Packing Progressions

Today began my very official day of packing, the 5,000 toothbrushes crammed nicely into 3 nearly 50lb. bags. It's exciting to open each of these suite cases and literally see thousands of toothbrushes in each. For something that weighs so little alone they sure do pack on the pounds when combined together in mass.

Apart from the toothbrushes I have been slowly starting the clothing pile that I only left one bag for, I am hoping for the best. (Mostly hoping that so many clothes can fit in such a small bag and still weigh under 50lbs.)

2 of my other bags contain hygeiene products, crafts, books, and Compassion gifts. I sponsor 2 little girls in Burkina both of which I will have a few opportunites to spend time with so I am bringing them some clothes and a few school supplies.

If you notice the orange bag on the end of this picture that bag is designated solely to food. Shopping for 6 months was quite an experience. I would walk through the isles and grab one pack of muffin mix, a pack of cookies, etc. and keep walking until it hit me that one pack of muffins would only make me muffins for one DAY, how in the world was I going to buy for 6 months? Well let's just say I won't run out of granola bars or cereal :)

Seeing as how this much progress has been made just today I have high hopes of what these next 2 weeks will hold in respect to the completion of my packing. At this point I am just begging other members on the team to agree to cart around one of these clonkers for me (if not 2) because my 2 per person bag quota was very quickly filled (as well was my sisters, she really had no say). I am however so very thankful that I am going with a group of people, and people who pack very lightly!