1 week left...

As of today, a lot of preparation has been carried out for the research trip. I wish it was as easy as us just getting on the plane and going, but we have to make sure we have our ducks in a row, so to speak, so that we have all that we need as we travel. I actually care a small rollerbag full of materials such as files, my cameras, tape recorder, pens, pencils, notebooks, folders with reading materials for the team, etc. This year, I am also carrying the 2005 and 2007 reunion DVDs.

I have spent a lot of time this week going through my own personal files of things that I have collected over the years that are pertinent to the trip. I'm almost outgrowing my own storage system and at some point, will probably need to buy a storage cabinet to keep all this stuff. **Laughs**

I have also spent time printing out directions to just about every place that we will be going. I have a road atlas that I purchased on the 2006 trip that we always take with us. We will have area maps as well that are a part of my personal files.

I contacted family members in the areas we will be visiting in February about our visits. I have followed that up with phone calls or emails to most, but will probably call some when we actually get there. I have emailed my friends, co-workers, church family and biological family with the links to this blog, pictures and video so that they can follow us along on the trip.

One thing I failed to mention in the last post was that I will be taking a trip to Washington DC for work right before the research trip (April 15-17). While I am there, I will be taking a trip to the National Archives to look at Civil War pension files of families that are possibly related to us. One of them is for Julian/Julius Atlas of New Orleans, whom I haven't found a living descendant for.



I will have to use the numbers on the draft card above to get the file, which were transposed the last time I tried to get it. Files are only pulled three to four times a day, so if you come on the last pull like I did, you will have to wait until the next time you are there to try to get it. I'm believing God that there is something in this file that will be groundbreaking. The last time I went to DC, I had intentions on trying to look at it again, but missed my flight and had to leave early the next day and couldn't get to the Archives. This will be my third attempt to look at this file. I'm taking that as a clue that God's perfect timing (kairos) has made it so that I will be looking at the file right before our trip, especially since I'm flying to New Orleans right after.