Where I’ve Been These Last Few Days
It’s been a total whirlwind. I could try to put it all in words, but the pictures might tell it all.
After a really crazy week last week, sending the zine to print, here we are looking at real live proofs for the zine from our helpful printer, Joe Penny.
I’m learning so much from the amazing Meryl and thanks to her kind boss Cate we were able to review the proofs in their office.
After what felt like two years staring at these proud chickens, Meryl and I are both still smitten. Those hens make me so happy.
And if that wasn’t enough excitement, Odette and I went straight from there to Jeannine Harvey’s house yesterday to record voice overs for a girl power video I am taking to show Odette’s girls and their friends in Rwanda. (I know what you are thinking! What next?) But seriously, Odette had the vision for taking a video to the girls and Jeannine (thanks to her colleagues at PBS) pulled together the right people to make it happen. Carlene Martin (I heart Carlene) shot the video a few weekends ago and yesterday we went back to the studio to make sure all the voices were loud and clear.
Here’s Mike, Jeannine’s brilliant husband who played sound engineer for us yesterday…
And the incredible Carlene–our uber-talented producer who works with PBS & who is helping us as a total labor of love…
Odette is the main star of our mini-production with an incredible message of hope and girl power–not only for her daughters but for all the little girls in Rwanda. Doesn’t she look like she was meant for the sound stage here?
We had so much fun doing her voice overs in Kinyarwanda.
This short video also features photos and shorts from these cutie-pies–girls who wanted to reach out to African girls their own age–to find out what matters to them and to share what’s making them feel strong and alive right now in their own lives.
I can hardly believe what’s happening right now. The outpouring of love and support from you all is carrying us so very far. Just knowing so much is going into this visit is really helping Lillian and especially Grace right now. The girls’ aunt’s been reporting that the girls are so excited about this trip that they’ve been talking late into the night–a significant improvement for Grace whose spirits have been so incredibly low the last few weeks. She reported to her mother today that she is starting to get used to the medication and that it’s not feeling quite so tough on her system. Doctors are saying they believe she can fully recover if she continues on this strict regimen of the right medications. Lillian is with Grace now so she can be screened for TB as well–evidently Lillian roomed with a child at boarding school who contracted TB earlier this year. We’ll breathe a serious sigh of relief if this kid can walk away with a clean TB test and clean bill of health.
I can’t wait to see these girls and discover all the ways their mother lives and moves in them, even in her absence.
Tomorrow a portion of the zines will go on sale here in the United States. Stay tuned. 
Did I mention I leave on Sunday?
May 13th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Beautiful hearts making dreams a reality…carrying hope and love. Praying for a safe trip.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
So exciting. Thanks for taking a few moments to share the zine’s and video’s progress and news about the girls.
SUNDAY! Oh my.
PS. I love so much about this post but in looking at it again, the truly joyful smiles on everyone’s faces make my heart sing.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I love all those smiling faces - can’t beat it!
May 14th, 2008 at 12:21 am
So exciting! I can’t wait to read of your trip upon your return. What a whirlwind it’s been.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:26 am
oh my goodness! leaving on sunday… my thoughts will go with you!! i am amazed by all you are doing and am praying for your trip. i sent some of the hoperevo cards (hope they reach you) and while they are nowhere near as lovely as your illustrations i felt so blessed to be a small part of your wonderful project. do keep us all posted. you are amazing!!
May 14th, 2008 at 1:32 am
go jen lemen. love to you!
May 14th, 2008 at 1:49 am
You two girls are positively twinkly in that pic. Love it!!
Good luck in your coming days!! I have a friend I sat with today and she just got back from Rwanda last week. She is completely excited about your story. Safe travels Jen!!
xoxo
May 14th, 2008 at 2:34 am
OMG, Jen you rock!
I haven’t kept up with blogs, but I read through a few entries here now. I finally had to break my silence and post here.
BRAVA.
Oh, how I love all the people who work with you. You all are teh best!
Go on and spread the hope.
BON VOYAGE!
XOXO!
May 14th, 2008 at 3:33 am
You are a wonder. Odette makes me feel good about the world. I feel deeply privileged to be a small part of this special project. Know that when you travel, you travel with my best wishes and prayers tucked under your wings. xox
May 14th, 2008 at 3:47 am
oh the hope and Love in the eyes of these girls makes everything else fall to the sidelines.
You , Odette- her precious girls -and this entire project is being held in prayer, good thought and raised to the light.
You truly are one amazing women Jen Lemen!
Love, Love and more Love
To all of You
xo
May 14th, 2008 at 4:58 am
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again [here in this blog ;-)],
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Be safe. Gute Reise.
Christiane
May 14th, 2008 at 7:19 am
i’m breathless. and all i’ve been doing is sitting and watching. i don’t know how you do it.
xo
May 14th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Incredible. Freaking incredible.
May 14th, 2008 at 9:14 am
What a wonder-filled, hope-filled, joy-filled experience you are having and sharing with us and eventually with the girls of Rwanda. You all look like you were made for this adventure. Could it be that THIS is why you were born, to share love and life and hope with women and girls and people the whole world around? Look how you have brought strangers together on the internet, people from all over the place, who will travel with you in thought and prayer and wait with anticipation to hear stories of your journey. What a light you are, Jen Lemen.
Peace to you in these final days of preparation.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
omg. amazing jen. amazing!
now, i want a t-shirt with one of those chickens on it that reads, “mother hen”.
: )
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:53 am
[…] -Travel to Africa with Jen, Mada, Odette, Grace, Lillian, Eden, and Cate to watch the women there step further into thier own power. […]