Day Thirty-six; Paxico, Kansas

Today is an auspicious day...and the world is changing.

I can feel it.

At this moment, I am in the middle of an RV park, in the middle of a cornfield, in the middle of Kansas, in the middle of the United States...and it is exactly the middle of our 10-week ASM4P fundraising adventure. That's right. Five weeks to the day!

And if all those coincidences weren't exciting enough, I discovered that only a mile down the dirt road from our RV park--in the middle of absolutely nowhere--is a winery! Would you believe that someone converted an old gas station outside of Paxico, Kansas into a winery? If that isn't a sign that things are headed in the right direction, then I don't know what is.

By4:00pm this afternoon, I finally detached myself from my computer, put my walking shoes on and ventured down the road for a tasting. It was a beautiful afternoon here in Kansas. Clear blue skies and nothing but the tassels on the corn as far as the eye can see. As I walked along the side of the road, I reflected on the adventures Gunnar and I have shared over the past five weeks on the road...at times under some rather stressful conditions.

We've endured scorching summer heat, rabid dogs and daily RV showers in freezing cold water. There have been hundreds of miles walked, dozens of youth sessions conducted and thousands of letters written. There has been homesickness, claustrohobia, cops and cowboy boots. There has been exhaustion, tears, arguements, slamming RV doors, "what is your problem?", icy glares and cold shoulders, misunderstandings, audible sighs, talking it out till the bitter end, apologies and hugs. There have been mornings we could barely drag ourselves out of bed, nights where we couldn't find a DVD to agree on ("When Harry Met Sally" vs. "Jarhead") and weeks on end without a single donation.

Why are we doing this has crossed both our minds more than a few times, but we both already knew the answer.

As the Kansas farmers will tell you: seeds need time to grow.

So the ASM4P seeds have been planted and fertilized with love and good energy, and I'm happy to say that the signs of hope are finally begining to sprout. The donations are slowly but surely building, kids projects are growing on the website wall every day...more lemonade is selling...more car washes are popping up...and a few other amazing things happened just this week:

1. Leigh Langehough, a highly talented teenage videographer, posted her self-made video about ASM4P on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw0zgi14Pgw. If you want to see the power of youth impacting the world, watch this 5 minute video. This girl is incredible!

2. Dan Hueblein, a highly talented musician, has organized the first "Welcome Back, Gunnar" fundraiser concert and posted the invite details on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=108331549227 Come for the live music, food and celebration!

3. Erin Kennedy, a highly talented mother-of-two, and her daughters finished their three-day walk to raise funds for ASM4P. Fifty-eight miles from New Hampshire to Boston...here is the last part of her blog from the adventure:

Greetings,

We finished the trek to Boston last night and are safe, although less sound than I would like. Turns out its just me with the less than sound body, but the girls are fine.

We didn't have internet access the second night so I wasn't able to update you, but nothing coherent would have resulted anyway. I am truly amazed at the toll this amount of walking puts on the body. I knew that I could finish, but had no idea how difficult it would be. It's the most physically strenuous thing I have ever done.

The best part of the trip was the bonding that resulted. Stressful conditions can easily cause a shift in how we deal with each other. I was so happy that Kathleen and Allison became closer, sharing the burden of carrying backpacks and encouraging one another. At the end of the second day of walking, they teamed up against me. I kept saying we would reach the hotel in a few minutes, then 10 minutes would pass. They would ask again, and I would say another 10 minutes. Then 20 minutes would pass. They kept checking the phone to watch the time. They knew I had no idea when we would get to the hotel. And the plot to hijack control began.

Word to the wise, don't make up arrival times just to get the kids to be quiet, unless they are under the age of 6.

But after a good night's sleep, everything was fine.

The third day of walking was surprisingly the best. As we got closer to Boston, we walked through neighborhoods with lots of trees and lakes. We spent some time laying in the grass by a lake in Wakefield, which was beautiful. The girls picked out a house overlooking the lake with a Spanish-style stucco design. It wasn't for sale, but both girls decided when they grew up, that is where they wanted to live.

I will be in touch later on today about sponsoring and the best way to send money. Just wanted to update you on the walk, and let you know we are home safely.

Many thanks for your kind support.

Erin

***

So, remember this day, folks: August 5, 2009. The world is no longer the same place that it was yesterday. People are really understanding why this project is important. They see how our children are all connected. How helping a child in Iraq, also helps our children here at home. They know that by working together we can all discover our roles in shaping our future...by doing what we can...by doing what we love...and creating beautiful memories in the process.

As I sampled the local elderberry wine, I made a special toast: To ASM4P...this project will work. Yes, it will. Gunnar is walking, and the world is changing.

Can't you feel it, too?

:)

Dina

Will you help us help the kids?