You are one of the couples on the team - who
brought who into the project?
I brought Adam in on it. We were both at a dinner where
our awesome friend, Quddus, was talking about his trip to
Africa and what opened up for him during that time. Travis
Van Winkle was there too, who is heavily involved in
BuildOn and who organized Quddus' trip. I made a beeline
for Travis to get us involved and Adam was on board when I
told him this was something I wanted to do.
Have you and your husband Adam done this kind
of thing before this? If so what was the project?
Stacey Storey
This is our first time doing something of this nature. We
often volunteer to different causes and organizations but
there hasn't been other countries and traveling involved,
which brings a whole different element to the table. Being
half Thai and spending much time in my mom's home
village, I have always wanted to build schools there and
What are the preparations each of you as team
members will have to do prior to leaving?
around that country and region. So many women are sold
Aside from raising the funds, most of the preparation as team
members will come from leaving our every day luxuries
into slavery and sexual slavery every day, I thought getting
with BuildOn was a great step in the direction of making
behind and knowing we are heading into the unknown. One
can read about what to bring and read a travel blog but going
that happen.
some place is such an experience in and of itself. I love be
What, if any, expectations do you have about being
and working in Nepal?
prepared, especially if an emergency strikes, but I have a
feeling that we can try to prep early all we can and it still
won't be enough. And that's ok. The unexpected is what
makes a lot of this wonderful. As a whole, we are spending
We are expecting to learn a lot and have our hearts explode
with gratitude and excitement. This is an education for us
as much as it is for them. We expect to be humbled and
some lovely time getting to know each other.
have our eyes opened even further to what life and
schooling is like for many Nepalese. We visualize the
Some people will wonder how you can find the time,
as a couple, to take a break from everyday life and
work for a time in a foreign country - how easy was
that to coordinate?
people in Nepal often and practice sending them love and
light from here, we are really looking forward to face to face
connection time.
Coordinating a nd taking a break from our everyday lives has
Do you feel it will be more or less challenging for
the two of you since you are a couple in the mix of
a larger team?
its challenges, for sure, but like with most things, if it is
important to you, you make the time. This is extremely
It has been such an asset having each other through this
in the beginning where we said to each other:: "what if we
book this big job" (we are both artists and business owners) or
important to us and we make the time. There was a moment
experience. It's awesome to be able to turn to my husband
"what if something comes up." The fact of the matter is,
something may and something may not. We didn't want to
on challenging days and I know he gets me and all the
things associated with the issue. There is a lot to take in
put our lives on hold or not make this awesome, magic
with such a large and diverse group and I am fortunate have
my anchor/my partner/my love in the same room as I am in
for most of it.
happen because of a series of "what ifs" in a future that as yet
to happen. We just leaped into the unknown and trusted the
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process of our lives.
THE CONE - ISSUE #8 - WINTER 2016