The countdown begins!

I can't believe it, but there are only five days to go until the challenge begins. One last weekend to do my last minute preparation and make sure I have all my gear together, and just a few days to do my last minute publicity. But, WOW, I am getting excited about it now; excited and pretty apprehensive too!

People have been so generous in their giving and I am WAY over my fundraising target now - and still going strong. It is just so encouraging and makes me determined to do my very best on the challenge. I'll send out one last email this weekend asking for more sponsorship from friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances and that will be it - job done!

I also had a call from a lady this week who had seen the article in the Watford Observer. She is part of a group called 'Teddies for Tradegies' (see www.teddiesfortragedies.org.uk) and has offered us 100 teddies as gifts for the children in Kenya - how amazing is that? Of course I won't be able to get all those Ted's in my rucksack, but between now and Christmas we'll get them all out there so that the younger children can have a lovely Christmas gift.

So, lots of odd jobs to do this weekend... Get a haircut, draw up a checklist, check out all my gear, buy last minute items, dig out my map of Mount Kenya, find my passport!, pull all my documents together, email the challenge participants, get camera batteries charged etc. etc. etc... Oh, and I also have to cut the grass, walk the dog, clean the car and get ready for a special Vision Africa weekend with our Field Directors at church. No peace for the wicked!

I guess I'll do at least one last post before we head off to Heathrow, after that I will be trying to send back short updates via text or GPRS as often and for as long as I can. So... Watch this space!