Every trip I take usually ends up with an "eventful" story!  Since I travel alone it generally is something that happens to me - like when I arrived in Conakry, Guinea in West Africa to the Africa Mercy Ship-  Enroute to the ship, in the dark, late at night, the driver from the hotel I booked was stopped by the police, arrested and the car was towed.  I was standing on the side of the road with my suitcases smiling at a huge crowd of curious new "friends" thinking "no one will believe this one".   I texted Wick, shocked that my phone worked for once, and he said CINDY - CAN YOU FIND A POLICEMAN?   Ha Ha That was the LAST thing I needed!!!   Before it worked out and the police let the driver take me in.a taxi to the hotel, I held up a picture of the Mercy Ship with my best hand signals and the BOSS LADY of the group started grinning and pointing to her eyes.  Years earlier she had cataracts removed on the ship - It is a very small world even on the side of the road in Guinea.  God has shown me protection in so many ways and he always makes sure I am able to see HIS hand in it all. 
    Today's story, for once, does not directly involve me, even though I probably lost a few years from it.  On Friday night at midnight, Juana, Maria, and I were to fly from Addis Ababa to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  We had planned that Aminat would join us at the airport in Addis and fly with us to Tanzania.  At about 10:00 I began to worry because she had not shown up.  I could not reach her by phone so I texted Wick to try to call her.   She finally answered and said her flight was the next day.    NO, NO, NO I said,  you are getting confused with am and pm.  The flight is right now at 12:10 am thinking she thought it was noon.  I doubted if she could make it with traffic and distance but I said to hurry, don't worry about packing, just bring her passport and come now.   Later I found out that she was right, her ticket had been reserved for the following night at 12:10 am and she was not joining us.   No one knows how that happened   The next day she got on the midnight flight to Tanzania.
    But, I had no way to get her from the airport at 3:40 am.  Thankfully the owner of the airbnb was kind enough to line up a driver to pick her up.  I set my alarm for 3:00 and waited - 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 - no word from her and the airbnb could not contact the driver.  She finally called me from a borrowed phone to say no one picked her up.  She was waiting at the airport and did not know what to do.    The airbnb contact talked to the man from the borrowed phone, a taxi driver, and he agreed to bring her to the apartment.  One hour later she had not arrived............it was a fifteen minute trip.   Pendo from the airbnb had now come to the apartment and we were down the road in front of a hotel in case she was lost. He was sick with worry.   - the driver would not answer the phone and we had no idea where she was.   Finally, the driver answered and they had spent the hour fixing a flat tire on the side of the road and did not hear the phone.  At 7:00 they drove up - Pendo and I were so relieved.    It ended up that the scheduled driver had fallen asleep in his car in the parking lot of the airport and woke up with the daylight in a huge panic too!   God keeps me on my toes so I will depend on him for sure!!!
      

          Last night we had such a fun Christmas party to pamper our essential oil customers complete with yummy snacks and several DIY essential oil crafts.  One was this cute test tube of Lavender Bath Salts!  Check out the recipe below!       
          One way that I raise funds for this ministry helping burned patients in developing countries around the world is by being a distributor for essential oils!  These are products I love and use for my own family!  I am committed to living as toxin free as possible - what I eat, what I put on my skin, and what I breathe.  We use Young Living products for all things CLEAN - over the counter products, body care, makeup and skin care, supplements, oils, etc.  Ditch the chemicals and GO CLEAN!!  It's good for your budget and good for your family!
          To purchase your own 100% pure essential oils visit bit.ly/burncareessentials 

Lavender Bath Salts
(Test Tube recipe - full one below)
1/3 cup Epsom salt
1 teaspoon lavender buds
3 drops Young Living lavender oil
Mix well and add to test tube
 
Enjoy!!
 
***​NOTES:   Epsom salt, named for a bitter saline spring at Epsom in Surrey, England, is not actually salt but a naturally occurring pure mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate.  Stress drains the body of magnesium and increases levels of adrenaline. When dissolved in warm water, Epsom salt is absorbed through the skin and replenishes the level of magnesium in the body. Magnesium helps to produce serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of calm and relaxation. Research shows that magnesium also increases energy and stamina by encouraging the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the energy packets made in the cells.          The sulfates in Epsom salt help flush toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances. Your skin is a highly porous membrane and adding the right minerals to your bathwater triggers a process called reverse osmosis, which actually pulls salt out of your body, and harmful toxins along with it. Experts believe that bathing with Epsom salts a minimum of three times each week is beneficial to your health.  Ideally you want to use 1-2 cups of salts in your warm bath and soak at least ten minutes so make up a bulk supply. 3 cups epsom salt, 2 cups sea salt, 1 cup baking soda, 15 drops essential oil!

     Hey everyone!  My name is Emily...I am Cindy Jackson's oldest daughter.  I am down here in Bolivia, with my husband Nick, for the next three months.  Just yesterday, I visited BCI's Burn Clinic and I wanted to guest post to this blog with some photos and stories of the burn victims.  
 
     In 2001, my family was involved in an accident and my mom was burned very badly.  Over 30% of her body was 3rd degree burns.  We were living in Bolivia, South American at the time, but had to move to the USA to save her life!  After 5 months, we returned to Bolivia and my mom made it her mission to help burn victims like her.  

     Burn victims need special treatment and need to wear a Pressure Suit or Garment for up to two years!!!  It depends on how badly they were burned and how much of their body was burned.  Most people don't know how devastating burns are and how, if not cared for properly, can destroy a person's life.  Once burns have grown new skin, the hardest part begins!  The skin is an incredibly strong organ and can pull a persons body into positions that create handicaps...this is why Pressure Suits and Garments are SOOOO important!!!!!  My mom saw this need and created Burn Care International!!!  Although BCI does many things, the main focus is creating the Pressure Suits and Garments so that skin can heal correctly, smooth and flat.


    BCI's clinic is found in three small rooms inside Hospital Viedma in Cochabamba, Bolivia...a Patient Room and a Sewing Room, with a Bathroom in between.  Once you have arrived at the hospital grounds, you enter this door to the Physical Therapy area of Hospital Viedma.

I have always been hesitant to blog because while the first blog is usually easy, I procrastinate too much for the second and third and then two years later I can not even remember how to log on...............  I think you get the picture and some of you may be able to relate to me!!  But, for 2015, I want to commit to this blog because there is so much to tell and so much I want you all to know about the beautiful people I am so privileged to work with and to help.   My daughter Emily and her husband Nick are going to spend the next three months in Bolivia helping out in the burn center and so I am thrilled that she will be able to blog some for me and give us a window into the world of the Herman Urquidi Centro de Ninos Quemados or in English, the Herman Urquidi Center for Burned Children in Cochabamba, Bolivia!!   This 15 bed hospital is always full and we are thankful to work alongside of Dr. Oscar Romero and his staff.