What do I wear?

One of my questions whenever I do something new or go out with new people is, "what do I wear?"

Of course this was one of my questions for Jennie and JJ that night at dinner.  It was more directed towards Jennie, since we (obviously) are both women.  

Good news!  I can wear flip-flops!  I also have to wear long skirts.  But, I can wear a T-shirt on top.  Women in Zambia wear skirts because the thighs are an object of desire for the men.  JJ said that in the city, women are beginning to wear jeans, but never tight ones.  I guess I'll leave my jeggings and skinny jeans at home!

Well, I never wear skirts, especially long ones.  When you are 5'1'', long skirts make you look way shorter!  It's okay, at least I will be comfortable.  So, I will have to purchase a few for the trip.  

Grandma and I went on a hunt for skirts today.  We had a blast, but the ones I liked were a little too pricy.  So, being the avid seamstress that she is, Grandma is going to try and make me one with her own two hands!  We stopped at JoAnn Fabrics and got everything she needed.  She is so talented!  Thanks Grams!

Supplies galore!

To my Clinton aunts:

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

I left the Christmas gathering with three HUGE bags of supplies to bring/send to the Zambian people.  There were Hot Wheels, dolls, books, pencils, crayons, folders, and baking chips.  Yay!

Rooster!

Fundraiser at the Screaming Rooster last night.

Thank you, thank you to all my friends (and a couple of family members) who attended the bash. I was a great time and it raised $200!  Yahoo!

What is the weather like?

So, this was one of the questions that came up at dinner.  The answer was, "well, it's winter there in June."

I think I said, "PHEW" and swiped my hand across my forehead.  JJ said it will be cold overnight and in the mornings, but get to about 80 degrees in the afternoon.  Perfect!  After I left dinner, I found this site, Overlanding Africa which gave me the interesting information below:

Zambia Weather

Zambia is one of the few African countries that has 3 distinct seasons. December to April is warm, wet and humid. May to August is cool and dry and September to November is hot and dry. The climate is moderated by the altitude.

SEASONS IN ZAMBIA

Spring: September - November
Summer: December - April
Autumn: April - May
Winter: May - August

Mom holds a fundraiser for me...

Ok, not really sure what to expect out of this.  She has been throwing a bunch of ideas out there.  She mentions she has a couple of baskets to raffle off.  A couple?  Will people buy raffle tickets for 2 baskets?  


When I arrived in Ohio the night before the event, my grandparents asked me what I was going to say at the fundraiser.  What am I going to say?  Wait, you mean I will stand up there and talk?  Yikes.  Did not know that! It's cool.  It will be mostly family.  I'll just share the info that I know and open it up for questions.  


And that's just what I did and it was fine.


I earned a ton of money.. a LOT more than expected.


Thank you to everyone who came to the fundraiser and donated money for a great cause!  I am truly grateful!

Just a usual day at school...

"Oh yeah, JJ goes every year.  I stay home with the kids."

"But people have to pay to go, right?"

Within the first month of moving to Myrtle Beach, I met a couple named Jennie and JJ.  Jennie was interested in getting their daughter into a peer program in my classroom.  Fast forward to this school year and their daughter made it in our program, so I see Jennie almost every day.

In talking with Jennie one day at dismissal, the subject of Africa came up.  JJ is a leader of a mission group every summer.  So they invited me over for dinner with another missionary prospect to learn about the trip.  At this point, I was already sold.  My mom in Ohio was planning a fundraiser for me and I had begun to print invitations for my own here in SC.  

At dinner, they told me stories of their experiences from their previous trips.  I also saw tons of pictures.  

Like this one....

That little gal is super cute!  Meeting the kids will be my favorite part of the trip, I think!

Also, at dinner, their daughter danced to Shakira's "This Time for Africa" video.  I was inspired and downloaded the song from iTunes right away!