Headed Home

From a Panera Bread somewhere near the Wisconson, Illinois atate line...

We have had a long 6 days. A lot of traveling, thinking, talking, calling, and meeting has gone on. We have a van full of small goods ranging from a generator to slightly used shoes. The trip went very well, and it looks like we will have another shot of goods sent from the midwest the first week of January once all of the business owners that we did not get a chance to see return from their holiday vacations.

We did manage to secure the Van from Chicago, as well as another small SUV (2003 Saturn VUE). Both of them are nearly new. It will be a proud moment to see these cars in Cameroon on our next visit.

If you are interested in looking at our online needs lists for the Cameroonian projects, please follow the following links and instructions. Please give to your capacity as this honestly is a noble, well thought out cause.

To address one item that popped up on our trip. "What if these people do not want help?"

While I can understand this question in a way, it is so far from my mind as after being on the ground in Kumbo just recently and constantly being told "you are welcome" "thank you for coming" so many times, from so many levels of the social structure, it is abundantly clear that these projects are in no way imposing. They are much needed and welcomed.

Below are the rough instructions for my online friends and family, we will be cleaning up the language a bit tomorrow.:

TARGET
At this on-line site you will find many of the items we classify as “household”, such as pillows and bedding, sheets and towels. The majority of items needed to set-up a kitchen equipped to serve at least 30 people are also located on this gift registry. To access it from the internet, log on to www.target.com.

Click on “wishlist” from the top menu bar.
From the side bar select: Find a wish list.
Type in Himalayan Institute and leave “location state” as “unknown”.
A results page will return, with Himalayan Institute listed.
Select this and the list will appear.


HOME DEPOT
At this on-line site you will find cleaning and janitorial items as well as gardening and hardware needs. Most importantly, we have some very special requests under the category: “Power Tools”. We appreciate your generosity. From the internet, log on to www.homedepot.com.

On the top menu bar, move your pointer to “Gift Center”.
From the pull-down menu, select “Online Gift Registry”.
To find the registry, type Himalayan Institute as the last name.
Select Himalayan Institute from the listing.


SEARS
We didn’t want to make this too complicated, however, Sears had a wonderful selection of the majority of the agricultural and other tools we will need. They also had some basic cleaning supplies. Log on to www.sears.com, then:

Scroll down to the end of their home page.
Under “Other Services” select “Gift Registry.
On the next page, select “Buy Gifts”.
Select “special occasion” as the event type from the pull down menu.
Type Himalayan as the first name
And Institute as the last name.

Please give, give, give! We need YOUR help!

Much love,

Matt D

Headed to the Midwest!

The world has been a busy place for us lately. I have not really had an opportunity to shake the jet lag from the trip to Africa yet, because we have been working full tilt to get prepared for the next trip in late March 2007. I know that March seems like a long ways off, but if we are going to ship items over and have them to port, cleared through customs, and licensed properly for use in Cameroon, the container needs to leave for port no later than 10 January 2007.

So that has been the main focus of my days and nights. I am becoming quite the proffesional begger: "Hey mister, can you spare a used shovel?", "a few hundred dollars?", "or how about your 2004 Chevy cargo van?" The list goes on... I actually raised $500 by playing the piano and singing the other night! (fyi, I have no idea how to play the piano!) - no kidding.

So the answer to all of the above questions has been a resounding YES!

People recognize the great potential of the project, and they want to help in any way that they can. So Briana and I are flying to Chicago tomorrow to pick up a cargo van with 25,000 miles on it. We will then drive about 20 minutes west to receive some general business machines (fax, xerox, printers, computers, etc.). After that we will find a place to stay for the night. The next day we will be off to Milwakee, WI to pick up a trailer full of general construction tools, a generator, air compressor, and air tools. After we leave Milwakke we are off to Fredonia, WI where we are to make home base at a friends home. We will spend Christams in Fredonia where I am hoping to bump into my good friends Travis and Michelle on Christmas day.

On the 26th it is on to Madison, WI for several meetings with all sorts of business owners where the questions will be less than shy:

• Sir, can you donate a car or two from your dealership?
• Sir, can you spare a few refridgerators, and commercial kitchen equipment from your appliance stores?
• Madam, can you donate a minimum of $6,000 to sponsor the cost of shipping from PA to Kumbo?

after all of the meetings we will drive back to PA. Since what we will come back with is in the air we have other drivers lined up. We could come back with more than expected.

So, Life is different. It lacks a lack of purpose. It lacks a lack of excitement. It lacks a lack of flexibility and fluidity. Life is good.

I will have a cell phone on this trip, and I will take my laptop, so email will be checked. If you need to know the mobile number, please email me and I will call you with it.

Now to answer a very commom question I have been receiving about what we want for Christmas. The answer is simple. Do not give us anything. We are blessed beyond our wildest dreams. If you want to give a gift, donate money to the project. Email me for details or click on the donate button off to the left hand side. 100% of the money that is donated will go directly to the projects. I will use it to purchase items from the list of needs that will be sent in mid January. No amount is too small, everything is appreciated.

I know that I still need to leave a few thoughts about the trip. I will do that once this container is off to sea. I should have a moment to breathe. Then I will have a few stories to tell.

Until then, please have the most wonderful holiday season with your friends and family. Briana and I wish you all the best.

xoxo

Hey Dana, this ones for you!

A better view of the face in the stone: Great eye! Can you see it better now?

Panoramic view of a traditional market

Video of our reception at the Kingdom of Nso

Bovine Road Block

Streets of Douala - Cameroon's most populous city

A Front Seat View Of The Drive From Douala To Kumbo

A Sampling of Photos from Cameroon

Thoughts and stories to follow...

Flash Slideshow

Just a quick "Home Safe" update, more to come later

After 38 hours of continuous travel, we arrived in Honesddale at 4:00 pm yesterday. The trip to Cameroon was enlightening. What we are taught about this place is misguided and far from reality. I will go into more details at a later date. I am so pleased to have been given the opportunity to be involved with this program. Right now, there is nothing that I would rather be doing.

Here is one of hundreds of photos that I took of the countryside. There is something very interesting about htis photo. Can you see it?