Hey friends! I have obviously been great about blogging in the last 18-24 months. Actually that’s an understatement because I can count on one hand the number of times I blogged.
Truth is, life is just plain busy and I have been dedicating my free time to other things, like the time I get to see my husband, and running. Running actually really took over my life last year. I committed to running a half marathon and a full marathon in the same year. It started out as a goal to run these races before I was 30, but then I decided to partner with World Vision and raise money for clean water for children in developing countries. Before I knew it, I blew my fundraising goal out of the water three times and raised over $6,000 for clean water.
Truthfully, my half and full marathon experiences were not that glamorous. I got dehydrated during the half marathon and was puking that night. The weather was hot and humid and people were dropping like flies. The marathon wasn’t hot because it was in October, but I was in a lot of pain before the halfway point. I had run too slow in the beginning and strained my legs. At the 22 mile mark I was crying as my teammate ran beside me praying over me – my husband couldn’t make the cheer station because he too was sick (did I mention I was sick too?).
Well, I made it through both races in one piece and for a few months I couldn’t even think about running another race. However, right before the marathon I was invited to run another marathon. This time it’s in New York City (NYC) and it’s one of the most heavily spectated marathons in the world. Right before that marathon last fall, all of the sudden I was getting the itch.
Anyways, fast forward through the pain of the marathon and finally catching up on sleep to a few months ago. World Vision had 100 spots on their team and they are looking for people to sign up. Honestly, one of the things holding me back from the NYC Marathon was a new type of fundraising. This race is all about finding sponsors for children which I think is a much harder ask for friends, family, and coworkers than a $50 gift. I realized that God wanted me to step out of my comfort zone and trust that He would provide the right people at the right time just like last year.
So here I am again, reaching out to you all and looking for 10 people or families to sponsor 10 children. I have sponsor packets for 10 children that will be my responsibility to find sponsors for by May 11. After that, those kids will go back into the World Vision system and then I’ll find 10 more children to advocate for.
My sponsor child is Shayra who’s about two years old and is from the Dominican Republic. I recently received a letter from her written by her aunt. My high school and college Spanish came in handy and I could read the letter and understand it! Since sponsoring Shayra, I’ve had lots of opportunities to write her and give a little extra over the holiday season. Providing a future for her and her community is one of the small ways I can impact another. I’ve had a lot of people who’ve helped me over the last 10 years and this is a small way I can give back.
Child sponsorship is $39/month which is very affordable. This money goes to the child and community they live in and helps improve the quality of life for all through clean water, education, and agricultural resources. I could go on and on about World Vision, but I think you should read my story here. I hope you’ll consider sponsoring a child and making a difference in his/her life.
In the meantime, please reach out if you have questions about World Vision and their work. Those 10 packets are sitting on my desk and those kids are waiting for a life changing piece of news. Reach out to me for more about those 10 kids.
Blue Skies & Tailwinds 