Hi everyone, I have some news to share, which isn’t the best, but has a great silver lining. As you know, I was raising money to bring Joel Otieno Otiang from Kenya to our WOSONOS 2026 gathering. Although Joel paid for an expedited visa that he was supposed to receive last week, his visa was unexpectedly delayed. I had to make the very difficult decision yesterday to change his flight before his scheduled departure time of last night. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to attend WOSONOS this year. Needless to say, there were many heavy hearts yesterday. Now for the silver lining. Joel will be coming to the Netherlands instead at the end of November to attend an international community-building open space with Ineke and Kat. Some other events that Joel can attend with them are also in the works. So he’ll still get to do some open space work, meet a lot of new people from around the world, share the work that he’s doing with the team and children in Siriwo, and see another part of the world for the first time. Unfortunately for him, it’s going to be a lot colder in the Netherlands in November than it is right now. 😊 Many thanks to Ineke and Kat for continuing to open space for him. ❤️ Now I have a question for all of the folks who contributed during the fundraising. And thank you all again for your generosity. Are you okay with us applying your donation to Joel’s trip in November instead of to his participation in WOSONOS 2026 this weekend? I ask because the funds were raised specifically for his trip and participation in WOSONOS. If you’re okay with your funds being used for him in November, there’s nothing for you to do. If you would like to be refunded, please reach out to me. Hopefully Joel can participate in some sessions this weekend electronically. That would be super cool! We also found out recently that Rebecca Ryakitimbo from Tanzania will be joining us this weekend. She attended WOSONOS last year in Kenya. I’m so happy she’s able to join! Just adds one more country and continent to an already diverse gathering. Many thanks again to everyone who contributed funds, gifts, planning help, and support to make Joel’s trip possible. A special thank you to Peggy and Tonnie for holding space for me to make a tough decision yesterday, and for the wisdom they shared. I’m very excited for his trip in November, and know that it will be a memorable one. Peace y’all. ❤️