Well, it's that time again. That special time which comes along with the fact that I am working voluntarily for a non-profit organization.

Going to Uganda on Sunday (!!) isn't free on many levels and if you feel so inclined to give towards my educational venture, I would appreciate it. I believe that a lot of littles can make up something big. Perhaps that's why I have invested so much into an organization which has grown from just that mentality. It's grassroots through and through!

http://invisiblechildren.kintera.org/mysupport/leahgarrard

Surprises

Tonight was a blast. Today was frankly odd.

I wore my "Where's Waldo" shirt - red and white stripes, so I knew it was going to be a good/interesting day.

The day was long, as most days are at work, but it was good. The energy in the office was good and I had some good conversations with contacts, but only one contract ended up coming in. At about 3:00pm, my teammates and I ran straight into a wall. We were at our wits end. Iowa is making me crazy, Canada is making Cody crazy, Kaitlin's wacky contacts are making her crazy, and Zach is always crazy. We were laughing until we were crying because we just couldn't handle it anymore, so our regional manager, Adam, comes over and suggests for us to go outside and run around. We do. It was great.

Then tonight at about 5:oopm we are instructed to go grab dinner, bring it back, solve a riddle, and go to where the riddle indicates. It's Mt. Soledad and it was gorgeous, especially at sunset. We played running charades at the top and just enjoyed each other.

Then we go to Mission Beach. Our regional managers and the rest of the Movement staff are waiting there for us with a bonfire raging on the beach. We all gather around after mingling for a bit and sit around the fire.

Tom Shadyac is there. Tom is a good friend of Invisible Children's and is a big Hollywood director - he has directed Ace Ventura, Liar Liar, Patch Adams, and Bruce Almighty just to name a few. He spoke about truth and apathy and how to face what happens after this wonderful experience. He was real and honest and confronted a lot of the fears I am harboring for when I am finished with these five months. He is the type of man I would like to share a bottle of wine with or grab a cup of coffee with and just chat about how we are products of our environment. How we worry about bills and security and living up to expectations because that's what is dictated to us by society, our parents, our grandparents. He emboldened us to do what we do now, not to wait to accomplish those things or face those things, but be great now.

It was an interesting day to say the least. One I will remember, for sure.

This is a video my teammates and I are made to thank our students, teachers, youth pastors, principals, and friends for booking screenings! Enjoy :)

THANK YOU. from Cody Cassady on Vimeo.

The Plot Thickens

Well, folks, I have some news. Pretty exciting news. I will be traveling to Uganda for about 10 days as an educational venture to see and touch and smell and hug the programs of Invisible Children, as well as meet some of those who have been affected by the programs! It will be a short trip, perhaps seemingly irrational, but I think it will provide for me a legitimacy and validation of the entire semester I have sacrificed, including the glamour and income I could be receiving otherwise.

I feel like it's necessary for my ability to speak with confidence from stage. Although I know and understand the goodness of Invisible Children, I don't know if it has digested and fallen into my blood yet. I am a girl who has to see to believe - ask my parents. I continue to ask why or how until someone takes me to the river and shows me that trout swim upstream or lets me touch fire so I know that fire burns.

I have no doubt this trip is going to blow my mind. It's going to broaden my world view, perhaps even explode it and I have no doubt that I will fall in love with Uganda even more.

The city of Gulu, in the North, is where the headquarters of Invisible Children is and where we will fly into. As for my safety, the LRA isn't present in Uganda currently - they are residing in the bush of the Congo, as Congolese are the prime targets of their attacks and abductions right now. Invisible Children takes students to Uganda every year through their Schools for Schools program. The schools who raise the most money in 100 days of competition get to send a student to visit the kids which they have supported.

This is going to be a thrill, but for now, back to work. I still need to book those screenings. . .

So this happened yesterday. It was our movement director's birthday. We stayed up all night prior learning the dance. I'm on the far right, next to the blonde on the end, but kind of in the back. It was pretty baller - she was so surprised.

Busy, Busy, But Not Stopping

Let me introduce you to Salesforce. This is what I look at all day long. This is what my progress is judged by and this is where everything I need to know lies.

Oh goodness.

Deep exhale.

Today was exhausting and I'm learning the lesson of patience continually. Waiting on my contacts to call or email me back is tiring and not knowing who to call or what to explore next is draining. Waiting and waiting is what I did all day. I did speak with a few people and it was encouraging and I think I was encouraging.

I can already see what they said. I care about the students and teachers I have spoken with or have left messages with. They are precious, precious folks who are just as nervous and scared as I am, if not more. They aren't enraptured by this organization, breathing it and eating every single moment - being in constant remembrance by the community in which they live. Yet, they care and want to try and talk their administrators into letting them do all-school assemblies. I am so proud of the two girls I talked to today who are going to make it happen. They are going to bite the bullet and do the leg work to make the screening happen.

This is truly a grassroots effort. It requires everyone to be a part to make it happen.

I love it.

Catching Up

Well, it's been almost 2 weeks since I have been here and the craziness has continued. It's amazing, confusing, interesting, and complicated living with 59 other people. especially 59 other young adults who are experiencing a major life change in regards to this particular job as well as other internal identity issues going on. I've enjoyed it thus far, but it has had it's challenges.

Let's talk about the landscape and culture of California. It's beautiful out here, but very different from the east coast. As I flew in I immediately noticed the brown, stubbly hills which surround San Diego. The palm trees dot the horizon and the beach is beautiful. The weather is phenomenal with breezes floating in and out of the house - we don't have air conditioning, so it feels wonderful. I miss the lush green and wildflower bordered highways that I envision when I think of North Carolina. I miss the down home culture of North Carolina - girls wearing minimal make up and dirty clothes, guys rolling out of bed and going to a coffee shop. The differences are thick, but it may not be such a bad thing.

This is our house!

This is a van that we might be driving. What uuup.

It Has Begun!

Week one has commenced and it's been, in one word, crazy. It has been full of late nights, early mornings, long training sessions at the office, laughing until I cry, snacks, walks to the grocery store, and much, much more.

In four days my brain has been stretched and crammed with more than I ever thought I could possibly sustain and retain. We have been extensively lectured on the programs implemented on the ground in Northern Uganda, the history of the war, the expectations held of us, our required codes of conduct, and much, much more. There is always much, much more!

I have been thrown in full force, in driving the 15 passenger van. Since I will be one of the drivers for our tour this is necessary, very necessary. Actually, after Sabrina picked me up from the airport, she pulled over in a hotel parking lot and had me drive myself to the Roadie house for the first time. Welcome to San Diego! To say the least. So, I've driven to and from the office a couple of times with full van loads. I haven't had any accidents, per se, but I'm pretty sure I seriously cut off someone today - woops!

My teammates and I are still getting to know each other - it always takes a while to feel completely comfortable with people you just meet. But so far, so good! They seem to be genuine folks who really care about the Ugandans and their plight.

I'll try to get some pictures up soon of the people and places I am experiencing!