Oh good, thanks for this update, kansas.  I was worried sick about her after reading her latest email.  I'm glad she was able to check out the apartment complex and finalize the paperwork.  

I can't tell you how happy I am that you and others are there on the ground to help her out with the little things.  They add up and can be overwhelming.  I had a hard transition moving to a city by myself so can barely wrap my head around what she's experiencing.  Thanks for being a friend to her and an ambassador for the site.

Latino Político | "We are condemned to kill time, thus we die bit by bit." - Octavio Paz

Ambassadors Kansas and Manny!!! Hip hip hooray!

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. - Jimi Hendrix

Oh Kansas, thank you a thousand times for writing this and as always I had some tears welling up, tears of happiness that is.
You all can't believe the number of emails flowing from Nancy to me to Diva, to instant messaging, to phone calls and attempted phone calls and so when Manee was handling his leg of this saga.
Last night Nancy and I both sent her to a payphone to call us, well neither of us could hear Diva, we tried to call the number back and it was one way calling, meanwhile Diva was going back and forth to computer to phone to  tell me to call the number that wouldn't answer.  
Diva is so amazed at all the attention and help and reports her fellow students are so jealous that she has an actual American to help her and it makes me want to do the same for all of them. That's impossible for now, however I am putting it in the hopper for the future of the Compassion in Action Team.  One way that citizens can show people from other parts of the world just how kind and generous we the people are.
As I think I said before she thinks there should be a Booman Tribune in Iraq and maybe the people there would become more compassionate and have some empathy for each other.
Thanks again to you Nancy, Manee, and all the others who have helped and offered to help.  It means the world to me and I know it means even more than that to Diva.  
Oh btw Nancy, I was thinking one of the things she could really use is a shopping cart, the fold up kind they sell in grocery stores so that she can bring things home easier if she is walking.
Love and hugs to all.

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What a great safety net she has!

FWIW - we just bought my niece a refurbished Gateway MX6124 with more than enough capabilities to do photoshop and other multimedia apps.  It was $500 at Tiger Direct.  Do they have one in Lawrence?  It's worth a trip if it's not too far.

"Don't waste your time on the clowns, watch the real show"

You must know this old softie has tears welling up and spilling over.  Manny, Kansas, Diane, and the unknown, as yet, angel Andie. . .you are what makes me so proud of this community, and yes this Nation.  Awesome what you all have done and continue to do.

I cannot imagine how these students are supposed to make their way here without just totally losing it in confusion and frustration.  Certainly their chances are not very good without the type of help you all have provided and will continue to provide.

Bless you each for your big caring hearts and your willingness to follow through.  It is rather easy to say we will help, but it is another thing altogether to actually step up and do it.  

Let me second or third the choice of Tiger Direct for the computer.  They have some fabulous deals on brand new and refurbished computers.  They are great people to do business with and their shipping is amazingly fast.  I live out here in the boonies where no one can get anything to me next day, but Tiger Direct can.  They stand behind their products and have lots of free techinical help on line about all of their products.  Can't say enough good about this company.

Thanks you, all of you CIA Angels!  I am so proud to be on the planet with you.  You are making BMT and USA look mighty good. . .just being who you are and doing from the heart what you choose to do.

Blessings, Hugs and much love to you
Shirl

ANY ONE THAT IS ABLE AND WISHES TO DONATE TO HELP OUR IRAQI FRIEND, CONTACT KANSAS.  IF YOU ARE A PAYPAL SUBSCRIBER, YOU CAN SEND MONEY CONTRIBUTIONS DIRECT THROUGH PAYPAL OVER THE INTERNET TO NANCY'S EMAIL ADDRESS.  OR IF SHE HAS SOME OTHER METHOD SHE PREFERS, I AM SURE SHE WILL LET YOU KNOW

Thanks everyone for whatever you are able or willing to do. ~ Big hugs, Shirl

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to have all these magnificent guardian angels looking after her.Kansas and Andi picking up right where Diane and then Manny left off. Gives an ol broad like me hope and faith in humankind again. Please let me know what she needs and I will mail out to Kansas or Diva directly if that works better. I have many extra quilts, towels etc, also items tenants leave behind that I can go through.

Frodo failed...Bush has got the ring.

Many hugs to all of you!

I'll address some stuff here. . .

I don't know anything about PayPal, so if anybody wants to send it that way, you'll have to educate me. I'm happy to take checks, which you can email me and I'll send you my address. Diva has obtained her own bank account--all on her own--but for now it's probably easier to send it to me, I'll cash it for her, and give her the $. You'll get a personal thank you from her if you don't mind that she knows who you are.

Aloha, that is an amazing offer, you sweetie. I think the best thing would be for you and Diva to email each other at some point so you can tell her what you have and she can tell you what she still needs. Would that be okay? Because she'll need a lot of housekeeping stuff right away, I'll go ahead and help her buy it, or I'll get it for her some other way, but you may have things we won't think of, or still need.

ManEe,you are just a dear.

Diane, cross your fingers that the cell phone arrangements we started today actually bear fruit. We had to leave her before it was complete, which made us both nervous. But, like everything else, eventually it will all work out.

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Kansas I wonder if your son knows about, or is part of the Freecycle network in Lawrence. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lawrencefreecycle/ It's a great way to get all kinds of stuff for a new apartment though it involves a lot of meeting and dealing with strangers so participants must of course be careful about where and who they meet (so it might not be good for a new person in the country like Diva on her own at first.) People give away kitchen stuff and furniture all the time on freecycle.

ITMFA!

I just got off the phone with Diva who was on her way out to do something American with some German students she has met....they are very excited to go to some restaurant nearby.
Diva said today was awesome and Nancy and friend were fabulous, she just couldn't believe it.  She loves her apt. and can't wait to settle in.  When I talk to her again, apres the outing, I will ask her some questions about what she will need there, to answer Ahoha's questions above, I know for sure she will need sheets and blankets, she says she has towels, but I figure how many could she carry with her.  
So I think she has brightened considerably since first arriving at the 'green and flat' place she first described.  Don't know if I said this before, but I looked at some aerial views of the campus online and it looks beautiful to me.
Everything seems to be working out well and I couldn't be happier.

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