The World is Waiting

Hip-hip-hooray.  Finally, another post.  December was a crazy busy month seeing as how I had to survive finals and traveling home to Utah and spending time with my wonderful family has consumed most of my time but, we have an awesome guest post today.  Cassidy, a roadie who interned with the Invisible Children Campaign has been so willing to give us her insight on her experience and the organization she has spent months with. 

Enjoy!

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"Just go through with the second interview. It can't hurt." 

I am forever grateful for my mom for those wise words last November when I was going through the interview process to be a Roadie for Invisible Children, a nonprofit organization working to end Africa's longest-running war. A 26-year-long war, to be exact, where a madman named Joseph Kony has been leading his Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) on a tear across regions of central Africa (Uganda, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo) killing, raping, pillaging and, most notably, abducting children. 

My Invisible Children story started about 5 years before that fateful conversation with my mom when I was a senior in high school. During a free period I sat down to work on homework but my attention was immediately drawn to the film being projected on the wall in front of me. That film, I would later find out, was called “Invisible Children: The Rough Cut,” and as dramatic as it sounds, my world would never be the same after that, honestly. Having my eyes opened to that level of human injustice and never even having heard of Kony or the LRA was simultaneously frustrating and inspiring. It sparked something that made me not only want to get involved with ending this war, but made me more conscious of the world outside my bubble.

That spark would remain and would only intensify after I traveled to Kenya twice during college. After my first trip I came home and in the midst of my culture shock of being back in the U.S., realized that I could come back and allow myself to slip back into my world and only talk fondly of my "life-changing experience" or I could actually act on it. So I went to Kenya the following summer, graduated from the University of Kentucky, moved to Nashville to intern for another Africa-related nonprofit called Mocha Club and decided to take that next big step. I applied to be a Roadie with Invisible Children. I got through the first round of interviews and didn't expect a call back. After all, this was a huge organization with hundreds of applicants dying for this opportunity. Never mind the money I didn't have to support myself throughout this 15 week internship or my paralyzing, mind-numbing fear of public speaking. 

"Just go through with the second interview. It can't hurt." 

I got the call for the second interview and if it weren't for my mom I wouldn't have just finished my second tour as a Roadie, would've missed out on by far the most formative year of my life and I would be a drastically different person than I am today. (Thanks again, Mom!)

After touring Texas as a Roadie on the Congo Tour in the spring and New England as a team leader on the Frontline Tour in the fall, I grew exponentially and learned things I will carry close for the rest of my life. I got to speak to, and inspire, thousands of students weekly (yes, I managed to get over my fear of public speaking...for the most part), cultivate life-long friendships with the three Americans, two Ugandans and one Ethiopian, lived with in a van with my teammates over the course of two tours, and set a new standard for the type of friends and community I will strive for after being in the most loving, inspiring and challenging environment I could imagine while at Invisible Children.

I will never forget the honor I had daily to get on stage in an Invisible Children shirt and inspire audiences to join us on the front lines of this war. To do more than just watch Kony commit these atrocities daily. Because contrary to what they've heard, and at the risk of sounding cheesy, we can absolutely, without a doubt end this war. I got to do that standing next to a survivor of the very war we're fighting. Both of my Ugandan teammates, Tony and Grace, had amazingly powerful stories of faith, resilience and strength and I stood in awe every single day as they choked back the tears and fought through the pain to recount their story for a new audience. Their commitment to ending this war was so personal, and ran so deep, seemingly coursing through their veins. 

As much as my story with Invisible Children began in high school and carried through my trips to Kenya and my time on the road, it was the two of them who kept me going and reminded me daily the enormity and importance of our goal. As much as this story transformed from one I saw on a movie screen to one I was deeply entrenched in five years later, this is their story - they have LIVED it. As much as this past year has given me an epic adventure, lifelong friends and the courage to continually challenge myself and always defy the status quo, in the end it is not about the personal growth, it's about Tony and Grace and the human connection.

I can't tell you enough how imperative it is to get involved with something you care about. If Invisible Children isn't the route for you, find something else. Take that next step and immerse yourself in whatever that is. Give everything you have to helping people and making the world better because you were here. In twenty years when your child asks you what you did when the world was (seemingly) falling apart, be able to say that you showed up. 

I think it's only appropriate to end with a quote from Invisible Children's latest documentary, Tony (go here to watch it for free http://invisiblechildren.com/frontline-tony-documentary), 

"Push yourself, do what's necessary. The world is waiting for you, don't miss the invitation to join."

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How's that for cool?  And how is that for some inspiration as we start the new year?

Visit the Invisible Children website for more information and "don't miss the invitation to join".

open eyes

Anna Simmons

We have another awesome guest post today, this is my friend Anna.  Words can't describe this lady.  She is such a great example of service, faith, hope and reaching out to others.

Enjoy.

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To introduce myself, I was born and raised in Provo, Utah. I am currently attending Brigham Young University, studying Elementary Education, with a minor in TESOL K-12. I recently married my sweetheart, and while we are young, poor, and have many daunting years of school ahead of us, we look toward the future with hope and enthusiasm. 

My interest in other cultures began at the age of three, when my family took our first international trip, to England. It has since blossomed into a lifelong love of travel, new experiences, and learning about other cultures, attitudes and beliefs.

When I was eighteen, I went with my father to Ethiopia to take part in a humanitarian effort. We spent a week in a small village providing medical care and education, and fixing up schools. 

For the first time my eyes were fully opened to the beauties and tragedies of the world around me. So many of the people around me were suffering from unspeakable tragedies or tribulations – for the most part health related – and yet they were still so happy. They were some of the most beautiful and joyous people I have ever met.

I remember in particular, one mother who carried her twelve year-old daughter, who suffered from cerebral palsy to see my father – an amazing man who somehow, with the help of a nurse practitioner, managed to see and provide medical care for over 2,000 people that week. Sadly, there was little that we could do for her. We had one wheel chair with us, that we gladly gave to this woman, who for twelve years had carried her daughter everywhere. 

In seeing this, I realized that though there are millions of people in the world in similar or even worse circumstances, I had helped to make a difference in one person’s life. 

While there are many other experiences I could share from this trip, I won’t go on, as there is one more life-altering experience I want to share.

This is my mother: 

She has two neurological diseases, CBD and PSP, which are each only common to 1 in 1 million people. Watching her endure through these diseases, and slowly whither away, I have realized the cruelty and suffering that comes along with any sort of terminal illness. The death of a loved one is a difficult process to endure, especially when it involves watching said person degenerate to the point where they can’t walk, eat, go to the bathroom, or even sleep without assistance. I would not wish this experience on anyone. 

But seeing the influence that she had on people around her, I realize why it is so very important that we serve.  As long as I can remember, she spent her time making meals for others, donating clothes, watching neighbor’s kids while they dealt with crises, volunteering in schools, taking care of the sick and weary, and managing to raise five wonderful children, and being there for us through our accomplishments all at the same time. 

She spent her life taking care of others, and now that she is in need, nearly all of those that she served has in turn been there to help her. 

It is not proper or right for each of us to sit aside, enjoying our conveniences while we are surrounded by so many who have little; who suffer from disease and loneliness. There are so many in each of our cultures that wish for and need the help of others – whether they are giving full time service, or dropping by just to say hello, and take a few minutes to talk to them. I’ve seen people do these things, and everything in between, and 

I’ve realized we cannot afford to sit by and feel entitled when others could benefit from our love and effort. 

We can’t all be scientists or politicians who work to solve these problems on a large scale, but each of us can strive to make the life of one person better. And I can promise you, that by helping that one person, you can change the world. Through your influence, your strength, you can make the world a better place; for “the worth of souls is great in the sight of God” (Doctrine & Covenants 18:10). We each have the responsibility and the right to care for at least one person.

So much more can be said, but I think that George Washington Carver put it best when he said, 

“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.”  

Each of us is united by our humanity, and must act. We can’t afford not to.

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Anna is a talented writer, if you liked what she had to say, check out her blog and tell her for yourself.

happy feet

this is why i love my toms, every single pair of 'em.

Lauren Erin Bergaust

Let me introduce you to a beautiful friend of mine.  Her name is Lauren and she's amazing.  She's introduced me to some pretty sick organizations and her advice is killer.  She is doing some stellar things on our little island of Oahu and I know she's gonna accomplish great things in life.  

Here is her story.
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Born and raised as a Georgia peach, but currently studying, learning, and growing on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii. 

I am majoring in Graphic Design and earning an Intercultural Peace Building Certificate as well. I think life is so lovely and I consider it a blessing to just be living. A few short years ago my eyes were opened to the realization that as much as we want to sit and plan out our life, there’s someone else that has a bigger plan for us. So, instead of selfishly focusing on what I want, and myself, I realized I was much happier when I was helping to make someone else happier. There are three things in this life that make me happier than anything else in this entire world; family & friends, service, and dogs. 

Growing up I was heavily involved with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life foundation. In high school I became the president of our Relay for Life club and planned and hosted multiple events to help raise money for cancer research. I’ll never forget the moment I was told we had raised over $5,000 after one event, solely off of peoples donations. I think that night was the single moment that I realized that’s what I wanted to with the rest of my life. I want to plan and host events for nonprofit organizations, charities, and inspiring companies. 

I’ve made it a personal goal of mine to volunteer with something at least once a week. It’s human nature to get consumed with the type of society we have evolved into. A society consumed with materialistic value and personal appearance. We are all guilty of adapting to its demands. Which is so sad to me because it’s a society that functions on the basis of more, more, more. And we wonder why we have so many problems these days? If everyone could spend just 5% of their efforts into helping others, we would be on our way to a more peaceful life. In the wise words of the one and only, Gracie Lou Freebush, all I really want is world peace. Because all I really want is happiness for our world.

Within the last few months I’ve been involved with multiple beach clean ups with companies such as Method and the Kokua Foundation, a breast cancer 5k, Invisible Children, ONE events, a hunger banquet, making Halloween goodie bags for children in the hospital, a blood drive, and feeding the homeless. Looking at this list, it seems so small to me. But these events have helped me in more ways than I think I’ve helped anyone. My favorite event that I helped out with was probably the Invisible Children screening. It is so crazy to me that just 3 guys around my age discovered this tragedy going on in Africa. They started this huge organization and are literally saving lives everyday. I look at them and all the good they have done within the last few years, and I can’t help but sit here and feel somewhat unproductive and selfish for not doing something great to help others. Others, who are living in fear, poverty, and disaster every day. And here I can type this on my comfy bed, with a full belly, and peace of knowing that I’m safe. 

I’m not sitting here saying that I want to save the world. That’s not my goal. My only hope is to help a few people along this journey we call life. I hope that when my time comes, and I leave this earth, I hope I can have a satisfaction of knowing that I helped someone. I don’t need to help the world, I don’t need to help a hundred people, just one. If I can inspire, give hope, share advice, love, and help just one person, then I think that is something far more notable than anything else I could do in this life. 

“The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.”

-Frederick Buechner- 

I’m not really sure why McKenzie asked me to share my simple and common thoughts. I’m not Mother Theresa, I’m not saving the world; I’m not doing big things here. But maybe one day.  Maybe these simple words I’ve written will mean something or mean something to someone. I just hope that if you’ve taken the 5 minutes out of your day to read this, then maybe you will have been inspired to get involved with helping our world, our society, our neighbors. It’s so easy to serve, just look into any of the organizations I named earlier. Focus more on others than on yourself. 

Appreciate the beauty in every day. 

Be kind. 

Live simply so others can simply live. 

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Yup, pretty rad huh?

Want more Lauren?

 Check out her blog here.

Tis the Season

It's that time of year everyone!
The stockings are being hung, the trees are being lit and the snow is falling
(well, not here in Hawaii, but maybe in your neck of the woods).  

I use to think that in order to serve people I had to travel to third world countries and care for orphan babies.  Although that's a good thing to do, it's really easy to find opportunities to serve in your home towns.  Look for those opportunities around you, it's the small things that make a big difference. 

Last year, my family went to the food and care coalition and served some really neat people some really yummy food.  I didn't know what the experience would entail, but it ended up being super cool and fun. It also helped me realize how grateful I am to have the life I do.

   

What are you doing this holiday season to spread the Christmas spirit?

welcome

hi everybody.  welcome to the blog the paper crane project.  at the moment, it's a work in progress but, we've got some awesome things coming your way so, stay tuned, stay put, and keep checking back.

in the meantime, check out this video and organization:



i recently had some friends who participated in a food banquet held at my school in order to raise awareness of hunger.
pretty powerful, huh?
share your voice and spread the word.