News from FFCC!

February 8, 2012

FFCC Tanzania Team #11 Is Ready To Go!

This Saturday, February 11th, eight FFCC volunteers will begin their 21 hour journey to Tanzania, Africa. Of the eight team members, 5 of them are making a repeat trip to Tanzania. One of the projects that we are excited to be a part of is delivering the new tractor and custom built taxi-trailer to the Leper colony of Nkungi. We are planning a HUGE celebration to present this special gift to the people. It will be a surprise as they do not know we are doing this for them. What fun!

We will also be continuing the work of installing water filters for the families that live in Nkungi. We are getting close to our goal of every family in this village having access to clean, safe drinking water. There is a teacher's house to be built & we are also looking forward to seeing how the people of the Hadzabe tribe are doing with their new medical dispensary. Another fun project we will be involved with is delivering donated soccer gear by students here in San Diego to the street kids of our Children's Center in Singida. The kids will receive jerseys, cleats, shorts and socks!

Can you help? We do have an opportunity for our FFCC community that will be remaining here in San Diego, if you are interested. The airlines we are traveling with will only allow each team member to check two bags at no charge. Our problem is that with the soccer gear, water filters and food for the team, we do not have enough luggage space. The charge for an extra suitcase is $200. If you would be interested in helping us to get more of our gear to Tanzania, please email Phil Harris at philffcc@san.rr.com by Thursday, February 9th!

This trip will be an exciting adventure and we look forward to sharing the stories with you when we return. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we go. The team will return to San Diego on Feb 29th.

From 0 To 8 In Two Years Flat!

Haiti Trip #9 is in the books with some incredible news! Two years and nine trips ago we had the pleasure of meeting Aaron and Natalie Nelson who were born in Haiti, but are now living in Orlando Florida. After meeting them and hearing their story of going back to begin an orphanage, FFCC asked, "How can we help?" In the following seven trips FFCC was able to come along with Aaron and Natalie and help build, donate materials and encourage in the process of the first building.

And then the ninth trip--cutting the ribbon to the newly completed Administration building. This first building on the site is now being used to house the FIRST group of kids. From zero to eight kids in two years! These eight children get a place to sleep, food to eat, clothing to wear, and, best of all, an incredible team that cares, protects, plays, takes them to school, and, the best thing, just loves on them.

When the orphanage is 100% complete it will have the administration building, girls and boys dorms, a kitchen, their own soccer field and will be able to have 200 kids sharing in the love that they give. There's a long way to go. Over $300,000 in materials is needed, in addition to countless trips of volunteers to dig footings, set block, install doors, electrical, and, the job that everyone wants........ paint!

So...zero to eight in two years was thought impossible, but now is it too much to think nine to 200 in just two more years?

Enjoying the journey with you,

Doug Ferrin

Local Neighbor Needs

Thank you for the recent donations to help local families! Some updated needs are listed below. If you can help by donating any of the below listed items and/or transporting furniture from one home to another, please contact Becky Palenske at bpalenske@san.rr.com.

Working vacuum cleaner with bags (or bagless unit)
Nearly new bath towels (any color)
Gently used double stroller
Shelving unit/bookshelf for small bedroom
Small to medium size dresser
For a family of 8 sleeping on the floor of a small 2 bedroom apartment

A bunkbed frame that would fit a full size mattress on the bottom and a twin size on top, plus an additional twin size floor frame for mattresses we have already acquired.

For a single mom whose husband was lost in a car accident last year and is faced with further challenges after being struck by a car herself last week, leaving her disabled and struggling to take care of her two daughters

Donations of Stater Bros grocery cards, Walmart gift cards or cash to help FFCC pay some utility bills.

Monkey Business Has A Heart!

When Tricia Tool wrote the business plan for A Monkey's Uncle, her new upscale resale shop at the Carriage Center in Poway, she included a provision to ensure that part of her profits would be donated to a worthy cause. As a long-time supporter of FFCC and the Kids Care program, Tricia knew that FFCC would be the first recipient of her "Monkey's-Got-Your-Back" program.

The way it works is this....any good-quality item donated or consigned under the FFCC name will be tagged so that, when it is sold, 10% of the sale goes directly to FFCC. In general, A Monkey's Uncle carries home décor, jewelry and accessories, vintage and antique items, and small furnishings -no couches, beds, electronics or clothing (other than hats and scarves). The store takes pride in its selection of fun, interesting and beautiful items - all high-quality and gently-used.

Visit the store's website at amonkeysuncle.com, or stop by at 12845 Poway Road, Suite 109-in the Carriage Center, where the thrift stores and other upscale resale stores are located. You will love doing Monkey Business with us while doing good things for FFCC!

Why I Volunteered In Haiti With FFCC by Dr. Maria Padilla

I met Lexnor one night when I came out of my sleeping quarters at Soldiers of Christ Church (SOCC) because the AC was not working and it was hot and muggy in our room. Lexnor is 11 years old, but looks to be about 9 years old in height and demeanor and has a beautiful face with big dark brown eyes. It was my fifth night in Haiti and I had noticed that he, along with 8 or 10 other kids aged 7 to 12 hang out at the Church at night.

I had brought out small lollipops to give the children and they all chirped out in creole with their hands extended like baby birds angling for the prize when the mama bird returns from foraging. In the tiny melee, I was not sure I had given them all a pop, so I offered Lexnor and a couple other kids another lollipop. Lexnor opened his hand to reveal that he already had one so I gave him a second as reward for his honesty; I am a sucker for honesty (no pun intended...really.)

Later, I waited by the front stairway for one of the interpreters who was to bring his sick baby to me. Lexnor walked over and with a shy smile pulled down his lower lip to show me a lump on his gum which was no doubt concerning him. I was not sure of the diagnosis and decided to show it to my colleagues the next day. I wanted to speak to his mom so I asked him in my barely-there creole "kite mama?" I did not expect the answer which he delivered with heartbreaking acceptance, "manman morti." "Kite papa?" "Manman yon sel." No papa either, I gathered.

The next evening I was sitting around after dinner in the clinic area, unable to sleep wondering how many diagnoses I had missed, how many of my patients would have to bear the discomfort of their disease until the next medical mission group gave it another try. As I was ruminating, the same group of kids ran around our improvised clinic rooms, darting under the green tarps that formed the exam stalls for our patients, and the room sang with the happy laughter of childhood. Then one of the kids, an 11 year old with a heart shaped face brightened by a beautiful smile came up to me and pointed to her left ear. I understood the message and got my otoscope to examine her. The right ear was perfect. The left had almost no ear drum left, likely the result of recurrent untreated painful ear infections. I explained to her through a translator that her ear would remain that way forever and that she must protect it from water to prevent infection. Now you know, in our country, an ENT would do a series of patch surgeries and she would have an intact eardrum, albeit prosthetic.

Haiti is a heart breaker: orphans, lack of adequate (or any) medical care, lack of clean potable water for most residents, lack of sewage systems, lack of garbage pickup, crippling poverty, and more.

Why do I go there? Because the children have asked me to look at their owies, and because I see the best of Humanity and the possibility of Hope in their faces. And because, except for an accident of geography, I see myself in Lexnor's face.

In This Issue