On the road again.....

Tour had proven once again to be the best, hardest thing I've ever done. We began our tour with getting our van broken into by a massive rock being thrown into the passenger side window . There were three computers inside the van but luckily all they took was my ipod. My friend Jessica was so gracious as to give me an extra one that she has since her last upgrade. The only funny thing was that it all happened in Santa Barbara. 

From dorm room floors to our own sections of massive houses to filthy college apartments we have stayed everywhere. We've had to depend on the generosity of others and will continue to until this tour is over. To be honest, that is the single hardest thing of tour for me. Being a guest. Everyday, I go into a house that either is excited to have us or is just putting us up because they felt bad. But regardless, the small things you normally can take advantage of are different. That random drink of water that you want before going to bed becomes a small task of asking if its ok. There are perks, I get to try new shampoo everyday (and don't lie and say you never try people's shampoo when staying at others houses, if you stay with me I request that you use my stuff.) I also get to meet the most amazing people, the most amazing families that are so self-less, it blows 

me away. 

So this fall I have decided that I will be returning to school at the University of North Texas. I'll be majoring in English so I can be a teacher and maybe pay off some of my student loans. It will be different finally having an end in sight in regards to my education. I've been so excited about returning that its almost taken away from my joy on tour. Its weird to think that a year ago I would have died to be where I am and now I can't wait to return. Needless to say, I will never regret this time in my life. It will probably be the time that I tell stories of too often and people will get annoyed about hearing "when I was touring with Invisible Children....."

One thing that I ask your prayers for nearness to God. Tour can be so draining and it is hard to make myself put time into my relationship with God. Pray that I be more disciplined about this, so that this tour can be something that gives me more of Him instead of distracting me from him.

Gone

This time last year, I had never cared about Invisible Children. To some extent, I thought it was lame. But for some reason God decided to change that. The past year I don't know if a day had gone by that I haven't thought of or talked about the kids that moved me to help. My life looks so different now than it otherwise would have. Coming here to San Diego was something I wanted so bad, going on tour was a desire that God placed deep inside of me. But as I sit at my desk at 8:20am getting ready to leave this morning, things seem different. I can't say that this is what I expected. If you watch podcast of IC's they make my job look so sexy but it can be hard also. Its weird pouring your self out to people constantly but not being disciplined to know when to pour into yourself. 

Needless to say, I'm ready for tour. I get to see a generation of young people become idealist and those ideals become reality. I can see kids lives be changed right before my eyes. Coming into an auditorium their main focus is the girl they like and the iphone their parents won't get them but they come out caring about the world around them. Even if a lot of these kids never do anything about northern Uganda, I pray they get moved to do something to live outside of themselves whether that is down the street, another part of the US, Congo, Burma. 

Anywhere.

So today I get in a van and have the terrible obligation to drive up the 101 which lines to coast of California headed all the way to Seattle eventually with tons of stops a long the way. I hope to write often a keep you updated. 

(The picture is team team I'll be traveling with. Clockwise- Me, Julie, Josh G. and Erin)

I guess before I start talking about where I'm going I would like to tell the story of where I have been. Here is my attempt of explaining why I  do what I do.  I don't remember what happened or what is was that caused it, but a few years ago I started to care for the poor and hurting. What started with one friend here going through pain just pointed to more pain the the world. I got involved with the organization One.org and from then on africa had a special place in my heart. Around that time my friend was hosting a benefit concert for the non-profit organization Invisible Children. I didn't go, but IC just blew up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. In my eyes, I saw a trendy organization with a bunch of people who really could care less but just wanted to wear Africa on their clothes and tell me to watch a movie. So for the next few years I went on not caring too much about it. 

Last february I was on the Myspace page of a friend and saw a video for Invisible Children's "Tri Campaign" (video here). After seeing this video I knew that I had to get involved. I called around hoping and hoping to find a friend who could get me this movie. Finally, I found a copy Invisible Children: The Rough Cut, I took it home and watched it by myself on my couch. I didn't know what to think. I laid there just knowing that I couldn't continue being as comfortable as I was and not doing anything about it. For the next three weeks I was telling everyone (and I do mean everyone) that I know about these Invisible Children. I hosted so many small living room screenings, I could quote the whole movie within three weeks of seeing it. I started doing more and more and eventually hosted a screening at my church, The Village Church. Come June I learned about the chance to go on the road with IC, raising awareness at High Schools, Colleges, Churches,and coffee shops. I immediately applied and before I knew it I was on a plain to San Diego and about to travel the Pacific Northwest. We had three weeks to book a tour and head out on the road. I got to meet the most amazing people and never could have imagined what life could have looked like. So now, in four days I am back on the road. I hope there are my stories, thoughts and maybe some political commentary.

 

This is my first time writing in quite some time. I hope for this to be a chance for people to know my thoughts and hear what I am learning while on the road. Sometimes I won't make sense, and chances are you will think my thoughts don't make sense. You might disagree with me or think that those "california liberals" have turned me crazy.  But I hope this is an honest dialogue. 

Enjoy.