Feels like it's been a while...

Oh hello!! It has been a busy few weeks! School has been crazy and then I had good old Spring Break!! Oh, mine was great, thanks for asking. It was mostly full of work, cleaning, and hanging with the fam. I even went for 36 hours without sleep at one point (I know what you're thinking, and no, I wouldn't recommend it!)

Though I certainly would recommend hanging out with my nephew Carson. He's pretty rad. He even lets me give his red head a sweet Mohawk.

But even through all that, Africa prevails! Plans are in full swing and every day it feels more and more like my dream is coming true! I had a couple of days to catch up on my news of Africa during the break, and let me tell you, it was inspiring as usual. If you even spend a couple of minutes Googling some key words you can quickly find out there are many people struggling in Africa. But there certainly is something that we can do about it! I firmly believe that just educating yourself and looking outside yourself to the great big world can be difficult but will greatly enhance your life. It has helped me learn the value of people, even if we are just a tiny spec on the map. I firmly believe we are all part of a divine plan much bigger than all of us.

Anyway, my main goal was to update on where we are with plans here and fill you all in on some big news.... I will get to use a Buddy Pass for my flight! For those of you who don't know what these are, essentially a friend of my brother Tim works for Delta so he has some passes that allow people to fly for a fraction (1/4th in my case) of the cost. Hooray!! Thanks to Tim for your dedication in following through with this and those involved in getting me the pass, I'm so grateful for your willingness to help me! So, this knocks about 1500 dollars off of the grand total bring us down to about $4,000. Thank you to those who have contributed and have helped me! We're going to do this and I'm so very excited!!

Coming soon to a blog near you: $300 dollars worth of shots. Feel free to start placing bets whether I chicken out or not! (I have a huge fear of needles...)

A Solid Shout Out and Money Breakdown

I'm utterly and completely blown away by the amazingness I am surrounded by! I'm fully aware of the fact that I didn't plan this all as well as I could have, and I realize I'm pretty much crazy for all this, but in spite of all that, my family and friends have shown OVERWHELMING support. Everything from the comments, the meetings, the suggestions, and offers of monetary backing; you guys never cease to amaze me! I really appreciate all that's been done. Please know you are not only making a HUGE difference in my life right now, you are greatly impacting my future for the positive, and making a positive and lasting affect on the lives of those I'll be serving. Thank you!!

Now, down to awesome business... I finally got the paypal account thing figured out! You should see the button on the right. For the most part, it is only set up to receive funds from a paypall account. If you would like to donate from a debit or credit, just let me know, and we can work that out. Now you may be asking yourself, "What is up with these funds?" Allow me to break it down:

Fees for Volunteering: $2, 830

Plane Ticket: about $2,000

Other Fees: about $500

Serving in Ghana: PRICELESS!!


So, that's the damage. That is a lot of zeros, let me tell you what they're all about. The Fees for volunteering cover the 3 months I will be in Ghana. Mostly it covers my shelter, my food, my safety, the in country-coordinator, and the many materials I have to help with the culture and language (I'm trying to learn Ewe! Stay in touch...). They do not cover my plane ticket, which is why it is written above. Those two will pretty much everything but a few things that can't be forgotten. The other category includes: Visa fees, immunization, traveler's insurance, and funds I will need in the country for using internet or making phone calls.

Really what I would love to have help with is the plane ticket and volunteering fees. If you want to help with the volunteering fees, it's tax deductible and I can give you the tax ID number, just let me know! Also, we are pushing to get my plane ticket purchased AQAP (As quick as possible) before it gets any more expensive. This, unfortunately wouldn't really be tax deductible because it would just be a personal donation. Even if all you've got is the change from out of your couch, every cent helps! I love you all and I'm so glad you're sharing this journey with me!