Time is really flying and it is only 18 days until I leave for Russia! Wow! I can't believe it! :)
I feel like all I have time for lately is "quick updates." I apologize for that, but as you can imagine, trying to get ready for a trip like this, plus work and do things in daily life keeps you busy! This week I had my grandfather visiting from California, a wedding and my niece's 6th birthday!
But, here is where things are with the trip:
On July 19 we had our last "official" team meeting before our "packing party." We started finalizing our VBS plans and determining where we are with donations of supplies. As a team, on July 19 we were $10,000 short of the cost for land funds!
I am happy to report, however, that I personally have been able to raise all of the funds I need to go on the trip! Thanks to all the amazing people who donated money, soda bottles and prayer, I have officially sent in my last trip payment as of today! Woo Hoo!!!
Now I am focusing on making sure I have all the donations of supplies. I still have some money saved from the soda bottle donations, which I have been using to purchase some supplies. I have also been given some clothes donations and other donations by some amazing people- thank you!
Right now I am still looking for the following items:
*boys t-shirts ages 3-12- I need a minimum of 9
* jeans- new or gently used, girl and/or boy ages 3-7
*underwear- girls and/or boys, new only, ages 3-12
*kids vitamins
*lice shampoo
*Money to go towards the purchasing of the items
I will also be taking pages, pre-printed in Russian that will play into the crafts I will be doing for the VBS. So, any money donations may also go towards printing those.
I just got a donation from my Aunt & Uncle in Australia today and it came at such a good time as I just spent a lot of money on supplies and wondered where the rest will come from! It was reassuring to know that people are still thinking of me, my team and the orphans of this mission trip and are donating. We have a long way to go as a team and every dollar and prayer is important!
I am meeting with my VBS team (we're broken down between younger kids & teens) on Thursday to go over the final details. Then on Tuesday the 3rd we'll have another "informal" meeting of the group. Finally on August 9 we will have our "packing party" and then we leave on Friday, August 12!
Thanks for all your support. Please continue to support me, my team, the orphans and the orphan caretakers in prayer!
Grace & Peace
♥Janessa
Monday, July 26, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Latest Update
Yeah, my title is pretty lame. I want to give a quick update before I leave for the weekend and since I haven't updated in a while.
On June 21st we had another official team meeting where we got to meet Paula from Orphan Outreach. Paula lives in TX so she is not able to make it to all of our meetings, but she is coming on the trip and has traveled with Orphan Outreach multiple times to Russia. It was nice to put a name to a face.
We also got broken up into teams- Younger Kids and Teenagers. We'll all be working with all of the kids, but we are leading VBS in different groups. The tentative plan is to spend the first 2 mornings with one "younger kid" orphanage and the first 2 afternoons with one "teenager" orphanage. Then the next 2 days we'll spend the morning with a different younger kid orphanage and afternoon with a different teenage orphanage. The respective groups will lead the VBS- Bible story, memory verse, craft, games- and the alternate group will lead groups of kids to the different stations. I am working on crafts with the younger kids, so it's time to put on my creativity hat! On the Friday we'll just be hanging out with a couple of orphanages and loving on kids. It should be a good time!
We got our Orphan Outreach T-shirts and luggage tags as well as a list of supplies we'll need to gather to bring to the Orphanages. Things are really coming together!
On Tuesday, June 29, we had another "informal" meeting with about 10 of us in Plainwell to just chat, continue to get to know each other and see where we were with planning/fund-raising. Some of the same people from last time came, and some "new" people, so it was nice getting to see all of them.
The final deadline was July 1 and I didn't have all the money I needed, but they are being extremely flexible with this deadline since it's just land costs (we don't need to pay for food, etc, upfront so they can relax on deadlines!). I am hoping to have the remaining donations in by next week, then I will see what I still need. I trust that it will all come through and I have been so blessed with the donations that came- THANK YOU to EVERYONE who donated!! ♥♥♥
The photo shoots that Evergreen Photography Studios did for me provided more than expected- $430!! This was in part due to kind customers who paid extra so that it would go towards my trip but mostly due to the wonderful work by my sister-in-law, Michelle- Thanks Michelle!! :)
I'm going camping for the weekend (shock and awe I'm sure for those of you know know me well, haha!) for our annual family vacation . It will be nice to get away and spend time with family up in Petosky.
Thanks again, I'll keep you posted on things.
Grace & Peace
♥Janessa
On June 21st we had another official team meeting where we got to meet Paula from Orphan Outreach. Paula lives in TX so she is not able to make it to all of our meetings, but she is coming on the trip and has traveled with Orphan Outreach multiple times to Russia. It was nice to put a name to a face.
We also got broken up into teams- Younger Kids and Teenagers. We'll all be working with all of the kids, but we are leading VBS in different groups. The tentative plan is to spend the first 2 mornings with one "younger kid" orphanage and the first 2 afternoons with one "teenager" orphanage. Then the next 2 days we'll spend the morning with a different younger kid orphanage and afternoon with a different teenage orphanage. The respective groups will lead the VBS- Bible story, memory verse, craft, games- and the alternate group will lead groups of kids to the different stations. I am working on crafts with the younger kids, so it's time to put on my creativity hat! On the Friday we'll just be hanging out with a couple of orphanages and loving on kids. It should be a good time!
We got our Orphan Outreach T-shirts and luggage tags as well as a list of supplies we'll need to gather to bring to the Orphanages. Things are really coming together!
On Tuesday, June 29, we had another "informal" meeting with about 10 of us in Plainwell to just chat, continue to get to know each other and see where we were with planning/fund-raising. Some of the same people from last time came, and some "new" people, so it was nice getting to see all of them.
The final deadline was July 1 and I didn't have all the money I needed, but they are being extremely flexible with this deadline since it's just land costs (we don't need to pay for food, etc, upfront so they can relax on deadlines!). I am hoping to have the remaining donations in by next week, then I will see what I still need. I trust that it will all come through and I have been so blessed with the donations that came- THANK YOU to EVERYONE who donated!! ♥♥♥
The photo shoots that Evergreen Photography Studios did for me provided more than expected- $430!! This was in part due to kind customers who paid extra so that it would go towards my trip but mostly due to the wonderful work by my sister-in-law, Michelle- Thanks Michelle!! :)
I'm going camping for the weekend (shock and awe I'm sure for those of you know know me well, haha!) for our annual family vacation . It will be nice to get away and spend time with family up in Petosky.
Thanks again, I'll keep you posted on things.
Grace & Peace
♥Janessa
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