Morning Everyone!!! Just checked our count down timer and my heart is racing....75 days till we are airborne and 8 kids to get sponsored! I am feeling alot of anxiety as the timer gets smaller. It is hard to explain all the mixed emotions about the trip. It is hard to weigh what is causing the most anxiety for me, being away from my husband or trying to get people to understand how hard World Vision is working in developing countries. I have been blessed the past couple of years to be able to travel with my husband to alot of developing countries and for me it has been an awesome experiance and renews for me how important it is to sponsor children in these developments.
My husband is an incredible person and has inspired me more than anyone else in this world and is the biggest supporter of my passion. Even though he might not believe it now, this trip is for him in alot of ways. He has given me so much these past few years and I have grown so much because of his love and now it is time for me to pass that on. I will carry his love in my heart as we embark on our journey and draw strength from it on a daily basis.
These past few weeks as I try to talk to people about child sponsorship I have come to realize that alot of people have pigeon-holed all child sponsorship programs as the same. I am here to say that this is the furthest thing from the truth. World Vision has a wonderful saying and that is that they don't believe in hand outs, but hands up. What this means is that through the sponsorship of the children with World Vision your monthly contribution helps not only the child but the community as a whole. World Vision works in these developing countries, in area projects, helping the community become a whole. They spend many years in a project and help the community develop/train things like agriculture, water and sanitation, medical, education,, etc. So much so that when they leave the project, the community as a whole is 100% self sustainable. They do not bandaid the problem, they fix it! Their work speaks volumes and their success rate is huge! The project we are going into is an area called Nyamata where World Vision has been working since 2000. The project is scheduled for completion in 2014. Nyamata was one area during the genocide that had one of the worst massacres of Tutsi's and left the community reeling. The community was left with over 13000 orphans, over 3099 widows, 286 widowers, and over 159 physically hadicapped as well as 5000 identified vunerable families. The HIV/AIDS has scourged the community and has one of the highest rates on the country at a straggering 18%. All of this sounds horrible and almost impossible to fix but through World Vision sponsorship they have helped restore the hope of the Nyamata community members to help bring life to all.
I am asking you all to consider child sponsorship very seriously. For such a little amount of money, you can change the life of one child so incredibly. I welcome all questions and comments about anything that is on your mind. No question is stupid and I welcome you to ask. My biggest passion is to help clear up the misconception that people have of child sponsorship and how different World Vision is from the others.
Carol, I need to tell you that even though we really don't know each other very well.....yet, I am throughly looking forward to this trip with you. You are an amazing woman and very inspirational. You are truly the most unselfish, loving and caring woman in my life and I am truly blessed to be able to go on this trip with you!

Vickie

The Count Down Has Begun!

Well my tooth is still aching! I sure hope I won't need a root canal on top of it, actually scratch that I just got back from the dentist and yes I now need a root canal!!! Anyway on to better things, it's hard to believe that May is almost over and we have snow on the ground, This is a picture of my niece Alexis and the giant snowman she built this morning! I am beginning to think the only summer weather I'm going to get to enjoy this year will be the time I spend in AFRICA!

When I look at our countdown clock, and see how fast our trip is approaching I have to admit I feel as though I have stepped into one of those little cars you ride on a a roller coaster and they have locked me in and we are starting to pull away. I have moments of disbelief and euphoria, followed by true fear and panic with a little bit of what the heck was I thinking. I am already struggling with the reality that I won't see my beloved daughter and husband for an entire month. Rob has been my biggest supporter and has helped me to realize a dream come true, he has always believed in me even when there have been times in my life that I haven't been able to believe in myself. He has truly helped me to become the woman that I am today, and it breaks my heart that I will not be sharing Rwanda with him. I am hopeful that one day we will travel there together and I will be able to share with him a place that I know will become a part of me.

I am excited to be going on this adventure and at the same time I feel an overwhelming sense of sadness. I feel sad knowing that there are children there tonight that will go to bed afraid and hungry. They will not have the sense of security a little one feels with the soft gentle kisses from a mothers lips, the comfort from a loving hand upon their tiny cheeks. It is heartbreaking to know when they wake in the middle of the night from a bad dream, no one is there to comfort and reassure them. How will I react when I meet these children face to face, my heart is breaking for them already. How do I look them in the eyes and not let them see the shame that I feel for living a life of such comfort and privilege. I cannot prepare myself not matter how hard I try for the reality of what I will experience.

Carol