Jettin' off!

The bags are packed (almost). The trunks are stuffed with art supplies. Our passports are eagerly waiting to be used after months sitting in the filing cabinet. I believe that we, too, are ready. After so long, it's hard to realize that we actually are leaving tomorrow, that in 24 hours we will be on our first of four planes, headed off.

We will spend our first two weeks with Annie's mom, Molly, visiting each place that Annie and I will be working and staying. After Molly leaves on the 27th, Annie and I will begin our first internship at Neema Children's Home in Eldoret. Neema is an orphanage for HIV + children and is now a home to 40 children under the age of 13. For the month of October, we will be in Chulaimbo staying with a woman named Margaret and working in the schools through the Umoja Project. Umoja, directed by my mom, helps orphans and vulnerable children in Chulaimbo stay in school by providing tuition, uniforms, school lunches, and other basic needs. In November we will be back in Eldoret, living with Joe and Sarah Ellen Mamlin and working in the Sally Test Pediatric Center. Sally Test is a place in the hospital where sick children, children whose parents are in the hospital, and abandoned children can go to play and keep up on their schooling. My parents will come over for Thanksgiving and the Umoja Project holiday event. Our last week we will go on safari with my parents before coming back on December 2nd.

While at these three locations, we will be volunteering and helping out where we can. We are bringing a lot of art supplies and hope to do art projects with the kids in all three settings. Our goal is to bring their art home with us, have a gallery of their art to sell, and donate all profits back to the kids.
I am so excited to return to Kenya to be with the people and children. We will use this blog to record our adventures. Our plan is to write as often as we have internet access. Please comment on the posts and stay in communication with us; I know we will love to hear from home while we're gone.

Thank you all for your support in making this trip possible. Now, let the adventure begin!

-Callie