Second Update From San Diego

To the few people who are reading this, I'm truly sorry I haven't updated more recently.  This internship is much more than a 9-5.  It's a crazy concept to think that most people work to make money, and I tried to make money just so I could come here and work for free.  I can honestly say it's been worth it.  To date, this has been the most amazing job I have ever had, and I could not be more thankful for where I am in life.

Most of my day is spent trying to book schools and places of worship to allow us to come to them and tell our story for free.  It's actually much harder than you would think, as many people are skeptical of what we're about or what we're trying to do.  I completely understand, because if some stranger called me from across the country, and told me he was going to bring four other strangers in a van just so I could watch a video for free, I would think he was a little crazy myself.  It's a lot of work, but it's incredibly rewarding when you are finally given an opportunity to share your story in the future.

We also have a lot of training, so that we will be well-versed on the organization, the history of the LRA conflict in Central Africa, and any other ins and outs we need to know.  One of the best parts of working here is that I've met one of the founders, and the CEO, and other people who have been here for years, and all of them are amazing people.  They are all genuine about trying to bring about a peaceful resolution and sustainable problems to this area of the world.

I wish I could go into detail about all of the programs and advocacy that Invisible Children does. Their model is also incredible and humbling, as they truly value the input of the communities in which their programs are implemented, to ensure that their help is wanted, practical, and needed.  We are not westerners dictating how things should be run, but rather partners assisting communities in getting back on their feet.  And once this is accomplished, the goal is to remove ourselves from the area.  It promotes self-autonomy over reliance.

If I ever get some time, I would love to talk more about all the work that is going on here.

This week, I found out the name of my Ugandan teammate.  Connnie is 24, and recently graduated from university.  She is in the vast minority of females in her area to do so.  She has a great smile, and from what I hear, a great personality.  My team cannot wait to meet her, and she'll be here in less than two weeks! And in less than three weeks, we'll be hitting the road for Canada!

I'll be sure to try to update again within the next week.

Thank you everyone once again who supported me and made this possible.  I truly appreciate it.

What Invisible Children Is