 3 years after Sarah graduated from high school. 

Then....Nov. 2010 I was contacted by LDS Humanitarian Services & asked if I was interested in co-sponsored medical missions w/ Op Smile - this seemed perfect & I did what I needed to for the simpler application process.  I was told it would be a year before I was likely contacted for a mission but I should look at the Op Smile site to see where/when they went.  It was the holidays so I forgot about it other than once looking at all the places Op Smile was going this summer & wondering where I'd want to go if I could.

January 21st at 7:30 in the morning I checked my email & had one that said are you interested in a Op Smile Mission trip to Kenya Africa in April - I checked the dates, talked to my family & emailed back "yes I am interested".  Less than 30 min later I got an email that said "I am happy to confirm you on Team Nakuru as a Recovery Room Nurse".  I was a little surprised that it all happened so fast!  I hadn't planned on going to Africa or anywhere in particular yet - I thought I had a longer "waiting period" but that wasn't the case.

So in 10 days I am off to Africa to help give 125 new smiles to kids with Cleft Lips & Palates.  It's a completely new experience for me.  I have talked to a few Op Smile Nurses I know from CHOC & still I am a little nervous but I know with certainty that I am supposed to go on this specific mission - I'm not sure why but I know its the right place for me at this time & so FAITH propels me to go & serve.  I am taking the "Healers Art" I learned from Nursing School at BYU & 30 years of being a pediatric ICU Nurse at CHOC an amazing Childrens Hospital with me & hoping I can make a difference, & bring help & hope to the people of Nakuru Kenya.

Sorry this was such a long post but I neded to get the background out there...I am starting to pack & will update again later this week!  THANKS for being interested!  Nancy