Here We Go!

Here We Go!

    

I've never considered myself to be much of a writer. Yet now I have a blog! Let me tell you how that happened. 

    My name is Collin Emde and I have decided to spend a full school year volunteering at an orphanage called Familia Feliz in Rurrenabaque, Bolivia. Other than the information that past missionaries have sent me about this orphanage, and along with the work experience I have working with kids at summer camps, I truly do not know what I am in for. I do not speak Spanish, nor have I ever been to South America, therefor I am bound to have an unforgettable and educational experience on this mission trip.

For the past few months everyone has been asking me, "Do you feel ready?" or “Are you prepared?” Simply put, YES.

Now…do I feel like everything will go according to plan? No. Do I expect communication between family, friends, missionaries, and loved ones to be constant? No. Am I 100% confident that this was the best decision? No. Do I think that I will be hard to spot in a country where the average height is 5’4? No.

 Do I think Jesus is in control of every possibility? Yes.

While I’m not sure of many things about the next 10 months, I am confident that this is an experience that I will never have the opportunity to take on again. Therefor I will make the most out of every scenario that is placed in front of me.

As I mentioned before, writing may not be my forte. However, documenting and storytelling is something I love to do. So I created a blog and YouTube channel to do just that. I may not be writing a ton of information, but I will (hopefully) be uploading pictures and videos in order to show what our little orphanage is like.

A big part of this experience has been ordering supplies and packing. So below is a series of pictures containing everything I am bringing on this adventure. Above each picture is a brief description of what the picture shows. Near the end of the year I will have an official list of items to bring for future missionaries.

Enjoy!

Self care products - These are items that I know work for me and will not be in the town near the orphanage. *Not included is my hair product

Water Filtration - For the first few months I am there I will need to filter all of my drinking water. So I got the Survivor Filter, a camel back Chut Mag and 2 life straws.

Personal Medical Equipment - Here are the things I will be taking. Included in this is a Nit Comb to remove lice from hair.  These have been found to be much better than actual lice combs.

Reading and Journaling - This is something I plan to do often, so I may take a few more books.

Technology - these items are kind of scary to bring because I'm not sure they will make it all the way through my trip. I bought some screen protectors, good cases and plan to be very careful with all of it.

Toys for kids - The last thing I want to do is show up empty handed to a group of 10 to15 kids. So I am brining several toys and gifts I can give them.

Snacks/Protein - Protein is not something that I will have easy access to, so I am bringing as many nuts as possible as well as dried fruits and some comfort snacks.

Shoes - I have to have a shoe for every situation. Nikes (nicer outfit), Timberlands (water/hike), Adidas (work shoe), New Balance (soccer/fun), Birkenstocks (Shower), Chaco (easy slip on everyday)

Miscellaneous - A lot of these are for practical use like a flashlight and a tape measure. But items like a hammock and whistle are more optional. Seasoning is a must becasue a large portion of my job will be cooking for the kids and I know they want their food to tase good.

All of my items laid out.

Here is the clothing and medical equipment I will be taking with me. *I took quite a few items of clothing out of this pile.

Figuring out how to pack the medical equipment in the most practical way.

Found it!

Suitcase one almost done.

Vacuum packing bags are a must! I fit all of my bedding including a memory foam pad in one bag.

Suitcase two nearing completion.

My carry on and backpack were easy to fill up and all my packing was complete!

I hope this series of pictures show how an adventure like this one is entirely possible with just the items you may have in your home (ignore the water filtration systems…). When I initially thought about being a missionary it was hard to imagine being ready to go....but now that day is finally here.  Monday at 9:31am I depart to Houston, then Houston to Panama City and then a final flight to Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

I don’t know the exact details of how next week will pan out. At some point there will be a 22-hour bus ride, a couple nights at a TV station and quite a bit of legal work in order to actually stay in Bolivia for 9 months. However with all of that said, I am ready be a missionary and serve God in a way that is exciting and new.

Before I finish this blog post, I must thank a few people. I would like to thank Kevin & Monica Badger, Gary & Brenda Johnson, Tom & Karen Emde, Rob & Lisa Deininger, Yvonne Fulbright, Susan & Jordan Curran, Dave & Ivonne Johnson, Tim & Amber Mayer, Clayton and LaSandra Alves, Tim Burrill, Suzanne Sendros, Deanna Rader, the Schalk Family, Steph & Jeff Lind, Rita DiMemmo, John & Maria Touchard, Jeff & Vicki Emde, Ethan Emde, Alysson Coa, Megan Johnson, and Frank DiMemmo, Bob and Cindy Rodgers and Bryan and Danielle Emde for making it financially possible for me to have this experience. I appreciate your willingness to help me out with an opportunity like this.

Next, Sothern's Mission Department has been amazing to work with and got me in contact with valuable resources all year. Thank you to Steven Manokian, Katie-Jane Emde, Sierra Andersen, Carlo Lenor, Treson Thomson, Zach Kirstein, and Dain Ochoa for helping me figure out everything with Familia Feliz. It means a lot!

 Finally, my parents Bryan and Danielle have been there at every step of this whole experience. Dad, thank you for helping me do all the research to make this trip possible. Mom, thank you for not completely freaking out when I told you that I wanted to go to another country for a year. Love you all!

 

See you all next post!