I remember the first TweetsGiving, three years ago. Each day we plotted, for the six days before ThanksGiving, Sanjay would calmly whisper: "this isn't going to work," and then continued about his work building the site & strategizing as if he wholeheartedly believed. Somewhere deep down, his heart had hope, even if his brain couldn't quite wrap itself around the possibility that gratitude could be sufficient currency to build a classroom. Then, in 48 hours, we raised over $11,000 USD from hundreds of people across the globe we'd never met. Since then, the celebration has raised more than $60,000 that has been invested in changemakers in Nepal, Tanzania and the US who have built classrooms, a library, a children's technology lab, a temporary home for disabled veterans and more. We've modeled other social media events after that first experiment, and have raised over $60,000 more so far in investments of love from across the globe during To Mama With Love and LaLaLove. Never doubt that anything is possible. Anything. In the past, I have dedicated Epic Thanks and TweetsGiving to Mama Lucy. This year, I dedicate this celebration to her and to the many of you who, inspired by her, have dared to believe that you are enough. That your chickens - whatever they may be - will somehow be enough to create radical new possibilities in the world we share. That your gratitude is enough. And that your love is enough. Because it is. It always is. This year, I'm grateful for those of you (you know who you are) who believe in the deepest parts of yourselves that love will always be enough. And especially for those of you, like Sanjay, who have enough hope to do it anyway - even when doubt creeps in. Last month, I wrote a post wishing for Leah & Gideon to visit us all here in the US. In it, I wrote:

"I want to give them this gift so they grow up with hearts that dare to hope for ridiculous, unimaginable possibilities. For themselves, their community, their country and the world we share. I want them to know, beyond any doubt, that even their wildest dreams just might come true."

The truth is that this wish was for me, and for all of us, as much as (or even more than) it was for Leah & Gideon. I wanted you & I to know, beyond any doubt, that our wildest dreams just might come true. And you made sure I knew - that we all knew - by making it so. I wanted you & I to have hearts that dare to hope for ridiculous, unimaginable possibilities. For ourselves, our communities, our countries and the world we share. And by creating this possibility for Leah, Gideon & Mama Lucy, you made it safer - more fathomable - to hope. This Epic Thanks, I give my thanks to those who have dared to believe that somehow our love and gratitude would be enough.  And who have made sure, every time, that it has been. You are the creators of hope, you who dare to believe in possibilities before they are born.  And today, I am beyond grateful for the light you shine into the future of us all. In honor of those who create radical possibilities in your life, and in our world, I hope you'll celebrate Epic Thanks with us. This Epic Thanks, we aim to build a secondary school for kids like Leah & Gideon in whose young souls so many possibilities live.  So far, through our cross-country tour & our children's music project at LaLaLove.org, we've raised over $35,000.  Our hope is to raise $15K this week to reach $50,000 by ThanksGiving Day in the US.   By doing so, we'll be able to get the new school up & running by January 2012 when next term begins. Join us now by investing your gratitude at www.EpicThanks.org.

Posted: November 22nd, 2011 under The Foundry.
Comments: View Comments

We're now half-way through our whirlwind US tour with Mama Lucy, Leah & Gideon. I'm SO grateful to those of you who have shown us such love & hospitality on the journey, and am hoping paths will cross with many more of you in the next few days. Want to join us for the rest of the journey?

Join us in New York, Pittsburgh, DC, or Tampa.

Like our Facebook page to catch all the photos from our journey.

Follow @epicchange on Instagram on your mobile phone - or on followgram.me.

Posted: November 8th, 2011 under The Foundry.
Comments: View Comments

They're Here! They arrived last Thursday. A five-hour bus ride to Nairobi. Six hours to Istanbul. Another ten to JFK. And here they were. It's funny now as I type the word "they," I realize the imprecision of such pronouns. They are not they anymore. They have become we. Children I've loved for five years are now sleeping soundly in my very own home after I tucked them in bed with a sweet "lala salama." Tomorrow, they'll go trick-or-treating in my neighborhood, with boys and girls just like them in so many ways - except geography and circumstance. We are together. It's a strange and, in some ways, a strained life I've created. My very best friends in the world live a twenty-hour plane ride away, and though we're always together in spirit, it's so much better to have them here in person. I can hardly believe it. I can't tell you for how long I've wanted to invite them, and how many times I've said to myself: it's impractical, Stacey. It's unrealistic. What little money you have, you should save for building classrooms, not a trip to America. Besides, they can't all come. You couldn't choose only one or two. Your wish could simply never come true. Your community will think it's frivolous. No one would contribute to bring them. It's silly, Stacey. Silly. Stop dreaming. But sure enough, when I dared whisper my wish into the universe, the money appeared like a miracle in just two days. And sure enough, a month later, here they are sleeping in the next room. Except Gideon. He never sleeps. The internet & plentiful electricity are a distraction from such basic human necessities as rest. We'll be sharing photos from the journey on instagram as we travel, and Leah & Gideon will be blogging on tumblr. Trust me, if yesterday & today were any indication, you won't want to miss even a moment. Especially moments like this one: Tonight my niece Zoe, and three of her friends had dinner with Leah & Gideon. At the table I asked about the stereotypes they had about African children before meeting Leah & Gideon. They responded with trepidation. Isaac said: "I thought they had good morals and were close to their families." Jackie said: "I didn't know what to expect." They were careful not to say anything that might offend Leah; already they'd become fast friends. But then I rephrased my question and instead asked: "What do most American children think about African children?" Then, with less hesitation, they answered in turn. Isaac said, "They come from a bad economic situation. They're poor." Zoe said, "They're vulnerable in some way. They're weak. Or sick." Jackie said, "They're tribal." Across from them sat Leah, intently listening. To her I asked, "How does it feel to know some may think this about children from your country?" She replied:

"It makes me sad. But this is why I'm here, you know. To show them how great we can be."

And, in those moments, it was as crystal clear to my rational mind as it has been to my heart all along. This trip is anything but frivolous. And as important as anything we've yet done. Perhaps more. Friendship changes everything. It changes "they" into "we". What happens when Leah is no longer some distant "other" but instead a girl just like me? What happens when our children realize Gideon's good at video games, and Leah's just as smart and strong and full of possibility as they are? What happens when we get close enough to find ourselves in one another? Do we still tolerate one of "us" having less access to education, water, food, basic healthcare, sanitation and electricity? When "they" become "we," will something radical shift in this beautiful, broken universe of ours? I'm willing to bet it just might. And I'm hoping you'll join us on the journey.

• Meet up with us in person in one of these cities.
• Follow Epic Change on Facebook to see our latest trip photos from Instagram.
• Subscribe to the Epic Change blog via email.
• Check out Gideon's blog. And Leah's too!

Posted: October 31st, 2011 under The Foundry.
Comments: View Comments