updates

I posted a quick update on my blog... sirhair.blogspot.com

Goal-raising

Prayer-raising:

Goal: 2304 HOURS (24 hours for 96 days)

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Pledged: 863 Hr = 37.46%

Fundraising:

Goal: $5520

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Collected: $4463 = 80.85%

OH JOYOUS DAY!

So we got our visas today... and I tricked brendan... told him he had some letters in my room, and then when he was turned around, I positioned his visa infront of his face, so that when he turned back that's what he saw... :-) it was fun!

SO YES WE ARE OFFICIALLY ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTRY!!!
PRAISE GOD!

I also got three shots today at the docs... and three more are scheduled for next thursday... YAY!

We also decided on purchasing a water purifier pump... we really didn't expect to spend that much money, but we'll actually be saving money on the deal (we didn't realise how expensive it was to purify water) but the pump is reusable, and "field cleanable" meaning we don't need any new filters (which most require). And it's only $90ish dollars, which should be easily coverable by our "things we didn't think about" section of our budget. We also purchased some hiking tents, in case we endup somewhere that we can't find housing (i.e., if we are travelling), or someplace it's cheap to camp at. Which will also come out of that part of the budget.

I also got loaded with meds... and I need to ensure I don't need anymore...

AND I finally got to ask a doctor the question I've been asking every one else...
If I get into an asthma emergency can i use an epipen?
She said "That's a very good question actually, and YES you can! That's how it was done in the old days."
So now I have an emergency asthma solution in addition to an anaphylatic shock solution all wrapped up in one epipen (I'm actually carrying like 5).

And I lost my wallet today...

But a teacher found it and called me so I get to pick it up today (friday).

Praise our loving and faithful God!

quick post

been crazy busy with end of year...
but we've been getting alot of our stuff in and final details are coming together.

We've pretty much decided to have a general plan of where we're going to serve in India (with a definate stint in Calcutta for a month and a half) and see how long God calls us in the other areas we hope to serve in.

I've got some papers to write... so :-)

WE GOT IT!

The letter is finally in! (we sent it over a month ago)
YAY!
PRAISE GOD!

Stuff in

Packs in YAY!
Knives in YAY! THANK YOU ADRIENNE AND TONY!

Some pictures...

This is where we pray...

This is where we sing...

News from Edward

So today I sat down with David Hunter and talked over our Independent study... my two ideas were: 1.) something on John of the Cross 2.) something on the Missionaries.

The first one seemed rather intellectual and rigorous, though interesting to me, and the second, less intellectual but more complementary to our service. So I'm still working it out in my head, but I think I'm going with something along the lines of a "practical History of the Missionaries of Charity" meaning to me an oral history derived from interviews and discussions mixed with history from books... focusing on what their vows mean to them...

I'm going to run it by one of my other profs, and see if she can think of some way of turning this into another IS and a creative writting paper.

Also, on my way to my physics class (after my discussion with David) I found that my class was cancelled... so I headed home... and I bumped into a young man I met last night. Who is the editor of Uhuru... so I talked to him (my old advisor's wisdom suggested that I do so about Faith or Bust) and said Dan thought you might want to do a piece on us... so I might now be in a Magazine and possibly the campus newspaper.

I got my camera today... and I haven't figured out yet how to get teh pictures on my computer... its not auto like my other cameras have been... so I have to figure that out.

Borrow type donations/donations?

A few things we'd like to borrow or get donated from people (we can't guarentee that they won't get stolen, as we will be in areas we are unsure of how safe they will be):

1. Cheap old laptop: prefer with CD player (just need for journaling/ease of blogging when we can) prefer have wireless capability.
   


2. 4MP+ Digital Camera (I'm looking into buying a relatively nice one... if we can't find a donation) -- I just purchased one from my personal funds (I needed one eventually anyhow. It takes SD memory, and I'm not sure how much memory we'll need since we wont be near a computer. So far I've also bought 5GB (at really good prices four for $20 each, one for $60 but effectively free due to gift cards I had).


3. Any Supplies you might think we'd need. (sleeping bags, packs, etc... we're also looking into purchasing them)


4. Lice shampoo


5. sterile Disposable syringes for injections (it's a health issue to use your own over in India)

This is a few more things on our current to be purchased list:

1. Packs--- We've purchased these now.


2. Sleeping bags-- we'll probably just use sewn up sheets and small travel blankets since the average temperature in India is pretty toasty upon research by Brendan.


3. Gerber Knifes (2) - Purchased thanks to Adrienne and Tony!
   


4. Iodine Tablets or other water purification system.


5. Flashlight, Solar or KineticEar plugs (to sleep in, calcutta street noise is apparently really loud): need get a good reusable pair for both of us. Flashlights are purchased.
   


6. Cord or Clothesline: Need 20-30 feet. Purchased.
   


7. Bandannas (4 large) 2 Purchased, 2 more soon.


8. Combination Lock (maybe also luggage locks): Need for good ones for rooms… at least 2, most 4.


9. Liquid containers… screw top not spout tops: Need several… probably don't need small ones… medium/large size or we could buy shampoos/etc that already have screw tops.


10. Ziplock bags: Need various sizes… lets start with two really large size boxes and one a bit above sandwich size (pint size?) Purchased.


11. Toilet Paper: Need… oh boy do we need (Indians don't use TP apparently, so what they do have is low quality, we need about 2-4 rolls of good stuff, to give our bowels time to get adjusted to India)


12. Hidden money pouch: looking at the type that slide on to your belt and then hang into your pants.
13. Powdered Drink Mix: for electrolytes especially when we get diarrhea or sick and also useful otherwise.


14. Travel Sewing Kit


15. Disposable Rubber Gloves: Need… several boxes... Estimate: 500 pairs (can donate extra).

Blessings!

The Lord is amazing!
Today I had two unexpected events occur. One occured when I went to fill out a form for my new advisor. My old advisor (Dan) bumped into me, and told me something truly astonishing! He had gotten my letter and passed it to others to read, and others were interested in helping too! He was amazed by the fact we were asking for so small an amount from people. And it was funny to me, because he knew why!

We don't ask for a lot of money from others because we don't need alot. We do need some, but we only need some (anything more is an unexpected blessing!) Our goal in fundraising is not primarially to raise funds or awareness. It's to incorporate YOU into something amazing. By giving us the money one of us needs for a day, you've supported a missionary for a day. You've done something truly spectacular, you've given life to a dream. You've are the reason we are in India for that day, you are the direct cause of us feeding the poor that day. You are the direct cause of us comforting the dying. You are the direct cause of everything we do that day. YOU made an amazing difference in the world. And that's why we give thanks to God for you. Why on that day, we remember in all our prayers the sacrifice you made to give us the food we ate, the place we slept, the chance to serve.

Later in the day I received a phone call from James, a man truly seeking God. He's the leader of a prayer group and had heard from Bryan (one of the young men from my old youth group that I sent a letter to) about my trip. He decided to add our trip to the prayer groups agenda and see what happens!

I never thought that this trip would spread by word of mouth, but it has! What a blessing! Everyday I get several more people who want to get letters! What a blessing!

Inspiration

"At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in.’

Hungry not only for bread-but hungry for love.

Naked not only for clothing-but naked of human dignity and respect.

Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks-but homeless because of rejection.

This is Christ in distressing disguise."
~Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta (Theresa C)

Brendan's Pic

So Brendan won't let me post his "tough" looking Visa photo... so he made me post his passport photo instead...

Monday Night

Tonight we bought our backpacks... and at one point Brendan said "Dangit, I'm going to have to buy a woman's backpack" His torso was too small and the directions on the website were misleading... so now he's the proud owner of a pink Backpack.

Well okay maybe not... and maybe he didn't say it, but someone did and it WASN'T me... really. you should believe me because I have hair. and a nice shirt. really.

:-)

We're looking into getting class credit for the summer... which would totally ROCK! And now that we have the packs bought we have all of our big cost items down... though we still have several small things to pick up... which might add up... so far we're still under or projected final budget, and it looks like we should remain so... or cut it close to exactly right.

Visa Pics

Check it out... I've got hair... (and the smile's a result of trying to figure out what they guy was doing...

Pilgrimage to People

India is slowly coming to fruition for us... most of the hard stuff is done and we're now looking at details!

We decided to set a goal for our prayer raising of one hour for each hour we will be on our trip, for a total of 2304 hours! This is a daunting goal for us, but we believe that we can get it! The Lord is faithful!

I just finished up another batch of letters and two letters for my Knights of Columbus chapter in San Antonio... and now I'm bogged down with class work which seems so boring compared to all of this work for India!

Prayer has been pretty good for us, we still struggle somedays to meet and sometimes we miss each other but it's working out really well... praying daily together is a great preparation for our trip! It definitely reduces tension and provides a time for venting from the rest of our lives!

One of my friends suggested writting a prayer for our "Pilgrimage to People." Which is a great idea... and I've been praying for one for awhile with no fruit yet... God bless my hands with your words! And about the "Pilgrimage to People" I'm trying to come up with a term that accurately describes what we are doing... and service trip or mission trip really do injustice to the idea. They both have the connotation of ending after you finish your time away... but my idea for this trip is something that's part of your normal life, the fruition of your daily Christian life that moves you at times to go to other peoples to meet Christ's body... it's not something that "ends" its something that has always been and always should be a part of your Christian baptism. It's craving to answer the call of our Saviour, where ever he may be drawing us, but always growing in faith... it's not a retreat where you act better, its living a life where you ARE better and strive ever more to be even better. And because of this, a trip to India is not extraordinary, its ORDINARY! Because it is not the place you are going, but the call you are answering, the daily courting of our God. It's not India, its where ever you are, which just might be India.

Calendar updates

Dropped India Definite (june 1-July 31st) and India Possible (may 20th-August 7) from calendar and updated with new flight info.

Flight info

All flight info is posted at the bottom of the website. So scroll down and check out our flights!!! :)