i know i've been out of touch, but a wise person once told me, "to begin, begin."
so here it is: i'm running another marathon - for clean water!
tomorrow in fact.
& in case you're still someone who thinks i run because i enjoy it, fact check: i still don't. however, i know i'm capable, as year over year has passed & i've yet to die in a marathon, or to be injured enough to have to stop running. i mean, i'm grateful, but this wasn't the plan when i quit track in middle school because of my asthma...
more importantly, EVERY year i have run, more kids have received the chance at LIVING full lives because i said yes & shared their story with people like you. so that's the true reason why i'm out here (still/again) - i am these kids' advocate, & i can't abandon them; i know too much, so this is 'something' i can do. & you can too.
did you know? every day, women & children in much of the world walk an average of 3.7 miles for dirty water that makes them sick & in some cases takes their lives? over 800 children die every day because of illness caused by contaminated drinking water. girls are especially vulnerable to predators of all kinds while they trek for this water, and kids aren't able to go to school because of the time they must spend on their water walk. these women & children are in survival mode, when we have a solution that will help them thrive!
that's where World Vision comes in: WV is the leading non-governmental provider of clean water in the world, bringing permanent clean water access to one person EVERY 10 SECONDS through their indigenous-led, developmental approach. through the scope of their well-established work, they're able to change the life of one child with every $50 donated.
in this, my tenth year running with Team World Vision, i'm hoping to bring a change for 200 kids. i've started off by donating to provide clean water for 2 kids myself. i'm looking for 99 people to match my donation, & that will mean the equivalent of a whole school of children singing & dancing & learning instead of sick & slaving for dirty water.
would you please give what you can to help these children?
i promise it'll be the most meaningful money you can spend.
if you're willing, you can donate here on my fundraising page.
that's the highlight. if you want to know more, i'm about to get personal:
why now? >>> this past summer, i turned 37.
this has brought a whole bundle of emotions and intentions, because when i was 13, i lost my mom at the same age. as my birthday approached & i stepped into what was her final year, all the nudges have been nudging. what am i waiting for? what if this is it? i've taken steps to get health issues sorted out that have been plaguing me for years, have been seeking to minimize so my life and household aren't so full of 'stuff' that gets in the way of what's important to me, & i've been trying to focus my attention on what really matters. over the past couple of years, my priority has been my immediate family to the exclusion of most other things. we've been in a difficult season for some time now, & unfortunately dropping everything else in life hasn't brought healing *yet. i'm currently faced again with my own helplessness. i don't have the power to fix us, but i know Someone who does. and i recognize that there is something else i can help fix: i can help kids get clean water. our challenges are complicated, but clean water is not!
so today, my fingers feel rusty, life has me a bit worn around the edges, & at the eleventh hour, i'm wrought with regret at how few crumbs i've dropped along the way to this point in the marathon journey. i didn't train as much as i maybe should have, or share and invite others in as much as i'd hoped, but i think i'll make it to the finish line tomorrow. back to what's most important, though; i am praying & trusting that more kids see a finish line to their water walk as a result. this is a legacy i know how to build, because i've seen how many of you are in it with me. this weekend, i need your support because they need your support.
please, for the sake of every child dear to you, have mercy on these kids.
all kids are our kids.
thanks for your prayers & support <3
