Sang 'Count Your Blessings' in my brother's church last Sunday and trying to focus on the positives, like being able to worship with my folks, children and brother's family!
Thankful for the very comfortable life we live...maybe too comfortable?
So I need your help. Should you continue to read this I'd like to hear your response to my sharing about packing. I figure I can benefit from any kind of response: empathy, encouragement, or maybe motivation to let some items go or leave behind.
I'm praying that we only bring needed items. I don't like lugging around any items in our luggage that end up returning to the point of origin without being used.
I want our home to feel comfortably like 'home' for us, especially Fritz, and be a hospitable place we can welcome new friends to build relationships.
So packing for a 10 month trip...with potential of returning again after that. Total we get nine checked bags, 50 pounds each with an additional three small carry-ons.
A few points to remember:
We will be living 3-5 hours [one way] from major size cities.
Told not many tools available.
Fritz is growing so bringing a few sizes of pants/shoes so we don't have to shop soon.
While we are sure we can find anything needed in Zambia, we need to consider the possibility of paying more, how long it would take to find, and quality available.
Now, someone asked why we didn't just open up doors and video the contents to help us know what is there already in the house. It's complicated but a few reasons I think... First, we were still praying and hopeful that we would be returning to Haiti in July.
Second, we were trying to keep an open mind at each location and really listen to where God may want us to serve if we could not return to Haiti.
Third, in the middle of weeks of travel, unknowns, we were intentionally focusing our energies [mental, emotional] on being present and learning what that day and place held for us leaving very little time/space to think more than a couple days in advance. To think of months down the road was just too overwhelming!
Everything else let's talk about:
Clothes/shoes. For hot, cold, wet, dry weather. Church [skirts for me most locations] travel, hiking, garden work, [medical for me]. Church, work, gym shoes for each.
House: few kitchen tools, towels, grafting tools. Few office supplies. Some food items, spices. Paint brushes, few tools for work we know the house needs. Bug zapper. Water Filter.
Personal: sun screen, bug spray, books to read [can be donated to Bible school or local school], few items remind us of family, Haiti home, Michigan. Sketch pads, games, legos/toys, soccer balls... Camera bag.
Forgetting something? Or do we leave 1/2 of it behind? NO extra 'what if's' items?
Better to pack all 9 or to only bring 8? Put in a quilt or warm fuzzy blanket that we know we'd use?
If you've read this far thank you. Thank you as well for those who continue to pray for us.
It gets harder as the good-bye moments get closer. Lots of energy to stay in the moment, engaging with those we love, knowing how much we're going to miss them.
5 comments:
Focus on good quality, comfortable shoes for everyone, even an extra pair or two.
For you, just a couple of skirts/nicer dresses and an increased number of tops/shirts; you will wear chitenges (the wrapped fabric) most of the time as the local people do (solid color tops may be best because the chitenge materials are usually vivid patterns). You'll also have clothes made by your favorite local tailor.
The guys will find lots of second-hand market clothes that will be fine to wear (again, the tailor can make a few matching shirts for them, too!
All of your "musts", and include a couple of good power strips with surge protection and dust covers for your laptop keyboards (or use saran wrap...often very dusty in Zambia!).
More adapters than you think you'll need!
Good, insulated water bottles.
A jacket (preferably with a hood) for each person. Waterproof is best! Or...
A good rain jacket or long poncho & sturdy umbrella -- (drenching rains in Jan/Feb).
Rain boots (or purchase there)
Spices that you like (we had trouble finding powdered cinnamon). Real vanilla. Cake mix! Cream cheese frosting! Taco seasoning, ranch dressing mix, etc.
Pumpkin-flavored (or other favorite autumn flavors/smells) stuff for the fall!
A soft-sided, collapsible insulated cooler(handy for grocery runs and also to store meds!)
Safety pins & small sewing kit.
A really good pair of scissors!
A Blanket -- something warm for the summer months there (although June is "coldest")
Sharpie markers!
Battery-powered lantern/rechargeable solar lantern/light.
9-volt batteries if you have anything with that type of battery (very hard to find)!
Consider rechargeable batteries with a charger! (Battery quality is often poor in the market)
If you are particular about creams/lotions, then take a really good moisturizing cream-- it gets very dry in Zambia.
For you -- a really small cross-body purse to carry your phone, money, & ID when you are wearing chitenges. (When you buy your own, take it to a tailor & ask them to sew a pocket for you!)
A good sunhat
Binoculars if you think you'll be doing any sightseeing or safari-ing
Likely you can find what you need in Choma or Livingston, but as you said, it will be a day trip there and back.
Oh! Headlamps! Battery-powered or rechargeable!
What they said!^^^
But also - a second paid of scissors, any specific kitchen tools/knives that you reach for all the time - I regretted not packing those and had someone bring them over to me. Anything that helps with the 'fun' or 'family' time, so specific birthday or other holiday bits, a digital photo frame, pillow cases.
Online library cards for everyone so you can borrow books, magazines, videos etc.
We asked everyone what they wanted to pack using 'must have', 'would be nice', 'I'd appreciate it' and then compared and negotiated down. But we did end up with people bringing stuff too.
2-3 pairs of thin comfortable shorts would be useful to wear under chitenges (females)! Agree with the clear packing tape. Masking or painters tape, too, if you have room. Overdoor hangars. Command Strip hooks of various sizes. Birthday cards, blank cards & envelopes for occasions.Pack things in ziplock bags that you can wash and reuse.
Hard decisions. I do love my Kindle as I can read books online from library or buy from Amazon or even read PDF versions and it saves a lot of space! Take a few special treats for a special box that you can open and eat on those hard days or celebrate days. I always pack in ziplocks and then reuse them but take extra too. Praying for you!
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