Two weeks until takeoff

Hello friends, family, and newcomers. Welcome to or welcome back to my blog where I am documenting the process leading up to and during my first humanitarian mission to Eldoret, Kenya. We are just under two weeks away, 10 days to be exact. The past few days have involved extensive preparations to ensure everything proceeds smoothly, and I will be sharing some of that with you today. In my previous post, I hinted at some exciting news that I planned to reveal in this post. However, I have not yet received the products and will wait to share once they arrive.

We have started packing !! PACKING! This is the most real it has felt so far.

This is how I am going to feel the next 10 days.

With the supplies donated directly to the hospital and those received through the online community, I'm uncertain how we'll fit everything into the limited number of suitcases we're permitted. (I anticipate having to pay for an extra suitcase). The Cleveland team spent Tuesday afternoon packing two suitcases with items donated at the hospital. Today, I packed everything I have at home. This was so exciting, getting to see everything we have and as you can see, we had to get creative to shut one of the suitcases.

Although most of the packing is complete, I am still awaiting the delivery of some supplies and need to pack my personal items. Nonetheless, having the majority of the supplies stored feels unreal. Over the coming week, I will complete the packing process and share which personal belongings I am bringing and how I am packing them.

As we bring all these supplies, we'll need to carry letters in our suitcases in case they are opened during customs checks. There are certainly aspects I hadn't considered when planning the trip, and this is one of them. I've traveled internationally before, but never to a third world country with nearly 100 lbs of medical supplies. I've appreciated learning all these new things with the help of everyone involved.

I have another update: my visa has been approved. WOOWOO. To enter Kenya, you need a travel visa, a passport, and a vaccination passport. The application process was quite straightforward, and it was approved quickly. During this time, I often met with the Cleveland crew and realized I wasn't as organized as I thought when I saw my counterparts with folders and printouts of flight info, itineraries, visa verification, hotel information, and all our other important documents. I quickly got a folder, printed everything out, and now keep them with my belongings. I'm really grateful to have them to navigate this process with. I would feel lost otherwise. Now that the more technical things are complete, it's just about putting the finishing touches on things and getting excited for what's ahead.

Thank you all for continuing to follow along on this journey. I remember the day that I found out I was going and now I am only 10 days away from accomplishing a long time dream of mine. Until next time :)

All Love,

Meg