Socks, underwear, ...snake bite kit!

Here is the start of my packing list, I am sure it will grow. I have decided to use the age old language of English sports card trading. Many a time as a teenager I would look through other friends football (soccer)card collections, saying..., need, need, need, got, need, got, got, got; you get the idea...

I will keep the packing list updated, and if you wish to support me & my missions trip, you could get me one of the 'need' items.



CLOTHING...

• BOOTS - (got) - I have two pairs. One pair of regular waterproof, steel toe cap boots. One pair of Military issue gortex combat boots. I used to wear a pair of British Army issue combat boots when hiking, and I loved them!



• SOCKS - (got) - 6 pairs, what can I say, socks are socks...



• PANTS - (need, got) - 5 pairs, Light weight long pants, that dry quickly. I have 1 pair. I need 4 more pairs.



• SHIRTS - (need, got) - 5 short sleeve(got), 5 long sleeve(need). Light weight & drys quickly...



• HATS - (need,got) - Wide brim sun/rain hat (need). 2 Baseball caps (got). Bandanna's, I have some, but if anyone wants to give me some cool Bandanna's, that would be nice...



• BELTS - (got) - 2 belts, for holding my pants up obviousley...

TOILETRIES...

• TOOTHBRUSH - (got) - I'll take 4, just in case...


• TOOTHPASTE - (got) - 2 tubes...


• RAZORS & SHAVING FOAM - (got) - Or I might plan on coming back with a beard...


• DEODARANT - (got) - This will probably be the least usd item in my kit...


• WASHCLOTHS - (got) - 2, mainly for traveling...


• SPARE GLASSES - (got) - I hit my hand less with the hammer if I'm wearing them...


• SHAMPOO ETC. - (got) - I've got some of those small $1 bottles you can get at Target


• WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS - (Need) - This is not a high dollar item, and it is one of the most important parts of your kit.

SURVIVAL / EMERGENCY KIT...

This part of my kit is designed to help me survive in a remote area, and assist in my rescue/walkout. To date, I have never had to pull my survival kit out for necessaty, just for practice. God willing that will always be the case...(See my next post for what will go into my PSK, Personal Survival Kit.)

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

• FLASH LIGHT - (got) - to see things in the dark..
• HEAD MOUNT FLASH LIGHT - (need) - To see, and do things in the dark...
• 10" HUNTING KNIFE - (need) - for cutting big things, and peace of mind...
• LEATHERMAN COMBO KNIFE - (need) - for making tasks a little easier...
• OTHER SMALL POCKET KNIFE - (got) - look, you can never have enough knives...
• PONCHO - (got) - basically a rain jacket with many applications...
• WIND UP RADIO (W/INTERNATIONAL FREQUENCYS) - (need) - incase sanity is required I can tune into the BBC world service.
• BIBLE(SMALL) - (got) - my greatest tool of all ! ...
• PASSPORT/VISA DOCUMENTS - (got) - so I can come back home...
• PILLOW - (got) - to rest my sleepy head on
• SLEEPING BAG - (got) - to rest my sleepy body in

TRIP EQUIPMENT

• MOUNTING POLE & CLAMPS FOR HYDRO-ELECTRIC MOTOR

MEDIA EQUIPMENT

• LAPTOP - (got) - to send updates back home
• IPOD TOUCH - (got) - for music, entertainment, & media storage
• FLIP ULTRA HD DIGITAL CAMERA - (need) - to record my trip & send back video updates during my trip

I will update this list as needed...

Getting it together...

We are finally getting a more defined itinerary together, here's what we have so far...

• Depart US - Feb 15th
• Arrive Papua - Feb 18th (Prepare for 4 week stay in Bayono)
• Heli into Bayono - Feb 23rd
• Leave Bayono tribe - March 22nd
• Depart for US - March 27th
• Arrive US - March 29th

Fourtunatley God has blessed me with the experience and knowledge of foreign travel & how & what to pack for expeditions into the wilderness. I will blog my packing list in the next week so you all can see what I will be taking, & how to pack a ruck sac.

I will also post my expence budget and let you know what percentage of the budget has been met...

I'll write more soon. Don't forget you can set this blog up to recieve updates every time I post.

God Bless...

Stepping up to the Plate...

I have been a Chritian for almost 4 years now. I would love to say, so far, it has been a road littered with moments of divine inspiration and miracles. How ever, as I quickly realised...

'There is my plan that God has for my life; and then there is God's plan for my life'

Needless to say both plans differ greatly from one another, and I spend alot of time trying to differentiate between the two; But every now and then my Creator, with his endless Mercy & Grace will gently take me by the hand and.. SHOUT IN MY EAR! This is the start of a story, a chapter in my life if you will. Another moment in my life where God is Shouting in my ear.
Early spring 09' I was attending one of our monthly missions team meetings at SPC, I had talked with the other Members previously about going on a short term missions trip. Unfortunatley the majority of missions oppourtunities kept coming up in the summer. Unfortunatley my wifes work greatly lilits my activities during the summer, to caring for our two wonderfull children, Owen -3 & Melanie - 6, and working. At the end of that particular meeting, we where praying various prayer requests, and my prayer request was for God to present me with an oppourtunity to use my gifts in the mission field. Well, life went on and that prayer request, along with many others was filed away somewhere in my memory.
June 09 my cousin in law, Matt, and his family return from Papua Indonesia on furlough from there mission work over there. They had found a tribe to minister to that has seen very little evangalism, and does not have the bible or their language in written word. Matt approached me and asked if I would be interested in helping him to build his house in their new tribe. As the words were coming out of his mouth I was remembering that prayer request from months previous. God had presented me with an oppourtunity, a big one. Not only that, I feel he has presented me with a plate to step up to. I feel he has challenged me, he has given me this opportunity; he has blessed me with the right set of skills to do this task, He has equiped me with previous experiences and challenges, not too unsimilar to what I will be facing in the Jungle of Papua. He has a plan for me, and He has made it clear. I consider it an awesome privilage to serve my King, and I will step up to this plate He has put infront of me with a happy heart, ready to face the challenges ahead keeping Christ first in my thoughts and myself last.

I WILL UPDATE THIS BLOG ONCE A WEEK WITH EVERYTHING THAT I AM DOING TO GET PREPARED FOR THIS TRIP; ALSO MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ON HOW THINGS ARE GOING.