This has been a whirlwind two days!!! Katie and I have been getting her ready to go to Honduras with the All Souls Church ASSIST-JC Team's mission trip to Honduras---leaving Monday night!! She wasn't planning to go since we couldn't afford the over $1,000 it would cost, but at the last minute, a member had to back out due to health reasons (doctor wouldn't clear the teen to go, but I have no idea why the decision came so last minute), so Rev (Mrs) Garrett called me 9:30 Friday morning to ask me if Katie would be interested in taking the person's place. No charge for us, since it was already paid. Of course, Mrs Garrett was waiting for the final OK from the original family, so she'd let me know by the afternoon if they were fine with it. Then she said she didn't want to get Katie's hopes up by telling her before she was sure, but she also had to know if Katie had other plans for the week.
Two questions came to my mind, just because I tend to think like this: 1) Why would the other family care is someone took the teen's place, since at this late stage of the planning, there is no refund, and 2) Why was Mrs Garrett calling ME when Katie is 22 years old and can get her hopes up or down, accordingly?? Mrs. Garrett is absolutely the cutest person in this whole world. I dearly love, love, love her and have told her that I want Katie to be like her when Katie grows up. Geez, I want to be like her!!! I totaly love the way the adults in that church love and cherish Katie.
I'm sure there is a step I missed somewhere along that first conversation about returning or changing the tickets; and, of course, since I'm me and this is just how I think---as soon as I hung up with Mrs. Garrett, I went right into Katie's room and told her my conversation with Renee, and "I'm not supposed to be telling you this in case it doesn't work out, but get your passport out, and let's start praying for God to decide...."
About 15 minutes later, Renee calls back, the parents are fine with Katie taking the ticket. Now the fun begins. Thankfully, this will be her fourth trip down there, so I still have most of what she needs packed in a certain drawer in my room. Since she is with the medical team, she will translate for the doctors, and she will pretty much live in scrubs the time they are "in the field/at the clinic". However, she needs her "travel meds" such as malaria pills, typhoid pills, etc. Usually, this is all done weeks ahead of time, so there's no rush. Now, however.......
So, I call the Bangor Immunization Clinic, explain what's happening and why it's so last minute. At first, the only opening is Monday afternoon for the shot (malaria). After I make that appointment, and again because I'm me and I tend to talk and talk, the lady finds out that this will be her fourth trip there, so I guess she's comfortable knowing that we know what we are doing, so she tells us if we can be there within an hour, she can see us. Katie runs up to get dressed (during this conversation she was eating breakfast), I grab my purse and her shot records from previous years, and we are out the door.
So, not only do we have to get her prescriptions for the pills (somehow in the conversation it turned into getting pills as opposed to a shot....I have no idea how), I have to clean two houses on opposite ends of town AND get home in time to get them up to the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired so they can meet with their case worker (about college bills, and what she will help them with, which winds up to be a huge help) at 3:30. By the time we get out of the Immunization clinic, it's almost 11:00. Added to this wonderful land of craziness is the fact that Katie is desperately waiting for the packing list to be emailed her by Mrs. Garrett.
We leave the Clinic, go clean my first house (over in Hermon), then on our way back into Bangor, I decide to stop by the church so Katie can get some T-shrits they have for free from the Parks and Rec department, and when we walk in, there are four people sitting at a table in the Hearth Room. They all yell, "Katie!!!!!" They are so happy she's going on the Trip. We get the shirts, talk to all who were there, and finally try to leave. We spent at least 45 minutes there. Which, normally I wouldn't mind at all, but I had another house to clean, plus get home, take a shower, and get them up to DBVI/career center so they are not late for their appointment with Carrie.
Well, somehow I managed to get everything finished in the alloted time, go to DBVI, and still have time at the end of the day to read. Of course, that still doesn't take into account all the shopping we did today (or "yesterday", depending on what time this says it is when I hit "post"). Katie and I had to go shopping for the "little doo-dads" that were not on the list, but she will know she needs.....granola bars, more scrubs, etc.
Then.......she had to spend the rest of the day packing. We have to have all the suitcases that are not carry-ons, at the church before the morning service. There is always a "dedication" service for the travelers, then a last-time information meeting for the travelers and parents.
On paper, it doesn't seem like it has been as crazy-busy as it has been. But, it's all for a good cause. And, since she and Alex have been there before, we had the whole routine down, just not the "panic" part.
Katie is so excited to be going. She hated not getting to go this year, and she still can't believe she was the one chosen to fill in. Mrs. Garrett had told me in a previoius conversation (last week ) that they were really going to miss her Spanish-speaking abilities. Now, they don't have to think about her being there....she'll be there in person!!! YAY
I'm falling asleep while writing this. I just typed (and erased) a whole sentence that doesn't/didn't make any sense!!! ha ha ha. Goodnight!!!!!
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