What it is all About!

I remember a few years ago, we had two young boys from the orphanage come to our house on a day out and for some reason that I don’t remember, we had an extra box of about 50 ice-cream cones at our house. We weren’t sure what we would do with them so we decided to get the boys to take them around our neighbourhood and give them to the kids around the block.

Bringing Light to Darkness

From Bekah Wright, Dream Agent in Kyrgyzstan...
 I still think of the first time we visited the Men’s Home in Iskra.. What a dark place. Our friend Dan Referred to it as a glimpse of Hell. Now I was 14 years old when I went to it for the first time and I can honestly say that I didn't go back for about 6 months while my parents tried to help little by little with Larissa because I couldn't handle what I had seen and couldn't imagine ever going back. It wasn't just what I had seen but it was the smells and sounds that I heard that scared me.

Home again - Home again...an update from Ghana

Sometimes I feel a little like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz as I am walking in the streets here in Osu. I see signs and billboards that make me think I must be somewhere else!! I am sure I am not in Halifax but I wonder who has been, to come up with this name for their Pharmacy?

A Day out with the Men!

Today we took 16 men from the Men's home into Bishkek! They had a day on the town!

A Day on the Town

Today Larissa and I took 25 children from the small village of Iskra to Bishkek. We had a great time!

A Boy With a Dream

Recently, Lisa and I were introduced to a 4-year-old boy named Felipe.  Great kid...Full of life! He wants to be a policeman when he grows up.  Normal boy… sort of. 

Investments (an update from El Salvador)

 What a feeling it was to be there on the opening day. At that very moment when I realized that these girls had never even touched a computer before. They had no idea how to run a mouse, or how to click the mouse. And we were part of that very moment. Oh, the places they will go!

A "family reunion" in Mexico

This week was a major victory for Lisa and me.  We got to spend time with our three kids at the orphanage where they are temporarily being housed.  They had just been released from the Social Services holding center here in Monterrey after 7 long months of struggle. For those who don't know, our little girl Fernanda almost died of tetanus this summer while spending time with her family during vacation.  Through a series of unfortunate events, she and her siblings were released into the families custody, had a concrete block dropped on her foot, was not treated soon enough and ended up close to death in the hospital in Monterrey. Because of the seriousness of the illness and other events surrounding it, the three kids were taken into custody and we and our friends Jim and Betty at Back2Back Mexico have been fighting to get them released ever since. 

Dream Agents are real people too

Here is a "picture" of a normal day in the life of your Dream Agent Extraordinaire (LOL) from El Salvador, Michelle. Not only am I a Dream Agent, i am also a friend, wife, mother, daughter, sister, boss...and sometimes it is hard to juggle all those roles and make everyone happy all the time.

Guatemala - Day Two

Okay, technically it isn't actually "day two", it is however only our second work day.

I know there are those of you waiting to read about what has been happening with the medical team.  That will be coming tomorrow!  Today is another build team update. 

Guatemala - Day One

I am certain there are many of you who have been waiting for an update, and I apologize for taking so long.  I can assure you this is the first time we've had available to do so since we arrived!

After a very early morning start (4:30am departure from Freedom Church), we arrived in Guatemala close to midnight local time.  We were all exhausted, but a sense of excitement and anticipation was in the air.  We cleared customs with no real problems, and with our luggage in tow, we were ready.  

We were up early this morning, excited and looking forward to the day.  I was sent out with the build team today and it was incredible, the pictures will never do justice to what was experienced there by the team.  To see the kids running towards the van as all the "gringos" piled out ready to start building homes, it was priceless.  The kids of the area were everywhere, laughing, watching, wide eyed with happiness and joy. 

Overwhelmed....with gratitude

Shopping for soap for Lepers

Every day I am on the go to buy things to get ready to fulfill dreams. And it’s not just about going to one place and getting ALL that you need...no, it’s more like going to one market to buy buckets to another to buy footballs and yet another to find a wheel chair. Nothing is ever in one place around here.  And then, it’s not just a quick drive from one spot to another either...it’s hours and hours in traffic to get where you are going. Then when you finally get there, there are hundreds of people trying to buy the same exact thing that you want to buy. Crazy and tiring ...but at the same time a lot of fun!

Day one back in Ghana...

I must have seen Accra, Ghana last time through rose coloured glasses...

Walk the Rock - a big success in more ways than one...

It's been a little over a week since the completion of “Walk The Rock” and I am still filled with a mixture of emotions.  Hiking Gros Morne Mountain has been a dream of mine for quite some time.  So, while it was planned as a fundraising event... it was also the fulfillment of a personal dream. For the eleven people that joined me,  it may have represented different things. However, we had one basic goal in common as we hiked and talked -- the fulfillment of dreams and the lives that were going to be changed because of the money that we all worked together to raise!

Special Agent Pauls helps fulfill a dream in Mexico!

Hola!!!

I helped fulfill my first dream!!! Now I feel like I am officially a "Special Agent".
Last weekend the team (Dream agents:  Desiree and Juan, Rick and Lisa and their boys Jackson and Alex, also accompanied by friend and nurse Karen) got together and headed out to bring a fridge, and stove top to Jackline's family - this will be their first time owning a fridge.

A Broken Dream...but we CAN help!

 An update from our Dream Agents in Mexico - Rick & Lisa Bursey:

As many of you Everyday Philanthropists know, we have been involved for quite awhile with the family of a little girl named Jackline.  She is almost 5 and cute as a button.  The living conditions she is subject to are atrocious to say the least.  We posted a dream awhile back to help purchase a fridge and stove for Jackline's family  because they have no place to store food and the children are often fed food that is very questionable. (see the original dream here)

Parties with the blind seniors.

From  Dream Agents in Central Asia-
We continue to have parties with our blind seniors. They love these parties very much. .
First of all they love to get together and enjoy the fellowship with each other.
Secondly they love the food we make for them.

A note from Sam Welten,Executive Director.

Living the dream!!!
Wow! This nation of "everyday philanthropists" we are building is totally crazy - over the top generous!
On Monday morning, we sent out a special message about our Dream Agent, Sherry Peters, in Ghana.