If you know me at all, chances are, you most likely know my family.  You also probably know that our lives have drastically changed this past year with the birth of our precious daughter, Maya.

What simply began as exercise to work off some pregnancy weight, running quickly became much more to me...a stress-reliever, a few minutes of escape from the normalcy of life, a sweet time of prayer and meditation, and so much more as time went on.  What began as a task or chore for me, soon became a love and a healthy addiction.

I soon decided (somewhat sporadically) to join a running team with some friends.  This team is known as Team World Vision and we are well on our way to training for the Chicago Marathon on October 11th (which just so happens to be the day after Maya's 1st birthday!).  As I have learned more and more about Team World Vision, my motivation for running has been greatly transformed. 

World Vision works to tackle the root causes of poverty by working with children, families, and their communities to provide things like clean water, health care, nutritious food, education, and economic opportunities.

When I discovered the statistics, I was blown away.  At least 20,000 children die each day from hunger, disease, and a lack of clean water.  That means that every five seconds a child dies of hunger.  My heart has been broken. 

As a part of Team World Vision, I am working not only to run a marathon, but more importantly to raise money and awareness of these staggering truths.  The goal of our team here in the Ozarks is to raise $1,000 for each of the 26.2 miles that we will run in the marathon.  What better motivation is there, than to know that for each mile completed, another $1,000 will be raised for children of Africa?  Each step taken is another step closer to saving the life of a child.  

Please consider supporting my efforts through Team World Vision by donating $1 for each mile I will be running.  For 26.2 miles, this makes $26.20.  You can certainly give more or less--ANYTHING is appreciated.  Thank you for being a part of this amazing experience!