Blood Pressure Machines

I recently received news that one of the men I met in Africa was very ill. I was concerned about his health so I sent an email inquiring about his health. The full time missionary in Bangui informed me he was ill but getting treatment. She also informed me it was quite fortuitous that he became ill because they also discovered he has high blood pressure. 

She told me high blood is a big problem in Bangui. The typical Bangui resident has VERY limited access to even simple medical equipment and most have a stroke before high blood pressure is diagnosed. It only costs $30 for a simple blood pressure machine. I told her how many do they need and where to send them. She put me in touch with Mike Taylor of Three Strands. His wife Myra is going to Bangui in about a week and will be able to take the machine down to Dr Mboi so he can monitor his BP. Mike is heading to Bangui in January with a large medical team. I can send an entire trunk down filled with blood pressure machines with the team. The airline charges $200 for an extra bag. I would like to send along at least 12 quality blood pressure machines in the trunk and I'm hoping to do so for under $300 for a total expenditure of $500.

The orphan children of Sakpa

One of the side trips we took while in C.A.R. was to deliver a gift bag to the orphans attending the Hand in Hand school at Sakpa. Hand in Hand schools are one of the many outreaches of Project Hope and Charite’, a ministry focused on orphans and widows.

Sakpa is about ten miles southeast of Bangui. It took about 30 minutes to get there as we had to navigate traffic and all the potholes. All eight of us were excited to get out of the cramped SUV with our cargo of over 100 gift bags.

The gift bags contained three items.

1) A can of sardines: Sardines are a highly valued source of nutrition. Some of the children had a red tint to their hair which is an indication of malnutrition. One boy had a swollen stomach.

2) A box of Vermox: Most of the children have parasites. They don’t have regular access to clean water. They don’t have regular access to soap. Simply stepping in a puddle barefoot can introduce parasites. Vermox is a medicine used to get rid of parasites. Without parasites the children’s immune system has a better chance of fighting off other diseases. If they are healthy they have a better start to the school year.

3) A small beaded bracelet.

Passing out the gift bags was an incredible privilege. The kids were all very appreciative. They were all very gracious in the way they accepted the gifts. In Africa when you truly appreciate a gift you hold your hands out and wait for the giver to place the gift in your hands. Each child accepted their gift bag in this manner. 

Getting your passport

Getting all the paperwork in order was a larger undertaking than I first thought. Give yourself plenty of time to gather all the required paperwork. It took me about four months to get my passport and visa. You may not be required to get a visa, the group you’re travelling with will be able to tell you if a visa is required.

The list of all required documents for your passport can be found here.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html

All the necessary forms needed here.

 http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html

Additionally the fees associated can be found on the same site.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/fees/fees_837.html

And finally the processing times.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/processing/processing_1740.html

As of this post the processing time is approximately 4-6 weeks. You can expedite the process for an additional $60. Expedited times as of this post are 2-3 weeks.

You’ll also need to get a passport photo. I went to CVS for my photo. http://www.cvsphoto.com/passport-photos

It only took about 10 minutes to process and I walked out with two copies of the photo in my hand.  Some post offices will also take the photo for you. I wouldn’t recommend it but if you’re particularly adventurous you can try to take one of your own. Make sure you research the proper dimensions for it though.

You’ll also need a certified copy of your birth certificate.  The following site lists where to get a copy, by state, if you don’t have one on hand.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm

It was only 10 minutes away so I went to the Department of Health to pick up a copy of mine. The cost was $21.50.

Stepping out of my comfort zone

I think I was sitting in my cubicle at work when I finally summoned the nerve to send the email to begin this adventure. I’m a bit of an introvert so it isn’t a very natural act for me to send an email to a complete stranger expressing my interest in joining a short term mission team. However when I’m in a situation like this I find it helps to think about the fact that tonight I can take the safe route, do nothing and  go to bed wondering “What if” or I can step out of my comfort zone and wonder  ‘What next”.  

My name is Ben. I recently took my first short term missionary trip to Bangui, Central African Republic. The primary purpose of the team I was on was to help build the James Gribble Leadership Training Center. I was also privileged to work on the Bensvie construction site which housed a book store, print shop and a small office. In addition to construction projects we also visited two schools for orphans. The above picture is from the Hand In Hand school at Sakpa. My trip was such an amazing experience! I want to share my experiences in hopes of encouraging other people to step out of their comfort zones and take a short term mission trip.