Looks like I left off in Idaho. Well, Idaho's in the rear view mirror now as we set up camp in Utah for the next few weeks.

Week one is in the books. Crazy to say that out loud. A week ago, 20 teams cruised down Mt. Soledad and dispersed across the country. We've had some really good presentations so far, a lot of people we've met just want to know more and want to know how they can be more involved. We've presented at two Paul Mitchells, Blackfoot High School in Idaho and Utah Valley University. It's been a challenging week as I try to adjust my life to the  business of the road as I am constantly faced with situations where service and humility may not be the easiest route, but it certainly is the best one. It's been humbling to learn and hear stories from past roadies that we've stayed with and makes my time doing this now so much more unique and treasured. It has also been pretty tough to hear Patricia speak each day, at times I just want to shake my head and ask myself "How many more tours until this ends?" "How many more films must we make until Kony is captured?". That's probably been the hardest part, just being heartbroken by the realness of this conflict.

I apologize for how jumbled this is, as it truly doesn't give too much insight into my week, but hopefully this mess of words connects with you in some way. Honestly, this may be the format my posts will be over the next nine weeks!

I am positive that I lucked out by having the most gorgeous region of all, Utah is killin' me right now; there are mountains everywhere. Today we hiked up a waterfall, who knows what we'll do next. It's been an adventure, it's been a struggle, it's been an adjustment, it's been a blast...and it's only week one.

Please pray for clarity, trust, energy and a heart of service this next week. Thank you all for constantly refining and shaping me, and for pouring out your friendship and love on me, as I certainly don't deserve it.


"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

Aaannnddd, we're off!

Hello all!

It's been a wild few days.

We launched yesterday. What a feeling to finally be on the road. After weeks of training and booking, 20 teams began their trek across the country to bring this conflict to an end. We left San Diego at about 11am and arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, at 1am last night. This morning we drove three hours to Pocatello, Idaho, where we have our first screening tomorrow!

Being on the road yesterday was incredible. I got to drive , the first leg, from San Diego to Las Vegas and it felt like driving on another planet. Never in my life have I seen more open space. It was like something from a movie, and the mountains....oh my, the mountains. This is the America that I've never seen; this landscape is the most unique and incredible I've ever seen. We stopped at what seemed to be the only sign of life for hundreds of miles, a small little store with a incredibly friendly cashier named Dan. Dan had never heard of us or Kony, and after seeing our t shirts, he was so intrigued. He was so encouraging. These were not the only great interactions we had on our first leg of this journey. It was just what we needed to start off; support right now for IC is so encouraging.

Right now I'm sitting in the Rude's living room, a legendary host family, writing this. They've been hosting roadies since 2009, and welcomed us with open arms. I'm grateful to be here. Today has been a bit overwhelming. I think for the first time I realized how real this is. We're in Idaho right now, just a little over 24 hours removed from all being together in San Diego. It's safe to say I'm going to miss everyone incredibly much. Also our first screening is tomorrow, which has brought about a little nerves quite honestly. With everything from launch, saying goodbyes, driving thirteen hours yesterday, three more today, being in charge of the first week of promotion at our screenings and now getting a small taste of the excitement, nerves and fast pace that will be my life for the next ten weeks, I'm feeling the craziness. But what's so beautiful about this is that this isn't new. Legends have driven these roads, slept on these same floors and inspired thousands before me. They have been on the roller coaster that the first few days bring, they have experienced the challenges of the road and they have walked away having set out what they intended; giving it their all, working harder than ever before and learning immensely, all in the name of justice and peace. And that lesson still applies to me right now, and really all of us on the road. This tour has launched. We are now scattered across North America, the match has been lit. It is our job to give this movement oxygen, to stoke the embers and create a blaze. If we do this, we will be successful, and this tour will be successful.

It has taken a lot for many of the people I've met over the past month to get here and work for the organization behind Kony 2012. And that is why this class of interns and roadies is incredible. We are still standing, and this movement is very much still standing, we are running, in fact. And we will until this conflict ends. Sacrifice, humility and energy define this job. It's tough work, especially when all you want to do is sleep all the time, but no. We are here for bigger reasons, reasons we may still have yet to see. We are going to move mountains this semester. It will take trust in our leadership, in ourselves and in this campaign, and it will be incredibly hard at times, but it will be worth it.

Thank you for letting me process things as I write, and being willing enough to read those thoughts. The road has already been so kind to me. The Mountain West  is beautiful and I couldn't be more excited to tour this region. Tomorrow is our first screening, can't wait.

All is Love

My incredibly talented friend, Eva, made this. I won't write a lot tonight; instead, I'll let you watch this. It's beautiful, and a perfect capture of our first weekend hanging out with our new teammates.

Also, you bet I'll be keeping up with UCF's first football game this Thursday! Go Knights!

Much love.

WELCOME PATRICIA!

The team's complete

We welcomed Patricia Akello back to the U.S. tonight with an unforgettable scene. The moment our teammates came through the terminal we went absolutely nuts. What a special moment. There we're hugs everywhere, tears everywhere and smiles that stretched from ear to ear. I was told that Patricia gave amazing hugs...I heard correctly and was embraced in one from the moment we all shrieked in joy and ran towards her. It's crazy how real this whole thing is getting. We launch in two (or so) weeks and the road trip begins. Wow.

Santo's back as well! Great to welcome him back as he heads
out on his second tour! This time, to Canada!

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes...the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify them or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as crazy, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."

- Steve Jobs

Making signs to welcome our newest teammates!

I can't believe it's here already but our team will be complete tomorrow night! The entire office will be heading to the airport to welcome our Ugandan teammates. I've been looking forward to this moment since I arrived here. I know that Patricia will open my eyes to the reality of this conflict through her own experiences and I imagine the 'why' to why I'm here will only expand. She was a roadie last semester with the NorCal (Northern California team, so we definitely are getting a talented and veteran teammate. I've only heard great things from everyone hear at the office about her, definitely excited to hit the road with the whole gang in a couple of weeks!

Just a quick catch up, we've continued to spend our days booking screenings and training in the evenings. It's been a bit of a challenge to balance things here. From personal time to studying to investing this community and so on, it has definitely been a busy few weeks. Sorry if this post isn't as eloquently written as my past ones....I'm exhausted. But know that I'm doing great, I'm proud of my choice to be out here this semester and I cannot wait for what's to come.

The first full week of booking is done, it was a crazy experience to say the least (check out the Fall 2012 booking video.It will get your heart pounding). We spent most of our days calling and emailing hundreds of IC supporters across the country, trying to see if they'd be interested in booking a screening this fall. It's a long and repetitive process but it's incredible to see the reach and scope that Invisible Children has across this country (and now world, for that matter). As long as the days have been, there is no way to ignore the impact that this system creates. One major thing that has stuck with me about Invisible Children has been how personal they are; how, as a supporter, you feel like you're a part of the family no matter what. I'm learning that in order for that relationship to form, hours upon hours of hard, un-glorified work must be poured in. With work Monday through Friday, 8am-6pm, I get home pretty exhausted. But it's the kind of exhausted that rests easy with my soul; a kind that is grateful it's being put to good use.

Mountain Best. We're 3/4 complete!

Living with 60 other people has been a whirlwind. Community here is just something that happens, regardless. And for that I'm incredibly grateful. It's easy, however, to just go through these few weeks and get psyched for tour, without investing much in the people around me. With the busyness of work and the exhaustion at the end of a long week, I understand, and have fully had the urge to just hop in bed and call it a night. But I'm learning that it's what I put into this experience that will determine the outcome. Every person here has a story and I want to hear as many as I can. I've already heard incredibly tales of how people became involved in this cause that relates us all, and I'm thirsty for more. My goal over these next three or so weeks before tour launches is to invest in this community. I know how special this community can be and slowly but surely, as the feeling out process has died down, I'm seeing it blossom. 

This community is unlike any group of people I've ever been involved with. Comfort lies within the halls of our office and the walls of our home. As I'm surrounded by so many different beliefs and stages of life, questions have arisen and answers are in the process of being dug up as my mind tries to wrap itself around this new entity. The growing pains are certainly not taking a break here, in fact, if anything, the muscles of my mind have already been stretched to new lengths here. 

The Ugandan Roadies are coming soon! Many of them
are students from IC's Legacy Scholarship Program

One thing we are all incredibly stoked about is finding out who our Ugandan teammate is; we should find out in the next two weeks or so. I am so incredibly excited about what I will learn from living with someone who has survived the conflict I've been fighting to end. Honestly, I cannot process it right now, but I know once our team is complete, my perspective will change immensely. That is something I welcome with open arms.

This place continues to teach me. I am here because it has been so crucial in building my faith and I continue to be drawn in by the mystery and
intrigue of growth. I am here because I have absolutely no idea what will come next and I want to be a part of that, whatever it may be.

Until next time, I love and miss you all.

PEACE.

It's been a wonderfully overwhelming first week.

This place is crazy in the best way possible, so forgive me because this post is going to be scattered. The first week consisted of intense training with all of the incredible people here; from financials, booking screenings, team dynamics, and conflict history. The people that make up the staff of this organization have an undeniable vision when they speak. You see the dream roll of their tongue and the horizon at the end of their sentences. I'm in awe of the way this place works. Of the fact that the few floors that Invisible Children occupies on 5th avenue is where the dream of the Kony 2012 campaign took form. The pictures that embrace the hallways tell the story of the history of this organization, yet the empty seat reserved for our 4th teammate that sits idly at our desk brings me to a stark reality.

We are not finished.

Just as the Fall 2012 Mountain West team is incomplete until we embrace our teammate from Uganda, the mission of this organization is incomplete until LRA violence has ended. This is something that really hit me today. I think it's sometimes incredibly hard to remember that the mission of IC is one that still deserves our full attention and efforts. This can be masked by the incredible progress we've seen recently, and it was incredible, or to realize how far this organization has come in terms of knowing that a few short years ago, meetings were held in an old warehouse. But today, for some reason, I was reminded of why this organization is even here in the first place; Joseph Kony and the LRA are still out there, looting, implementing fear and abducting children. And so, we will still exist. This entire issue is so much bigger than Invisible Children, which is incredibly humbling.

This past week has already pushed me to step out of my comfort zone in so many ways. It has challenged me to work hard and push myself constantly (these days are incredibly long and tedious, but wow, I am learning so much on so many levels), something that I feel I lack at times. It's only been one week, yet I have grown. And this community continues to grow, which is beautiful to witness in real time.

*Just some quick highlights from my week:
   - Our team went on our first team date to Mission Beach (it is everything I imagined Cali to be like - which is a good thing!)
   - I drove the van for the first time - to and from work (you know, those incredibly large, 15-passenger, sticker-covered, can't-miss-it IC vans?)
   - I began booking screenings for my region of tour - this may be my favorite part of this job so far.
   - I got burnt to a crisp this past weekend (because being outside here feels like it's cool, so you don't notice it, compared to Florida where the humidity makes it hard to breathe)
   - The word I would use best to describe this first week is 'excitingly overwhelming' - so true.

I expect the challenges to continue, the relationships to blossom, and the community to grow. I expect the sleep to decrease, the joy to be treasured, and the work to be rewarding. But I guess this job really hammers home one thing, which just may refute anything I just wrote: expect the unexpected.

I am blessed to be here in the presence of such people. I am honored to have teammates that are open, vulnerable, calm leaders, and wonderful friends. I am inspired by the leaders here and their trust in a group of 20-somethings to go out and share this incredibly serious issue, and I am grateful for each sunset I see dip under these hills.


Goodnight friends.