Friday, January 28, 2011

Flowing Like Water...

...Money, that is.

I cannot believe how much money is going out the door lately...certainly more than is incoming!
  • Flights: $3,200 (this was on a world wide sale, so we got a bit lucky)
  • Vaccines (with two thirds of our shots behind us):  a whopping $1,300 so far (Hep A, Hep B, meningoccal, typhoid, diptheria, tetanus, polio, yellow fever, dukoral, and two or three that I'm forgetting!).  We'll also have to purchase malaria meds before we go, in case we have the opportunity to travel to the southern region of Wolayta.
  • Providing updated documents to Ethiopia:  $300 + $285 to come
  • Toys, etc, for handing out at the orphanages we'll visit: approx. $300
  • Gifts for the children post court:  approx. $110 each
  • Miscellaneous purchases to get ready for the trip (plug adapters, flashlights, backpack, money belt, leg belt, new camera and extra lithium battery, a few new shirts, soaps and hand wipes, hand sanitizer, mosquito nets, various meds, etc etc etc):  I'm guessing close to $800.
I'm scared to add that all up.  And of course, that list doesn't include the cost of our time in Ethiopia (accommodation, meals, hopefully a trip to our child's birth region, things we would like to buy for our children, things we will buy for the orphanages, etc).  Nor does it include the cost of (hopefully) trip #2, when we will travel to pick the children up and bring them home.

But...despite the swallow, I'm not complaining in any way, frankly.  Though I hate seeing so much money vacating our bank account over such a short time frame, I would do it all again in a heart beat (and will, for trip #2! well, except for the vaccines) for the prospect of completing our family with these children.  I. Can. Hardly. Wait.

9 comments:

  1. Wow...which vaccinations did you get? Are all 3 of you going? i have forgotten if Matthew is coming now or on the next trip.

    Claire

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  2. Hi Ruth!

    Thanks for the heads up! We know we have to get much of the same items you purchased, but thanks for taking the mystery of just how much it's going to set us back...sigh...but it's worth every cent! What airline did you decide to book with? Here's to "x"ing off the days with you!
    Tracey

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  3. Hi there -
    Claire, I've added on my post a list of most of the vaccines we needed to get; and Matthew is staying at home (though he's up-to-date on his vaccines anyway).

    Tracey, glad this list helps! We're flying Air Canada (to London) and then BMI into Addis. We checked all the airlines we could think of and the best price happened to be the Air Canada connection.
    Thanks for crossing off the days with us. Getting so excited!!!

    Ruth

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  4. Hi Ruth! Hope you dont mind..I printed this off for future reference! My heart skipped when I realized how soon you are travelling! I can't wait to read about your experience! Carolyn

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  5. I am hanging on to every word...
    I am praying for you and your family as you prepare to make this next leg of your journey.
    Thanks for sharing your details, I am such a detail person!
    Blessings,
    Kelly DTE Oct.15.08

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  6. Hi Ruth, I just got home from spending $325 for our malaria meds(for 4 of us) Yikes! This is my exact same thought...I hadn't really thought about how much all of the last minute things would add up to... We leave in 6 days!!
    My head is spinning.

    take care,
    Laura

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  7. Ruth, I wonder if we will be seeing you there? We leave on mon morning, and are there until the 8th, at KVI. Wouldn't that be fun!

    Flora

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  8. praying praying....it's coming! :)

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  9. That last minute trip stuff sure does add up! I had a plan to purchase things slowly over the six months before our trip so that it wouldn't be as painful, but with the bankruptcy, that plan kind of went out the window and we had to purchase it all in one week!

    Whatever way you cut it, God will provide.

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