Peace and Conflict Update

So, Invisible Children is going to start writing more regular updates on the conflict in northern Uganda, some I thought may be of interest to some of you. So this blog is just copied and pasted straight from their blog, so the links to the articles referenced probably won't work. (invisiblechildren.com/blog if you want to check it out).

hope you learn something!

So we were thumbing through our blog the other day and realized something. Something extremely important. If you’ve been trying to follow the progression of the peace talks on our site at all, you probably have the feeling we’ve been sort of schizophrenic - jumping from thought to thought, person to person. There’s so much going on that it’s completely crazy to try and understand what’s actually happening. It’s like sifting through chaos.But, despite how complex the issues may be, it’s incredibly essential for advocates to stay in the know about how events are unfolding in the North. If we want to continue spreading the word (and don’t we all?!?!), we have to stay educated.

So we’ve developed a solution. A layman’s version of the complex conflict. Once or twice a week, we’ll be posting a Peace and Conflict Update on the blog. They’ll always be numbered so you can look back in case you’ve missed one. Hopefully these will provide a more simple and understandable version of the current events that will be easy to follow.
So, on to it.

PEACE AND CONFLICT UPDATE #1(Events from December 9-20)

The Details on Otti: The whereabouts and status of the LRA’s Second in Command Vincent Otti have been back and forth at best over the past couple of months. Rumors of house arrest, illness, and execution have circled around the media, but hard evidence wasn’t emerging. Now in early December, one of the LRA’s commanders, Sunday Otto, confirms Otti’s execution to have taken place on October 2nd. You can read the full transcript of Otto’s interview here.Agenda

Item #3: Accountability and Reconciliation: After spending a month in Uganda, the LRA negotiating team has announced that they’ve wrapped their consultations on agenda item #3 of the peace process. While this is heartening, the people of the North are encouraging both parties to get back to the negotiating table and bring a final resolution to this war by finalizing the remaining two agenda items.

UN’s Presence at the Peace Process: With the consent of the UN Secretary-General and the UN Security Council, Joaquim Chissano (the Special Envoy for LRA-Affected Regions), will extend his role in the peace process until December 31, 2008. Thus far, Chissano has been integral in the talks. Chissano is now in Kampala meeting with heads of State for Uganda, the DRC, and Rwanda before returning to Juba to continue the peace talks. Read more about Chissano’s role here and here.

January 31st: This is huge news. After meeting with the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Museveni has determined to give the LRA until January 31, 2008 to come to a peace agreement and leave their base in the DRC. If they do not meet this date, the DRC and Uganda have threatened a joint military offensive against LRA Commander Joseph Kony. The LRA has repeatedly asked for an extension until March 15, but it has been denied. Read more about the deadline here.

when words run dry

I'm home. Which is creating the weirdest swirling of emotions ever.

I'll be more articulate soon, hopefully.

love is the best gift and sometimes the worst curse.

I'll Be Home for Christmas, You Can Count on Me

So, I'm really excited... I'll be coming home for Christmas! :) My flight comes in the evening of Monday, December 17th, and I fly back to Uganda January 8th. So a little over 3 weeks stateside! I hope I get to see you all while I'm back. I miss all your smiling faces.

The Internship Program Officer, Jamie (aka one of my bosses) was an intern over the summer, and he said his 3 months as an intern were the 3 fastest-slowest months of his life. I can't believe it's been 3 months since the plane touched down in Entebbe Airport, but leaving home feels like forever ago. Sigh. Time is such a funny thing.

I love you all. Hope you are learning to see God more everyday.

Avoid the Christmas Rush

So... there's a possibility I may come home for Christmas... The IC office is closed for 3 weeks in December/beginning of January, and all the international staff is leaving Gulu during that time. If I end up not coming home, I'd be here alone, which would mean I'd learn a lot of independence, but I'm a little freaked out at the idea of spending 3 weeks of nights alone (the days aren't a problem, it's the nights that get a little hard).

So, while my father scans the internet for cheap tickets (ha, ha), I'm going to offer everyone a solution to avoiding the Christmas shopping rush... Beaded Necklaces from Uganda!!! :) Many different Acholi women make beaded necklaces and sell them to earn their living (quiet a few of mine are from women in Awer IDP camp)... and I'm thinking of selling mine to earn a plane ticket home. I'm thinking of selling them for around $15-20, and each will be accompanied by a kicken' card explaining where they're from and telling a bit about the women who make them... what do ya'll think?

The Season is changing... and so are my plans!

so, there are really only two seasons here in Gulu: the rainy season, which consists of hot days randomly interrupted by rather heavy rainfall, and the dry season, which consists of hot days and no rain, so the roads quickly turn to dust and everyone walks around with a slight film of dirt covering them completely... we're nearing the end of dry season, and therefore the end of my white skirt wearing days. :)

sorry I haven't updated in so long... I have no excuse. :/ A lot has been happening here in Gulu Town. Last week I went on a Schools for Schools retreat to Jinja... saw the source of the Nile, ate some very yellow french fries and swam at the nicest resort I've ever seen (and then promptly walked back to my dorm that cost 1/15th of the price). Kope Cafe has opened in town (I don't know if I've posted anything about it yet... it's a cafe that is being run my the Intern Program Coordinator, Jamie. It's an income generating project for HEALS, a NGO in Gulu that gives vulnerable children guidance and moral support through music and play therapy). It's our new hangout... like the Central Perk or Max of Gulu (who can name those two shows?), and I've been having a lot of fun hanging out there in the evenings and weekends. I've also started hanging out a HEALS on Sunday, learning traditional Acholi dances and songs, as well as just getting to know the kiddos there. It's amazing, and probably my favorite place to be in all of Uganda.

Another big change that happened is my travel plans home have changed... I'm going to be staying in Gulu until February 20th, which I'm really excited about. I love and miss all of you, but I feel as though I haven't learned everything I'm supposed to here... God has been teaching and molding me a lot, but he's definetely not finished yet! :)

I'll try to be better about updating my blog... For whatever reason, I never know what to write about! I hope you all are having amazing weeks, and that you have a happy Thanksgiving!

love,
Betsy

knowing it's the first of many doesn't make it any easier...

I have to say my first goodbye this morning... well, not really the first, other people have come and gone from IC Uganda already, but the first one to someone I consider a friend.

Okidi Richard resigned today, and while I understand he needs to go and take care of his family, I selfishly wish it wasn't so... sigh. It just makes me dread December 15th even more.

I dislike goodbyes greatly, even when I know they will be followed by some amazing hellos.

love and miss you all

a decidedly non apolegtic entry

we all know I haven't posted in awhile. I really don't have any new or better excuses, so I'm not going to give any. Sorry for not being more communicative. I love you all. :)

I feel like I'm changing here. Which is probably the biggest "no duh" statement of the year. I think if I wasn't changed by this experience, I wouldn't be human. I'm becoming braver, more sure of myself. More questioning of my own motivations, more enthusiastic about the future. I laugh just as regularly, but oddly enough, I cry less. I feel the undercurrent of God's delight in creation more often. I talk less, listen more intently, and think so much that sleep eludes me from 2-3am everynight.

I have less answers and more questions, but I'm more willing to accept uncertainties. I'm depending more on God, more on others... but learning that I can stand strong alone.

This will probably make little sense to anyone but myself... so I'll stop waxing poetic and tell you more about what I've been up to...

We went to Jinja last weekend, where I went White Water Rafting for the first time. It was a lot of fun, but I'm not "hooked for life." I just think it's exceedingly cool to be able to say I've white rafted on the Nile. My favorite part wasn't the rapids, though. At one point, we were able to get out of the raft and swim in the Nile. It was amazing. The current just swept us along, we all agreed it was the closet to flying as we'll ever come. And as the sun started to set, casting the long shadows of the trees across the water, a feeling of peace and calm settled within my entire being, and I felt closer to God than I have in such a long time. It's so nice that we get to delight in Him so fully.

This past week I've really been studying Luo. It's coming along frustratingly slow, but I want to learn so bad. Patricia has been tutoring me... I feel like I'm back in Spanish class. I write paragraphs at night, and she grades them for me the next morning. It's difficult, but I have so much motivation to learn. I want to be able to sing and play with the children on the way home from work, and they all speak Luo. Besides, I'm tired of people having to translate all the wedding proposals I've been getting... I'd rather handle them myself :)

This week I'm taking Patricia to dinner, celebrating Halloween (we're all really excited to try and explain the concept of a jack o'lantern to the Ugandans), and attending a ton of meetings (which I'm not really looking forward to)

I love you all. Hope life is treating you kindly.

The days start to blur together

One of the strange things about being here for one month, is that now so many things that I’m sure would have thrown me for a loop before I came here, or would seem interesting to all of you back in the States just seems to be part of the daily routine. So, I’m going to work hard on continuing to update, but you’ll have to let me know if it starts to sound tedious or monotonous! (I don’t want to bore you all!)

I’m being a little lazy today… so instead of writing something new, I’m posting something I wrote last weekend, about my trip to Sir Samuel Baker with Okidi Richard.

Turning up the tree lined road to Sir Samuel Baker, I am immediately struck by the many differences from my own high school. The rush of cars driving by, the harsh light of the sun bouncing off the pavement is absent, in its place is a sense of tranquility, as though this land knows it is meant for study and quiet meditation. All around is green, green, green, surrounded by a sky so blue, I feel as though I have found myself in a piece of art. Someone once told me that Uganda is the most beautiful country in Africa, and I am inclined to believe them.

Arriving at the front gate, you can almost feel the history of the school; the leaders that have passed through, the futures of great men that have been shaped here. The buildings themselves shout of their former glory, and it only takes the squinting of my eye and an imagined coat of paint to restore them to what they must have been. Young men in crisp white shirts litter the ground, reading, talking, dreaming.

Speaking to the headmaster, my original characterizations of the school are confirmed. They have suffered much, but overcome. Political coups and changing policies, LRA occupation and military sentries, burning buildings and insufficient funds, the administration and the students preserved. The headmaster recounts the current obstacles facing the school; inadequate teaching staff, dilapidated dorm rooms, classrooms that are crumbling around students. However, the present struggles don’t dissuade the inhabitants of the school. I can sense it in the air; their will, their desire to restore Sir Samuel Baker to all it once was, is palpable. And I, for one, have faith they will…

a quick hello

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to travel to Kitgum, a town/city about 3 hours drive from Gulu. Kristen and I went with Patricia (the mentor I spent the day with a couple weeks ago) and Peter (one of the IC drivers). Because Patricia had to do 4 home visits with students near Kitgum, we ended up spending the night in a hotel and drove back to Gulu this morning... The hotel we stayed in was called "Los Angeles" and I kept laughing at the irony of flying 23 hours around the globe just to end up back home. :)

I'm really working on learning Acholi (Amito ngeyo lebo Acholi- I want to learn much Acholi but Pe angeyo lebo... I don't understand much). I've got flashcards and quiet a few willing teachers. It's a little frustrating at times, wanting to be able to communicate with people in their native tongue, and not being able to. But, I'm going to keep working on it. Hopefully by the time December rolls around I'll be doing better.

I can't believe it's been a month since I left home. Time has been flying by so quickly, I can hardly stand it. I hope you are all having an AMAZING day! I'll try to type up a longer update soon!

love you all!
betsy

Here I go again...

Thanks so much, all of you who’ve emailed me!  It’s been so amazing this week, being able to learn what’s going on in Alta Loma. Kristen and I were talking this week about how even the daily “to-dos” of the people back home are fun to hear about, so thanks.

This week seemed to fly by. I’m not exactly sure how I feel about that… On one side, it’s really good, because it means I’ve adjusted, and the days are going by just a quick as they did back home. On the other hand, I don’t want them to go by too quickly, because I’m really loving all the people here… but it also means I’ll see all of you quicker… sigh. Either way, I can’t really stop the passage of time, so I guess I’ll just live with the pace it sets.

This week Kristen took staff photographs, and I got to be her assistant, which really just consisted of me hanging around while she took pictures. It was a lot of fun, though. I got to learn a few more names of the staff here, and hang out some more with the ones I already knew. Later today the mentors are having a football/soccer game, and I am SO there, I’m uber excited about it!

Something I guess I haven’t talked as much about in this blog are the day to day things in here Gulu, and now is as good as any time to share about it! IC has 3 different houses here in Gulu to house the international staff and all the volunteers that come to work here. Kristen, Jamie and I are currently living at the Intern House, which is the house that everyone else comes to for meals. It’s really neat, being able to start and end the day with all the international staff. We sit around and watch season 3 of The Office (I’m SO happy it came out the week before I left), talk about our days, and generally debrief about life here in Uganda. Its really nice, having this sense of normalcy, talking as quickly as we want, and using all sorts of slang (which can, at times, throw Sarah, who is from England).

I’ve been taking a boda boda to work everyday, which costs 1,000 shillings (around 60 cents), but I am trying to work up the courage to take a bicycle home… I’m a little intimidated, because the boda boda drivers will go so close to them… we’ll see if I can ever work up the gumption! (I’ll keep y’all updated!). We get to the office around 8:30 and I usually leave at 5:30, with an hour for lunch. There are 2 restaurants we frequent most often: Lindon House, where you can get beans, rice, bo (green veggies), chicken, kasava, sweet potatoes… basically all the traditional Ugandan foods. It’s really good and really cheap. Kristen, Jamie and I all had lunch there the other day (we girls had beans, rice and bo, Jamie had beans, chicken and malakwan, and we all had soda), and it came to 9,000 shillings… around 4 US dollars. The other place we go is MAQ (Man About Quality) foods. There you can get veggie pizza (it’s a bit different from pizza back home) or veggie samosas (yum!), and they serve some pretty amazing pastries (the owner spent a year in France!). It’s a little more pricy for Ugandan standards (pizza is 4,000 shillings, around 2 US dollars), but we can usually swing it. :)

At work my days vary. Some days, like yesterday, I’ll spend the whole day traveling and visiting different school sites. Others I attend meetings, do inventory, make copies… normal office work. Today I get to attend a new school, Sir Samuel Baker, with one of our mentors, Okidi, who was a teacher there during the height of rebel activity here in Gulu, it should be really informative.

This weekend, I’m planning on spending some time in the office, getting some work done. Kristen and I may visit St. Jude’s, an orphanage in the region, to hang out with some kiddos. I didn’t end up going to Awer last weekend, I wasn’t feeling to great Sunday morning, but we may end up visiting this Sunday, too… we’ll see!

You’re all in my thoughts and prayers.
Betsy

It's Been Awhile...

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted an update. I haven’t been to the internet café all week, and they discourage us from using websites other that our emails during work hours. But it’s Saturday, and I’m at the office getting some work done, so it’s okay for me to post this now! :)

It’s so weird thinking I’ve been here two weeks. In some ways it feels like it’s flown by, the days seem to blur together in a Technicolor mix of new experiences, new faces, new places… but in other ways it seems like much longer than two weeks. It’s hard for me to believe that it was only two weeks ago today that I was getting on a little propeller plane in San Diego on my way to Gulu. Time is such a funny thing, I don’t think I’ll ever quiet understand it.

One of my absolutely favorite days so far was this past Thursday. Kristen and I had the opportunity to do a “Mentor Follow,” where we spent the day with a VCSP Mentor as they visited the homes and schools of the students within our scholarship program. I spent the day with Patricia, as she did a few home visits. For those of you who are unfamiliar with IC’s programming, each of the 519 students that have their school fees covered by IC are given a mentor. The mentor meets with the student at least once a month, and meets with their parent/guardian once a month as well. He/she encourages the student to pursue excellence within his/her studies, as well as helps them in any other way the mentor is able…

It was neat getting to meet the parent’s of the students, but it was really great spending the day with Patricia. I got to learn about her family, her friends, her studies… I feel like I’ve made my first new friend here in Uganda. We walked everywhere, so we had a lot of time to talk. I loved it. :)

Thursday night, after the mentor follow, some of the Ugandan IC staff came over for dinner, and to talk about their experiences during the war. (So a few years from now, I remember… a guest list: Geoffrey (the lead mentor), Benna (Bracelet Maker Coordinator), Peter Paul (S4S Procurement Officer), Peter (IC Driver), Jolie (Country Director) and Patricia)

It’s crazy what the human spirit can with stand. The experiences people can live through and still come out smiling and happy, with hope for their futures. Walking home the other day, I was telling Jamie how sometimes people will share stories with me that seem to be movie plots… that it’s hard for me to comprehend someone purposefully harming another human being in that way. But they do; it happens… and all I can do (well, not all, since it’s rather big), is hit my knees and pray for the ones left behind…

(An Abrupt Subject Change)

Things I love about Uganda (so far… and this is not a complete list)

I love walking at dust. There are so many beautiful places here in Gulu, and as the sunsets they seem to shimmer. I love the tea Annette makes each morning. I love that I drink tea every morning. I love listening to Doreen’s country music in the morning; the strange idea that country music, which seems to epitomize America to me, can be found pumping through the speakers at so many bars in town.
I love the kids that giggle at my attempts at Luo. The free air conditioning afforded by a boda boda. The girls at the office who admire all my jewelry and look at me in shock when I tell them I can’t cook. I love the hospitality of warm cokes in the afternoon and meat samosas when you truly can’t eat another bite. The sound of the choir across the street waking me up Sunday mornings.

The list goes on. I love it here. :) Today we’re going to a graduation party for an IC employee. Patricia is the MC, and she’s told me she is going to teach me how to dance. Tomorrow we’re heading over to Awer (pronounced “away”) IDP camp in the morning. Then we’re heading over to Lacor Seminary to show them the IC movie (for those of you who have seen the rough cut, that’s the seminary that suffered the LRA attack and is highlighted with the film… they’ve never seen it). That evening we’re going to Boma, a restaurant in town, to celebrate Valerie’s last night with us (she was the former intern coordinator/house manager). It’ll be a busy couple of days.

Hope you’re all having fabulous weeks. I love and miss you all. And if you ever have time, email me at bcurtis2006@gmail.com. It’s really nice to hear everything that’s going on back home, I feel a bit disconnected at times.

you're in my thoughts and prayers.
betsy

A quick stop at the blog

Its amazing to me that we only left san diego on week ago tomorrow... we have already learned so much and experienced so many different things. I know, however, that there is a LOT more to learn (My very, very tenuous grasp on the Lao language leaves much to be desired and can be a bit frustrating at times)

yesterday Kristin and I took a 2 hour car ride to visit the Awere Secondary School site... Aware is a displaced school that has been renting land in Gulu town since 1996, and they are hoping to move back to Adek, their original town, next year. Construction in Uganda is so different... no hard hats or electric tools, just brick layers, saws and tons of sweat. However, it is astounding how quickly the buildings go up! It may be attributed to the lack of insulation and electric wiring that must occur, but building a classroom block with 3 rooms will only take around 2.5 months! crazy! Even running "behind schedule" we were still impressed by the swiftness of which the Schools for Schools projects are being completed!

We have also experienced what I like to call "the allure of the muzungu." Being white here has made us targets for marriage proposals more times than I find truly comfortable, and it has only been 4 days... I think we shall have to start a tally and see how many hearts we "break" within the next few months. ;)

Today we are visting another school, St. Mary's School in Lacor (pronounced Lachor, if you were curious... in lao all c's are pronounced like chs's). We're taking pictures and writing bios for 10 different students to feature on the S4S website, as well as doing a write up on the progress of the construction there... it should be really fun, I'm looking forward to my first interaction with Ugandan youth.

thank you all for your comments and prayers. I miss all of you, and i love to hear how you're doing!

Uganda thoughts and Acholi Dreams

sitting in an internet cafe in Uganda reminds me so much of my time in ghana that my heart smiles as thoughts of jaden, ama, the kids at FCBC, and all the wonderful people on our team fly through my head.

It's so hard to capture in words all that I am thinking and feeling and experiencing. Is it odd that a place you've never been can feel like home, even admist lack of power, boda boda adventures and a language that contains sounds my mouth just can't seem to produce correctly?

Uganda is beautiful. It's like every photograph you've ever seen of sweeping landscapes, mud huts and children with smiles so wide they split their face in two. The people of Invisible children. Muzungu (white people) and Acholi alike have been so welcoming... from laughing and then gently correcting me when I say "Irri Maber" *(Good afternoon/evening) at 8:00 in the morning, to being patient when we don't quiet know which way to go, to cooking the most wonderful meals (Doreen is amazing... she and Loretta would get along well!) They've made our first 2 days here fabulous.

Seriously, though, I can't believe I've only been in Gulu for 2 days... we've done so much already... Taken a tour of the town, visited the home of our new friend Teresa, Kristin milked a cow, we've worked in the office, visited a displaced school, had the opportunity to taste many of the different local foods... and that's just the beginning!

Our first assignment as interns is a "duo project" for Kristin and I. She is going to be taking pictures of all the different Schools for Schools sites, and I will do write ups of the progress that is going on. Tomorrow, we're going to travel to Awere Secondary school (about 2 hours away). I'm really excited. This weekend we're planning on visiting an IDP camp, which should be a good learning experience.

I love you all. thank you so much for all your prayers and encouragement, I really appreciate them. :)

The Little Boda Boda that could

this is just a quick note to let you know i've arrived safe and sound in Uganda. Getting in and out of the airport was an experience that I'll definately have to tell you about. We stayed in Kampala last night, in a youth hostel. Lying under the mosquito nets in the pitch black dark (the power went out suddenly as Kristin and I went into the bathroom to brush our teeth. I'm going to need to remember to bring my headlamp with me everything) was a surreal experience... i'm so glad I'm here.

We're currently at "Garden City" the closest thing to a mall in Uganda... we got to ride bota botas (motorcycle taxis) to get here... it was fun weaving in and out of traffic, not nearly as scary as I assumed it would be. Kristin and I were smashed together on a seat built for one... when we were going up some of the steeper hills, I kept chanting "I think we can, I think we can" under my breath... lending some support for the motorcycle. :) We got some supplies this morning for Kope, a coffee shop IC is trying to have up and running in Gulu come November. One of the priorities of the Gulu staff is providing as many employment producing/money making opportunities for the people of Uganda as possible, so this is one of their newest ventures. After were done at the cafe (I have like 10 minutes left... ) we're going to go pick up malaria pills, meet up with Jolie, go buy coffee mugs for Kope and then head up north to Gulu town... about 5-6 hours away. This afternoon/evening Jolie's father is going to give us culture instructions, which we're all really excited about (Jamie, the intern coordinator, wants to sit in on them too. :) )

you're all in my thoughts and prayers. hope your Mondays (it's already 12:02pm here) go FANTASTICALLY! :)

love,
Betsy

it's happening. it's here. and I still can't believe it.

I'm ready, I suppose. Or as ready as I'm going to be with a plane ticket for 8:00am tomorrow morning, a passport and a rather worn copy of Irresistible Revolution.

I'll admit that right now my emotions are in turmoil. I'm a crazy mixture of excitednervousscaredhappysleepy. My brain can't slow down enough for me to capture an entire thought--just fragments of dreams, wishes and hopes.

I love you all. And I'm still in awe of the fact that I have this amazing opportunity to love on people halfway around the globe. I'm astounded by the fact that my little admin skills can be used to help students gain an education, that my meager knowledge of photoshop will be useful in helping generate PR to help end a war. It's crazy to me, how God can use every little bit of us... even the parts we aren't so sure about.

keep me in your prayers. for courage to go where God calls me, and humbleness to follow where he leads. for sensitivity to the needs of others and strength to help them well. for endurance, for patience, for boldness... for moments of peace and quiet to just listen to the whisper of God's love in the wind. I know I'll need it all. And know that I'll be praying this all for you (+ even more)

I feel so blessed to know you all and to live this life God has given me.
-betsy

settlin' in

So Kristin and I went into the office for the first time today (we went in yesterday, but the person who is to train us, Katie, just got back from Uganda on Sunday, so she wasn't in. We ended up going to Barnes and Noble, and to the movies. It was a tough day ;)). We started off by watching a few of the IC videos (Innocent, Emmy, Grace and Sunday, for those of you who were curious)and then went to lunch with Katie and Sarah, who was the GO photography intern this past summer. It was great, getting to talk with them about their experiences. We were able to ask all the important questions like, "How bad is the food" (they had some positives to say about it, which was nice) and "how many people will be living in the house with us?" (while living with 30 people has been a way more positive experience than I ever thought it could be, I do miss having a bed and the option to take a shower without someone walking through... apparently since we're going in the fall, the house is way quieter than during the summer)

After lunch, I had the opportunity to learn how to work their phone system (I kept having to stop myself from answering "Flipside Office"... that may have confused a few people) and write thank you cards to people who have sent money to IC (one was to a group of kids who raised money to build a well by recycling water bottles. It's so great to see kiddos affecting the world in such a positive way so early in life. It inspires so much hope for the future).

Tonight was a goodbye dinner for the roadies. They begin their "staggered exodus" Thursday and the last group leaves Sunday. So we got to watch some new media (a video their showing after their screening of the Emmy movie, a video from the first roadie trip, and one from the most recent national tour), and then hear from Bobby and Laren (2 of the original founders of IC). It was a trip meeting Bobby, I'm not gonna lie. I don't get "star struck" really easily, but I was just a bit when I met him. (I got over it pretty quick. but during those first few initial moments it took me a few extra seconds to formulate correct responses to simple questions).

I've loved my experience so much thus far. I realize these brief summaries don't even begin to capture how amazing it's been. Everyone I've met has been so kind and caring. We (kristin and I) were talking with one of the roadies tonight, Will, who has been volunteering with IC a long time now, and he put it so well. (I think he was quoting Laren, though). Normally when you meet someone, you get to know little bits about them, and it's like getting to know their toes and fingers, their elbows. But here, you get to know their heart so quickly, because it beats to the same rhythm as yours.

To be surrounded by so many beautiful hearts has been the biggest blessing. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support that have enabled me to be here now. I don't even know how to repay you all.

"Welcome to the Shire"

So, I'm sitting in the living room of the intern/roadie house here in San Diego. There's 30 people... which equals 30 names... which equals me wishing that everyone in the world wore a nametag 24/7... or at least the hours they were awake (although, name tags would be helpful when it comes to waking people up).

It's already been a little crazy. Apparently, no one at the house was even aware of the fact that we were coming, so I didn't know where I was coming until around 1:00pm, and the other intern, Kristin, was left waiting at the airport (I got a phone call from her a little after 7... we were both thankful that I had given her my number earlier in the week.) I'm not exactly sure where will be sleeping, yet. I think there is an open spot on a couch, if not, I'm sure I can grab some floor.

I'm not gonna write too much... I feel a bit anti-social... but I'll "talk" to y'all soon!

Testing, Testing... 1, 2, 3, testing

well... if you've arrived at this blog, hopefully it was on purpose, and hopefully you are already aware of why it was created (and, hopefully, you aren't too adverse to my over-usage of the word "hopefully" :))

I'm leaving the country (again), this time for 90 days to volunteer with Invisible Children in Gulu, Uganda! Keep checking back for updates! (although, they may not be every day like they were on the teamghana.blogspot.com blog... sorry!)

Quick details:
I go to San Diego September 2nd, beginning working in the Invisible Children offices on September 3rd and leave for Uganda on the 15th! I'll be back Stateside December 15th, if all goes according to plan!