Paperwork and Precautionary Treatments

The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity in preparing for our journey to China. Two weeks from today, I will be sitting on a plane bound for Beijing thinking about what lies ahead. This not only occupies my thoughts but humbles me. I have had three years to prepare for this time however feel like the idea was just sprung on me yesterday. Tom, as always, remains calm and has a “what will be will be” attitude.

I continue to scurry around the house taking care of any loose ends for our paperwork. Scurrying because things will and do come up in the final two weeks. Unbeknownst to us, the US Consulate in Guangzhou had not received our updated home study. A quick shout out to the women working at the United States Citizen Immigration Services office in Des Moines for their expedient work cabling the information (yes the word cable is actually used in this day and age). Yesterday, I made all of our flight arrangements. I was shocked at the affordable price tag and connection we received from Des Moines to Chicago and Chicago to Beijing.

Tomorrow is a consult with our doctor to receive all the prescriptions one takes along when traveling to an area which, despite its intense efforts has no disease control. Antibiotics, salves, ointments, creams, precautionary lice treatment for Sidney, and precautionary scabies treatment are only a few of the items on our list. This is not to mention the round of typhoid medicine in our refrigerator a couple of months ago. A quick trip to Cedar Falls to the occupational health branch of Covenant for malaria meds rounds out our cocktail on Friday.

Tomorrow is also day of cleaning with my mom who might be elevated to sainthood after all of this is over. She is helping me do the “deep clean,” prior to leaving and is preparing herself to spend copious hours with her grandson. Eli is independent as ever and seems to take all of this in stride. What a trooper! My mom has many activities planned, and he looks forward to spending time away from mom and dad. We are happy that our trip is only 2 weeks instead of 18 days as we were originally told. During all this, Eli is a stabalizing force and keeps me grounded and most of all makes us laugh!

More to come in the days ahead and during our travels. I purchased a netbook to keep in contact with the Western world during our hiatus.