At Peace

And so it begins.

Flight leaves to San Diego tomorrow night. First day of work is Tuesday.

My last evening here has already been full of goodbyes, long talks, wisdom, and laughter. Due to the emotional roller coaster I'm currently on, this post will be short, but hopefully rich.

Of all the feelings currently swirling around my mind, excitement is undoubtedly at the forefront. I've spent the past four days in Orlando helping my buddies move out, saying goodbyes and soaking up every moment I could stretch out of this precious time. From cigar smoke-filled evenings paired with deep conversation to past roadie stories, laughter and prayer, I leave the East coast filled and at peace. I leave tomorrow with the wind of deep encouragement and love from friends, at my back. I leave thankful. Thankful that I am surrounded by deep encouragement and love, evident in the prayers of my brothers as we said goodbye, the conversation amongst my friends and I, the hugs from my Mom and Dad, and the outpouring of support from my friends around the country wishing me well. I am truly blessed by the presence of each one of you, regardless of how much we talk, how well we know each other or anything in between, you have been a part of my journey and although it may be limited and simple, I thank you. I am here right now, at this moment, because of my community. You have given selflessly, loved immensely and forgiven quickly.

I am ready to work as hard as I can and serve with my whole heart, no matter where these next five months take me. I am humbled to be in this position and extremely excited; the butterflies in my stomach can attest to that.

No doubt this next season will be difficult, challenging, joyful, rewarding, educational, inspiring, and mysterious, and I can't wait to experience it all.

Please keep me in your prayers, as I will keep you in mine, and although I'll be gone this next season, please still keep me updated on your life, your dreams, your highs and your lows. To my UCF fanatics, enjoy the C-USA Farewell Tour (hopefully O'Leary will be gone once I'm back...but probably not) as much as you can, I'll be keeping up as much as I can. To my CRU family, continue to foster a community where Jesus' love is evident and grace abounds. To the Invisible Children Club at UCF, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU TIFFANY AND KIARA. You are going to kill it this semester, I'm pumped to hear how it goes. To my family, I love you and I'll miss you everyday, thank you for letting me take this on with such freedom, you're support is so important.

And finally, dear Invisible Children, roadies, interns and leaders, I am so honored to work alongside you. I look forward to community that will be built and the stories we will form that will be told for years.

Until I land...


1 day, 20 minutes, 15 seconds. Bring it.

Get Ready Mountain West

My journey is beginning to take shape. I'm headed to the Mountain West - Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Nevada.

Five states I have never been to. Five states I can't wait to travel through. 

And if it doesn't get any better, I get to hit the road with Jenelle (Our fearless team leader who was a member of the Deep South roadie team this past Spring that came to UCF!) and Randall Stone (A dude that I've already heard so much praise for). Also, this is only 2 of my 3 teammates. My Ugandan teammate (who we are still waiting to find out) is currently in the visa process - I cannot wait to meet him/her!

My five month adventure begins, fittingly, two weeks from today, with five weeks of training, learning, booking screenings and unknown mystery. While I'm there I will be living in a beautifully jam packed house of interns and roadies (roughly 50 will be living in the two story house) and doing all I can to prepare for the adventure that lies ahead. 

I cannot wait to update you all as this continues to unfold. Thank you for being such a genuine and encouraging group of people. This is all I got for now. Still speechless, much alive, and genuinely grateful for what's going down this fall. 

I'm a bit apprehensive about asking you guys for money. After all, for the past year and a half you have helped me raise over $8000 for the mission of Invisible Children, and I couldn't be more grateful for what you have provided not only me, but for thousands of people you and I will never meet in Central Africa. YOU have brought hope to people, and helped restore the lives of thousands of children.

Despite how annoying all my Facebook status' were, or how many times I bugged you about donating, you came through, I am grateful. Nevertheless, I'm fundraising again. This time for myself - I will be responsible for covering my own expenses during the four months I'm on the road (the suggested amount I need to raise is $1500. More information about it can be found at the top right of this page in the sidebar above the 'About Me' section)

So as I see my need to reach out for money again, I want to make one thing very clear. Please, if you cannot give financially, I'd rather you not. Everyone that is reading this has helped me in some way or another over the past few years; that will always mean so much to me. This is not a guilt trip into getting money at all, know that I love you with my whole heart.

If you can donate, simply click the donate button (Again, at the top right corner of this blog. It's linked to my PayPal Account, so all the money will come directly to me - I promise, it's safe. If you have any questions email me at sveatch3@gmail.com) and voilà, you're done.

And lastly, whether you donate or not, I ask that you please keep my team (as of now, I'm still waiting to be placed - so whoever they may be), the organization, this upcoming season and myself in your prayers. Prayers for safety, for laughter, for learning, for servants heart and mind, but most importantly, that somehow, our acts in the office and on the road, will touch someones life. That it will awaken someone to their potential and that the spirit of justice, love, and mercy will sweep through wherever we go.

I've tried and I can't re-word or even do justice to the words of Come&Live founder, Chad Johnson. This is my prayer as well, for the Fall.

Lord,
Give me encounters. Allow me to engage in people the way you did. Come into my life and give me everything I need to be who you are. You have already paid the price, with your life, so that we can walk with abundance, with power, and with authority, but above all, that we can walk with compassion. We are taught to love you and love our neighbors. Re-instill in me the heart of Jesus, the heartbeat of Jesus Christ, the wind of the spirit to change us and compel us to keep going forward, to continue touching lives, to continue ministering to people no matter where they’re at, what they’re doing, who they are or what they look like; that we would go, that we would be obedient to make disciples. God give me an opportunity today to CHANGE THE WORLD, even in one’s person’s world. That would be enough. Bring one person into my path today and every day of my life that I can encourage, however you allow me and I will be satisfied with that. You grow us, you teach us, you mold us and shape us as you desire. Jesus, be glorified in our lives and make so much more out of us than what we could ever make of ourselves.

No doubt this road will be challenging, grueling, joyous, surprising and so much more.

I'm so blessed to be a part of such a loving community, you're kindness shines so bright.

I know a few of you asked to see my application video for this position. Well, here ya go.

I will be in San Diego in 27 days.

Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), I'm stoked...and a little nervous. But more than anything, I'm grateful for this next adventure. To my friends who have seen me go a little crazy and sustained interest in my Invisible Children rambles, sorry this first post is a little repetitive and formal, but I have to give some background. Secondly, if you're reading this and don't know me very well, I'm happy to have you come on this journey with me. To everyone, thank you for the support, the prayers and constantly supporting me in this journey. 

Here we go...

This blog will serve as a way to connect me with you; my family, my friends and my community. This coming Fall I will be taking a semester off from school at the University of Central Florida (Go Knights!) to intern as a roadie with the non-profit organization, Invisible Children; the organization behind the KONY 2012 campaign that exploded this past Spring.

Here's a quick 5 minute video on the organization, it's history, and it's goals. 

I have been involved (going to screenings, donating, raising awareness, holding positions in the UCF Invisible Children club) with this organization and cause for a little over three years now, and the opportunity to represent Invisible Children as a roadie this fall is just another crazy turn in what's been a wild, unexpected, and challenging few years being an advocate for this cause - this fall, I expect it to continue. 

So what exactly is a roadie?

Good question, and honestly, I won't know the full answer to that question until I've experienced it, but I'll tell you what I do know. Each semester, Invisible Children unveils their latest campaign, and roadies are the ones that bring that message to you. There are about 18 or so roadie teams per semester, each traveling across a different region of the U.S. and Canada. On the road, we will share Invisible Children's latest documentary, spark discussions about activism and talk to thousands of youth about the importance of this cause, this movement and advocacy. Each team is joined by a Ugandan teammate, who, at each screening, shares his/her story about how they have been shaped by LRA violence and what it means to them that Joseph Kony be captured. 

Being a roadie is something that I've tirelessly thought of during the past two years. As I entered college in the Fall of 2010, my involvement became more and more a part of me. Throughout organizing screenings and hosting teams of roadies, I have to say, I grew a little bit in awe of them. Here were people my age acting and  standing up for social justice, and doing it in such a way that was personable, story-driven and accessible. As I've formed friendships with these people I realized the work behind their purpose, which ultimately made me want to experience it myself all the more. They were not standing up for this cause because it was easy or the 'cool' thing to do; they were actually sacrificing to make this cause known. Leaving comfort behind (long days, a PACKED 15-passenger van, not much rest, and sleeping on the floor) to spread the message for something they believed in, something we all should believe in and fight for; justice and peace. 

So here I am now, about to have the title of a roadie, although, that's not why I'm doing this. I'm doing this because I believe in love, and the power of story to change the world, and I believe that that love and that story should not be limited to only those around us or to those we know, but also to the far reaches of this planet. I want to share this story because it's one that people need to hear. Along with that, today's youth need to know that they matter, and that the cliche line 'you can change the world' has meaning and truth behind it. I want to teach and be taught, to let people know that at the heart of love is service. The story of children being abducted and forced to fight should not be one that takes years to reach the world. Unfortunately, it has taken some time, but the world is on notice now; what a perfect time to stoke the embers of human compassion and servitude and ignite the flame of a battle worth fighting for. 

I'm stoked. 

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the chords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and no to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"

Isaiah 58:3, 5-7

*I'll be updating on here as much as I can. I can't guarantee how often, but I'll do my best. More to come...