New Tattoo

Yes, yes it's true! I just got my second tattoo! :) As you know...I am not one to just get a piercing or tattoo that I haven't thought about for a very long time. ha

Here is the sketch of the tattoo that my bestie Scott Erickson drew up for me:



Here is the meaning behind this... So why the Africa?

I worked at World Vision for 3 yrs. and had the priviledge to work and be main support on a program called One Life Revolution in which we raised funds/tangeable assets that AIDS orphans and communities needed. Some of these items were blankets, chickens, cows, education, a home, a schoolhouse...and the list goes on.

Why the heart?

Africa....AIDS orphans and affected communities...child soldiers...the genocide...all this has got a grip on my heart! It is one of my passions in life to continue to support, raise awareness and be an advocate for what is taking place over there.

Why the negative sign inside the heart?

The last yr. of OLR came the OLE - One Life Experience which you were able to walk through 4 different lives that were impacted from the AIDS epidemic. In a section of the life you were walking through...you came to the "clinic." Inside the clinic, you would have to walk up to the window and someone would put a stamp on you that would tell you if you had AIDS (+) or if you did not (-). Thus the negative sign inside the heart...no more AIDS.

I could write youa blog of statistics and facts and numbers of how many are dead and have died...will die tomorrow. But I will let you know this...whole generations are gone. It's children raising children...trying to to survive. Most of the work I did supported Zambia (mainly) and Uganda.


What's up with the birds?

The birds I got from Scott. He has them on his arm...and they are a symbol of the holy spirit.

There is also significance in Scott drawing this out for me. Scott has been one of my best friends for like the past 3 years. We met when I was at World vision. He came in with a friend to paint while his friend did live music. It was a great experience and something I thought we could use to reach to public. So he did a lot of paintings for World Vision...went on a trip with us to Atlanta and he did a silent action to raise money for OLR at the YS Convention. So, it was just natural to have him sketch it and to encompass a great part of my life and something that I will forever be apart of. And since One Life is no more...it is bitter sweet. But there are so many other programs and companies to be apart of - Invisible Children, World Vision, Compassion, there is a great group of people in San Diego that are taking on OLR in a smaller way...but they are carrying on the great work that was started.

So there ya go...and here is the finished product: (PS..it really didnt hurt at all)



*It will look way better after it heals...but I kinda LOVE IT! :)

PS...yesterday right before I was getting this...my mom called and told me that she and my dad are now sponsoring 3 Ugandan children who have been affected by the LRA (the crazy people that steal children and make them child soldiers...). I love how my whole family is involved in doing something to help!