Times of change

hey all

Its time for another update, and another good story.

This week has truly been a blessing. I've raised almost $1000 in a week... which is crazy! Just the other day I was sitting at only around $1200 and I've made it $100 over my halfway point of $2000 dollars! This means I am able to buy my plane ticket and actually go. I will have to continue to fundraise the rest of my trip while I am gone and when we return. We will have till the 15th of September to raise the rest of the $4000. So even though I have made it halfway I still need all the help I can get to make the rest of my funds for the trip. To help give towards this amazing opportunity you can give online directly to me at: http://tiny.cc/fwfv0

We are now at only 19 days left until our departure, so just under 3 weeks. I'm starting to get nervous and excited all at the same time. I've now received all of my vaccines necessary, all 4 total, and all the prescriptions needed. I think I've also finished getting all the things I need for my wardrobe, it now just time to get all the little last minute things, like bug spray, an umbrella, sunscreen and other such things. I've now decided to actually start a physical list for these things since I'm constantly talking to myself about different things I need to get and not writing them down, which isn't helpful. But no worries, I will have everything I need before we leave.

Okay, on to my story, and the point behind my title for this blog. This trip has truly been a blessing as well as a pain in certain instances. My parents have always been a little uneasy about the whole trip and everything it entitles. They have asked very little on how the trip was going or how my fundraising has been coming. All they really wanted to know was specifics on safety and such about the trip. I didn't expect much from them support wise, I'd even been afraid to ask since I knew what their answer would be and I didn't want to face that whole situation. So it came to a huge surprise when a couple weeks ago my dad purchased some glass jars for me to put out at businesses to try and raise funds. That was the first point of change, change in his interest and understanding of how much this trip meant to mean, and change in the physical change of people giving their spare change to my jars. But the story doesn't end there... there was more change to come... much more. It was just the other night when I was sitting in the living room and my dad came and told me he had placed something on my bed, it was his contribution towards my trip. Eventually when I made it down the hall to my bedroom, I found a shoe box and small plastic tupperware full to the rim with coins. My dad has been placing his spare change in these boxes for years. I stood there staring at the change and all I could do was cry. It may seem weird but this meant a lot for my dad to give up what he had been saving for years towards this trip that he still isn't 100% sure about. After thanking him, I went and weighed the change, it came to 31 pounds! The next morning I brought it in to cash it and it came to a total of $314!!! Which is crazy because at that time I needed right around $300 to make it to $2000. So in a way this was meant to be. It was yet another form a change. A large amount of change, emotionally and physically. It was a huge blessing!

I hope this story has blessed you as well. I can't believe how little time we have left and how much we have left to do and raise. I am so thankful for all the help I have had thus far and can't image what I would be doing without all of the support and amazing people that have been helping and praying for me and this trip. I can't thank you all enough.

Until next time,

Much love and prayers

Courtney