The Airline Tickets Arrived- YIKES!!

I was expecting a document via courier, and when I got home and opened it up, it wasn't what I was waiting for, it was the airline tickets! WOW, we really must be going!

We are now at the three weeks mark and counting. My business contacts have been told, and the calls are coming in. Well wishers abound, I just need a few more "financial" well wishers to show up!

The AIDS Conference is on in Toronto and the attention level is high. A local restaurant has just today started collecting donations on our behalf, and maybe that idea can spread. It is exciting to see the attention the whole effort to help Africa has received. Now, we need to translate that into action.

The emotions are running high for all concerned, friends, children, co-workers, us. Please keep us in your prayers.

We Shipped the Container Friday August 4, 2006

What a process! Ann has spent two months getting all of the boxes and packing ready to go. The moving company had advised us that we could not seal the boxes as they all had to be "inspected" Perhaps we were shipping things we shouldn't, like cake mixes and toilet paper!!

Anyway, it was a mad rush all day. The team arrived at 9:00 am and worked relentlessly until 5:30 pm. Arron, our son worked with them and Pat and Ann just couldn't side by the sidelines and watch, so we got in the game as well. We learned a LOT about shipping overseas that day!

Can you imagine that the team had to "wrap" evrything that was not in a box, including all furniture pieces. That means BBQ tanks, golf clubs, rugs, chairs, everything. They use a multi walled padded paper wrap, and then they use a tape gun to cover EVERY open seam! Unbelievable amount of work.

It was both sad and exciting to see the container pull out of the parking lot, and believe me it was FULL! we are now living in a nearly empty house for the next four weeks, and are struggling a little with a few of the missing parts, but we will be fine. We got a chance to spend a day at the cottage with the grandkids and we slept nearly the whole time but it was a welcome and needed rest and break.

Now we will be focussing on continuing our fundraising efforts and getting ready to depart on September 6th. It seems like a month but it will be here in no time at all. There does not seem to be enough hours in the day.