#hydratinghumanity

As of May 9th, my African adventure began...sort of.

The trip started out on the 9th, at least. My journal entry for this day was pretty basic. Dad's hot stuff with the airline people and got us access to the sky lounge...et cetera. 

What I remember about this day, more than anything was utter relaxation and anticipation. Sitting around in an airport is never all that exciting. The fact that we got to stay at the sky lounge certainly helped, but basically it was a relaxing day of traveling and reading "Ender's Game". 

The moment that most sticks with me about when I was in the airport with dad was actually when he was off getting mixed nuts from the snack bar. I was on the phone with one of the many people who provided financial support to me for my trip. I remember telling him... "Yeah, so me and Dad get along! I'm actually really excited to be going on this trip." This might have been less significant if years before I hadn't turned down a free trip (when Dad was making more money) because I "wouldn't be caught dead on a trip with my father". Needless to say, I've come a long way, as has our relationship, since I was a snot-headed high schooler. On May 9th, it occurred to me how much I really had changed since going away to college. I think the realization and events leading up to it are why I was able to raise money to go to Africa and help those in need.

As of May 9th, my African adventure began...sort of.

The trip started out on the 9th, at least. My journal entry for this day was pretty basic. Dad's hot stuff with the airline people and got us access to the sky lounge...et cetera. 

What I remember about this day, more than anything was utter relaxation and anticipation. Sitting around in an airport is never all that exciting. The fact that we got to stay at the sky lounge certainly helped, but basically it was a relaxing day of traveling and reading "Ender's Game". 

The moment that most sticks with me about when I was in the airport with dad was actually when he was off getting mixed nuts from the snack bar. I was on the phone with one of the many people who provided financial support to me for my trip. I remember telling him... "Yeah, so me and Dad get along! I'm actually really excited to be going on this trip." This might have been less significant if years before I hadn't turned down a free trip (when Dad was making more money) because I "wouldn't be caught dead on a trip with my father". Needless to say, I've come a long way, as has our relationship, since I was a snot-headed high schooler. On May 9th, it occurred to me how much I really had changed since going away to college. I think the realization and events leading up to it are why I was able to raise money to go to Africa and help those in need.

In three weeks I will have completed my last final of my second year of college!!!! I can hardly believe it! I thought I was all grown up when I graduated high-school and was only 17. Now I’m halfway through college and so much better educated! I am thankful every day for the big bed my parents gave me because now I am able to sleep soundly next to piles of books and papers every night.

In just three weeks I will be on a plane and one my way to KENYA! As if just going wasn’t enough, earlier this month I was privileged to meet the other two college students accompanying my father and me on the trip. I could not have asked for a better team. I only spent one day with Ty and Lauren and I only talked for, I dunno, multiple hours straight, but I already feel like we are going to be such a spectacular team. Running through hygiene lessons with mom really caused the whole reality of the trip to sink in and it is all I can do to not drift to Kenya in my mind while I’m in class. I’ve taught the Fruits of the Spirit to toddlers before, sure, and that was rewarding in and of its self. But I don’t think anything I’ve done in my life can compare to what I’m going to be able to do with all the people in Kenya. I’m MAJOR FREAKING OUT!!!!

In the past month alone I’ve been blessed with over $1100 in donations and now have $1662 towards the $2700 I need for my trip. I cannot thank anyone enough for such generosity and I have to say, although I had high hopes, I am utterly shocked at how much help I have received. This is going to be the greatest thing ever. 

What I love about elephants is that African elephants have ears that are shaped like Africa and Indian elephants have India shaped ears! Pictured above is, of course, an African elephant.

I was talking to my father this weekend about Hydrating Humanity and he told me yet another awesome thing that they do.

Although teams in the U.S.A. are trained to help the people in Africa, they aren't the ones who dig the wells. HH actually hires people oversees and they get to dig their own wells. Essentially, they're creating jobs so that the people of Africa are able to help themselves and get paid for it. 

Likewise, when the hygiene training and curriculum is sent over, it's distributed across adults who are then educated about the material and are therefore able to teach their peers and children what they have learned, with the help of visual aids and suggested scripts. I've seen these books. They're like educational picture books. It's awesome! That's all for today. Africa, here I come!!