You Mean You Can't Give Me All the Shots at Once?!?

What?  Sometimes they do that when you get your ears pierced!!  When I first got mine pierced, I had two women stand on either side of me, and on three - they pierced my ears at the same time.  I didn't realize that my question sounded a bit absurd when I called to schedule our Immunizations for the trip.  I proceeded to ask the secretary if I could get several of the needles at once - to which she really didn't seem to know how to respond.  Turns out I didn't have that choice when the time finally came this past Wednesday.  One at a time for me.  One PAINFUL needle at a time...FIVE times.

We went to the Occupational Travel Clinic at the Paoli Hospital for our first round of shots (we split them up between there and the Chester County Clinic in West Chester depending on where the cheapest was). Fortunately we had an AMAZING nurse named Carly at the Paoli clinic.  AJ and I joked that it was as if we were having dinner with Carly - as if we knew her our whole life!  Aside from her scaring us into thinking we may get every contractible disease in the known third-world region,... and then continuously poking us like lab rats,...she really was nothing short of amazing!  

At the first clinic - AJ had to get 4 Shots, and I got 3 (I chose to take the oral medication instead of the shot for the Typhoid).  At the second clinic, I got 2 more, and AJ got 3 more.  So let's do a little math... 4 + 3 + 2 + 3 = WAY TOO MANY SHOTS!  Not to mention we walked out of the first clinic with a total of 5 prescriptions.  But again, at the second clinic - God blessed us with an amazing nurse again!  This woman, when she found out where we were going, decided to give us these three rolls of stickers to give out to the kids when we are in Kenya.  How sweet is that!?  We were so moved by her thoughtfulness and couldn't believe what an incredibly sweet gesture that was.  Needless to say, we have some thank you notes to send out to these two lovely women. 

As far as side effects; no we did not temporarily contract yellow fever, meningitis, typhoid, Polio, the flu...etc. etc.  AJ's only side effect was that he was tired the following day.  I was tired...but I also had some nice black and blue bruises one my arms that made it difficult to move them much.  Then of course, because I get weird side effects to everything - I managed to get horrendous pain inside of my knee joints.  It was pretty terrible.  Three tylenol and a good night's rest took care of that though!  Overall, not too bad.

So now, for the Update on the Financial Aspect of the Trip:

DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....

We have officially raised $7,000 for this trip!!!  If your not blown away,...that's ok - because we certainly are!  To think, in just two and a half months God has blessed us with the entire cost of the trip, the cost of the passports, as well as covering the entire cost of the immunizations and prescriptions!  He knew the extra fees over the original cost of the trip before we even did, and he made sure we had every penny to take care of it.  

$5000 - Cost of the trip

$1200 - Immunizations and Prescriptions (a bit more than we anticipated)

$500 - Passport/Expedited Fees

Now, with about $300 left - we have enough to take care of any extra expenses in the preparation of this trip, as well as any expenses that may crop up when we are there.  Whatever is left will be used to either help someone else with the cost of their trip, and/or go towards some of the needs we will encounter while we are there.

So there is your massive update!! I know we are starting to sound like a broken record with this - but seriously, we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity and prayers.  You have allowed God to use you to bless us, and it is so much more appreciated than we could ever express in words.  Now we pray the He will bless each one of you!!  

"And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." ~ Philipians 4:19 

(P.S. I apologize if you are having difficulty subscribing to this blog.  For some reason I can't figure out why it doesn't allow you to do it - or how you would go about figuring it out, but I added an e-mail option so you can subscribe that way instead.)  

WINNERS!!!

Thank you all so very much for your participation!  Through this drawing we were able to raise over $800!! Praise God!  We couldn't of done it without you - so thank you all!


Click the link below to check out the Video Drawing to see WHO won the Thomas Jefferson Revolving Bookstand, and the Runner-up surprise Gift!!!

Official Raffle Drawing

Congratulations to the WINNERS!!  We hope you enjoy your prizes!!

Tick...Tock...Tick...Tock...Only 6 Hours to Go!!

It's not too late to get your last minute tickets!! Only 6 more hours to go before the raffle shuts down.  We will post the video of the drawing tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled! 

(We will also send out an e-mail at some point tomorrow to those of you that purchased tickets so that you know when the video has been posted.) 

RAFFLE: Thomas Jefferson Revolving Bookstand!!

The Details: 

This unique piece of history currently has very few competitors on the market, with retail values ranging from $500, to roughly $2,000!  It is believed that the design of this revolving bookstand was invented by Thomas Jefferson himself around the year 1780, and was one of three revolving pieces made at the joinery in Monticello.  Not only can this revolving book stand display five books at once, but it can also hold the books at 7 adjustable angles, 8 for the top stand, as well as close into a 10” cube (with exception of the base and top ledge) when not in use, while maintaining the ability to still revolve when closed. 

However, this piece is slightly different than its reproductive counterparts currently on the market.  Specifically crafted with an original touch, this piece was created out of solid Maple, with stand adjustments made out of Oak, and finished with a polished antique finish, giving this stand an aged appeal.  Each individual book stand contains grooves lacing the underside of the enlarged ledges making for easy opening, while also holding the thickest of texts.  From the delicate detail on the top ledge, to the smooth rotation of the swivel, the 35-40 hours of work gone into this piece shows the meticulous and calculated thought so clearly exhibited in this functional work of art. 

This stand is great for cross-checking multiple references, or displaying and keeping different texts handy.  Makes for a very unique, historical gift to even the most avid of readers and lovers of history!  Certainly a conversation piece for the inquisitive! 

How Much??

We are currently selling raffle tickets for:

**One ticket for $10**

 **3 tickets for $20**

For every person that you refer that buys a raffle ticket, we will include an extra ticket in your name, increasing your chances of winning.  The best way to get the word out is to send e-mails to your family and friends, post on your Facebook wall with a link to this raffle, or simply just by word of mouth.  Make sure to let everyone know that if they purchase a ticket, to let us know that YOU referred them when they are paying!  There is no limit to how many tickets you can get references for – so the more people you tell, the more chances you win!  

The Purpose:

The purpose of this raffle is to raise support for our Mission Trip Kenya this summer.  The purchase of these raffle tickets, while not only providing an opportunity for you to win a one-of-a-kind piece, is also going towards a great cause.  (To learn more about our mission trip, view previous posts below.)

How do I buy tickets??

The deadline for ticket sales is: May 17, 2011 - so don’t wait, get your tickets now!! 

You can click on the 'chipin' icon on the side of this blog to purchase your tickets.  That will then take you to paypal to submit a payment; you do not need a paypal account to pay, just click the link that says "Don't have a paypal account" and you will be able to pay by credit or debit card.  

IMPORTANT: When paying, after you enter your shipping address (yes we will ship to you if you win!!), there is a link that says "Add note to seller" - click on this and please tell us who referred you.  

How will I know if I won??

**We will post a video of the actual drawing on May 17th. We will ship, or drop off locally, to the winner of the drawing.  AND, the runner-up will receive a surprise gift in the mail!!**  

(**Note: You will not receive an actual physical ticket, we will enter your information into a random drawing for every ticket that you purchase or have a referral for.**)

PS - This would be a great Father's Day gift for those of you stuck on an idea!!

Flood us with your Ideas!!!

Whew!!  We have officially met the required down payment for the first due date!!  With three more to go, I know it's going to be personally challenging for me to trust that God will move the hearts of people, and make it possible to provide fully for this trip.  It's amazing to hear the encouraging words from others, and so very much needed - that I can't thank those of you enough that have been backing us up, not just with your words, but with your prayers through this process so far.  And because I want to make sure that I am keeping you all informed - here are the next set of due dates and fees we will need to come up for each:

May 8th - $1000

June 5th - $1000

June 20th - $1800 (eek...this fee scares me most!!)

We are trying to think of ways, outside of our support letters that we can raise money.  Some ideas floating around right now are yard sales and raffling off items.  AJ is amazing at woodworking, so we were thinking of having him build the Jeffersonian Book-stand (sells for anywhere between $500-$2000), out of solid Oak, and then maybe selling raffle tickets to win it.  My only worry about that though is that it's such a 'niche' kind of piece, that I worry about possibly not selling enough raffle tickets to even pay off the price of the supplies.  (Of course - here we go, gotta leave that to God also!!)  Plus, me not being on Facebook anymore kind of limits my reach-ability and networking to people that may be interested, and forces me to rely on word of mouth and this blog.  

 The other possible idea was for me to do photo shoots with people that were interested, and instead of paying a ridiculous amount, asking that they donate an amount towards our trip.  That way, not only would it be affordable, but it would go for a good cause.  But then of course, me being me, I think of all the 'what-if's' and the worries.  "What if the lighting is bad where we go, what if it rains (since I can only do natural light photography with the equipment that I have), what if I get too nervous around people that I'm not comfortable with..." etc.  

Another idea is a bake sale.  Except I have no clue where I would have it!  I love to bake, and granted if I were to sell enough, that would help - but it's all about location and advertising something like that. Two areas that I am at a complete loss about.       

One day at a time, right?

Passport Fun

Let me rephrase that - getting passports is NOT fun!  I think I was in a little bit of denial in thinking the passports wouldn't be that much of a dent in our pockets.  I was WRONG.  Nearly $500 later...they were being sent out, and expedited, to ensure the reservation of our plane tickets.  Eek!  Praying that God pulls through and still provides us with the funds we need for this trip.  While we need to raise $5000, I suppose I neglected to think about, or mention, that that amount didn't include the huge passport fees and the super 'fun' shots we will have to get in preparation before leaving.  Got to trust God on this - already starting to be pretty clear how much he wants us there!  I read this quote today and loved it, "Where God guides, he provides." I will cling to this truth...   

On another note, just saw and heard the news about the earthquake and Tsunami affecting Japan right now.  Wow, how heartbreaking.  Here I am complaining about passport $$, when all over the world, disasters and things like this happen.  Sometimes I think,...how unbelievably spoiled and blessed we are here in America?  ...I pray I never take that for granted.  If anything, I hope that this Kenya trip helps to put that more into perspective for me.  Material possessions are just 'stuff.'  You can't take it with you when you die, so why do we all get so bent out of shape about it all?

We Can't Do it Without YOUR Help!!

Some of the Teen Mothers

Oh yes, it's that time - the time to send out the letters asking for your support!  

It's not easy for AJ and I to ask for $$.  Not AT ALL!  In fact it takes us having to swallow our pride and ask for help (which I'll tell you, is a BIG pill to swallow sometimes!).  Below is a copy of our support letter. I left out our home address for security purposes, but if you would like to send support, please e-mail me and I will give it to you.  (clrewkowski@yahoo.com) 

Dear Family and Friends,

Have you ever heard the story of the Starfish being thrown back into the ocean?  So many had washed up on the shore, and when the man that was throwing them back in was asked why he was doing it, and that he couldn’t possibly make a difference – he merely replied… “It made a difference to this one.”  We want to help make that difference for some of the people living in Kenya. 

Can you imagine walking through the Kibera Slums of Nairobi, Kenya and engaging with some of the one million plus individuals living in tin shacks with no running water and few opportunities for education and employment?  Can you imagine sitting with a street girl from Kitale, Kenya who was recently rescued from a life of prostitution and given a safe home and an opportunity for restoration and hope?  Can you imagine sitting with a five year old boy who has lost both of his parents and his sister to the same disease that he now battles?  This vision is about to become a reality for AJ and I as we embrace an opportunity to travel to the beautiful nation of Kenya, East Africa with a team from Providence Church.  This 14 day trip will be spent working with Transformed International (www.transformedinternational.org), an organization committed to serving the orphans, widows, and at risk teens in Kenya.  July 5^th-19^th will be life-changing days for us, and we want to give you an opportunity to partner with us.

We will be serving Transformed International in a number of ways.  There will be opportunities for us to spend time building relationships with the street girls, orphans, and families that they serve, through sports, education programs, income generation training, manual work projects, and simply being present with those who have experienced so much of a life filled with brokenness.  All of these things will give us a chance to work side by side with those in the village towns and slum areas that we will travel to.  This allows for valuable relationships to be built, which is a vital part of the Kenyan culture.

There are two ways that you can be a part of this amazing African adventure.  The first and most important way is through prayer.  By visiting our blog at www.mountainmovers.blogspot.com, you can keep up to date on our journey as we prepare to go to Kenya, as well as the goings-on that happen throughout our time there.  The second way that you can partner with us is through financial support.  Between AJ and I, we will need to raise $5,000 by June 20^th to cover the cost of this endeavor; a steep amount for us, but not too steep for God!  Of course, if you aren’t in a position to help us, we completely understand.  However, if for some reason we raise above the amount needed, the rest will be put towards either helping someone else with the cost of their trip, or to help to individuals we will be working with while we are over there.

Your financial gifts are tax deductible and can be written out to: Providence Church.  Please write our last name, Rewkowski, in the memo line of your check.  Checks can be mailed directly to our home address:  (e-mail me at clrewkowski@yahoo.com for the address).  If you would prefer to pay online, you can send money through www.paypal.com using my e-mail address listed below.  (Unfortunately if you pay through PayPal there are fees, and so a small percentage is taken from the total amount of your gift.  You also won’t be able to use this as a tax deduction.)   

If you have any questions, or would like to talk more about this trip, please feel free to contact us at clrewkowski@yahoo.com.

Thank you for taking the time to invest in our lives and this adventure of serving people in another part of the world! 

Sincerely,

AJ & Tina Rewkowski

The teen mothers with their children  (photos taken from Transformed International)