Goodwill can have it.
Also, an update on our progress toward Haiti. As far as our long range plan of moving our family there August 2012, I had promised myself that if we got any snow days this week I would use the time to work on my application to OMS (for becoming a full-time missionary). I hadn't worked on it since Black Friday when I filled out some of the forms as I sat on the floor of Walmart waiting to get this laptop I am currently typing on. Well, I ended up with three days off from school last week because of the ice storm. I took a bit of time to call a couple of friends to see if they would fill out the reference forms for me. Melissa and I each have to have four references - a pastor, an employer and two non-family members who have known us for at least five years. My small group leader (and friend!), Steve, agreed to do one for me and my old seminary roommate (and friend!), Tim, also agreed.
And when it comes to our short range plan of getting our kids down to Haiti this summer, we also heard back from the field director in Haiti about what it would cost us to have our family there for a short term trip this summer. It's typically $45 a day per person to cover food, housing and transportation costs, but he's going to count our family of six as just three persons.
So we're starting to get an idea of what a two week trip will cost for the family: $450 per person for flight from Florida to Haiti, about $100 per kid for passports, and $135 a day for the family while in Haiti. Those are the major expenses, but of course there will be others. For instance, we will have to drive ourselves down to Florida and back. I'm also not sure how much of the kids' vaccination costs will be covered by insurance. 100% would be nice.
But I've already started a "Haiti Fund" that has some cash in it. At the first of the year, Melissa and I threw some Christmas money in there. Last week, a friend from church tried to sneak a couple of twenties into one of my bags as I was leaving Walmart. When I caught him, he insisted I keep it ... for Haiti. So I did. Today I spent part of my day helping out a couple of friends from small group. They had a painting project which involved high, vaulted ceilings and scaffolding. I only went because Jeff's hands are too shaky to cut in paint along the ceiling edge 25 feet up and Karen was a bit nervous about climbing all that scaffolding. I usually hate painting, but it's because it's so doggone boring. But it's not so boring when you have to climb to paint. They knew I wasn't expecting to be paid, but they generously offered a check ... for Haiti ... so I didn't turn it down.
The field director suggested we come for just 5 to 7 days, but Melissa and I want to take the kids there for two weeks if we are going to go to all that expense to get down to Haiti and back. He also suggested the end of July or beginning of August might be best. He'd like for us to be there when there isn't a mission team already scheduled to be there. We'd have to make it the end of July since school typically starts the middle of August and Melissa has kindergarten screenings and a lot of prep work before the school year even begins.
So at least as far as this summer goes, we've got an idea of costs, a bit of money being put aside, and some idea as to a target date. Things are rolling! The kids are excited. The Princess (age 4) still cracks me up each time she calls Haiti "Katie"!
No comments:
Post a Comment