Hello World!

Hello World!!!!!!!!!!! I may not be able to chat with all of you via phone like I wish, but this is better than nothing! Many thanks to one of my new Congo-friends for letting me borrow an internet thingy while I’m here!!!
So WOW! I don’t even know where to start except to say THANK YOU for your prayers, thoughts, happy wishes, and all the helpful supplies you helped me get stocked up with!! Each and every family member and friend has been such an amazing blessing in helping get me where I am today! God bless you all! God is so amazing! So many of my prayers have been answered and I feel like I’m doing God’s will.
So… not really sure how to start this but I decided that going by the senses would be best… let me also share that many things below may seem like complaints, most aren’t... I just want to share how different things are here than in America. Also, everyone is very friendly and those around me are so helpful and treat me very kindly!!
I’m going to skip taste and will share that later :)
Touch- The main difference is personal space. There really isn’t any. I was sitting on a bench in church for Sunday school on Sunday evening with one of the girls and it seemed like she just kept scooting closer and closer. I do hug the girls and the little kids like to sit on my lap, but sometimes when you want your space, they just don’t understand. It’s just a cultural thing and I’m getting used to it.
Smell- Have mercy! The smell is not too great! I don’t think anyone except me wears deodorant here… Then there’s the smell in the city… it’s a mix of dust, brakes and exhaust. Let me just share that I woke up one morning and thought I was dying because when I looked in the mirror my tongue was BLACK. I later realized that it happens when I go into the city… it’s the dirt, brake dust, exhaust mixture, GROSS!! Sometimes the dirt and exhaust are so thick you can hardly see anything in front of you. (It’s the dry season here which means NO rain for months… not ‘a-slight-chance-of-rain’ type of weather… NO RAIN weather.) However, it’s also the cool season, which I’m totally fine with! It’s cool in the mornings and evenings, I usually where jeans and a sweatshirt or jacket… the days are cool if you’re in the shade… but if you’re in the van or in the sun, it’s nice and hot! I think I can get used to some things here but not sure the smell will ever be one of those things…
Seeing- I cannot even describe what I’ve seen here… lots of kids everywhere are completely dirty, they play in open sewers (just trash in them now, not a lot of water since it’s the dry season), clothing is torn and doesn’t fit correctly for a lot of kids (most of the adults do try to look nice, they have very bright clothing), folks using the bathroom where ever that happen to be when they have to go, cars that are falling apart yet still being driven, homes made of four sticks and tarp, and those are all things I can see… I say that because sometimes you can’t see much. The power goes out daily so a candle-light dinner here isn’t a romantic event, it’s a necessity. I’ve seen lots of cockroaches and flies (haven’t seen many mosquitoes- again, it’s the dry season). The second night I was here I came up with a game in my room called “scare the cockroaches.” I would enter my room and flip on the light and watch them scatter… gross, right? I’m killing as many as I can each day so you think they’d get the point to stay away from my room! Something that I love to see happens at night when the power goes out… the sky is so filled with stars. The first time I saw it, it took my breath away! I also love the sunset. Behind the orphanage is the church I attend and over the wall of the orphanage compound you can see the cross in front of the church… the sun sets right beside it and it’s an amazing sight.
Hearing- As some of you know, I don’t like loud things. I keep the radio in my car turned down and don’t like the TV very loud… loud noises bother me a good bit. They don’t bother folks here! They do everything loudly… In the morning (between 5.15 and 6) and at night (between 8 and 9) the girls all stand in the hallway of the building where our sleep quarters are and sing and pray. It’s great to be a part of but I can hardly stand how loud they are. I finally realized that earplugs do the trick. I don’t think anyone knows my secret just yet. Another loud noise is the horn of the van and other vehicles. Some of you might think that folks in DC are bad drivers and that the roads in Norfolk are no good… come visit me here and you will NEVER, EVER, EVER complain again! A pothole here would be a sinkhole at home, stop signs are merely suggestions and the only rule I’ve seen anyone obey is to stop when the light is red (usually). Besides that people drive all over the road, park anywhere (literally) and pass folks from, and in, any direction. Some roads are paved, some are just dirt and somehow (not sure how since it’s the dry season) some are just mud. I even saw a car scrape the side of another and just keep driving… To add to the hearing section- Most of the time, I have no idea what folks are saying… want to know what Sunday school is like for me? Imagine a super long lecture class you attended in college… then imagine not understanding a word of what anyone is saying… a couple of hours of that at a time is rough, but oh well, I’m doing my best. I am learning some French and bit of Swahili and the girls are working on their English… we manage :)
I am working on a list of things I think the orphanage could use right away. I will get the mailing address soon but in the meantime, any items you can gather or purchase would be great! If folks from all the churches reading this can send boxes as a group, that’s probably best. The sooner the better also because it will probably take at least 10-20 days for it to arrive and then the mailbox is only checked once a month. Here’s the list so far:
-Shoes and socks of all sizes (babies up to probably a women’s 10 or 11)- flip flops, tennis shoes, church shoes… pretty much any type of shoes without a heal… also, the less cloth the better and no leather… (I think Payless has shoes that look like Crocs but are much cheaper, those would be great! Shoes are wiped off by hand or washed in the water bucket like the clothing so they need to be durable, please.)
- Cutlery and a knife sharpener
-Girl’s underwear and bras of all sizes (new please)
-Deodorant and bars of disinfectant soap
- Potholders, kitchen rags and dish towels
-Bath towels and wash cloths
-Clothing of all sizes (infant and up)- No strapless or halter tops, no mini-skirts, nothing revealing- clothing should be appropriate for young girls. Sweaters and jackets are also good since it’s very cool in the morning and evening.
-I don’t know what to call these, but the plastic panties that you put over regular panties when little kids are being potty trained (in case of accidents)
-Bibs, onsies and baby blankets
-Cloth diapers and those big safety pins that are used with them
-Bottles (not the kind that need disposable liners), bottle brushes
-Pins, needles, thread of all colors
-Games and books (if you can find any picture books that have French and English words together, that’s great, the girls love those!)
-They also love photos… flowers, animals, your family (feel free to write a little note to say Hi):)
I continue to covet your prayers while I’m here. I’m adjusting okay and the girls and women at the orphanage are doing everything they possibly could do to make me feel welcome! However, it’s still hard. Something I really miss is running water! I haven’t flushed a toilet in almost two weeks! Something I do enjoy is washing my clothing by hand… don’t ask why, I don’t know... but its fun and the girls like to help me :) (No, I will not continue this practice when I return home!!)
Please feel free to ask any questions and I’ll do my best to answer them! I will only be online occasionally so please don’t be offended if I don’t reply right away!! Also, I’ve put up some photos… I’ll put up more when I have time to give them good descriptions.
Again, I want to express my heart-felt thanks to all of you! Love and Blessings from the DRC to you! God is soooo great!!!
Love and hugs- Rachel

God's Weary Traveler

Whew! So I think I know what day it is but I’m pretty lost on what time it is and where I am :-)
Okay, actually, I’m at Heathrow… I have a few hours to kill before my next flight so I thought I’d post a little update while I have a tiny but of internet connection…

My flight from Dulles to London was delayed by over 12 hours and I needed to get to London to make my connection so they sent me to Paris and then to London. I got to Dulles with plenty of time to spare to make my flight (or so I thought) but since it was changed I ended up running to catch my flight and not getting to make a lot of phone calls to friends and family members like I wanted… so to those folks, I apologize.  I CAN now say that I’ve been to France… even if it was only for 45 minutes :-)  The two photos above are what I saw of France from the plane I boarded to get to London. The two below are the clouds I could see as we descended towards Heathrow :-)

I got to London but my checked baggage didn’t… however, they said it would be just a few hours behind me. So I checked into my Yotel cabin and took a nap and one last shower. After that I was able to get my luggage and check it in for my following flights. A big bummer has been that the luggage is over the weight restrictions so I’ve have to pay hundreds of dollars in fines. There was just so much to take to the orphanage between gifts, items they requested I bring and my personal items that nothing could be left out… oh well, as long as it all gets there!!  After that I grabbed a burger and fries and here I am!!

I’m very tired but hopefully I’ll get some sleep on my 8 ½ flight to Nairobi :-)  So far everything is working out fine (minus the little issues here and there.) God seems determined to get me to Lubumbashi and I look forward to getting there!!

My love and God’s Peace to all!!!!
Rachel

Time flies!

The countdown is on... somewhere around 100 hours left before I hit the skies and head to Africa! WOW!
It's been a long past few days. Thursday it actually hit me-- what I signed on for-- and I didn't handle it well... I was crying, dropping things and not able to concentrate. But things got better Friday and my parents and sister arrived to hang out for a few days.
I realized Wednesday that the packages I ordered to give as gifts to the girls and other folks wouldn't make it to me in time. I ordered them in plenty of time but as of Wednesday, the day they were to be delivered, I was having my mail forwarded to my parents. But miracle of miracles, one of the boxes was delivered a few days ago to my building but put in front of the wrong door... so Friday the box made it to me, I can not explain how happy I am about that! The other box won't make it in time but no worries, I'll hit up a Christian bookstore and get what I need. Thank you God for answered prayers!!!!
It's amazing that so many things have fallen in to place and happened just perfectly and right on time. I truly believe that God has ordained this trip. I may or may not find out why God is sending me to this place at this time... but it's for God and God's glory, not mine, so I don't need to know if I'm not supposed to.
I ask that you continue to pray for me, this trip, the orphanage and my family as this adventure gets closer.
Have a blessed and relaxing Memorial Day weekend!
God's Peace,
Rachel

Two Weeks!!!

Wow! Just finished the amazing adventure of getting Meagan and Craig hitched with some of my bestest friends! Now it's time to move on to the next adventure! I leave for the Congo TWO WEEKS from tomorrow... WOW! So here are some updates:

• I have all of my immunizations. I have also ordered Malarone from my pharmacy and will begin taking that right before I leave for my trip. (It's an anti-Malaria drug.) I also have my last doctor appt today to make sure I'm all set to go. I'll get a few prescriptions to fill so that I can take meds with me to self medicate...
• I have continued to be in touch with the orphanage and folks who are in that area or have been there...
• I will be doing some shopping today to load up on supplies (contact solution, shampoo, etc.)
• I will be ordering gifts to take to all the girls at the orphanage and will continue to pray for all of them (and I hope you will continue to pray for them too!)
• My flight leaves June 1st from Dulles. My sister will come visit a few days before I leave, not sure if my bro-in-law can make it but hopefully! My parents will come visit the weekend before I leave then Mom will drive my car down to her place and take Malachi with her... I'm sure that'll be an adventure for her!
• I rec'd my Visa so getting into the Congo should be okay... (prayers!)
• I've been told that someone will meet me at the airport when I arrive in Lubumbashi on June 3rd.

I'm very nervous and excited but also very at peace. God doesn't cease to amaze me and I look forward to serving God and others this summer!! Please continue to pray for me, those who I'll serving and the family and friends who I'll be missing for three months...
Love to all,
Rachel

(ps- HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!)

Moving along!

Finally! I've been working to get this updated for a while now and as soon as I sit down and think about what I'm going to write, something else happens that I'll want to add and I totally get lost thinking about other things regarding the trip :)
So here are some updates, in bullet form because it's easiest. Things are happening so quickly now that by the time you read this I might have rec'd more info...

- I have been in touch with a travel agent who (I believe) is a former UMVIM coordinator in another Jurisdiction. She was also the woman who conducted my phone interview. (Her name is Jan.) She has just returned from Lubumbashi and said that she had a nice (but busy) trip. She is booking all my flights for me and right now I'm looking at about $1700-1800 round trip. (Yes, I really need to dig into my fund-raising!) I'll leave on June 1st and return on August 28th if everything goes through. I will fly to London, then Nairobi, then on to Lubumbashi... the same for the return trip except that I'm going to stay in London for about 4 days. (I'm saving up to treat myself to this small vacation, this will not be paid for with any money from my fundraising.) I've been to the UK before and look forward to going back and visiting some places I saw during my trip five years ago and also to seeing some new sites! I ran out of a perfume I got in Bath and am hoping maybe I can find some more!! :-D

- I have heard from a few folks at the Jamaa Letu orphanage (their Director is actually in the US right now I believe) and I should be receiving my official invitation letter in the next week or so via email... which their embassy will accept, so that I can get my visa. (Which will cost at least $250... Yes, I really need to dig into my fund-raising)

- I have been in touch with some other young women who recently volunteered near the orphanage where I'll be and/or actually lived there! This has been so helpful! They'll been answering all kinds of questions for me and I'm sooooo grateful!!!

- I found the blog of a young man from the UK who lives in Lubumbashi and have sent him many questions regarding the area. His answers have also been very helpful!!

- I have more details about the location of the orphanage, the water and power situation, food, etc.

-I have started a registry on REI.com to help get some supplies I'll need. Just use my name to search for it if you'd like to help in that way. Feel free to stick a note with and/or in whatever you purchase. It will be a special treat to read notes from home while I'm away for three months.

-I am almost done being a pin cushion. Most of my shots are finished... just one or two more to go. I have a prescription for my anti-malaria meds (fun... blah) and will get that filled soon.

Well, those are some updates... please feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer them :) I'm enjoying preparing for this adventure God is allowing me to be a part of and can't wait to get to Lubumbashi!

Your sister in Christ,
Rachel