This morning feels different.

I’m sitting here with a cup of coffee, reading a newspaper article, listening to the TV and radio interviews again, watching clips from countless planning meetings, and thinking about everything that’s happened over the last four months. It’s hard to believe tomorrow is finally here.

Back in May, this project was just an idea and two girls willing to say yes. There wasn’t a logo, a flyer, a children’s book, or a community dinner. There certainly wasn’t a checklist with dozens of pages of planning behind it. There were just Melody and Kaylee, excited to make a difference and willing to figure it out one step at a time.

Since then, I’ve watched them spend nearly every Friday of their summer together, then Saturdays once school started. They interviewed local nonprofits, researched hunger in Wichita, toured organizations, raised more than $2,000 from our community, talked with reporters, wrote, illustrated, and published a children’s book, planned a free community dinner, and recruited volunteers. They learned that leadership isn’t just having a big idea. It’s showing up every week and doing the work, even when it gets hard.

As I looked over our planning notes this morning, I realized almost every page is complete. The packing list is checked off. The interview questions are ready. The timeline is printed. The signs are finished. The books are stacked. The shopping is almost done. After months of learning, dreaming, planning, and preparing, there really isn’t much left except to cook the food, load the cars, and head to the park.

What has surprised me most isn’t what the girls accomplished. It’s how many people chose to believe in them. Businesses donated supplies. Community organizations opened their doors and shared their expertise. Volunteers signed up to serve. A photographer and videographer donated their talents. Friends shared our posts, and complete strangers donated because they believed in two young girls with a big idea.

Then this week happened.

The Wichita Eagle told their story. They were interviewed on KMUW. They appeared on KWCH. Everywhere they went, people listened to what they had to say. Not because they were children doing something “cute,” but because they were young leaders tackling a real problem in their community.

Tomorrow, all of those months of work become something tangible. The checklists turn into tables and meals. The shopping turns into hospitality. The interview questions become conversations. The books find new homes. The quilt squares become reminders that even the smallest acts of kindness can strengthen a community.

No matter what happens tomorrow, I’m already so proud of Melody and Kaylee. I’m proud that they saw a need and decided to do something about it. I’m proud that they kept going when the work got hard. Most of all, I’m proud that they have shown so many adults what children are capable of when we trust them with meaningful work.

Tomorrow, we bring it all to life.

And I have a feeling it’s going to be a day none of us will ever forget.