24 HOURS TO GO

Dateline: Waterford WI, 7:10 a.m.
Deanna Shimko

In the week before I depart, I organize marshalling the things I'm going to take with me to Cambodia in terms of concentric circles in a geographical area with my home as the center, so the closer the departure date, the closer to home I can be.  Yesterday was my last foray to Wauwatosa to pick up a gift of flannel from a friend, stopping at Big Bend to get travelling cash, then to a friend's nearby home for my last pick up of flannel.  Now I have everything at home that I need to take with me: first aid supplies, personal hygiene supplies in travel sizes (bar soap, shampoo, body lotion, toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc), 5 metal rules and flannel for sewing classes, a bottle of 120 500 mg acetamenophin (requested via email from Cambodia 2 days ago) for our Khmer friends who suffer frequent headaches from poor quality food and stress of daily living.  Today's job is to get packed - this is where I'll find out whether my lists worked well and I've really got everything I need to take with me.  In my living room area I've opened out 2 suitcases, a backpack (my carryon), and a traveling purse (small shoulder bag to carry travel docs enroute and while in Cambodia).  Around the backpack I've piled those things that will go into it including my camera and reading material.  Around the purse are traveling docs, wallet, pen, and small pkg of tissues.  And first aid supplies, personal hygiene items, sewing supplies, phone charger, some "On the Go" and rice cakes which travel well and make great treats in Cambodia, and my clothes.  My task today is to maximize size and weight limits and get everything into the suitcases and backpack!

This last days before departure to Cambodia I have mixed feelings.  I'll be leaving many good friends and family for 2 months and after 10 months of being away I'm going back to Cambodia to friends and village people who are anxious for me to be there!  With me I take the precious supplies you have collected.  Thank you so much for faithfully throughout the year collecting these supplies for the Khmer families.  The money that you've given to the Cambodia wells mission has been deposited into the project's bank account and first payment was wire transferred to Cambodia in spring when building began and supplies needed to be bought and workers paid.  There will be a final payment due about September when the work is nearly finished.  Your precious money gifts become wells, hygiene and sanitation education and training, clean water handling and malaria education and training, toilets, piglets and pig pens, educ scholarships, vegetable seeds and fruit tree seedlings - a budget of about $17,000 each year.  Thank you for your generous and precious gifts to make this mission possible.  If you'd like to support the Cambodia mission with a money gift, please make your check payable to "Cambodia Commun Dev Proj" and mail it to Carol Lohr, Treasurer, Cambodia Commun Dev Proj, 8504 Caldwell Road, Mukwonago, WI 53149.  We, (Pat, Sam and I) pay our own costs to travel to and be in Cambodia including airfare, visas, immunizations, interpreters/drivers, lodging, food, etc, with our own money and by raising money in other ways.  Together we can do this life saving and life changing mission.  We are ordinary people doing extraordinary things!!