Sunday, January 24, 2010

February 1st Meeting

The planning of the trip is coming along great! I'm excited to announce that Kari Gibson, the author and founder of MyCrazyAdoption.org is going to Co-Lead this Mission Trip. Check out her site for her recent posting about the trip.

Many of you have RSVP'd to our meeting on February 1st. It will be at 6:00pm at Woodland Community Church, in room #115. We will be discussing the timeline, application, fundraising, and immunizations.

Please feel free to invite anyone who might be interested in this trip. We are looking to build a team of 25 people, which can include anyone who has a passion to serve. We currently have people joining our team from New York and Missouri!!!!

I look forward to seeing you on Monday!
Joyfully, Ashlie
Ryanashlie@aol.com

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Moving Forward!!!

Many of you have contacted me about the next step in the Mission Trip. Below are the steps you should take to secure your place in our team. Please save the date for Monday, February 1st, we will have a meeting at 6:00 at Woodland Community Church. Please RSVP to Ryanashlie@aol.com if you plan to attend!

What to do:
1. To secure your spot on the Mission Trip fill out the application on Visiting Orphan's website: http://www.visitingorphans.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=34009

2. Get a passport- If you already have one please check the expiration date!!! Here is the website to apply for a new one or renewal: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

3. Make and appointment at Manatee County Health Department (or your local health department) for immunizations. I just went last month for my shots. They are extremely helpful and will tell you exactly what they recommend for a trip to Ethiopia and Uganda. Yellow Fever is the only shot that is mandatory, although I went ahead and got all the recommended shots, including Hepatitis A and B, Tetanus, and Typhoid.
If you would like to do your own research start with:
CDC (Center of Disease Control) http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/vaccinations.aspx

4. Gather friends and families home addresses and email addresses to send a donation request letter. You can also start to work on your own letter, I sent you a template early on. Let me know if you would like me to resend it.

Please let me know if you have any other questions and I look forward to seeing you on February 1st. *I will have fundraising plans to share at the meeting, please try to attend!

Thanks, Ashlie
Ryanashlie@aol.com

Friday, January 1, 2010

Welcome 2010

Happy New Year!!! I woke up this morning and thought, "What will I do this year to make a difference in the world?" I then remembered, I'm going on a mission trip to Ethiopia and Uganda!!!! 2010 is going to be an amazing, life-changing year. Now that the Holidays have come and gone, it is time to get serious about our mission trip. All the information will be communicated through this blog and email. We have a lot to do to prepare for our mission.
First, take some time to look over the trip guides that I emailed, explore the Visiting Orphans website and read a little about Amazima. (Link to your right) Recently, I found out that we have been chosen to visit Amazima, in Uganda. It is an orphanage and school started by a 20 year old American named Katie. She feeds 400 children 3 meals a day. I cannot wait to hug her!!! On July 24th we will be serving lunch to 400 children, playing games, making crafts, and teaching a bible story. Our trip is filled with opportunities such as these.

I hope this blog puts a smile on your face today! I look forward to planning this trip with you and seeing how God works in each and every one of us.

**We are still recruiting members of our team, please forward this blog to interested friends or family.

Next topic: FUNDRAISING!!!

Smiles, Ashlie