:O
Crazy, crazy, crazy.
Everything is now in place for the trip. All the "big" things have been organized, anyway. Our flights from Adelaide to Brisbane have been booked; we've booked train tickets from Brisbane airport to our hotel; our hotel rooms have been booked.
And, I have my passport :D
Now I just have to do all of the little bits and pieces. I have a lovely long list of things to do and things to buy before I go... Here's a sneak-peek!
TO DO:
- Get copies of passport, drivers licence, hotel bookings, flights, train bookings, daily schedule
- Get script for malaria tablets filled
- Pick up my "kina" - PNG currency (that should be exciting!!! :P )
- Prepare a devotion (as a team we'll be having a devotion every morning, and each team member has to prepare one devotion)
- Get some game ideas (for kids of all ages) for the kids clubs we'll be running
- Label suitcase
- Take inventory of everything that I take (we were told to do this)
- Suitcase labels and padlocks
- Money pouch
- Hat
- Head-bands
- Suitable working skirts
- 3-quarter pants
- Stuff for kids
- Bouncy balls
- Australian clip-on koalas, etc
- Crayons
- Paint brushes
- Coloured pencils
We found out that it is not acceptable for women to wear shorts and pants in PNG... So, I should have some lovely photos of myself wearing skirts and work shoes, up to the knees in mud, shovelling cement.
Or something like that :P
On Sunday, Alex and I went to the Croydon Nazarene Church and gave a presentation on the PNG Work & Witness trip, and then had lunch with Peter and Debbie, the other South Aussies who are going on the trip. It was lovely! We ate at a shopping centre, and then went to Peter and Debbie's house and spent all afternoon there. We got to know them, which was really nice, and spoke a lot about the trip [of course!]. It was good to hear their thoughts on the trip, and what they've learned from talking to various people. It was really encouraging just knowing I'm going with other people, too.
So. 10 days. Trying to get my head around the fact that in 10 days' time, I will be going to a foreign country with a completely different culture, different climate, different people, different beliefs...
Over the past few months I have had people ask me if I was nervous about the trip. My answer was always, "No, not yet..."
Well, I am nervous now!!
Really, really, REALLY excited, but nervous at the same time. It has just become so much more real in the past 2 weeks.
Something else I really feel I should share, is how amazingly supportive my church has been with the trip. Seriously, other than putting all of my birthday money towards this trip, I did not put a cent into the original cost of the trip, which was $2,200.00. That in itself amazes me!!!
I can't think of much more news in this department...
I am thinking of getting my suitcase out and starting to chuck some stuff in there. I know it's still 10 days away, but hey! These next days will fly!
Your prayers for this trip will be greatly appreciated :)
~Rachel
