It's Only Amazing and Completely Breathless!

SO if you read my blogs then you know who and what Invisible Children is and stands for. You should even know that there was a bill out there going through the process to help the children of Uganda and especially Eastern Africa. Well for those of you that don't know....

It all started in 2005, at least the organization, but I do believe that Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole, and Jason Russell went on a journey to Africa, more preferably Sudan. Going on a adventure to document what they could find. Little did these young men in their 20's know they were going to embark on an adventure that would forever change not only their lives but the lives of hundreds of teens and young adults. While on this adventure they find out that there are children traveling miles by foot to get to the next city to seek refuge from the Lords Resistance Army, or LRA. This rebel army abducts these children and forces them to abduct, kill, and mutilate people on command... even their friends and family. One former child soldier even said that he killed a woman for walking too slow. These three young guys learned about this war and the rebel leader, Joseph Kony, and were shocked to hear that it was going unseen for more than two decades. Who would have thought?

Well they took the footage they took from the camera they bought from EBay and put together a documentary called, "Invisible Children: The Rough Cut." From this documentary there came a wave of responses from the people that watched it asking what they could do to help. So they went ahead and started... Invisible Children, in 2005.

Since then alot has happened! Every fall semester schools around the country raise money to rebuild a sister school in Northern Uganda. They typically raise over ONE MILLION dollars... it's totally crazy cause I just learned that, that's more than the US and UN give to Northern Uganda combined! How epic is that. A whole bunch of teens and young adults raising more money than probably millionaires. Then is the spring about every other year they have done rallies. The latest one was called, "The Rescue." This event took place in 100 cities, 10 countries, all together sharing 1 voice. We stood together in solidarity with the child soldiers, and symbolically abducted ourselves and walked 2-3 miles then waited to be rescued by the media and a celebrity or political mogul. It took about 6 days until we were finally rescued by Oprah in Chicago, IL, or Chi-town. Little did we know that soon after the Rescue, a bill was written to help those in Northern Uganda and Eastern Africa and help capture Joseph Kony. Later that same summer we, about two thousand of us went to Washington, D.C., to lobby to our congressmen about the bill. We had about 40 signatures in that day alone. I was just lucky to have Mr. Senator Samuel Brownback as my senator, because he was a co-writer of the bill. It wasn't until just recently that the bill passed the House of Senate Unanimously, then it passed through the House of Representatives Unanimously with the same bill without any corrections or changes.

So today was the day that was completely amazing and breathless. Mr. President Barrack Obama signed the bill. Which makes it a law. Now has 180 days to come up with a strategy to apprehend Joseph Kony and the other leading commanders of the LRA. Then we can start fixing and recovering Northern Uganda and Eastern Africa and bring those child soldiers back to their families.

Here is was President Obama said about us, citizens:
"I congratulate Congress for seizing on this important issue, and I congratulate the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have mobilized to respond to this unique crisis of conscience. We have heard from the advocacy organizations, non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups, humanitarian actors who lack access, and those who continue to work on this issue in our own government. We have seen your reporting, your websites, your blogs, and your video postcards — you have made the plight of the children visible to us all. Your action represents the very best of American leadership around the world, and we are committed to working with you in pursuit of the future of peace and dignity that the people of who have suffered at the hands of the LRA deserve."

So I just wanted to thank everyone who spent alot of their time on Facebook annoying their friends with constant status updates, invites, tagging, and video blitzing. All those people that slept outside in the cold until a Senator released his hold on the bill. All of you we waited all 6 days in Chicago till you got rescued. All of you who rescue rode or rescue watched. All those epic dance parties on the Live Feed. All,  two thousand, of you would went and lobbied to your congressmen in D.C. and made it the largest lobbying event on an African issue. All of you who signed the petitions. All of you who wrote, called, emailed, or visited your congressmen in your home town. Thanks!


We are getting so much closer to saying and seeing it really happen...


Together we ARE FREE!!!


And then watching... How it Ends.


Thanks again! I love all of you!

Prayer and Fasting... Who Really Needs to do That?

So the past couple of weeks I have been going to IHOP, International House of Prayer in Kansas City, and well, I guess there has been one thing that's been in common. This lifestyle that all these people testifying about. This lifestyle of prayer and fasting.

The last time I was at IHOP was last Wednesday, May 19th, and well it was really evident what God was wanting me to do. I read this scripture from Matthew 9:16-17. It was just so interesting:

[No one uses a new piece of cloth to patch old clothes. The patch would shrink and tear a bigger hole.
No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins. Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wine skins. Both the skins and the wine will then be safe.]

I knew that if I kept living this life of secrecy. This life that not a lot of people know about. If I kept living this way I am like that old wineskin. No room to grow and take in what the Lord has to offer for me. If I kept my old ways, I could always go back and if I tried to take in more of the Lord and what He wants then who knows, I mean just 'burst' because I can't handle it. I may not even know what to do with the Lord has given me, or any of the great opportunity He given me share the talents He has given me.

That night, I finally learned what the Bride-groom Fast was. They, IHOP, fasts the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the month, every month except for December. In December they fast the entire week of the OneThing Conference, which is the last week of December. All adding up to forty day of fasting in the year.

I never really took into consideration this part of my relationship with Christ and my heavenly Father. You know, I think I am ready for it. I ready for His joy and love to rule over my life. I am ready be a 'love-bomb' for Him.(read my other blog to know what a love-bomb is)

I have never really felt this amazing joy that I have seen in such godly people in my life. They are always loving and happy. So real. A real example of what it means to follow Christ with every breath of their life. I want to feel this joy.

I am definitely up for a new chapter in my life. This chapter of life I pray with last the rest of my life, but that I will take this prayer and fasting lifestyle to the next level.

I have really been diving into my Bible in a new way. All thanks to my friends at InterVarsity and my Sunday School, NarrowGate at Central Church. I have really been so excited to really dive into my Bible anytime of day or when ever.

So I hope that maybe you, too, will take this step with me. But if you aren't ready it's ok, but remember that prayer and fasting are important in the relationship with our heavenly Father. Just check out these scriptures.

Fasting is a form of worship: "Then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying" (Luke 2:37).  

Fasting is a personal event: "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:16-18). 

When Jesus was with the Disciples they didn't have to fast, but now that we wait for the return of Jesus we should fast, for Jesus is our Bridegroom. "They [Pharisees] said to him, 'John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.' Jesus answered, 'Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.'" (Matthew 9:14-15)  

Praying for health: "David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground" (2 Samuel 12:16)

Praying for safety: "There, by the Ahava Canal, I [Ezra] proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions" (Ezra 8:21).

As an act of repentance: "When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah" (1 Samuel 7:6).

As a sign of mourning: "They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword" (2 Samuel 1:12).

Before making an important decision: "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off….Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust " (Acts 13:2-3; 14:23). 

This is Laura, and I am armed and ready for the beginning of the new chapter of my life, and you invited to be apart of this story with me.

Shoes for the Shoeless

So TOMS is this great company, that I guess found a couple of years ago. I honestly wasn't into helping children like I am now. Or helping with Poverty, or just missions in general.

Well this great, great, great company was founded by this American guy named Blake, and well he and, I believe, his friend went down to Argentina for some trip and noticed that the children down there didn't have shoes. So he started this company just so he could give these children that didn't have shoes a pair of shoes.

I know, so what makes this company different than all the other companies that give away shoes to the needy?

Well I am glad you asked. TOMS has this great campaign called "One for One." Well it's pretty much self explanitory. You buy a pair of TOMS shoes or any other merchandise that has the One for One by the item then you know that not only are you getting a pair of shoes or a t-shirt, but also you are purchasing a pair of shoes to go to a child that doesn't have a pair.

Which you might be thinking, well why can't I just donate money and let these children have their shoes?

To me, I think it's more than giving children a pair a shoes. When you wear these shoes, a t-shirt, or a necklace, you are telling the story of hundreds of children around the world that don't have shoes. You are adovocating that there is more to life than high-priced, fashionable, uncomfortable shoes (which by the way, these shoes are extremely comfortable). There are people in this world that have it worse than us. Even some of us in the United States.

For me, I love going on mission trips, and well, if I went to a country then to a specific region that TOMS went to deliver shoes. Then while playing with the children notice that they are wearing a pair of TOMS and they see that I am wearing them. You know that like almost a instant connection. What if my purchase gave this child a pair of shoes. I don't think you could get that same feel from other companies. Not tearing them down, but that's why I support TOMS.

So for each pair of shoes bought through TOMS or a retailer of TOMS, you are providing shoes for a child that needs them.

How do they deliver these shoes? Do they just trust an individual in that state or country to handle the shoes and deliver them?

The answer is no. They actually have a group of volunteers that go with them to measure the children's feet and give them the right sized shoe. This event is called a "Shoe Drop." Which if you go to their YouTube page you will see that they just went to Rwanda with a group called RwandaBridge and they even took along with them, Kris Allen, American Idol winner. But watching the video of the shoe drop and smiles on those children's faces just makes my heart go so numb.

We take our life for granted. Today alone, I bought a new pair of TOMS, a new Bible, and I even got food. I mean I don't normally buy this much stuff in one day, but honestly I wasn't probably as happy as those children were in that short video they shot. I mean I was happy cause another child got a pair of shoes and that I was supporting another cause, World Vision by purchasing their Poverty based Bible.
These shoes, they save these children's lives quite literally.

When these children don't have shoes they contract so many diseases. Some of them can't even go to school just because they don't have shoes.

Every year, or even every semester, TOMS has a day of awareness. ONE DAY WITHOUT SHOES. Campuses, offices, churches, and individuals around the United States and the world go one day with out shoes to spread the awareness about the children in other countries and especially the United States. We inform people about the diseases these children and contract by not having shoes. We tell them that most of the diseases are 100% preventable just by having a pair of shoes. Some of us, even plan walks that go up to 3 miles long. Walking barefoot.

So the next time you go barefoot outside or see someone wearing a pair of TOMS think about the children out there in the world that don't have a pair of shoes. What are you going to do about it? Just stand there and hope someone will get that child a pair of shoes for you. Well don't count on it. If we all waited for people to do things for us, then nothing would get done. So check out TOMS website, and maybe even think about purchasing a pair of shoes or a t-shirt.

www.tomsshoes.com

We are apart of a Global Community, so let's help our brothers and sisters.

We Did It!

We did it!!!! Yesterday, the LRA and Northern Uganda Recovery Bill went on the House Floor and you know what? That bill passed Unanimously! It's totally awesome!

It's totally awesome because this bill is going to be on President Obama's desk really soon, and it would be silly for him to veto it, just because in both houses the bill passed unanimously. And it would a 2/3's majority from congress would cancel that veto. Which would totally rock!

Here is a video from Invisible Children's website:
We Did It
Congress Speaks on LRA

We Have Come So Far

Wow! It's so hard to believe how far Invisible Children has come all of these years. Especially since I became extremely active in the organization.

I was able to be apart of Coalition at Shawnee Mission West High School. I was able to help organize our walk, which would symbolize the night commuters and the child soldiers of Northern Uganda. I was apart of the Schools for Schools that fall of 2008. We raised I think about $500 for schools for schools. I am not really sure.

But I do know that since that fall, or even the summer before that I really became interested and stopping this war and giving these children the life they deserve.

Now the spring of 2009, I believe took my obession another step further. Here, this year was my last year of high school and was all about culinary, planning on going to culinary school and opening up my very first cafe/coffeeshop. Even though I believe that's still one of my dreams, it's not as urgent. During this spring, Invisible Children had a rally called "the Rescue." This event took place in 100 cities, 10 countries, and all of us sharing one voice for these unseen children apart of an unseen and unwanted war. We walked in a line holding onto rope symbolizing the children being forced to go to "the bush." We then would stay out until we got rescued by the media and a mogul. While we waited we wrote to our senators and congressmen about this war and giving them a possible solution. Now, it took six days before every city was rescued. The last city was Chi-town, aka Chicago, and there we got rescued by Oprah herself.

Later did we know that at the end of May we found out about a bill that was written by Senator Fiengold and my senator from Kansas, Senator Brownback. This bill was called "The LRA Disarment and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009." In this bill it would require the Obama administration to come up with a strategy within 180 days. In this bill it would also fund the recovery of Northern Uganda and anyother areas affected by the LRA.

This bill came just in time. The end of June came two days in Washington, D.C.. This time was to learn about the war and how it's being affected and also how we can better talk to our government officials. We worked so hard to come this far we didn't want to sound completely ignorant about what we were talking about. But we heard from a delegation from Uganda, the founders of Invisible Children, Resolve Uganda, and the Enough Project. This time was great. I finally got to meet a friend for the second time, a friend I met first on Youtube, then on Facebook. It was great. Absolutely great. That night we got over 30 cosponsorships, and we couldn't ask for a more successful day.

The bill then went to the Senator Foreign Affairs committee and passed unanimously.

Then the bill was to go to the Senate Floor and then it went on hold because of Senator Coburn. We peacefully protested outside his office in Oklahoma City for like alot 2 weeks. Then he released his hold and then the bill passed unanimously.

Then just a couple weeks ago, the bill passed through the House Foreign Affairs unanimously.

Then in the last picture is the agenda for the Floor on the senate tomorrow. As you can see it's on the floor. Ready to be voted on, and then it will be on President Obama's desk for the last signature.

Then it will be 180 days for President Obama to strategize the capture of Joseph Kony.

We have come soo far. I am excited to say that I applied to be a roadie for Invisible Children and hopefully will be honored to be apart of their organization.

Invisiblechildren.com

What Time is it? Time to wait... and wait...

It's officially sent off and now the anticipation awaits. What did I just send in? My Invisible Children Roadie Application for the Fall of 2010. I am really excited, I know that my friends are going to definitely be there for me whether or not I get the position as the roadie.

I was soo excited when I found out that in the fall that the fall tour is not only going to epically awesome with the competition of Schools for Schools, but they just mentioned that they will be sending adovocated from each school that is represented by the different regions of the country. I am sooo excited.

Ha can you tell that I am excited?!?

I have been thinking about this as a decision for a while now and well if I don't get it, I will apply until I do get the position honestly. Unless they tell me flat out that they don't want me as a roadie, which to me would be weird, cause I have dedicated almost the last two years of my life to this cause and others like it. I mean I know that I am needed here, so I guess either way I will be supporting the cause. But how great would it be to be a roadie.

Think about it. Me. Going to schools, churches, anywhere we can get a screening. Tell people about the atrocities going on in Eastern Africa, but not only telling them the bad but also the good. Telling them that we, high school and college age students, have sent more money over to Uganda for education more than the US and the UN combined! How ridiculous is that. Getting people excited about raising money for these children. Living in a van, seeing the world from the eyes of the curious. Excited to see what around the next corner.

I know this is what God wants me to do. I have prayed about this for over a year now, and then some. I think I know, but I do know that God has every right to take it away from me if I loose sight of what this is really about.

So I ask all of you for prayer, that God will guide me to where he wants me to be and go.

"I will go, I will go, I will go, Lord send me, to the world, to the lost, to the poor and hungry, take everything I am, I'm clay within your hands, I will go, I will go Send me." - Starfield, "I Will Go"

We are Community, So Let's Show It!

I love it!

This isn't the first time I have seen bands do this. This. What is this?

Well This is when a band comes to town and asks their fans to bring non-perishable food items and then they donate it all to a local charity.

In the case of the picture, it happened to be Harvesters. This was a picture from the concert of Hillsong United! Yes, the same Hillsong United from Austrailia. I just thought it was really cool how they were doing this and also spreading the word about their I-Heart ministry. Which I absolutely love.

But this isn't the only band I have seen do this. One of my other favorite bands, Switchfoot, does this all the time. I just think it's awesome. I guess just because it shows people how easy it is to be apart of their community just by giving something as cheap as a canned good. (at least for us it's cheap, if we are going to these concerts).

And it's also a great way of advertising a great charity in the area. If there happened to be a fan in the crowd that night then could go online or even talk to maybe a representative from that night. I love it. I hope that more bands will do it, and will continue to do it.

How cool would it be if every concert raised 500 non-perishable food item that came into town. I don't know if they would have to worry about food donations. I mean i know that every penny is appreciated and well spent. But that would just be great for people to start learning it's not hard to be apart of their community that need help.

Swap-what?!?! Swapdoodles!

Ok, most of you would know that I am a really, really big supporter of Invisible Children. Well, around this time last year there was a rally event that happened in 100 cities, 10 countries, and all of us sharing 1 voice. It happened on April 25, 2009. Once every cities got rescued you could home, or be a rescue rider and go to different cities that haven't been rescued. Well if your parents, * cough cough* like mine, wouldn't let you go or you had school or a job, you could watch it on a live web stream. That's what I did during the week after Kansas City got rescued by the awesome Switchfoot.

During that time, not really sure how. But doodling came up, someone had wanted Cameron's doodle of a combination pizza hut and taco bell. Well I remember Cameron saying well you can't it unless you send me a doodle. *trumpet sounds* Hence forth, Swapdoodles was born.

Now you can send a doodle to the specified address and then in a week or so, you will recieve someone else's doodle. Which I think is an awesome concept. Don't worry you don't have to good, or great. If you enjoy doodling or drawing, or just do when your bored in class... do it on a separate piece of paper and turn it in.

I just think it's so much fun. I believe that everyone is an artist. Whether you think your good or not. Most artists anyways don't think their work is good enough. So just send it in. I am gonna start keeping mine in a box so I can look back at them.

I have sent in like 4 doodles so far and have only gotten one back. But that's because I just sent the other 3 not too long ago, so I am paciently waiting fror my doodles to come in the mail. I just found one that I did specifically for swapdoodles, and just did the one that's in the picture, like the other day during my econ class. Honestly, that's where I do most of my doodles cause that class is sooo boring. Ick.

Well, whether you decide to do a Swapdoodle or not. Just think that you could have made someone's day with it. :)

Check out their facebook page,
http://www.facebook.com/swapdoodles
http://swapdoodles.com
http://www.twitter.com/swapdoodles

P.S.
Maybe you will even get my doodle!

Bananagrams

Bananagrams.

Enough said right? Maybe not. In case you don't know what it is, it's one of my new favorite games of time right now. It's life Scrabble, wait... it's sooo much better than Scrabble. There are no points, really not a lot of rules. You can spell a lot of small words or you can spell a few big words, but the point of the game is to get rid of all your tiles and the tiles on the table.

Why "Bananagrams"? Well all of the letter pieces are placed in a banana-shaped bag. There is no game board. You can buy a single banana or what my friend, Candace, just got for her birthday... a DOUBLE BANANAGRAM. It's totally epic, when there is normally only 144 letters, there is now 288. Pretty, pretty epic if you ask me.

Ok so back to the bananagram part, when start with all the tiles flipped over, to start you have to say the word... "split." When you run out of pieces, you say, "Peel," then you and everyone else grabs a tile from the center. If you don't want a tile you have to trade that one in for three more tiles. But you have to say "dump." Dump... I am still alittle questionable about that word. Then, if there are not enough tiles for everyone to grab one, and you are all out of tiles to play with, then you say, "BANANAS!" Then you win the game.

I am really not that smart, as some of the people I play with. In fact, Candace and my other friend, Erin, are the bomb-diggity at this game they spell the longest words. Words that not your normal, everyday people think of. Like "unearthed," "laughter," or "jalepeno." Me, your semi-normal person, as you can tell in the picture above, only uses like 2-4 letter words, except for my one long word... "payday." I love that word because it uses two "y"s.

It's quite funny because if you walk around Johnson County Community College, and go through Java Jazz or any table for that matter, you will see us playing that game. Some of you will think we are nerds, some of you may even want to join us nerds, and we would sure let you.

So the next time you think of a long word like, "hippopotamus," then you too are ready for... BANANAGRAMS.

Parks in Small Towns are the Bomb

Ok, so basically, I went to Gardener a couple of weeks again, then just this last weekend I went to Wellsville. The, I guess, two things they have in common is that I have a friend from InterVarsity that lives there, and well their parks rock.

They even have two other things in common, they have an "Eifel Tower" (like in the picture), and they both have a tire swing in one sort of another.

Why is it that small town have the best parks around. I mean I am definitely not gonna go and drive like 30 - 45 minutes just to go to a park. You would think that a county as rich as Johnson County would spend it's money on some sweet parks. I am not even really sure where the best parks around are. I mean Antioch Park is nice, but no tire swing or "Eifel Tower." Shawnee Mission Park is nice and big, but there aren't really alot of play grounds around. Sar-ko-par Park is nice too. A skate park, tennis courts, "lake", volley ball courts, a pool with a slide, and even a nice big field. But yet no "Eifel Tower" or tire swing.

I don't know about you, but I am almost thinking about just going do some research and look for an awesome park in the area. Or even talk to city hall about it. "Throw up your rock fist" if your with me. (LOL TFK[thousand foot krutch] reference).

No, but if you know of any sweet parks in the Lenexa, Shawnee, Overland Park, or Olathe Area please comment and let me know. I am really loving going to parks, especially at night.

I guess maybe if we took care of our parks, we could get better and new ones. *fingers crossed*

This Weekend.... period.

Ok, so basically, my family but me is going to my cousin's wedding.

Why aren't I going? Well, let's just say my cousin and I don't really get along, never have, and who knows we may one day, but I don't want to chance it on her special wedding day. Plus, I am not sure if my Grandma is still alittle upset with my new career choice. So I want Ali to have a great wedding, and I wish her the best in everything, but I don't want to create something and mess up her big day.

So my parents and little brother are out of town, leaving me and Shea, my little dog, alone in a house to ourselves. I am really excited, I just hope I don't mess things up...

But I am really excited cause I am doing a little Korean food get together with my friends, and well it's just going to be alot of fun.

So I guess wish me luck, this weekend.