Leaving Orientation, Time in Nashville/FL March/April 2011

Leaving Orientation meant plowing thru papers to recycle as much as possible and carry documents electronically, if possible.   We also cleaned our winter clothes and gave most of them away. I had to wash 3 loads of Elizabeth's clothes as she had the most to give away--she won't fit in her winter clothes 5 years from now.

While I enjoyed the waterproof boots during our time at orientation, I decided to pass them on as my feet would get pretty sweaty in them. I don't think that's the ideal if one is spending a day hiking, so for my next boot purchase, I need to buy a pair that will give some protection from getting my feet soaked to letting my feet breathe.  I had thought about keeping them for escarpment climbing in Ghana, but am afraid the waterproof angle would have had my feet sweating and peeling, so I'll have to climb in tennis shoes until a hopeful vacation summer 2012 when we can buy a few things we would have liked to have taken this first time but decided to not overspend the budget.  Trying to prioritize what is essential and what do we already have in our first shipment.

We enjoyed a week with Bart's parents in Melbourne, FL, and then a week with family in Nashville, although there was still mounds of "stuff" to plow thru and try to dispose of.  I still have not properly gone thru and stored photos and videos.  It will be such an Everest of a job, so that is why I'm sure I'm avoiding it.

Perils with Nikon coolpix camera--accidentally dropped it as Eliz. handed it to me at the airport. Thought it was ok, but the drop damaged the battery compartment door, so we have had to duck tape the door shut for 3 months until the kind Hewitts brought us a new Olympus tough camera. After 2 Nikon coolpixes that did not take kindly to being dropped, and knowing the future with such small and slick cameras will entail dropping, and since the floors of most African housing are tile or concrete, I decided to try something more sturdy.  I like how the Olympus has a built-in battery instead of always having to recharge AA's for the CoolPix.

Ann Davis found us at Nashville airport and we enjoyed spending an hour together while we waited a couple of hours before boarding.  Certainly God was at work in our effortless check-in despite having so many bags, and a bicycle carrier, and a dog.  The flight from Chicago to Brussels was not full, so we all 3 got to stretch out over a couple of seats and get some rest.  The flight from Brussels to Ouaga, though was pretty full, but it was fun traveling with Ashley H. and the Marqs, so time passed just fine for me. Eliz., though, got a little stressed upon learning how many more hours we would be in the plane for the Brussels-Ouaga leg, and shed a few tears while asking, "How many more hours are we going to be in an airplane?"

Praise the Lord for all bags and bike and dog and musical instruments making it to Ouaga.