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)