PET, Gentry School and supportive MEM marketing and communications department

Sorry but this entry is going to be a long one.

This has been the all time best day!!!! It started out with getting an email from one of the kids' sponsors I contacted 10 days ago about my going to Malawi. Actually, it wasn't a sponsor, but 5 classes full of kids at Gentry School in Ms. Hummel's Social Studies classrooms. Ms. Hummel's kids have been studying Malawi and last year followed Jackie who went to Malawi. The kids sponsored Ishmael and his sister Belisi. I had contacted her because I "thought" she had sponsored Ishmael, who is in my group of kids. I found out that they sponsor TWO kids!!!!! Wow, what a commitment - I felt so honored to have Ishmael in my group, knowing that these 6th graders are learning about a country across the world and support children they don't even know.

Ms. Hummel has been able to see her kids grow in the experience - they have pictures from last year and a poster and I have heard since they celebrate their birthdays and do fundraisers along with providing their school clothes, books, shoes etc....She intends to use my blog as a learning tool in her classroom and would like me to return with pictures and experiences to share with the kids. When I got the email I WAS FLOORED!!!! The school that she works at is Gentry which is my employer's Partner in Education school. I have been involved with that partnership during my 16 years at MEM so I am very familiar of the true "partnership" and mentoring, and support we have provided through the years - and not only what the school gets out of it - but what our employees get as well. We are blessed with concerts (band, orchestra and choir), job shadowing, mentoring and more. This is when I knew this is by God's design to partner me up with kids from Gentry and kids from Malawi.

I asked Ms. Hummel for questions from her kids of what they would like to know about Malawi and/or Ishmael and Belisi so I can share along with pictures in my blog. That will be a whole new facet of the blog that started out just as an informal communication tool for my family and friends.

Now I want to make it purposeful and meaningful to the kids and a teaching tool as well. Maybe you might have a question or two of your own you would like answered as well?

Secondly I was in contact with PET (Personal Energy Transportation) organization who builds wheelchairs and carts for people that have a limited ability to transport themselves. (see their website below) They have built and sent thousands of chairs to people outside the US so the deserving folks can get around. You may have seen a Sara's Stories about PET. My dad has been volunteering for years about PET and assisting building, packing and sending these to other parts of the world. He asked me at Christmas to take a picture of one in use if I see one when I am traveling. He was casually talking to one of the other volunteers and mentioned I was going to Malawi. The individual he was talking to HAPPENED to be a physician that practiced in Malawi and lived there several years. He asked for my blog information and phone number so we could chat about my trip. I was excited about that so I told Bethany (Invest director) and she mentioned we have one child (Zione Jumpha) who has a disease where her bones break easily and how she would really like to take her a PET cart so she can be transported through the village. Long story short, called dad, then Mel West, a volunteer at PET and they agreed to give me a PET cart for Zione!!!! Wow, AND in talking to Wes he indicated he had ALSO been to Malawi on a Habitat for Humanity project. More God non-accidents!

We called the airlines and to take the PET cart with us, it would cost $450 to transport!!! This is going to take all kinds of prayers - but I know there will be provision of the the $450 or a pass by the airline charging us for the transport of this cart. I think it is necessary to take it now vs. trying to ship it because it will have to be assembled when we get there and I would just love to Zione's face when she finds out she has transportation.

Thirdly, MEM's marketing and communications department has just been willing to help me with this trip. They are thinking up ideas for when I return to help springboard this into an even more fun relationship with Gentry. We will just have to wait and see how creative they can be!!!!

That's a great day for me. I am going to repack all my items to make sure I have everything and tuck away a few more things to give away etc.... Every nook and cranny will be filled with things to give away.

More later.....