Kenya Packing List A to Z

Remember the childhood game, "Grandma's going on Vacation and in her suitcase, she packed?"

A--Anti-nausea med
B--Bible, Baby powder & Body wash, Binoculars
C--Cardigan & Camera
D--Driver's License, deodorant
E--Erin's perfume collection!
F--Flashlight, Filtration water bottle, flipflops
G--Granola bars
H--Hairspray, Hand Sanitizer, Hat
I--iPod & Imodium
J--Jeans, Journal
K--Keens to protect my feet
L--Lollipops for the children
M--Money for souvenirs
N--90 pounds of extra baggage for Beth & Erin
O--Off aka mosquito repellent
P--Passport, pj's, Pepto-bismol
Q--Quick drying underwear!
R--Rain slicker
S--Sunscreen, skirt
T--T-shirts and a lot of toilet paper for the "long drop"
U-Umbrella
V--Video camera
W--Watch
X--Xtra gum
Y--Yellow Fever vaccinations
Z--Zebra food??

Ready or Not?

Probably not. But my heart is beating faster and the excitement of seeing the girls in Kenya builds every day. 14 days from today, my husband and I board a plane bound for Amsterdam, and then another bound for Nairobi, Kenya. Mary, Wallace, Virginiah, Keith, Kathy are just a few of the new friends we will meet with arms wide open. Maybe I am about ready. It just took me a while to realize it. Kenya, you have touched my heart.

Here is a preview of what we will experience in Kenya:

CCV in Kenya 2010 - Part II from CHRIST'S CHURCH OF THE VALLEY on Vimeo.

She sucks it up and buys KEENS!

KEENS are notoriously famous with the hiking, canoeing, kayaking crowd. My husband owns several pairs and I swore I'd never buy any due to the fact that I am not a hard-core, weekend warrior. KEEN philosophy began with the challenge, "Can sandals protect the toes?" Deep down I've always avoided the brand because I like to set my tootsies free in a great pair of flip-flops. And honestly, I've always thought they were rather goofy looking, to the point of being gooberish.

But in preparing for Kenya, I needed to protect my feet while keeping them cool. We will be walking around in the slums of Mathare, coming into contact with trash, animals,debris, re-bar and scrap metal.

Initially, I saw buying myself a new pair of Teva sandals or perhaps Nike running sandals...until the shoe dude at the outdoor shop began extolling the virtues of Keens. Reluctantly, I agreed to try on a pair. Shoe dude went so far as to say they would be the perfect shoe for exploring Kenya.

I hereby admit I am now a member of KEEN nation. On one hand, I feel a bit goofy. On the other hand, I have perhaps embraced a new "coolness" factor. Hey Kenya, happy & well-protected feet are coming your way!

Vaccinations hurt more than I remember...

Last month Allen and I had to get our required immunizations for Kenya. We met at the travel clinic to watch an important but highly cheesy video about packing for an overseas trip and what foods to avoid. Parts of the video left us laughing out loud due to the fact that it must have been filmed in 1973. The main character was a 70 year-old woman packing her cute little suitcase with sensible walking shoes.

The best part of our visit to the travel center was learning which immunizations we would need. It turns out that Polio is now on the rise in countries other than America. Pertussis is also a major concern here and abroad. We knew that we would require Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Yellow Fever and anti-malaria meds to take while in Africa.
So the bottom line was I required the following: Diptheria, Pertussis, Tetanus (all in one shot), Yellow Fever, a Polio booster, Hepatitis A, Typhoid pills, anti-Malaria medication. It was 4 shots in all, two in each arm. Believe you me-- my arms literally hurt for the next 3 nights, especially when I rolled over in bed trying to get comfortable. My husband said that his arms didn't hurt much at all. Figures!

Today, I took my first dose of the live Typhoid vaccine on an empty stomach. This lovely box contains 4 capsules, one taken every other day. Side effects include fever, headache, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting or rash. I'm feeling fine now, but the day is still young.

Number 25 Short-Term Mission Trip

Kenya is fast approaching. Allen and I are all set to leave on September 2nd which is now only a month away. I'm dreading the long flights, sitting in cramped seats but so looking forward to seeing the faces of Bethany and Erin. It will all be worth it. More on Kenya soon as I am going to chronicle the countdown and my hopes and dreams and desires for this trip.

Until next time, Breathe.