On the left is a photo of a typical "house" on Batey 50, a sugarcane work camp in the Dominican Republic where extremely poor Haitians live in harrowing poverty. I have visited Batey 50 three times now and, with profound respect, like to call it the happiest place on Earth. When you show up to give a little bit of love, medicine, food, or hope to the residents, you receive indescribable amounts of love in return. With our service team from Watkinson School, my family had the joy of helping to complete construction on a hurricane proof house (on the right above) that was begun by Wallingford's Dominican Republic Mission Team (DRMT). This house is part of a relatively new campaign to replace all of the dilapidated houses with cement block homes (each house costs about $4,500); the campaign is called Fifty for 50.
In another part of my life, if you have been following me on Facebook, Twitter or here on my blog, you know I have become an avid runner. In September, I am joining a group of women (and one brave guy) who are refusing to go quietly into their 40s and 50s. Instead, we are tackling the Ragnar Relay, a 200-mile relay race through the hilly Adirondacks.
Putting It All Together
My faith has made me a better runner and my running has fueled my faith. When I am running a long distance and struggling, I often focus on someone that I love and pray for them in depth. The next thing I know, five miles will have gone by. Similarly, when I find myself feeling far from God, I will experience his presence in palpable ways in the midst of a run. One day when this happened an idea was born. What if my running could support Fifty for 50?
I use the Nike+ running application on my iPhone. Every time I take off on a run, the application tells my Facebook friendss that I am starting my run and asks them to cheer me on by either liking or commenting on the post. When my Facebook friends do this, I hear raucous cheering in my ears and it never ceases to motivate me to work a little harder. My fundraising commitment for Fifty for 50 is that each "like" I get while I am out running from now until I complete the Ragnar Relay means I will donate a dollar to Fifty for 50. (To help me in my quest, we must become Facebook friends. And I won't be offended if you unfriend me when this challenge is over!)
I hope you join me in supporting this wonderful cause and literally blow up my wall with likes and cheers when I am out running. If you don't have Facebook and would still like to help, please consider sending a check made payable to DR Mission Team to 13 Fawn Drive and designate Ragnar Relay House on the memo line.
Alright, my friends, let's go make some noise!
