T minus 2 days to start of 2012 mission trip

The team is busy prepping for our departure Friday morning. We have scheduled the trip for earlier than in past years because the airfare is much cheaper for trips that begin on or before May 18. So we are leaving on May 18! The weather will be a little bit warmer as Tanzania is in their fall season. And the forecast shows a chance of showers, so we are packing our umbrellas.

The team comes from lots of different areas: Here is a link to see all of our hometowns: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=218164171467050856496.0004c02f01a29b3a6a78b&msa=0&ll=-6.495441,38.465881&spn=1.771025,3.348083

Here is the team:

Elise Francel, a freshman @ OSU, from Piedmont, OK - will be a helper

Bishop Mike Girlinghouse, our A-OK Synod's leader, from Norman, OK - will be our pastor and a helper











Carrie Beth Reynolds, from Lexington, NE and Shelby Goetz,  from Littleton, CO, both nursing students in Nebraska, - will get to practice nursing skills

Mary Hollingsworth, a nurse in Rogers, AR, from Bentonville, AR (a citizen of Ireland) - will be a nurse

Pati Murdock, an office manager in Rogers, AR, From Rogers, AR - will be our team manager

Bernie Olson, a nurse in Edmond, OK, from Edmond, OK - will be a nurse

Aaron Pennie, a junior @ OSU (Cindy's son), from Stillwater, OK - will be a helper

Cindy Pennie, a nurse in Stillwater, OK (Aaron's mom), from Stillwater, OK - will be a nurse and the team leader















Linda Rider, head of the School of Nursing @ UCO, from Edmond, OK - will be a nurse

Tom Rider, (spouse of Linda), from Edmond, OK - will be a helper

Mike Somogyi, retired, mission volunteer (Connor's grandpa) from Lenexa, KS - will be a helper

Connor Stubblefield, a high school senior (Mike's grand-daughter), from Shawnee, KS - will be a helper

Dr. Arleigh Trainor, an ER physician in Sioux Falls, SD (spouse of Casey), from Sioux Falls, SD (a citizen of Canada) - will be our doctor










Casey Trainor, a professor @ Augustana College (spouse of Arleigh), from Sioux Falls, SD - will be a helper.

And we will be joined by Barbara Robertson, the local ELCA missionary, who is from Washington state. Barbara has served in Tanzania for more than 10 years and is invaluable in helping the team in our mission.

We will be in 3 main areas in Tanzania this year:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=218164171467050856496.0004bfe9ee128a6432f82&msa=0&ll=-6.495441,38.465881&spn=1.771025,3.348083

We'll arrive in Dar es Salaam Saturday evening and worship with a local congregation there Sunday morning. Then most of the team will travel to Morogoro (Cindy and Barbara will be staying in Dar for an extra day to finish all the paperwork with the government Monday morning) where we will get settled in to the Lutheran Junior Seminary. We will be working in a village outside of Morogoro called Ngere Ngere, setting up a clinic and perhaps even working with a school for more clinic and wellness classes. Arleigh,  Casey and Elise arrive on the 25th, so our clinic will change a bit from there.