Obviously, it's been a while since my last post and rather than catch you up on every detail of the previous 6 months, I’ll just say life has been good to me. I've grown more as a person than I ever thought I needed to or could. I've had some of the worst days to date, but not without having some of my best too! I have the best roommates, and friends that would move mountains for me. Together we've made a lot of unforgettable memories, and hopefully I'll be better about sharing them with you guys!

With the semester coming to a close and summer on the horizon things are so busy. Finals are looming and Peru is just around the corner! I seriously can't wait to skip town and get out there. Don't get me wrong, I love  my life and the people in it here, but my opportunity to change lives is so close and something that can't be compared to. I can’t wait! For those of you who don't already know I have been blessed with the opportunity to volunteer my time in Peru all summer. I'll be developing sustainability projects that will hopefully have a lasting effect on the people there and their quality of life. I'll do what I can to post all about it! We'll have a volunteer blog as well if you'd like to follow it. www.help-peru.blogspot.com  

I'll be working with Help International, a non-profit organization that works across the globe, empowering local community members by teaching self-sustainable skills that can be passed on to others. We want to help them to help themselves. I hope use the skills and knowledge I've acquired in school this year to promote successful microfinance projects and am confident that I can really make a difference in the lives of the Peruvian people.

I am so excited and grateful for this opportunity, but I need your help getting there. As a volunteer I need to raise the necessary funds for rent and a plane ticket. Most of the money raised however will go directly to these great projects, changing lives of potentially thousands of people for the better. My goal is to raise $1000.00 by May 30, 2012, and I need your help! Help me get out there and do work. You can donate to my cause at http://help-international.org/donate-now including "Lakin Gleave" in the comments section. Anything helps, and I can assure you I'll be eternally grateful. If you can't donate money right now, because let's face it we're all a little strapped for cash these days, you can spread the word. Maybe you know somebody with a few extra pennies that could stand to donate to my cause, and if that is the case tell them all about it! I am open to further fundraising ideas as well. Right now I am on the hunt for a restaraunt that could donate a percentage of it's proceeds from a night to me. If you know anyone that could help me here let me know. If you're a business owner, I would love your sponsorship. Let me know what I can do for you to make this happen!

If you'd like more information about HELP and the kind of work we'll be doing in Peru you can visit their website: www.help-international.org . If you're interested in volunteering with me leave a comment! We need more man power and I would love to have your smiling faces join me in changing lives! 

Thank you in advance for all of your help, and for reading my homely blog. I sure do like you guys.

-lakin