Hello all!
The official update on my funds for the Africa trip: After paying off my plane tickets (I had a very generous family member lend me the money to pay for my plane ticket...you know who you are, THANK YOU!) I now have enough money for living/travel expenses for the first month in Kenya. While this is a HUGE blessing, I still need funds for the second month in Uganda. So, please continue to spread the word of this fundraiser and if you haven't had the chance to donate, please do!
Remember, donating is as easy as the click of a button. Go to the "How To Donate" page located on the header of this website, and there are instructions for the various ways to donate.
Thank you and God Bless!
Kat
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Preview of the Camp
God has blessed us, the ODO Mission team, in this trip to Kenya and Uganda! It really is amazing to see all the different things each of us will be able to bring to the program at LDO and BDI. We all have different strengths and talents to bring to this mission and it's all falling into place (so far!). I've finished all of my shots and most of my necessary shopping for personal items I'll be needing over there. Since I'm an ardent second-hand shopper --been one since I was a tween-- nearly every one of my clothes for this mission has come from Goodwill and Deseret Industries, so I've managed to get all the shirts and skirts I need for less than $30! Special thanks to my sweet, loving husband for forking over the green and helping me find the right kind of clothes. :D
We have only a little more than one week before we're all together in Africa! It's exciting to see all the ideas for activities and teachings come to fruition as we get ready. It will all be finalized once we get to LDO and have a chance to get a feel for everything. Each team member has been assigned specific Bible stories to teach and we'll take turns teaching one story per day, so each of us will have an opportunity to teach twice during the 3 weeks of camp. Alex and Alexa has been able to find a wonderful tool to help make the stories more visual for the children, a felt board where we'll be able to create settings for each story with flannel cutouts for the story characters.
We each have something we're contributing to this program and I'm working on the arts and crafts section, which will take place after Bible teachings. The idea is to try and coordinate the arts and crafts activities with the story the children learned that morning. One example of an idea (inspired by an activity I did when I was a tot at WT Moore elementary...represent!), when the story of Jonah and the Whale is the topic of the day, we'll make 3D whales using waste paper -yeah, upcycling!- to paint and hang up around their rooms. We also hope to get enough knitting needles and yarn so I can teach the kids how to knit and make a "community blanket" where each person knits a square and all squares are sewn together to make a blanket. We think this is a gift that will keep on giving, as the kids will be able to keep the needles and continue to knit things for themselves after we leave. We also hope to help the kids do a mural containing various scenes from the Bible stories they'll learn about, if space and resources allow it.
There will also be team-building activities later in the day, which other team members are responsible for. Activities for this section include various strategy games such as the Spiderweb and trust games like balancing on ropes with the help of teammates. We'll also have times for physical fitness activities and fun games for the kids to unwind. I'll post more on these once I'm able to, and pictures too!
This is only to give you a basic idea of what will take place during our time there. More details later!!
And don't forget to donate! I'm a little over the three-quarters mark for my fundraising goal and ODO is nearly at their goal for the $5,000 they want to raise to go towards LDO and BDI's needs.
Thank you and God Bless,
Kat
We have only a little more than one week before we're all together in Africa! It's exciting to see all the ideas for activities and teachings come to fruition as we get ready. It will all be finalized once we get to LDO and have a chance to get a feel for everything. Each team member has been assigned specific Bible stories to teach and we'll take turns teaching one story per day, so each of us will have an opportunity to teach twice during the 3 weeks of camp. Alex and Alexa has been able to find a wonderful tool to help make the stories more visual for the children, a felt board where we'll be able to create settings for each story with flannel cutouts for the story characters.
We each have something we're contributing to this program and I'm working on the arts and crafts section, which will take place after Bible teachings. The idea is to try and coordinate the arts and crafts activities with the story the children learned that morning. One example of an idea (inspired by an activity I did when I was a tot at WT Moore elementary...represent!), when the story of Jonah and the Whale is the topic of the day, we'll make 3D whales using waste paper -yeah, upcycling!- to paint and hang up around their rooms. We also hope to get enough knitting needles and yarn so I can teach the kids how to knit and make a "community blanket" where each person knits a square and all squares are sewn together to make a blanket. We think this is a gift that will keep on giving, as the kids will be able to keep the needles and continue to knit things for themselves after we leave. We also hope to help the kids do a mural containing various scenes from the Bible stories they'll learn about, if space and resources allow it.
There will also be team-building activities later in the day, which other team members are responsible for. Activities for this section include various strategy games such as the Spiderweb and trust games like balancing on ropes with the help of teammates. We'll also have times for physical fitness activities and fun games for the kids to unwind. I'll post more on these once I'm able to, and pictures too!
This is only to give you a basic idea of what will take place during our time there. More details later!!
And don't forget to donate! I'm a little over the three-quarters mark for my fundraising goal and ODO is nearly at their goal for the $5,000 they want to raise to go towards LDO and BDI's needs.
Thank you and God Bless,
Kat
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Donations
Ladies and Gents!
I've reached the three-quarters mark for my fundraising goal, Praise the Lord! I want to express my deepest gratitude to those who have donated. You know who you are...if you all of sudden feel invisible arms wrapping around your calves in a tight embrace, know that it's from me. Don't be scared. Embrace it.
I'm still asking for donations towards my traveling and living expenses while in Kenya and Uganda, however, we're also asking for donations of the following items:
Shoes
Clothes for boys/girls, ages 3-16
Pens
Coloring pencils
Markers
Toys
Yarn
Knitting needles
Sewing needles
Thread
Scissors
Fabric (scrap)
Glue
Paint (water based)
If you think kids will like it, donate! :)
If you wish, you can donate money to go to the purchase of any of the above items. Just leave specific instructions when you donate and I'll follow them to a 'T'.
As always, I ask for your prayers for all those involved in this mission trip and the children too.
God Bless!
Kat
P.S. - Apologies for posting twice in a row - opportunities for internet access are few and far in between for us whenever we're in Northwest Florida, so I'm taking advantage of the free WiFi and deliciousfruityblended drinks at Mango Marley's of Mexico Beach.
I've reached the three-quarters mark for my fundraising goal, Praise the Lord! I want to express my deepest gratitude to those who have donated. You know who you are...if you all of sudden feel invisible arms wrapping around your calves in a tight embrace, know that it's from me. Don't be scared. Embrace it.
I'm still asking for donations towards my traveling and living expenses while in Kenya and Uganda, however, we're also asking for donations of the following items:
Shoes
Clothes for boys/girls, ages 3-16
Pens
Coloring pencils
Markers
Toys
Yarn
Knitting needles
Sewing needles
Thread
Scissors
Fabric (scrap)
Glue
Paint (water based)
If you think kids will like it, donate! :)
If you wish, you can donate money to go to the purchase of any of the above items. Just leave specific instructions when you donate and I'll follow them to a 'T'.
As always, I ask for your prayers for all those involved in this mission trip and the children too.
God Bless!
Kat
P.S. - Apologies for posting twice in a row - opportunities for internet access are few and far in between for us whenever we're in Northwest Florida, so I'm taking advantage of the free WiFi and deliciousfruityblended drinks at Mango Marley's of Mexico Beach.
Proverbs 31:8-9
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for
those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see
that they get justice. - Proverbs 31:8-9
The one thing that hits me and I'm sure will sink in even further once I get to the orphanage in Kenya, is how mistreated deaf people are in other countries. The misconceptions that come with deafness lends itself to the destruction of lives, in various ways.
When I was in China in 2009, I got to see how oppressed the children were. They were denied access to their natural language and it was shocking to see the expectations hearing adults had of them. No one seemed to think they would ever be able to amount for much in life. The deaf school we visited in Beijing would only employ deaf adults as Art or P.E. teachers. Even then, they weren't allowed to sign with the children - oral method all the way, and from what I understood, they didn't even get the same pay and benefits as the other hearing teachers at the school did.
Deaf children in China are often left in the back rooms of their families' homes, stashed away from sight for the rest of their lives or until they're institutionalized. Oftentimes, their families (as it is with any other persons with disabilities) will place them on the streets to gain sympathy from passersby...and get money.
In Africa, conditions for deaf children and adults aren't as good as it is for the deaf in China.
Minority groups experience oppression all over the world, no matter how "enlightened" the countries they live in are. However, some of us just have it better than others. While fighting for issues in our own countries are important, I'm not denying that, but there are some things one person is suited for that another might not be. I'm fine with that. America, for instance, needs people willing to fight for issues within the system, but it helps to look outside sometimes and see how others like us are doing in other countries. We as deaf Americans have been fortunate enough to have access to good education (I'm not looking for an argument of what a "good education" constitutes of), the opportunity to develop leadership skills, and more. This isn't quite as readily available to deaf people in other countries, some not at all.
Because of this, we as Americans have the opportunity to pass on our leadership skills and empower others to try and make a difference in their countries AND honor their cultural traditions. Everybody can help in any way, whether it be donating to a cause or serving overseas as a missionary or in other organizations such as the Peace Corps or Habitat for Humanity.
I know that whenever I start to get frustrated with the cable going out in the middle of my favorite TV show during a storm, I'll think of the people who live without electricity and running water on a daily basis, of the people who worry about being beaten or killed for their deafness, of those who wonder if they'll starve to death because they can't get a job due to their deafness, of the people who never had access to language, and more.
The world needs more allies.
those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see
that they get justice. - Proverbs 31:8-9
The one thing that hits me and I'm sure will sink in even further once I get to the orphanage in Kenya, is how mistreated deaf people are in other countries. The misconceptions that come with deafness lends itself to the destruction of lives, in various ways.
When I was in China in 2009, I got to see how oppressed the children were. They were denied access to their natural language and it was shocking to see the expectations hearing adults had of them. No one seemed to think they would ever be able to amount for much in life. The deaf school we visited in Beijing would only employ deaf adults as Art or P.E. teachers. Even then, they weren't allowed to sign with the children - oral method all the way, and from what I understood, they didn't even get the same pay and benefits as the other hearing teachers at the school did.
Deaf children in China are often left in the back rooms of their families' homes, stashed away from sight for the rest of their lives or until they're institutionalized. Oftentimes, their families (as it is with any other persons with disabilities) will place them on the streets to gain sympathy from passersby...and get money.
In Africa, conditions for deaf children and adults aren't as good as it is for the deaf in China.
Minority groups experience oppression all over the world, no matter how "enlightened" the countries they live in are. However, some of us just have it better than others. While fighting for issues in our own countries are important, I'm not denying that, but there are some things one person is suited for that another might not be. I'm fine with that. America, for instance, needs people willing to fight for issues within the system, but it helps to look outside sometimes and see how others like us are doing in other countries. We as deaf Americans have been fortunate enough to have access to good education (I'm not looking for an argument of what a "good education" constitutes of), the opportunity to develop leadership skills, and more. This isn't quite as readily available to deaf people in other countries, some not at all.
Because of this, we as Americans have the opportunity to pass on our leadership skills and empower others to try and make a difference in their countries AND honor their cultural traditions. Everybody can help in any way, whether it be donating to a cause or serving overseas as a missionary or in other organizations such as the Peace Corps or Habitat for Humanity.
I know that whenever I start to get frustrated with the cable going out in the middle of my favorite TV show during a storm, I'll think of the people who live without electricity and running water on a daily basis, of the people who worry about being beaten or killed for their deafness, of those who wonder if they'll starve to death because they can't get a job due to their deafness, of the people who never had access to language, and more.
The world needs more allies.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Our Bunkhouse at LDO, in Kenya
Hello my lovelies!
OK, maybe that greeting's a little creepy. I won't do it again, promise.
I have some more details on the mission trip but first, I want to let you know that I'm open to any questions you have about the mission. If there are enough questions, I'll put together a page for FAQs. You can either email me your questions (aukaukism@gmail.com), comment on my blog, or on my Facebook page.
First of all, the plan for our sleeping arrangements in Kenya (LDO) is for us to stay at the orphanage as opposed to staying at a hotel or an apartment in town. Lance McWilliams (of Lance's Deaf Orphans) and his team arranged for a guesthouse to be built at the orphanage and put in 8 bunkbeds for us. This is really a huge blessing as it will save us a lot of money AND the orphanage will always have a guesthouse for their visitors and future missionaries. We'll be able to be with the children throughout the month and have the opportunity to get a taste of what life really is like for the kids at LDO.
Alex and Alexa posted pictures of the guesthouse on their blog, it looks fantastic! *Disclaimer* I stole the pictures off ODO's website...sorry, Alex 'n' Alexa. To see the blog where these pictures were originally featured, please go to http://www.odeafo.blogspot.com/
I'm quite excited about this, it'll be nice to actually live like the people do at LDO and get the full experience. I think this experience will let us grow a deeper connection to the children and people of LDO. Thank you to Lance and his team of builders for putting this together! Praise the Lord.
God Bless,
Kat
OK, maybe that greeting's a little creepy. I won't do it again, promise.
I have some more details on the mission trip but first, I want to let you know that I'm open to any questions you have about the mission. If there are enough questions, I'll put together a page for FAQs. You can either email me your questions (aukaukism@gmail.com), comment on my blog, or on my Facebook page.
First of all, the plan for our sleeping arrangements in Kenya (LDO) is for us to stay at the orphanage as opposed to staying at a hotel or an apartment in town. Lance McWilliams (of Lance's Deaf Orphans) and his team arranged for a guesthouse to be built at the orphanage and put in 8 bunkbeds for us. This is really a huge blessing as it will save us a lot of money AND the orphanage will always have a guesthouse for their visitors and future missionaries. We'll be able to be with the children throughout the month and have the opportunity to get a taste of what life really is like for the kids at LDO.
Alex and Alexa posted pictures of the guesthouse on their blog, it looks fantastic! *Disclaimer* I stole the pictures off ODO's website...sorry, Alex 'n' Alexa. To see the blog where these pictures were originally featured, please go to http://www.odeafo.blogspot.com/
 | |
| The inside of the finished dwelling. Sealed with concrete. The bunk beds will be added shortly. |
I'm quite excited about this, it'll be nice to actually live like the people do at LDO and get the full experience. I think this experience will let us grow a deeper connection to the children and people of LDO. Thank you to Lance and his team of builders for putting this together! Praise the Lord.
God Bless,
Kat
Home Sweet Florida
HI!
My husband, our three dogs, and I finally got to Florida yesterday after a few days on the road. My brother and his lovely wife is scheduled to bring my little niece into the world today, so pray for that!
I know we are looking forward to this new addition to the family since their little boy's so awesome, how could we not want another one? I haven't seen my nephew since December, when he wasn't even 2 years old yet, so it was quite a shock when I saw him last night. He isn't the little toddler I remember, saying just a few words at a time.
He has a grown up haircut and is now quite articulate, even telling my mother "Dump 'em all in there, Grandma!" when she was giving him some of her ice cream from her cone. My favorite story is about his 2nd haircut. He was a perfect angel when he got his first one, but the second haircut, not so much. He bawled throughout the entire thing but once it was all over, he looked at the barbers and tearfully said "I love my haircut, guys." My heart's going melty-melt.
Any one know of an anti-growth hormone I can give him so he stays little forever? (sniffles)
OK, enough of the sentimental family stuff. :)
Will post shortly re: Africa.
Hugs to y'all,
Kat
My husband, our three dogs, and I finally got to Florida yesterday after a few days on the road. My brother and his lovely wife is scheduled to bring my little niece into the world today, so pray for that!
I know we are looking forward to this new addition to the family since their little boy's so awesome, how could we not want another one? I haven't seen my nephew since December, when he wasn't even 2 years old yet, so it was quite a shock when I saw him last night. He isn't the little toddler I remember, saying just a few words at a time.
He has a grown up haircut and is now quite articulate, even telling my mother "Dump 'em all in there, Grandma!" when she was giving him some of her ice cream from her cone. My favorite story is about his 2nd haircut. He was a perfect angel when he got his first one, but the second haircut, not so much. He bawled throughout the entire thing but once it was all over, he looked at the barbers and tearfully said "I love my haircut, guys." My heart's going melty-melt.
Any one know of an anti-growth hormone I can give him so he stays little forever? (sniffles)
OK, enough of the sentimental family stuff. :)
Will post shortly re: Africa.
Hugs to y'all,
Kat
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Dear Reader,
I'm in Clarksville, Tennessee right now, ready to pass out after a long day on the road. My husband and I left Provo on Friday to go and visit my family in Florida before I leave the good ol' U.S. of A. for Africa and my husband for Switzerland.
On Saturday, we stopped by the Deaf Missions headquarters to meet the other mission team members. I know Alex and Alexa Abenchuchan, but I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting the other team members. One thing I can say after meeting them is that our trip to Africa will be so, so rock-ing-ly awesome. These are some very cool cats and I have a very good feeling we're going to be able to really do A LOT of good for those kids at Lance's Deaf Orphans and Boanerges Deaf Initiative.
Whatever anxiety (a tiny, tiny bit) I had about the mission team is gone now and I'm thanking God more than ever for leading us all down this path. I'd be doing headstands and somersaults right now if there wasn't a 99.9999% chance of me breaking a limb or more likely, my neck. That's how excited I am about this opportunity that God has opened up for all of us, especially for those children at LDO and BDI!
Please join me in praying for more donations for this trip. Thanks to God and the wonderful generosity of my friends and family, I've nearly paid off my plane ticket to Africa! Now all that's needed are funds for food, room, supplies, and transportation within Kenya and Uganda.
Please continue to share this with your friends, family, coworkers, your accountant, random strangers you pass in the supermarket, anyone! Remember that no donation is too small (or too large). :)
Also needed are prayers for the children at BDI and LDO and for the mission team, we never can get enough prayers!
God Bless,
Kat
I'm in Clarksville, Tennessee right now, ready to pass out after a long day on the road. My husband and I left Provo on Friday to go and visit my family in Florida before I leave the good ol' U.S. of A. for Africa and my husband for Switzerland.
On Saturday, we stopped by the Deaf Missions headquarters to meet the other mission team members. I know Alex and Alexa Abenchuchan, but I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting the other team members. One thing I can say after meeting them is that our trip to Africa will be so, so rock-ing-ly awesome. These are some very cool cats and I have a very good feeling we're going to be able to really do A LOT of good for those kids at Lance's Deaf Orphans and Boanerges Deaf Initiative.
Whatever anxiety (a tiny, tiny bit) I had about the mission team is gone now and I'm thanking God more than ever for leading us all down this path. I'd be doing headstands and somersaults right now if there wasn't a 99.9999% chance of me breaking a limb or more likely, my neck. That's how excited I am about this opportunity that God has opened up for all of us, especially for those children at LDO and BDI!
Please join me in praying for more donations for this trip. Thanks to God and the wonderful generosity of my friends and family, I've nearly paid off my plane ticket to Africa! Now all that's needed are funds for food, room, supplies, and transportation within Kenya and Uganda.
Please continue to share this with your friends, family, coworkers, your accountant, random strangers you pass in the supermarket, anyone! Remember that no donation is too small (or too large). :)
Also needed are prayers for the children at BDI and LDO and for the mission team, we never can get enough prayers!
God Bless,
Kat
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Dear Reader,
Welcome! I'm doing this blog so you and my other supporters can keep up with the fundraising efforts for my mission trip to Africa with Operation Deaf Orphans. This blog will also give me the opportunity to share stories and pictures of my upcoming months in Kenya and Uganda with you!
If you're unfamiliar with my mission trip and its purpose, please go to the tab titled "The Mission," on the top of this page. If you want to donate, please see the other tab titled "How to Donate," also on the top of this page.
A brief update on my fundraising efforts: Thanks to generous donations from beloved friends and family (you know who you are!) I've been able to raise a little over $1,000 for this mission. However, my goal is $4,000-$5,000 to help cover my plane tickets to and from Africa (half of the cost!), room/board, and transportation within Kenya and Uganda. While I'm thrilled beyond words and incredibly blessed to have gotten the donations I did, I still need more support. Please help spread the word of this to your friends, family, church, coworkers, etc.
If I'm able to raise the $4,000-$5,000 I need for this mission, I have already determined that I will live as frugally as I can during my time in Africa so that any funds left over will go to the Boanerges Deaf Initiative and Lance's Deaf Orphans, the two institutions we will be working with.
The deadline for PayPal donations is July 20, 2012. The deadline is the same for mailing checks to my mother's house. I will still be accepting donations while I'm in Africa, since I only have less than a month to go and only $1,000 dollars (which will go towards the cost of my plane ticket). However, for donating through the Operation Deaf Orphans website, the deadline is May 10th.
Please check in with me often, as I will try to update my blog whenever I can! To make it easier on yourself, you can follow this blog by email and receive notifications whenever I post a new blog.
Big hugs to you and God Bless!
Kat
Welcome! I'm doing this blog so you and my other supporters can keep up with the fundraising efforts for my mission trip to Africa with Operation Deaf Orphans. This blog will also give me the opportunity to share stories and pictures of my upcoming months in Kenya and Uganda with you!
If you're unfamiliar with my mission trip and its purpose, please go to the tab titled "The Mission," on the top of this page. If you want to donate, please see the other tab titled "How to Donate," also on the top of this page.
A brief update on my fundraising efforts: Thanks to generous donations from beloved friends and family (you know who you are!) I've been able to raise a little over $1,000 for this mission. However, my goal is $4,000-$5,000 to help cover my plane tickets to and from Africa (half of the cost!), room/board, and transportation within Kenya and Uganda. While I'm thrilled beyond words and incredibly blessed to have gotten the donations I did, I still need more support. Please help spread the word of this to your friends, family, church, coworkers, etc.
If I'm able to raise the $4,000-$5,000 I need for this mission, I have already determined that I will live as frugally as I can during my time in Africa so that any funds left over will go to the Boanerges Deaf Initiative and Lance's Deaf Orphans, the two institutions we will be working with.
The deadline for PayPal donations is July 20, 2012. The deadline is the same for mailing checks to my mother's house. I will still be accepting donations while I'm in Africa, since I only have less than a month to go and only $1,000 dollars (which will go towards the cost of my plane ticket). However, for donating through the Operation Deaf Orphans website, the deadline is May 10th.
Please check in with me often, as I will try to update my blog whenever I can! To make it easier on yourself, you can follow this blog by email and receive notifications whenever I post a new blog.
Big hugs to you and God Bless!
Kat
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