Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I can't express enough how grateful I am for the influx of donations I've received over the last few months. I've raised over $1700 donations for the orphanage! I received over $1000 in donations after I sent out that request letter and then raised another $700 at my tag sale. Thanks for buying all my junk!
You can really stretch a dollar in Ghana so I will be able to do AMAZING things for the children. I do not plan on merely handing over the cash to the overseer of the orphanage; I instead intend to purchase necessities along the way (medical supplies, food, new mattresses, etc.) as I see fit, while I'm living there.
People I haven't seen in years came out of the woodwork to donate. This was so special to me - parents of my friends, neighbors I've never met, strangers at the tag sale, even my dad's dentist donated 80 children's toothbrushes! It really goes to show that there is so much good in the world and that everyone should really believe in the goodness of people's hearts. I am so lucky to know each of you and want to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all of your support.

I leave tomorrow afternoon, fly 10 hours, and arrive in Accra in the morning. The village is 3 hours from the nearest ATM so I have to bring all the cash with me to the village. I am hiding the cash (it's over $1000, i'll take more out when I can get to an ATM) in a zippered pocket I sewed into the inside of my pants. Yes, I know this will be awkward when I go to buy something but I've been warned so many times about pickpockets and bandits on jungle roads that I'm not taking any chances. I believe in the goodness of people but I also know that the reality is people get robbed so I'm guarding that money with my thighs.
Along with the cash, I'm also bringing donations such as the toothbrushes, crayons, colored pencils, markers, big jugs of Purell, medicines, soaps, balloons, beads, books, glow sticks, sillyband bracelets, chalkboard paint, chalk, candy, and more.

Please email me while I'm there! linds.richards@gmail.com. I'm buying a phone there but email is probably a better bet.