Hello Friends!

First – there are 99 days until I leave!!!

We had a very successful yard sale this past weekend!  Although I have a broken foot, I had lots of help from my boyfriend Glen, my mom, and my sister.  I appreciate all the financial and “stuff” donations thus far! We’ve raised almost $1,000 total! This is a little less than half way to my goal.  Amazing!!!

To keep the fundraising going, we will be having ANOTHER BENEFIT YARD SALE on Saturday March 12 from 7am-6pm.  Again, let me know if you would like to donate unwanted household things to this event!

My gracious Aunt has also donated her frequent flyer miles to me and so my plane ticket to Ethiopia is officially booked!  I will be leaving from Raleigh-Durham on May 20 and arriving in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 21.  I am SO nervous! I find out my host family in the next month or so, so I am very excited about that.

I have purchased a travel guide so I can learn more about the history and culture, and I have also purchased a beginning Amharic book so I can learn a little bit of the native language before I travel there.

Graduate school, work, preparing my medical school application, and getting geared up for my trip are all keeping me busy, but I am SO excited to embark on this journey! Thank you all for your support and well wishes.

Also, if would like to make a donation to my financial campaign please click my paypal link 

Amesege'nallo' (Thank You in Amharic),

Christina Helen