The man on the book cover.

He stared at me, looked up to me, rather. His hair fine, and wispy, curved over his flat forehead, grazing the tops of his obedient eyebrows. His nose was a bit on the large size, but not so when compared with his fellow Frenchmen. His lips were thin, yes, but brimming with adventurous stories and melancholy history. His chin was the most defined feature, hosting a memorable cleft that might seem to disappear when he smiled. His eye were the most telling of all. Dark and shrouded in mystery. Pain had caused a slight exhaustion and loss contributed to the droopiness, but the rest of his face- cheeks, chin and all- provided relief to the misery felt through eye contact. 

He no sooner looked at me, then I had to look away. Such glances, though brief, caused a vulnerability on my part that I did not ask for nor desire. Secrets and confessions are meant for true love and sisters; yet his observations of me penetrated to my deepest parts. I was scared, yet intrigued. I was paralyzed by his visual embrace, and I wanted to smile, for he lacked his own. 

But then what?

What direction would the tiniest bit of cheer introduce into our awkward communication? Awkward on my part, I suppose, for he had no trouble looking my way, looking at me, looking into me. Does this kind of skill come only with practice? Or is it confidence that strikes a man to do such a thing. I do not have the answers. 

What I do know is that he walked away. He walked away as though I were only a passing glance, but he took with him a bit of my soul. He saw something in me that even I was afraid to confess. 

That I had seen him before.

For all you dreamers out there.

Nearly two years ago, I was in Nairobi, Kenya visiting schools Ellie's Run for Africa had been supporting from our annual 5K fundraiser. It was an incredible time for me, putting faces and names to the children who have received an education because we wanted to help them so much. The school I really fell in love with during my stay is New Dawn High School. A secondary school located in the slum of Haruma, in Nairobi, was founded by a beautiful Kenyan woman, Irene Tongoi, in 2006.

"I loved New Dawn because it's progress you can see, touch and talk to…The classes did an assembly of sorts with us as their guests. The teachers introduced themselves and the students would cheer! You can tell they are true heroes in the eyes of these kids…Irene's life was changed, and because of what she saw [the need for secondary education], she did something about it. I hope I can be like her."

-Exerpt from my journal, July 20, 2009 (Haruma, Nairobi, Kenya)

Even two years later, Irene continues to inspire me. Her love for the people in Haruma combined with her steely determination to improve the community has given hope to distraught kids and families who believed they had no chance of an education or career path. That fear has been put to rest for students receiving uniforms, books, and shoes, knowing their education will continue.

Today, I talked with Irene; I hugged her, and I told her she is my hero. She is in Nashville this week, speaking with different groups to spread awareness about New Dawn. She will also serve as our guest of honor and emcee at Ellie's Run for Africa this Saturday, May 21st!

As Ellie's Run for Africa approaches, I would love to invite you to be a part of the story of New Dawn. Whether it's by spending some time with Irene this week or financially helping a student through school, you will have the chance to make a difference in the life of that school and the kids who walk through its doors every day!

Support Students by running.

Ellie's Run is happening in Nashville on Saturday, May 21st at 7:30am. You will have the opportunity to run alongside hundreds of others for the same idea: that all kids deserve the chance to dream big! You'll run with the name of a student on your back and finish the race by writing him or a letter of encouragement which will be sent the following week. Nashville Striders will take care of the timing to make sure this is an official race! Register here by May 17th!

Support by volunteering at the race.

We can't make the race happen without volunteers. As co-chair of the Culture/Education side of things, I'm personally looking for 5-8 more volunteers to help kids learn more about Africa and make sure all booths run smoothly during the event. Even if you can only come for a couple hours, we'll take it! Please email me if you don't want to run, but *would* like to support those who are by volunteering!

Support by helping me put kids in school.

I signed up as a Hero for Ellie's Run this year. As a Hero, I have committed to raise $250 to help 10 students financially with their meals, books and other necessities vital to the educational experience. The meal provided at New Dawn is the only one some students will have that day, and there is no education without books. I have donated the first $25. Please match my donation and help me reach my goal! I have met these students and I can tell you, their dreams for their lives are BIG.

Support by spending time with Irene.

If you are in Nashville this week, Irene will be sharing stories about New Dawn, its students and their dreams for the future at the home of Jason and Kim West in Franklin, TN, this Tuesday (5/17), at 7:30pm. Click here for additional information. RSVP here.

Let's make some dreams come true! Let's make a difference, on child at a time.

Love,

Christy

mondaymonday

yesterday was unlike any other monday i've ever experienced. i prefer it that way. From 9am-9pm doug sanders took me on a crash course through homelessness in nashville. i met a lot of different kinds of people, from those seeking out ways to get involved in helping the homeless in nashville, to the police commander of the central precinct. i am incredibly inspired by doug, jeannie, and others who know the homeless individuals by name, sleep on the streets with them, find employment opportunities for those looking, and washing countless feet, both literally and figuratively. i felt closer to where i want to be in the company of these faithful, determined world-changers. their challenges are plenty, and their passion is abundant...this day is another small step in the continued journey of discovering out what i should do. what i want to do. what i am created to do.

new life.

today, all things are made new! i receive this truth with much excitement and anticipation. for those who follow Christ and his teachings, each day brings the promise of possibility, adventure, and peace. there is nothing safe or easy about this path, yet it is a good path to follow.

lately, my schedule consists of scattered odd jobs and part-time gigs that help make the ends meet. this current season provides a lot of time for reading, reflection, and refinement. lots of refinement. i am a sucker for excitement and recent days have felt more like an endless hike in 110 degree weather through the thickest sludge of my messy life. and there are mosquitos. and no water. it's not fun. at the same time, my eternally optimistic personality also sees this hike as its own adventure, the kind of adventure that's miserable to go through but makes a good story 24 hours later. i know and see God's hand guiding me through this necessary process. i am grateful that his love for me refuses to allow me to stay the way i am!

i recently read this book, this book, and this book. in less than a week. now i feel like i can do ANYTHING. not joking. i am insanely inspired, and i am planning on riding this train for a while because the alternative is less than desirable. 

i decided yesterday that i'm not going to say no to anything. now that i put the resolution out there, some totally awkward or embarrassing or immoral opportunity will come my way. but i am unemployed (again). i have lots of time. what do i have to lose? i have the opportunity to learn new things, meet people i've never met before, be creative, write my own story (and stop worrying about others' stories), and enjoy being outside. 

today is day one. day one of new life. day one of possibilities. i am excited and full of hope.

zenebework: "the gold rain"

there are so many stories and pictures and memories to share, but i'm losing the motivation to blog. i was going to write about the leper village in addis where some of my friends live and minister. i was also thinking about posting the essay i read to middle schoolers in khayelitsha, near cape town, south africa. i think i would just rather tell you about my experiences in person. show you the pictures and the express the emotions that come with them. who knows when i'll write in this again, but for now, a little less time on the computer is welcome.

A Taste

This entry was written 8.16.09

I’ve been living on my own here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a week now, and I am quickly learning that the Lord has more confidence in me than I have in myself. Last Sunday I was anxious about being on “my own,” getting around, living by myself and essentially staying here without a team, team leaders or an itinerary that directs me each day. Now, seven days later, I am excited to say that I have done better than I thought I could and am so excited to be experiencing a taste of what it’s like to live here…in Africa.

Let’s start with the basics. Electricity is a treat. So is toilet paper. Running water is more dependable, but there have been days without it. There is no heat or air conditioning, hence the extra blanket on my bed. Bugs are a normal part of home décor. I have a daily routine of going around my flat and taking care of them. Needless to say, my baseboards are lined with flies. (Even as I have typed this in my bedroom a fly just went in my mouth and I ran to the bathroom thinking I had swallowed it! That is incredibly disgusting! EWWW!) The government blocks blogging, or so I've heard. Mexican food is a rare delicacy. Su asked me what I missed and I said “My family and friends, Mexican food and parks.” He took me to a restaurant here in town that serves tex mex and those nachos were heaven in my mouth (as opposed to that fly I thought I swallowed earlier). Cheese is SO expensive here (Over $6 for a half a kilo!). Islam is one of the biggest religions here (Christian Orthodoxy is most prominent, I think; Evangelical Christianity is also in the top 3), so I hear the call to prayer about 5 times a day, including 5ish in the morning, followed by loud roosters, braying donkeys, rain and radios blaring Ethiopian music. I fall asleep to fighting dogs, fighting cats, more fighting dogs and hyenas, rain and more fighting dogs. My bug bite collection is growing slowly and steadily. I have about 20 on each limb as well as my stomach, neck, and back; I go to bed fully dressed with socks, but I think one of the guest houses I stayed in prior to the one I’m in now had bed bugs. I have my own little apartment/flat in the guest house that has a porch overlooking the neighborhood. People here are like people in the south: super friendly and nice. I ride a scooter/car/thingy from Ayat to Murray which is about a couple miles. It’s 2 birr (less than $.20) and I get excited every time I hop in. I take the taxi from Murray to Hayahulet (that’s Amharic for 22 – a lot of sub-cites are names after numbers) where the Gladney office is, and to meet friends there – I love that I can take the taxi on my own and it’s great for people watching. Yesterday Su and I were on a taxi and the woman sitting next to me had a live chicken in her bag. Tea time is a normal part of the day here and I have absolutely no problem with that. Addis tea is amazing. Everything is very cheap here – I got a full-body, 1 hour back massage for $20. I will say this over and over again, but the people are amazing and you will never meet a stranger. Injera is the main deal in Ethiopian cuisine. It’s like spongy bread and you use it to pick up different meats and vegetables and sauces and you eat with your right hand only (I finally got the hang of that). I had injera before in Nashville and loved it, and I love it here too. If you eat spicy injera, you are a real Ethiopian, so last night I was called a real Ethiopian. To show love for someone, Ethiopians will feed you a handful of injera to your mouth…It took me a while to get there, but the Gladney kids were great. The Italians occupied Ethiopia for a brief time during WWII, so Italian food is pretty big here, too, and fire cooked pizza is common and delicious. Depending on the tribe they are from, women will have tattoos on their faces as a sign of beauty. Scarves are common for women to wear (obviously muslim women wear them all the time). Men don’t wear shorts…except Travis, from Gladney. My friend Tadie has the most amazing dance moves and his mom is hilarious. My friend Sammy is the most talented singer I know here. Teddy Afro just got out of prison. He is a very famous Ethiopian reggae/pop singer who speaks out against the government indirectly through his music. Conspiracy theorists say that’s why he was thrown in prison even though the gov’t says it was for a hit and run. Su works for TOMS and I’m jealous. I think Nati has read more books than I have. My friend Yemamu works for Gladney and does ministry where he lives with his family in the leper colony. Driving here is crazy. It’s like that in Kenya too. People definitely drive relationally here, not by the law. Is your donkey in the road? Maybe your heard of goats? Don’t worry, the cars will drive around them…most of the time. Construction here is like nothing I’ve seen in my western world. It’s about as primitive as you can guess for basic block laying and cement pouring: two people carry a tray with cement piled on top, they walk to the place and dump, go back and get more…repeat a million times. I watch BBC news sometimes and enjoy it thoroughly. Need a pack of gum? Toilet paper? Cigarettes? Shoes shined? Don’t worry, there are a million kids with all these things and more on every street you walk down.

I think this is the latest I’ve stayed up in a long time (it’s midnight and I usually go to bed around 9 or 10). I will get to the more serious things, don’t worry, but I wanted to give a glimpse into my life here. There’s never a dull moment.

Ciao!
Christy

bible stories

Written 8.2.09

"...I also have decided that one of my favorite Bible stories is when Jesus heals the blind man by spitting in the dirt and rubbing mud in his eyes. I love that story because it's messy. It's so random, so out of the norm of what a healing was perceived to be. Jesus didn't care what people thought and I admire that about him so much.I love that Jesus never lived according to others' expectations of him, and I desperately want to live the same way."

Haruma: A Village in Nairobi

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*Pictures 5 and 14 by Natalina Marlow.

What are we going to do?

Written 8.25.09

It’s a cool Tuesday evening in Ayat, just outside Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It’s been a beautiful day spent with babies, toddlers and kids waiting to be adopted through Gladney. I read letters to kids from their new families, took pictures of kids smiling and playing. I danced with kids to Amharic worship music and was fed handfuls of injera by those same lovely children. We sang songs together and shared plenty of hugs and kisses.

So now I’m in my little flat in Ayat resizing pictures and writing updates on these kids for their parents, who are eagerly waiting to come get them back in the U.S.

As I work, BBC World News is on, and my mind goes back to Kenya. There has been a segment running on BBC about Kenya and the food shortage they are facing. World Food Program says that 1 in 10 people in Kenya are in need of food assistance.

It’s been 5 weeks since I left Kenya knowing about their food shortage. We made a trip to Kitui to meet and spend time with the people affected by the missing rains.

Still, very little has been done by the Kenyan government to bring relief. I can’t help but feel frustration and indignation towards these men and women that wear nice suits and run their country while their fellow Kenyans face real starvation. It’s real. So real. I’ve met these people. I’ve played with them and celebrated their birthdays with them. I’ve hugged them and finger painted with them. I’ve sat with them, prayed with them and talked with them.

Then we got in a van and drove away. But they are still there, and as I watch this segment on the news I continue to stew over what little has been done by the government to bring relief.

I get so upset with the government, but I already know government can’t solve our problems. Never have, never will. Jesus didn’t say to wait for the government to solve anyone’s problems. He set it upon his followers to care for the poor, the sick, the widows, the orphans. It’s not up the government. It’s up to the Church.

So now my frustration is redirected. Are we doing anything? Are we praying for rain in Kitui, Kenya? Are we doing what we can to bring relief to those in need halfway around the world? Love your neighbor as yourself. And who is my neighbor? Jesus was asked that before, and he told the story about the Good Samaritan. I’m pretty sure there are people waiting to be cared for in Kenya, praying for God’s faithfulness to be revealed to them. You and I have the opportunity to participate where God is at work, to be used by him to bring heaven to earth.

So here it goes. What are we going to do?

A Few Thoughts on Kenya

Written 9.28.09

Why must the words “hope” and “Africa” seem to sound so odd at times, when put together in such a positive context? The Hope of all hopes, Jesus Christ, has poured out himself for all mankind. The Holy Spirit is just as powerful and present there as it is anywhere else. Yet we get bogged down by the news, rumors and corruption. You get discouraged. I get frustrated.

AIDS. Malaria. Starvation. Unethical governments. Drought. War. Violence. Lack of Education. Lack of clean water. Lack of ambition...the list of issues our brothers and sisters face a half a world away goes on, and how do we deal? Do we continue to invest money? Do we pray with half a mustard seed of faith that anything could possibly change there? Do we grow apathetic and close the door to our bubble of comfort so the world can't come in?

May I propose that Hope is as strong there as anywhere else? So what does hope look like anyway? Is it that “...thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without words, And never stops at all?” (Dickinson, Emily. “Hope is that thing with feathers...” The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson. Ed. Rachel Wetzsteon. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. 22-23.)

I think maybe it is. Dare I say it's more obvious there than it is anywhere else I've seen.

That's the thing. I struggled with that. I struggled with the fact that Naomi and Raphael and all the other people we met were so full of joy and forgiveness...and hope. Despite post-election violence, tribal and religious factions, uncertainty about the future...these people have the faith I have continued to seek since I met them earlier this summer.

I struggle because I learned something about myself that left me broken. My hope is too often based on my circumstances. I am so incredibly dependent on myself and my skills. I have been my own back-up in case God fails me.

For our Kenyan brothers and sisters, there is no back up. There is no plan B. They live in faith because they have to.

I realize more and more that I have to as well.

For the past several months, I have been learning to trust God in a way I never have before. First it was my job loss. Then 3 months in Africa. Now I'm back, and I wonder what tomorrow holds. And the day after that. And the month after that. I have no clue. I have no back up plan. I am learning to trust God.

And you know what? It's been the most incredible adventure I could ever ask for. I have learned that I am only a small part of the body. At times it's very humbling, because I can't do much on my own. Other times, it's incredibly encouraging because I am not alone.

1 Corinthians 12 says: “Now the body is not made up on one part but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were in eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be...The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!' On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable...If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

We are a part of the same body as our fellow believers across the ocean. We need them as much as they need us. They are learning from us, yes, but we have so much to learn from them. We cannot only suffer with them in their trials. We must also rejoice in their victories, because their truimphs are ours as well. We must celebrate their Hope, because it is our Hope, too.

haha.

i am still alive. yes, so much better than alive. i'm living life to the fullest and sometimes it's hard and sometimes it's fun, but every moment is beautiful.

i have so much to say. i have seen and smelled and touched and heard and tasted so many things that i want to share. being the perfectionist that i am, it's hard to condense each of these experiences into small summaries, and it doesn't even seem fair to try and do that...but i still want to try. so expect more when i land back on american soil.

i'm in cape town at the moment and it's hard to believe home is next week. next week. so many people ask me what's next...my answer?

i have no idea and couldn't be more excited.

:)

just breathe.

so i kind of feel like i got the wind knocked out of me. i have experienced so many emotions and thoughts today, it's overwhelming. yesterday's encounter with serious poverty combined with today's journey into nairobi's slums mixed with the serious joy these people have has totally messed me up and leaves me completely humbled.

we visited two church services this morning. the first was at calvary christian church, which is the host church and building to calvary christian school which we've been supporting through ellie's run the past few years. it was great to be there, even surreal. we left our welcome early to catch the last half of the emmanuel church's service. emmanuel church is the host church behind emmanuel vocational school, which we have recently started supporting and helped to finish building. i talked with grace and naomi today, two of the ladies that go to the church and i asked them the story about rebuilding the vocational school. after the presidential election in 2007, there was an outbreak of voilence and kibera felt the brunt of it. the vocational school and pastor's home were set on fire and the church building was damaged. there were many things stolen. thankfully, no one was at the church at the time and no one was hurt. this was both a political, tribal and religious ordeal.

i met tito today, the director for african leadership in sudan, and hearing him talk about the challenges and starvation his family and community are facing blows me away. this is real. it's really real. and i'm the closest i've ever been to it. i've read and researched and poured the stats about all of these stories that take place in faraway lands, and now i'm looking at it, smelling it, holding it, conversing with it.

i don't understand many things. i don't understand slums or poverty. i don't understand near starvation. i don't know how anyone can justify war when you see the effects violence has on people. i don't understand how people with nothing have so much joy. it totally baffles me. not only do they have nothing, but they continually have more taken from them each day - that's the most mind-blowing part of it all. yet they still sing songs of thanksgiving and praise and thanks to Jesus. having nothing but Jesus = true happiness. a simple sunday school lesson, but it's hard to digest in real life. i love Jesus. i love how he is contrary to everything this world offers. America tells me to want more, to have more, to strive for more. Jesus tells me to drop my nets and follow Him. leave everything. have nothing. and even when it's taken from me, i praise him anyhow.

the kenyans have a simple phrase they quote often, regardless of where we go, "God is good all the time and all the time God is good, for that is his nature."

wow.

jambo!

greetings from nairobi! it is such a thrilling feeling to be here and to be (finally!) writing you all.

after 24+ hours of traveling, we finally made it to nairobi, friday night, without harldy any hiccups. we ended up having to stand in customs for a verrry long time, but we considered that initiation into african time and pace of life. annnd i got a pretty cool stamp in my passport...sweet!

this morning we went to kitui. kitui is a village about 3.5 hours southeast (?) from nairobi. on our trek there and back we were able to see much of the kenyan countryside which is really beautiful. kitui has a little bit different scenery, not because it's supposed to, but because they have had a drought for the past 3 years. earlier this year, african leadership did an emergency food distribution to over 1,000 families because no one could grow food and people were literally starving to death. we visited with 21 orphans that are currently cared for by extended family, beautiful african couple, and finances from african leadership and mocha club. i was told that the parents of these children most likely died of HIV or AIDS. we pulled up in our vans and the children greeted us with songs and of course i was choking up already. we immediately started introducing ourselves to these new friends, pulled out the soccer balls and played for the day. we threw them a birthday party, complete with streamers, pin the tail on the donkey and face painting. i hope they felt loved today.

not only were the children there, but many older people, the community's pastor and other beneficiaries of the food distribution earlier this year. so many old, wrinkled faces that were completely beautiful to me. many of the elderly people and the children didn't know much english, but we had a great time and hugs are universal, so i gave lots of them away.

i was struck by how close i am to everything i've been reading about for years. as i ate my lunch i was struck that starvation is such a real issue for these people. and despite their hardships, suffering and challenges, they are so joyful! i have heard that so much, but it's so true, at least of the people i met in kitui. they don't know what they will do if the rains do not come in november, but in the same breath they praise God and give him thanks for everything, and i am completely humbled, inspired, and bewildered by our God who loves us so much, yet allows his people to face such trials. i am sure He welcomes such questions and contemplation and i know i am not done processing all i have seen and experienced today as well as the days to come.

i wish i could post pictures! ack....hopefully soon enough! nairobi is such a great mixture of the old and new, modern and kenyan tradition. i saw camels for sale and a billboard for the new 3G iphone...and i am listening to africans singing beegees karoake somewhere in our guest house...i think i will try to find them and join in.

good night and much love from kenya.

love is moving you now.

Me = Super Excited

7/9 - 7/19 Nairobi/Kibera, Kenya
7/19 - 9/7 Addis Ababa/Nazaret, Ethiopia
9/8 - 9/24 Cape Town/Durban, South Africa
9/25 - 9/26 London
9/26 HOME

hope for women in nazaret

a little info about the women we will be doing vocational training with.

dear life, i enjoy you

last night was my going away party. kris and heather did a fantastic job putting it together, and i am still on cloud nine from the company, the awesome music, the perfect weather, the amazing food, and the love that was poured over me last night. i will take all that love, thank you, and pack it with me to africa. i know i will need it!

things are continuing to come together, working themselves out and falling into place. i have to thank the Lord for His continued patience with me because i've been consistently freaking out about something new and different every day. trust is HUGE, especially for a person like me who really likes (shall i say addicted to?) being in control. life is such an adventure! every day there is something new to learn or see or say or touch or embrace. i love it.

i was thinking this morning about life, about how much i've grown and changed, even from a few years back. i'm not the same person i was even a year ago, and i am so INCREDIBLY thankful for that! i wouldn't trade my life now for anything else or different. it can get a little (sometimes a lot) messy, and God redeems that part of me too, fortunately.

let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love for i have put my trust in you; show me the way i should go, for to you i lift up my soul. -Psalms

summertime

today i watched the kids of a dear friend of mine. we played with sidewalk chalk, ate slices of apples, danced while singing "twinkle twinkle little star," played at the park, and ran through the sprinkler. today was superb.

this is my fifth day of being officially unemployed and i don't mind it one bit, really. i have found no shortage of things to do, errands to run, people to see and pools to swim in. i am sub-leasing my room while i'm out so i have packing to do, and some of my furniture needs to be moved into the attic.

two weeks. here's the scoop: i'm leaving with my ellie's run team for nairobi on july 9. we'll spend the next week meeting the kids we've supported the past 5 years at calvary christian school, painting murals and furnishing classrooms for the new emmanuel vocational school, throwing birthday parties for orphans in kitui, getting to know our brothers and sisters affected by hiv/aids at heko. i'll say goodbye to my team and leave for addis ababa, ethiopia with our team leader geoffrey to meet up with the mocha club team. we will spend the next 3 weeks assisting in vocational training for women and ministry with street kids. the following month i will be volunteering with gladney center for adoption's addis office, working in the care center to profile the kids waiting to be adopted and writing letters to couples waiting for court approval to come get their child(ren). i'll then spend two weeks doing children's ministry near cape town, south africa. my last week in south africa will be spent with friends, followed by a couple days in london before heading back to the states. whew!

i am super excited and nervous at the same time. i don't look forward to goodbyes, but i anticipate an incredible adventure abroad over the next few months. i know it won't be easy, but i look forward to the time of growth and learning. removing ourselves from all that is familiar and laying ourselves bare and vulnerable before the Lord can be a scary and exhilirating experience. i am amazed God even chooses me to be a part of his loving work in this world anyhow. Lord knows i don't deserve it.

our group is inviting family and friends to come pray with us on monday as a little send off. 8pm. my house. please come!

woohoo!

let's go-oh-oh

the ten out of tenn lineup is awesome. check it.

brief recap

there is so much to be thankful for. this past saturday, nearly 1,000 people were at ellie's run for africa, and together we raised over $51,000! the weather was great, the activities ran rather smoothly, and i loved every minute of being a part of that day. it was especially meaningful to have my family experience the event with me. natalina took some great pictures that you can view here.

thank you for your support and encouragement. i get to meet the kids we did this for in 3 weeks!!

almost here

i woke up this morning and realized ellie's run is the day after tomorrow. i can't believe it. this event has been a labor of love for me, for all of us, and i can't wait to see it come together on saturday morning. we have more than twice as many registrants as last year, more publicity than ever, and i can't even tell you how many posters we put up around the greater nashville area.

it's amazing to look back on life for any stretch of time and see how God has orchestrated and worked everything for his good and glory. this is one of those moments. my passion for africa took seed years ago before i graduated high school, i think. after a bout of frustration during college due to my lack of involvement and closed door after closed door, i gave my desire to the Lord, knowing that if he wanted me to be a part of the work in developing countries in Africa, he would work it out.

and He did.

about a year and a half after that surrender, i had the opportunity (and priviledge, might i add) to get involved in ellie's run for africa, an event i had admired from afar for a couple years already at that point. now into my second year, i can't help but smile at what an amazing adventure it has been.

i have 2 reasons for doing this, and they go hand in hand. first, i have an outlet for my passion to make a difference. in 2 days, hundreds and hundreds (hopefully we'll meet our goal of 1K this year) of people will come together to raise money to put kids in school in kibera, kenya at calvary christian school and also emmanuel vocational school. these kids will have uniforms, books and shoes because people in nashville love these kids, even though most of us have never even met them. isn't that incredible?! second, i love the people i volunteer with to make this happen. every person who is a part of the planning process has become a friend and a mentor who pushed me to become a better person. their love and passion for these kids inspires me. their sacrifices motivate me. i can't believe that i am surrounded by such amazing amazing people. i don't know how i got to this place, but i'm so grateful, so humbled, and so amazed at what God can do with his people when they are willing.

after all this reflection on my desire to make a difference and all our hard work, i'm reminded that it's really not about me. or us. not even the slightest. it's about something so much bigger. something we can't even grasp in our humanness. this is about Love. Love that wrecks our worlds and redeems each one.

i'll see you on saturday!


if you can't run, but want to be a part of ERFA '09 click here.