It always surprises us here at Invisible Children to think that some of you out there receiving this e-mail really read this update; but you do. We know you do. As for us, we hate bulk e-mails, forwards, and long-winded updates, so, to be honest, we're flattered. There are times we put off writing these updates because there's far too much information to get across. A thousand overwhelming stories condensed into ten paragraphs. We fear there might be too much joking, too many sad stories, or too much asking for money. Let us assure you, this e-mail is no different. Humor, Heartbreak, Hard cash and above all Honesty is how we survive. So get ready as we take you into the inner-workings of Invisible Children, the company you helped start.

WE MET ALICE Yes, it's true. We've been hunting her down for what seems like years, and we've finally met her. Review for those who forgot: Alice Lakwena is the woman who started this war twenty years ago. Through the power of the "Lakwena Spirit" she managed to rally over 10,000 troops to try, without weapons, to overthrow the government of Uganda. Since then she has been exiled to a refugee camp in Kenya, which is where we found her. (Google her for more information.) ?

To begin our conquest we rented a car and started to drive toward eastern Kenya. Alice lives less than 100 miles from the Somali border. It was a gnarly drive. (the Encarta World English Dictionary defines gnarly as: extremely difficult, risky, and challenging. can you believe a Fast Times at Ridgemont High  Spicoli -ism made it in the dictionary? at any rate, we define this word in the same way.)

For one: it was crowded, we had to ride with two policemen with big guns. The girls had to ride in the trunk. We didn't know before going that we were driving through Somali bandit area, where "thugs" will ambush your car, slit your throat and steal your stuff. The policemen were so great at building confidence by telling us such things as, "Why are you driving on this road? Do you see any other cars? The bandits are soo dangerous! You white people are stupid." (Why is it that you leave one dangerous area in Africa, only to enter another? If it's not rebels, it's bandits. Who even knew bandits existed? And do you think they know they're called bandits. Something about the title "banditssss" seems to undermine what they're doing. Next thing you know, there gonna tell us to beware of pirates.)

For two: it was hot.

For three: we hadn't slept in a few days, therefore all five of us wanted to kill each other, and almost succeeded on two specific occasions. So...crowded, annoyed, hot and tired on an absurd quest to the middle of nowhere...the people on the bus go, "wah, wah, wah..."  

The refugee camp was like a Salvador Dali painting (you know: clock melting in the desert) meets scene from Star Wars where all the alien cultures are forced together, meets a place at the end of the world. The women are covered with big billowing cloth, only showing their eyes. The men wear sarongs, and wild white camels roam freely. Unsure of the specifics of her whereabouts, we arrived to a big sign painted on a gate broadcasting: Mamma Alice's and the Holy Spirit Movement. Can you imagine if you arrived at Charles Manson's place to a sign, boasting: Charlie's Cult, All killers Welcome! We spent four hours with the insane herbal witch doctor and her forty-six followers. Ate food, experienced a "spirit possession", and saw first hand her tombs of spirit bodies (you've seen the movie Cocoon?), which happen to be big sacks of egg-shaped material filled with something (Laren claims dead bodies). All in all she is crazy, and we got it all on camera. You'll have to see it to believe it. See how we lure you in?

PROJECTS

Three weeks ago we got back from Uganda, and due to utter exhaustion have been hibernating, until now. Okay not really. We wish we were hibernating but instead we've been running around like mad trying to get the ball rolling on these upcoming projects:  

BRACELETS: It was about a year ago when the yellow rubber bands produced by world famous cyclists Lance Armstrong become a hit, and raised millions of dollars for cancer research. It was also a year ago that we decided to rip Lance's idea off and make it our own...  On this recent trip back we have solidified the bracelets for our very own campaign. We don't want to tell you too much or too little, but we will tell you they're not rubber bands. They're real African-traditional Acholi bracelets with mad style, everyday simplicity and rich cultural meaning. We have commissioned Northern Ugandans affected by the war to make these bracelets and it is now the full time job for many Ugandan citizens. They've already made over 5,000 bracelets. They should be available to buy online this December. Can anyone say stocking stuffer?  

We spent so much time (almost six months) in Uganda to film the final movie, but we also wanted to stay long enough to understand what northern Ugandan's want after a twenty year long war. We now know. They have told us, "We've lived without shoes, we've survived without food, but what we really want is education." Then education is what we're going to give them. In fact, we've already started a pilot program. Check out what our "Biola Boys" have started. [Reminder: The Biola Boys are the guys who saw are movie in February, dropped out of school, went to Uganda and are now living in the north to implement the program.] We received this e-mail from them a few days ago...  

Invisible Children Education Program

THE ACCEPTANCE CEREMONY Saturday, the 10th of September, we awoke to the neighbor's rooster crowing...seriously... and slowly rolled out of bed. Today is the day; all one hundred children are eagerly waiting to be let into the compound. I pull back the curtain and see hundreds of feet planted behind the green gate. It is only 9:00 am and the children are all gathering around. The sign posted reads, "Children on below list return Saturday morning at 10:00am." Their body language speaks of nervousness, for they don't know what to expect.

At 9:30 the gate is ready to be opened and one by one the children enter the compound. By 10:15am 74 of the 100 are awaiting to hear Jolly speak. Up to now nothing of our program has been explained to them. None of these children know that they are the Invisible Children we have been looking for.

At exactly 10:30 am Jolly (who has recently been nominated for the Nobel Peace prize!) begins to speak of pain, struggle and hope for peace in Northern Uganda. Every child's captivated by Jolly's voice. They laugh at her jokes, clap for her experience and their eyes beg for her guidance. The mentors also speak of their experience, which encourages all the children that hard work will result in success.

As the event comes to an end, all of the children meet in groups with their mentor. The day is over; all the nervous faces have vanished. As the Invisible Children leave we see nothing but smiles and eyes filled with hope. Monday's the first day of school...our pilot program is no longer a vision; children are going to school! These once invisible children are now visible.

Biola Boys,

Nick and Jared

[End of letter]

Receiving this e-mail made us beyond excited, knowing that the hard work is paying off. A year ago Laren, Jason, and Bobby all believed that a "Safe Community" was the best thing to build in the north. But a "Safe Community" sounds too much like an Internally Displaced Camp, which the people (and us) hate. We are currently working with World Vision on trying to solidify a relationship where 100,000 children in the north can be put into school by 2007. Our newest website should be up by middle October, if not sooner, explaining all of this in more detail.

So, we are back, and are not planning to return soon unless Kony comes out of hiding, which is as likely as Osama showing up as a contender for Martha Stewart's new "Apprentice" reality show. (he might be good?) We have over 500 hours of footage to watch, and if you do the math, it is too much footage for any sane person to watch. But we have already made it through 50 hours - so, we're going to keep on trucking.  

We are all baffled that Invisible Children financially made it through this summer. We realize it's because of your house parties, concerts, dodge-ball tournaments, and bake sales. Because of your passion, we made it. But after making Bracelets, and starting the education program we are, once again, running low on the cash flow. We have a full time staff of eight right now implementing all the programs and planning the national tour (Launching in your hometown this January. Contact Margie if you want to help. Read on to find out whom the heck Margie is.) The truth is we need to do this full time, so we are trying as hard as we can to not take that extra job at Starbucks. No offense to all you "Baristas" out there, you're still our "partners" a free pound of coffee a week is sweet. To be honest, this is exactly what we dealt with last time we edited, and, it took over a year. This problem needs attention NOW, and the more time we can devote to finishing this film, the sooner word will get out.  

We truly believe $5 bucks a week from all of you is what has made it possible for us to bring you e-mails like these. aren't a couple of laughs at our expense worth $5? So, for those of you who have not been seduced by the green Starbucks siren, and have extra five dolla-dolla Bills lying around...our address is:  

1810 Gillespie Way, STE 205?El Cajon, CA 92020? We thank you most sincerely.  

We leave you with a very large excerpt from a newspaper out of Nebraska; about how two sisters lives were changed from the documentary.

"She wears ripped jeans and a T-shirt, flip flops, a choker of small white seashells - a typical teenager look - clear lip-gloss, black mascara. But her dark-blue eyes are serious. She intends to be taken seriously this afternoon. Some children in this world feel invisible. Natalia Ledford doesn't. She feels she can make a difference, feels anyone can and everyone should try to, whether you're rich or poor or a 15-year-old whose main responsibility this summer is swim team.This had been Natalia's plan: Finish high school and college and get a job and get rich, then help poor people by donating tons of money. But after seeing a documentary after school at Lincoln High, she couldn't wait.  She's here today because of that film.

Sometimes it seems to Natalia that people in this country don't care. That they care more for stories on Michael Jackson or Paris Hilton. Those adults would rather spend money on plastic surgery to stay young. Like people in this country have no perspective. Young people, too. There's this group of kids at school. They wear black. They think it's cool to sit around and talk about how bad their lives are.

Her dad has told her that maybe she shouldn't be so hard on other people, that maybe it's not that Americans don't care. Maybe they just don't feel they can make a difference. Maybe they feel: What can one person do? But one person can make a difference, she tells him. One person can donate $20 and that can buy cough syrup. Kids in Uganda are dying because they don't have cough syrup. Think how much cough syrup Paris Hilton could buy.

Natalia says it's not that big of a deal what she and Hannah are doing. All they're doing is passing it on - like that movie a few years back, "Pay It Forward." Someone does something nice for you and you do something nice for three others and then, if everyone does this, the world is changed.

To view the full article click here. 

Live Full, Your Friends at Invisible Children 

"I have named the destroyers of nations: comfort, plenty, and security - out of which grow a bored and slothful cynicism, in which rebellion against the world as it is, and myself as I am, are submerged in listless self-satisfaction."  -JOHN STEINBECK-  

SAN DIEGO and LOS ANGELES RESIDENTS READ THIS: You've asked us "what can I do to help?" we are now telling you this: We have hired an amazing individual named Margie Dillenberg to plan our national tour. She is in charge of interns and volunteers to come into the office and plan this monstrous road trip. Five Winnebago's are going to high schools, churches and colleges across the nation. To those of you who are serious:  we have a huge, meaningful, impacting position for you. (PS this is great for anyone needing a semester internship, volunteer position to build a resume in non-profit/leadership work). We need 15 people to dedicate at least 10 hours a week this sememester (or maybe longer) to plan our Invisible Children meets Road Rules national tour. You'll be making connections and relationships all over the country, organizing and overseeing passionate world-changers, and you yourself will make a mark larger than you ever dreamed you could.  What we need for you to do is e-mail the office invisiblevolunteer@yahoo.com

SUBJECT: I WANT TO INTERN!?Accepting applicants from ages 16 to 30

Download the application and reference form here and get to us ASAP...Aslan is on the move (you Narnia fans) and we won't miss him!