Goodbye US, Next Stop: Honduras!

The time has arrived after much anticipation.  Last week, I spent 5 days in New Jersey at orientation gearing myself up for the upcoming year.  There were many presentations along with a few side trips.  We were able to talk with volunteer alums to hear their experiences and glean their packing/traveling advice.  Aside from myself, there were 15 other volunteers all preparing to go to various locations-- South Africa, Kenya, Sudan, Peru, Ecuador, Haiti, and Honduras (but on the mainland, so not where I will be).  Although we will not be together, it was good to be able to meet other volunteers that will be going through similar experiences and to know that when we are bored, chances are they might be too so we will have someone to chat with!  We ended the week with a sending forth mass with some of our generous donors and 7th and 8th grade class that has given some of their time to help a volunteer in Kenya from their classroom.

One day was spent in Manhattan at the CMMB headquarters where we were able to meet with the Board of Directors.  That was a nice little meeting that we had with them.  It gave us an opportunity to see who we have been working with via phone and email, who works to help raise funds to allow us this opportunity (as it cost $15,000 a year for one volunteer!), and the space that they work in.  While there, we were all interviewed for a telecare 12 show series that CMMB is a part of; this telecare programming will help to promote CMMB as well as volunteerism in general.  If I find a way for everyone to be able to see this programming, I will be sure to let you know (or you could go to New Jersey cause it will be on a local channel there). 

That day we also got a tour of the UN building.  That was really neat, interesting, and a good refresher of the Millenium Development Goals for the UN (we learned all about these in school, so that made it all the greater).  These goals are similar to the Healthy People 2010 campain that the US has, except they are international.  There are 8 different goals listed which include health of women and children, education/literacy, poverty, among others.  While there, I also learned about this site that UNICEF has to feed poor people without spending money.  All you have to do is go to www.freerice.com and there is a game that you play.  For every question that you get right, World Food Programme donates 10 grains of rice.  Check it out in your free time!

Before I headed home from training, I was able to spend the day in NYC being a tourist.  Lucky me, I got to see a segment of Law and Order SVU being filmed.  Be jealous!

Once I got home there was one thing after another that I had to do in order to be ready to go.  I was living with a friend this summer, so I had to finish moving my stuff home.  My bags were mostly packed, but do to weight restrictions and last minute items that always seem to appear, I packed and repacked my bags several times!  Who ever thought that it would be a good idea to put a 50 lb weight restriction on checked luggage?!  Bad idea, I tell ya.  But after packing and repacking for what seemed like hours, I think I finally got everything in one bag or another.  Hopefully when we get to the airport, their scale will agree with mine!

So as I head out on my journey, which will include 8.5 hours of plane time and 8.5 hours of layovers, I leave you with this passage from Isaiah )Isaiah 61:1-3) that was read at our sending forth mass:

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.