Plane tickets purchased....

So finally my plane tickets have been purchased! Thanks to my great travel agent Lisa-War Eagle! My official leave date is May 26, 2008. I think reality's sinking in and I'm just figuring out that I'm about to leave in less than 2 months. I still have a lot to do but things are starting to come together.


Financial update: God has been so faithful these past weeks and I have had $415/month in new pledges come in as well as $1145 in one-time donations. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm getting much closer to my goals!


Communications update:

• While I'm over there I will have access to wi-fi internet as long as it's working. There's a free program for the web called Skype where you can talk over the internet for free. Go to http://www.skype.com/download/skype/windows/ to download for free, setup an acct and then find me by searching by my name or my skype name erin.welton I'm currently trying to make talking appts with friends so we can work out all the kinks while i'm still stateside and can use a cellphone to give you directions. I have had quite a few friends use this long-term with friends overseas and it has worked beautifully. All you need is a microphone, a computer, and a high-speed internet connection. Email/call me with questions if you need help setting this up.
  
• I'll also be able to recieve mail and care packages. As soon as I get over there I will set up a mailbox in South Africa. Most all the missionaries have one over there and whoever goes across the border that wk checks everyone's boxes. It's only an hr away and everyone has to leave and reenter the country every 30 days to keep their visa current so it works well. South Africa is alot more reliable in the mail department allowing us to actually recieve the mail/packages as well as in a more timely manner. Look foward to those updates after I arrive.


• Of course there's alway email @ weltoem@msn.com I will have a cellphone once over there but it's primary use will be dedicated to communication between staff and missionaries on base. Also, we all know international calling is insanely expensive and I prefer the free option. They do have one landline, but again it is the only one for the entire base and isn't always reliable, so I have emergency numbers for those who need them and everyone else will have to schedule skype chats and write emails and snailmail. :)

Prayer Update: As a preview into what my life's about to look like, the poor baby house has had it rough this last few weeks. It has me thinking there is no way I can do this on my own. I know all lies from Satan, but that still doesn't mean it has me doubting it. They made 4 hospital runs in 1 week for baby house residents alone. 18month old, Neemias, was admitted twice, the second time to the ICU clinging to his life, he was coded once and slipped into a coma for over a week not expected to live, however the most recent update has him back on the floor, out of a coma and at least able to drink milk on his own; 2 month old, Dionicio spent a few days on the peds ward as well but is now finally back home and doing much better; and 10 month old Irene died in the arms of one of the missionaries on the way to the hospital after malaria overtook her body and she started seizing continuously. Little Tino (who some of you have been recieving updates on for the last 6 wks) is still hanging on there at Iris, constantly having seizures, being fed through a tube, and no longer responding to touch or sound. A GI bug hit all the kids in the baby house and they hadto shut the doors for 48hrs-noone in/noone out to contain whatever it is. After this did not work they decided to quarantine all infected babies in the clinic till it passed. Malaria season is in full swing and also affecting quite a few of them. 2 more were diagnosed with malaria on last monday. The combination is not a good one, especially for the youngest, the chronic, or the 25% living with HIV/AIDS. They could use all the prayers-for the missionaries serving in the baby house, the medical staff, and the babies.

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." -Revelation 21:4

I have a tshirt that has this verse translated into kid language: There will be no more bandaids in heaven, no beestings, no more ouchies, no broken bones, no more shots or tummy aches. There will be no tears in heaven. Just thought it was fitting today.