All I Can Say is ... Wow! I Hope This Will All Fit on the Truck!

Sad to say but these pics really don't do it justice. There's more than it appears in the pics. I've gotta be honest - I'm ready to get this stuff out of my house. But hey, I'm SO not complaining. Its not about me. :)

Melda's Shower

Thanks to Michelle and Sherri for hosting the shower for Melda today! It was great! Melda got a LOT of stuff and will be so blown away when we give it to her. She knows she is getting a new kitchen but has no idea that we did a shower for her. I'm sure she will share of the abundance. Not far from her is a small, single-wide trailer with no indoor plumbing, little electric, and 15 people living inside (8 of them are children). The Lakota believe in generosity to the point where they define it not by how much you give, but by what you have left. Thanks to all who gave. You will bless a lot of people!

First Blood

Monday evening Bob and Pat delivered the exterior door, a frame for it, and a storm door! Tuesday my dad (Cliff) came over to put the frame together and hang the door so it's ready when we get there. That is a HUGE help since we're really limited on time after we get there. So, Melda's project has officially begun! My dad is battling cancer and all the wonderful side-effects of chemo so he's not able to go with us this year but he got the honor of drawing "first blood" on the project when he cut his hand. There are 14 of us going to the Rez, and 13 of us working on the project (Whitlock is the cook and will be on overtime cooking for the crew, the kids, and whoever else shows up to eat) but there are SO many other folks who are a part of it in one way or another.

Part 2 of the Interview @ Communitas Collective

Part 2 of the interview can be found here.

Interview

Gary interviewed me (Amber) about all we do for Pine Ridge over on the Communitas Collective web site. You can read the interview here. The second part will be posted on Monday.

Gary also does all of our art work for us! He is the talent behind the Backpacks For Pine Ridge logo, the REZonate Music Fest logo and all of our promotional materials!

Got Raw Brute Strength?

OK, so you don't really need raw brute strength... even I can do this and I'm an out of shape 48 year old lady.

IF you can't go on the trip but you would like to do something to help out ... here's an opportunity...

Friday, July 10 @ 6pm we have a 26' truck to load.

This year we could use some extra help because we have SO much more to load (building materials for Melda's, 45 heaters, 550 backpacks, plus all the food for the trip) and we have a smaller crew and of that smaller crew, two are injured.

Not all of the boxes are heavy - some are filled with toilet paper and/or paper towels. Most are easy to manage (remember even I can handle most of them).

If you can help out, shoot me an email amberburiff@aol.com or see me @ church to let me know we can count on you.

Do Short-Term Mission Trips Really Make a Difference? (Part 1)

Click here to read my blog post about "Do Short-Term Mission Trips Really Make a Difference?"

You're Invited!

Melda's Shower

Sunday, June 28th

Winton Rd First Church of God

2:00 pm

Michelle and Sherri are hosting a Kitchen Shower for Melda! Melda's getting a new kitchen and what's a new kitchen without knew kitchen "stuff?"

We will have cake and fellowship

Bring your unwrapped gift so everyone can ooh and aah and then we'll wrap everything up and pack it for the trip!

If you would like to help Melda but you can't make the shower, feel free to donate a gift card to WalMart or Target or bring a giftand give it to Michelle or Sherri.

We will be taking lots of pictures to include a scrapbook we will put together after the Pine Ridge trip for Melda.

Suggested Gift Ideas:

Dish Towels

Pot Holders

Pot Scrubbers

Dish Soap

All sizes cast iron cookware

Non-breakable glasses/mugs

Kitchen Gadgets (non-electrical, things like spatula, tongs, long-handled spoons, etc.)

Kitchen knives

Flatware

Tupperware type storage containers

Non-breakable pitcher

Cutting board

Two Down

Our crew needs help. We're dropping like flies.

Pray for Fred who is still in a LOT of pain.

Pray for Charles who blew his knee out and as of Sunday could not walk without holding on to things.

I've gone to buy ice packs - one for Fred, one for Charles, and one for whoever else gets hurt. I'm also stocking up on Icy Hot and Advil for the trip.

PRAY!

Crew

I don't like posting things like this because I'd rather do a lot of things than ask for money. I love what we do and I love that I get to be a part of it, but the one thing I always regret is having to ask for money.

BUT

We have 2 crew members who need help. Both are hard-working, irreplaceable, people who are willing to give up personal vacation time to go help others - but they are short a few hundred dollars. One owes $350 and one $250. The money does not go to them personally - it goes to pay for travel expenses for the crew, food for the crew and 150 kids each day, VBS materials, materials for Melda's project, and other supplies we need for the trip.

So, if you are unable to go with us but would really like to be a part of our trip, one way you can do that is to help these two folks out. Contact me at AmberBuriff@aol.com and I'll see that it's taken care of.

A Couple of Cool Stories

Got an email from a lady on the Rez asking for 300 backpacks for the kids in her village. I had talked to her earlier and was waiting to hear back to see how many she needed. The only problem is - we only had 250 for her. We have 150 going to one village & 100 going to another which only left 250 for her. I hate the thought of 50 kids being left out. SO ... I tried to figure out a way to get the other 50. I sent out requests on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and the Backpacks blog. Don't ya know .... within a short time a good friend replied and said, "count me in for the $50". Turns out someone had unexpectedly given him $50 today so he passed it on. Amazing.

A package also came today. I wasn't sure what it might be. I order lots of stuff for the trip, but so far everything I had ordered was accounted for. I didn't recognize the box either. Hmmm... I brought it in and opened it and found a large cast iron skillet, dishtowels, dish clothes, and cooking utensils - all for Melda. From a total stranger who happened to read about it on a blog. This same sweet lady recently send $150 to help build Melda's kitchen. I was totally not expecting more from her. Wow...

Thank you!!

The Backpack Truck Is Gonna Roll Again!

Got the truck reserved and its a BIG one. Normally we take a 15 ft truck but this year we have 500 backpacks, 44 heaters, and all of the materials for Melda's in addition to our luggage, food, bedding, tools, etc. so this year we've got a 26 ft. truck.

The good news - we should have enough room

The bad news - it gets 6 miles per gallon. Yeah, fuel costs will kill us. Oh well. If its God's will, its God's bill.

We will be driving it both ways - we had considered taking the truck one way but we just have too much stuff to bring back home so it's gotta go both ways. We'll also take one of the church vans. It'll be cozy but we can do anything for a week, right.

I must say Ryder trucks have been a JOY to work with. They are always so nice and seem to do their absolute best to make sure we're taken care of. We usually get the best truck on the lot and get a bit of a price break too. They know us by name now and are just really great to work with. Unknown to them, the kids on the Rez think that "Ryder" spells "Backpacks".

Updated Materials List

In case anyone is insterested in what we have for Melda's. Here is an updated list of what we already have.


Assorted Nails
Assorted 16 Penny Nails
Assorted Beige siding / Corner / J-Channels / Starter Strips
3 Bags 80 lb. Quikrete
2, 45.5" x 45.5" windows
3, 4' x 8' x 1/2" obs plywood - T/G - blue edged
2, 4' x 22.5" -x 1/2" obs plywood - T/G - blue edged
16, 4' x 8' x 3/8" obs plywood - blue edged
14, 4'x8' interior wall paneling (white)
5, 4'x12' x 1/2" Drywall
10, 9'x16' x 1-1/2" planks
6, 4'x8'x3/4" Plywood (traditional)
11, 4'x8'x3/8" obs plywood - yellow edged
65 (est?), 2"x4" studs
4, 4"x4"x10' posts
10, 2"x4"x12'
1 roll tar paper / roof felt
12 bundles shingles
6, 8' base-board moldign
1, 1 Gallon Self-Stick Tile Primer
5 boxes of 12"x12" vinyl floor tle (45 tiles/box)
1, ceiling light (3 bulb fixture)
1, 5 gallon bucket of Interior Latex Semi-Gloss paint
1, large bucket Sheet Rock Joint compound
Assorted Roofing Felt nails
Assorted Shingle Nails
16 joist hangars
10, 10" galvanized bolts with nuts

I Made an Executive Decision

I made an executive decision. Usually I like to give the VBS teams lots of freedom to do what they want in their classes. This year none of the teams planned any craft for their class. Not doing crafts would save us $$ BUT it would also leave us with a LOT of kids with a LOT of unstructured time.

I've always said and still believe that the best ministry we do there is done on the playground, BUT too much time with no very little structure can be disastrous. Besides, the kids really love to draw and color.

SO, I ordered some crafts. In keeping with the Olympic theme, I ordered the following:

Make your own Flag

Make your own Medal

We also still have one of these plastic display thingys left over from last year. It doesn't look exactly like this one pictured, but it is very similar and holds several index cards with can be decorated any way the kids want.

I also have made up some coloring pages with the American Indian athletes from the post below. Each of the sheets has a picture of the athlete that can be colored and a bit of their "story". These could be used to help instill in the kids that their circumstances do not have to limit them - that anything is possible. God has given each of them a gift. It may be athletic ability or artistic ability or intellect, but if they work hard God will bless their efforts.

I also ordered a BIG box of markers which we will leave there for Shelly to use in children's church.

More Materials for Melda's

Jerry, Cliff, and myself went to Lowes today to get paneling, OSB board, and some sizing for the flooring. The paneling cost a bit more than I had planned but seems like a much better material. Thankfully, we have received a lot of donations! We'll need 'em!

The Garage Sale

Despite threats of rain one very determined team member (Cathy) carried on and held the garage sale. We did OK. Here's a pic of Cathy with her first $5.

Tim dropped by for a while, bought my coffee maker for $5 and then resold it within about 10 minutes.

Whitlock came by too but due to a misunderstanding he did not buy the yard that he thought was for sale - or the garage for that matter.

And I (Amber) didn't make much $$ because I was practically giving stuff away, but I didn't bring anything back home so I'm happy. Having someone pay me to haul off my stuff seems like a deal to me.

If you missed it, you missed some good deals, some good coffee, some good bologna, and some good laughs.

Come to our garage sale today!

Olympic Themes

The theme for VBS this year is "The Olympics". I've been researching some inspiring American Indian athletes who competed in the Olympics and am pretty amazed at their stories. I think the kids need to know about these heroes. They are American Indian and they did not allow circumstances to control their destiny. They overcame some pretty daunting obstacles - that's a message the kids we work with need to hear. I'm thinking of making some trading cards to give to each of the kids.

Cheri Becerra

An Omaha Indian, she also became the first native American to win an Olympic medal

when she claimed a bronze in a demonstration wheelchair event at the Atlanta Games.
.
She only started wheelchair racing in 1995 when a rehabilitation worker in her home town of Nebraska City, Nebraska, showed her a magazine article and encouraged her to get involved.
Before that, Becerra had been swimming for fun and fitness but had never competed at sports.
"Being in a wheelchair, so many people have the attitude that you can't do anything," she said. "It's events like the Paralympics that prove we can compete and that we are very capable."

Becerra became a paraplegic at the age of four, saying she went to sleep one night and woke the next morning without any feeling in her legs.
Doctors attributed it to an unidentified virus.
Becerra said it could have been a blessing.
"If I could walk, I don't think I'd be competing at an international level -- I doubt it," she said.

Billy Mills

Oglala Lakota Sioux

Born in Pine Ridge and raised on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Billy was orphaned at the age of 13.

He took up running while attending the Haskell Institute, which is now knows as the Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, KS.

He is the second Native American ever to win an Olympic gold medal.

He accomplished this feat in the 10,000 meter run at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics making him the only American ever to win the Olympic gold in this event.

Many consider his victory in 1964 to be the greatest upset in Olympic history.

Ben Nighthorse Campbell

member of the US Olympic team in 1964,

competingin Judo.

He is the only American Indian in Congress.

He is a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe.

During Campbell's childhood, his father had problems with alcoholism, often leaving the family for weeks and months at a time. His mother had health problems, with tuberculosis that limited the contact she could have with her children and continued to force her into the hospital for long periods of time. These problems led to Ben and his older sister Alberta (who died in an apparent suicide at age 44) spending much of their early lives in nearby Catholic orphanages.
Campbell dropped out of high school in 1951 to join the U.S. Air Force.

Campbell obtained his GED while in the Air Force and after returning to the United States, Campbell used his GI Bill and work as a truck driver (he was and remains a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters)

Today's Update

I've been shopping for cleaning supplies today. Gotta keep those bathrooms clean and shiny. 150 kids + 15 crew + 2 missionaries + dirt + sweat + a watermelon eating contest + a building project + lunch for all 150 kids and crew + potty breaks + an EXTREME water fight all adds up to some pretty messy bathrooms. So I've been buying, boxing and stacking up the boxes today.

I imagine they have cleaning supplies there, but ya know what? We go through a LOT of them in a week so ... we take our own so we don't become an added expense to the missionaries there. We take paper towel and garbage bags too - we go through a LOT of those too.

And SURPRISE! My surprise for the crew arrived today! *evil grin* I'll be working on that tomorrow.

And we got some GREAT NEWS!! Papa Johns will be back for REZonate Music Fest again this year! And .... they are willing to glue some flyers about the event on their pizza boxes!

OK, speaking of Papa Johns ... I'm hungry - gotta go fix dinner.

Wounded Knee

I hope you all got to see the PBS special about Wounded Knee tonight. It was extremely well done and left me with a fresh perspective about Wounded Knee and a greater appreciation for what happened there in the 70's. Films like this always leave me feeling sad and angry about the injustice and immensely grateful that the Lakota people allow us to care for their children. Many of the children we work with are children or grandchildren of those who experienced the horrors of the boarding schools that were ran by white, Christian, missionaries. That they allow us to take their children for a moment is amazing to me. If you missed the broadcast, I think it will be available to watch online at this site.

A Shower

Today I received $150.00 for Melda's project from a friend who found us through Michelle's blog. Its amazing to see how people are pulling together to help out. Michelle posted about Melda after the presentation at church and the school principal read it and told Michelle that there is a gift at the school for Melda. :) Michelle and Sheri will be doing a shower and I hope to be able to have Melda come up and make Indian Tacos for us (we'll buy the ingredients) the last night we are there and then we can present her with the gifts. She will not be expecting that - at all and will be so surprised. I'll post the date of the shower as soon as I know it.

For anyone who may be interested, I've made up a list of things Melda might use. The electric is limited there so please no electrical items. Here are some ideas ...

Ideas for Melda’s Shower Gifts

Dish Towels
Pot scrubbers
Dish Soap
Pot holders
All sizes cast iron cookware
Non-breakable glasses/mugs
Kitchen gadgets (non-electrical, things like spatula, tongs, long-handled spoons, etc.)
Kitchen knives
Flatware
Tupperware type storage containers
Non-breakable pitcher
Cutting Board
Kitchen Rug – the floor tile is black
Blinds or Curtains and the hardware to put them up. (if we can find out what size windows we will be putting in) I would suggest something sheer since privacy is not an issue – they are all alone there and the window(s) may be her only source of light. (this is taken care of)
Scrapbook – made of pictures from the shower and pictures of the building project and then mailed to her after the building is complete. If this included names of everyone and maybe some info about them it would be cool for her to feel “connected” to those back here who were a part of it that she may never meet.

Drywall and VBS

Dennis just left from unloading drywall for Melda's. We got the big sheets so (hopefully) it will go up quicker and we'll have less seams. We have plenty of us to hold it in place until it gets fastened in good. I have a feeling we'll need pictures of that. :)

Also been hitting some garage sales and picked up some stuff for VBS games. Now I'm gonna hit the thrift store to see what others VBS game stuff I can come up with.

Garage Sale

Garage Sale!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

9am - 3pm

2504 Haverknoll Dr.

Cincinnati

Proceeds go to help team members pay for their trip to Pine Ridge.

Items: Housewares, Golf Clubs, Tools, Dishes, Fabric for quilting, Home Decor, good stuff

What's Happening Today

I've finished the Devo's for the trip. Last year I decided not to do that since I didn't figure anyone really took the time to read them and because we have team Devos twice a day anyway ... but I heard that people do actually read them. So, we have a brand new set of 'em. I'll give ya a hint - they are each based on a Lakota value and incorporate the story of Nehemiah. Might be cool to read that book before we go.

I'm getting ready for the meeting on Sunday. Crew - better be there. We're making assignments and giving them out at this meeting. In addition to that the crew Devo schedule will be given out. And I hope to offer everyone some encouragement. Should be a good meeting.

I'm also making up the chore schedule. I hate doing that. It's waayyyy harder than I ever imagined it would be. And of course this includes the infamous "bathroom duty" schedule - so if you're on the crew you might want to pray I overlook you for that one. :)

Updated List of Materials Needed for Melda's Kitchen

Here is an updated list. We may add to it as we think of things we've overlooked.

UPDATED: May 21, 2009

Lumber:
2) 2” by 12” x 12’ treated boards for decking beam
Misc treated wood for stairs
1. 1 - 2” by 12” x 12’ for stringers
2. 2 – 2” by 6” x 10’
12) 4’by 8’ T11 siding boards – Vinyl Siding Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.
14) 4’ by 8’ Light color Paneling (interior walls)
52 ft of fascia board

Overhang Soffit:
70’ of vinyl soffit – Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.
70‘of F channel - (we may have this too - I'm not sure what all of the stuff in my garage is for)

Roofing:
4) Square equivalent of metal roofing or 4) Square of shingles (12 Bundles) – Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.
320 sq/ft of tar paper for roofing – Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.
20’ roof flashing – Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.

Dry wall:
6) 4’ by 8’ drywall boards or 4) 4’ by 12’ boards - purchased May 9, 2009
1) 5 gal. buckets drywall compound – Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services Inc.
1) 5 gal. bucket drywall topping- Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.
Roll of dry wall tape

Hardware:
Nails (framing, finish, paneling) - Have a 5 gallon bucket of roofing nails donated by Charles Fraizer & a 1 gallon can of framing nails donated by Ameridian Speciality Services

5 lb drywall screws
10) 3\8” x 7” carriage bolts w/ washers and nut - (we may have this too from Ameridian - I'm not sure what the big bolts they gave us are)

Insulation:
350 sq/ft of insulation for walls (16” width between studs)
200 sq/ft of insulation for ceiling (24” width between rafters)

Paint:
3 gal. for interior walls and ceiling – 5 Gallon donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.

Doors:
Pre-hung Steel Exterior door - donated by Bob & Pat King
Storm door - donated by Bob & Pat King

Windows:
Any size, pre-hung Window - two windows donated by Bill & Dixie Phelps

Flooring:
250 Self-sticking vinyl tile - donated by Cliff & Judy Dyson
Woodwork or vinyl stripping for base of wall

Electric:
Electrical wiring – Donated by Hauser Heating and Air
Electrical boxes – Donated by Hauser Heating and Air

Misc.
Kitchen ceiling light – Donated by Hauser Heating and Air

Got a Building Project?

Lots happening ... I'm so busy I don't know if I'm coming or going but I do know things are crazy good about now.

See this post at the Backpacks blog ...

Tomorrow me and Brody (thank you Brody for your help and use of your truck) will be picking up a load of materials for Melda's kitchen. Now, here's the part that's really cool ... Ameridian Speciality Services, Inc. has donated a LOT of the materials! Just a few of the things they are giving us are:

Siding
Shingles
Roof flashing
Vinyl soffit
5 gal. bucket of drywall compound
nails
Drywall screws

SO ... if you need any building done please give these good folks a call. Not only have they donated these materials but they have been a title (big) sponsor of REZonate Music Fest for two years!

Policy About Fireworks

Every so often the issue of fire comes us. The first year we went to the Rez it was the 4th of July and several of our crew wanted to take fireworks. Since then several people have suggested that we have a bonfire or campfire in the evenings while on the trip. I admit, that I would really love to have both fireworks and a bonfire BUT, its not a good idea. The weather is very hot and dry and the Reservation is made up of a lot of prairie (dry grass). You get the idea - fires can be a real problem. See this video for a view of a fire in 2007 that shut down Hwy 18 and burned over 36 square miles of the Reservation. The fire was from the careless use of fireworks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs9kSRiMles So if you were wondering ........ that is why we don't allow fire of any kind.

Packing and Party Stuff

Today I've started packing toilet paper and paper towel (yes a few of the crew has that in already!).

I'm also getting stuff together for the games for the big end-of-the-week party the last day we're there. I've bought prizes a prize for each of the teams for the Watermelon Eating Contest and will be packing game stuff up as I get more of it together.

So far, I'm thinking we'll do:

• Potato Sack Races (we already have the potato sacks from previous years)
• Penny Pitching (with lots of little prizes for every winner)
• Tug-of-War
• A suitcase relay (two teams, one person takes a suitcase packed with lots of odds and ends of clothing, runs to a finish line, unpacks the suitcase and puts everything on, then runs the empty suitcase back to the start, takes all the stuff off and puts it back in the suitcase so the next team member can do the same. First team to finish, wins)
• Bean Bag toss (or corn hole)
• Water Balloon Toss
• Slip-n-Slide
• Watermelon Eating Contest
• and of course The EXTREME Water Gun Fight

The water guns are supposed to be delivered today!

Part of the Way There

Dennis, me and my dad picked up a load of lumber this evening. My mom found a deal on Craig's List. This will be Melda's kitchen. We still need quite a bit of other stuff. Will update the list soon.

Work Project: Melda's

Do you happen to have any of this stuff?

If so, we need it. :)

We have a huge work project planned for this trip - bigger than usual. And we have a smaller crew and less money. Not a problem ... God is able to do more with less. But, if you happen to have any of the following materials sitting around your garage looking for a home ... we could really use them to build a kitchen for Melda. (See details here) If you don't have them but know where we can get a really, really good deal on them, let Amber know that too. Oh, and we'll still take cash too. :)


Lumber:
22) 4’ by 8’ sheets of plywood or OSB, 7/16” or1/2” thick for the sides and roof sheeting
6) 4’ by 8’ sheets of plywood or OSB, 5/8” or 3/4" thick for floor sheeting

68) 8’x 2” by 4” studs, half can be 92.5” long framing studs
10)16’ x 2” by 4” studs for truss beam
10)16’ x 2” by 8” boards for floor joist
4) 8’ x 4” x 4” treated posts
Misc treated wood for stairs

Siding:
4 Square of vinyl siding
44’ of starter strip
2 outside corner strips(10 footers)
60‘of J channel
64‘of F channel
40‘under sill edge molding
40’ fascia cover

Roofing:
4) Square of shingles (12 Bundles)
320 sq/ft of tar paper for roofing

Dry wall:
11) 4’ by 8’ drywall boards or 7) 4’ by 12’ boards
2) 5 gal. buckets drywall compound


Hardware:
Nails (framing, roofing, finish)
Floor Joist Hangers for 2 by 8 boards
10 lb drywall screws

Let's throw some
Insulation
Paint
Tile for a floor
and an Exterior Door and a Screen Door in there too. We want to leave her with something fantastic that will last a long time.

Lots Happening

Orders are being placed and arriving! Things are starting to come together. Stay tuned here for updates.

The t-shirts arrived early - like today!

I still have to sort and bag them according to the orders but I hope to have them at church tonight.

I plan to do some shopping for VBS tomorrow ... check back to see what I get.

And I'm writing the devos for the crew book this week (hopefully I'll finish this week) and then will begin making chore assignments. Yea! Bathroom duty!

A Tip for the Crew

I've been on a few mission trips and have discovered two things that I think are FANTASTIC for anyone going on a trip that involves the rugged outdoors.

Crocs

I could seriously do a commercial for these shoes. It took me a long time to get on board with them. I thought they were ugly. And I thought they were a fad and since I'm not too into fads I was reluctant to try them. But I eventually did try a pair and now I don't want to wear anything else. They are amazing! The past two years at Pine Ridge I've had some trouble with my feet and legs swelling at the end of the week. Its the only time I've ever had any trouble like that but it's annoying when I need to be on my feet and on top of things. Since working in retail and being on my feet all day, I often feel pain in my feet - as if the bones are about to come through the bottom of my feet, but they only swell when I'm on the Rez and then only at the end of the week. Did I mention how annoying that is??

Last year I wore my Crocs while on the Rez and it seemed to help - a lot. This year I've discovered that Crocs makes a shoe specifically for people like me. In fact, they make 2 medical shoes - one for diabetics who have problems with sensitivity and circulation and one called "Relief" that provide an ultra soft sole for a cushioning effect for plantar pain, heel pain, and metatarsalgia. I've just ordered a pair and hope to get even more relief this year. You can get them online at crocs.com

Columbia Sportswear Shirts

I can't say enough good things about these shirts. I've worn them to Haiti and had them washed by Haitian women in the river and beaten on rocks and they came back looking brand new. They are lightweight - much lighter than a cotton t-shirt, so they are cool and comfortable in HOT weather. They also dry really quickly when they get wet. And they provide UV protection! They can be pricey but they are worth it. I've had some of these shirts for 7 years now. They've been everywhere from Haiti to the Rez to working on the farm at Eagle's Nest to Hurricane Katrina relief trips, to just plain everyday wear and they still look like they did the day I bought them. Well OK, one of them does look like it's been on the Rez - one of the teen girls gave me a hug with paint all over her hands last year. I now have a permanent "hug" on my shirt which I wear with pride. These can be found at Bass Pro shops and at Dicks Sporting Goods.

No, you don't have to have them. You'll live without them. But I figure when faced with a rough week, I'll take all the comfort I can get and these two items have been wonderful to have on mission trips.

The Hotels

The hotels are booked! We're traveling on the cheap.

This will be our hotel in Sioux City on the way out.

The Super 8!

and on the way home it's the Ramada in Des Moine

Not A Sight We Want To See

Remember to bring

4 rolls of toilet paper

and

4 rolls of paper towel

to Amber by June.

150 kids + 13 crew members + the missionaries can go through a lot of TP in a week.

We don't want to burden the missionaries with that expense - so we take our own.

Feel free to bring extra if you're one of those people who need a bit more. :)

*And for anyone wondering ... no, I did NOT say to toilet paper my Jeep

I said to put the toilet paper in my Jeep

Are You Ready for Some EXTREEME Water FUN?

July will be here before we know it!

Time to start getting stuff together!

The request for a food donation is in....

And the waterguns have been bought!

I think Fred and Judy's class (4/5 year olds) are donating money for the watermelon's for the watermelon eating contest!


The t-shirts have been ordered ....

Hopefully they will be in before Sunday, April 26 ... that is when I will do a short presentation about our work project at Melda's to our congregation ... it would be great if we had our t's so everyone could see who was going this year.

This is what the t's will look like this year.

a close-up of the design