Another week of summer and more great book news

I can't believe another week of summer has flown by! Before I know it, the boys will be headed back to school and I'm going to be shoveling horse poop in the snow.

I have more great book news to share. As many of you know, a portion of my proceeds is going to benefit Koins for Kenya, a Utah non profit organization, that helps villages in Kenya through education and other efforts. Brett Van Leeuwen, the creator of this organization is headed to Kenya next week to open Koins newest school in the village of Majengo. In a ceremony to hand over the bore hole water wells Koins just finished, he is going to give copies of my book to the Minister of Education, Kilemi Mwiria and the Minister of Lands, Kombo Mwero. I am so excited and really hope that they enjoy my story. Like I said in my interview with KSL, although I can't pick up and go to Africa to be a part of the Koins for Kenya experience, I know that my pennies can make a difference. I hope that my book will bring attention to the fact that even though we have plenty of problems right here at home, we are so incredibly fortunate for what we have and it is still important to give back. Regardless of where you choose to help, what is important is that find something you are interested in and care about and find a way to help support that cause-whether by increasing awareness, recruiting volunteers, volunteering your time, or donating your pennies.

Pennies around the world

As I mentioned in my last post, my son Alex is in Europe right now, and before he left, I sent  list of things he had to do while abroad, including throwing a penny into the Trevi Fountain for good luck. Yearly, thousands of American travelers throw pennies into this fountain, as if to say, "I was here and am leaving a little piece of me with you."

This got me thinking about all of the times I have traveled to foreign lands and ended up with a pocket full of coins that never managed to get exchanged back to american currency. If I have change from around the world, then chances are thousands of people that have visited the United States probably have left with some of our change, including pennies. Where pennies are potentially worth a fraction of a cent other places, my guess is that pennies can be found in change jars, scrapbooks, and souvenir boxes across the globe. It is my hope that when these guests stumble across their American change, that it brings a smile to their face to remind them of their time in our country.