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[storiesforglory]

It's Long. . .but so is a Marathon

I went to bed last night and woke up this morning in a significant amount of pain. My knees are very sore. The weird part (for me): it is from running. If you know me, you know I do not like to run. The only incentive I had for running in high school was during rugby and that incentive was tackling the person with the ball. However, a little over a year ago, a friend of mine was inspired by someone we both know to be brave and daring. She prayed a bold prayer and cast a broad vision. Several months later she saw the benefits of her obedience to what could now be seen as God's call for her in a specific ministry; running a marathon to help people in India. 

After the first marathon, Dana prayed more boldly and asked for a number only God could truly fulfill  because - as she would be the first to tell you - this story is NOT about her, it is about God! Last year there were 15, so she prayed this year for 100! 100 runners to run in the Harrisburg marathon in order to raise funds for clean water wells in India. Last year I wanted to run but I missed the deadline. And if I am honest, I was nervous to commit to something so big. After all, I do not run, I do not like it and I was not sure my "non-runner" body could complete even a 4 point something mile leg. But I was not idle. Taking my camera with me, I joined a group of volunteers on the "sidelines" and supported those that were jumping in to run. Upon the completion of the first marathon, a video was made for Global Partners to use. What I did not count on was the impact God intended. 

As I mentioned, Dana began praying a true God-sized prayer for 100 runners for the following year, 2017. Team meetings began to happen. God saw fit to use that video as a tool to help recruit runners. Relay groups were formed. The video now would be a tool in fundraising whether it meant sending it to donors we had never spoken to before or sharing it with people we did know. Eventually the video was even sent out to the contact list by the man that heads up the marathon. He was showing people how the marathon could be used to benefit others. But, like this story is not a bout Dana, nor myself, it is also not about the video.

God has worked in amazing ways and that is what I truly want to share. 

The 2017 Harrisburg marathon began approaching. Still nervous about the commitment to run, I decided it was "now or never". Without a clue on how to train, or what I really was even getting myself into, I attended a meeting and began putting a team together. Best friends in mind, I had only one more leg to fill and that was easy as one of my best friends' roommates is also a runner. Once Joc and Kellie let me know they would love to join Nicole and I in the relay, we began the training and fundraising. We were put in a tricky spot though because Joc and Kellie had both just moved back to the States from Honduras. To add to their "lack of connections" since they had just spent 4 and 5 years there, they moved from their "home" states to Ohio where they would be working now. I had decided, since I was already involved in pre-field ministry that it would be a conflict of interest and an unwise decision to solicit donations for this marathon. So Nicole was saddled with the incredible task of seeking friends to give. Working tirelessly, Nicole raised above and beyond her "goal" of money and God graciously gave to the rest of beyond our wildest dreams! By God's great hand, our team with few connections has raised enough money for a clean water well to be built in India! What a great blessing!

Yet, still, God is most glorified (I believe) in what I am about to share. June 19 was the day I assembled my team. Shortly after that I began training. Remember, I do not enjoy running so training was not really that exciting for me. Actually, I pretty much dreaded it. My mom also decided to run on a team. One of my first runs was with my mom and Nicole. I do not remember much about it except we were all pretty slow and wondered - as we struggled through that first (and only) mile that day - how we were ever going to complete our 4.9 and 5.3 mile legs. But we kept on going. Setting goals for ourselves was hard because we were new to this. Making time to run sometimes seemed a hassle. Actually going running was a literal pain most days. Between cramped calves, shin splints, side stitches, wheezing breaths, foot issues, and more, I definitely wanted to quit. As I continued to run each week, I saw improvement. When summer ended, school began and so did work. My schedule changed and it was harder to make time to run. Markedly, I could see the progress I had made working backwards again. Frustrated and discouraged, I wanted to give up on it. But my mom and my teammates were constant sources of encouragement and I continued to call to mind the real reason I was running. This race, this commitment, this training, had NOTHING to do with me! Sure it was me doing it, but it was about something so much bigger.

This commitment to run and raise money was about being a part of God's work in India so that people might receive LIFE through both physical drinking water, and the Living Water that is Jesus and His Gospel of salvation!

November 12, 5:00AM Why was I awake? Because my nerves knew that in just 6 hours it would be my turn to run. Was I nervous? You bet! But something made it even worse that morning. I had woken up and noticed the pain in my foot that I had thought was just due to some old running shoes. It had been faint in my new running shoes but not that bad. This morning though, it was bad. Walking was painful. Quietly, I left my teammates sleeping away and put on my race clothes. As I laced  up my shoes that morning I just kept thinking, "please do not let this pain keep me from finishing. I am already slow and I just want to finish and now I am nervous I will not be able to". Half jokingly and half seriously, I kept asking Joc if she would run my leg for me. She kept saying, "yes, but I will not. YOU trained for this and YOU have to do this".  11:16AM Kellie crossed our checkpoint. I put the tracking band on my ankle, took a deep breath, and began to wog (walk+jog) down the street. My music was too loud to hear them but I saw my fellow relay runners (yes, God gave us 100 runners in all!) cheering me on as I began my leg. Foot throbbing, I set out and just kept saying, just get that first mile done. 

I reached mile 1 and I said to myself, "do not stop! If you stop, you will slow down and you still have gas in the tank. You can walk after you hit that second mile". Well, that second mile went - slowly but it did. I prayed, "God, if you keep my legs from hurting, I will not walk the third mile either". The pain in my foot came and went in waves. It would be excruciating at points and almost nonexistent at others. This third mile I doubted my resolve and said, "ok, maybe I should walk", but I could not bring myself to stop. Mile 4 approached. Judy - my phone's GPS tracker - told me I was close to 4.9, "At the start of this last mile, I will walk a little, maybe a minute, and then get back to it." But I knew stopping to walk would only make it worse. "God, please keep the pain from legs. Give me strength to keep moving. I do not want to walk this. I only have a little bit left to go." Turning the corner, I caught sight of Nicole taking off her hoodie and she came out to meet me. I turned the last corner and just to the left my little brother came out. Just above the music I could hear them cheering me on. I smiled when that finish line came into view - as much of smile as I managed through the wincing at my foot pain. My stride lengthened and my speed increased. 56 minutes and 10 seconds after I began, I FINISHED and I did not walk a single step along the way! 

What I learned through these last 6 months, I could not tell you in this post but the biggest lessons I learned probably were taught to me in the last 3 days.

Do not give up!

My mind is weaker than my body so I must focus on being mentally tough

God is bigger than my problems (He can take the pains away - or He can help me push through them)

God is bigger than my success (100 runners and $60,000 is nothing to God - He gave us the runners early on and on the eve of the race, we found out He superceded our $60,000!)

God does not care if I am fast, He cares if I am faithful

Encouragement is crucial

Others can do what I am called to do but God has called me because He wants to bless me

Friends that encourage and push are invaluable

Frustration is normal but it should not stop you from pressing on

Finishing something does not come without distraction, discouragement, or pain

We > I

He > We

My biggest enemy is often myself

Running well means STARTING and FINISHING

The process is not perfect, I will fail along the way, but God will use the failures if I continue to press on - after all the finish line is sweet

The finish line does not mean the pain is over, but it proves that it is worth it

I still do not like running ;) (and that is OK!)

[storiesforglory]

Adventures to Come

I have been postponing updates as of late because new things just keep happening and I cannot quite keep up with them! However, before they run too far away I will post. In February I had some meetings. One led to a new opportunity which I am now pursuing. I was offered a position as a media specialist in Africa with ABWE (Association of Baptist for World Evangelism). Basically, it is a position…

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Togo, West Africa

For those of you that thought my adventuring was slowing down, I am glad to announce it is not! This summer, I am headed out with ABWE, again, on a Media in Missions Workshop and I am very excited about it. A team of of us will be headed to Togo July 26-August 11 to utilize photography and videography in missions in order to tell better stories of those on the field and the people they work with.…

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This fur baby LOVES the snow. #lovesnow #snowface #germanshepherd #furbaby

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#tilltogo Teaser

Togo. The most common question that follows is, “Where is that?” Let me answer that for everyone; Togo is in West Africa right beside Ghana. Here is a bit of the map of Africa where Togo is located. The next question, predictably is, “Why Togo?” As much as I would like to just answer, “Why not Togo?” I know what the deeper inquiry is for. The purpose of going to Togo this summer is…

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Laughter is in Season

Took some time to hang out with my cousins yesterday. Their mom wanted portraits done and these 2 opted for outdoor shots. We ventured into the yard and I let them pick out where they wanted to go and what they wanted to do. What followed was just fun. If you do portraits of children you may have come to realize that there seems to be one rule that ensures success (or at least in my experience) and that is: you can never be too serious. Tell jokes, let them make crazy faces and do goofy things. If you cooperate with them, they’ll be more willing to cooperate with you. They may be small but they’re still people. So, treat them like they matter, because they definitely do.

[storiesforglory]

Wrestling Season is Here

It’s the time of year where my family and I practically live in high school gymnasiums on the weekends. We’ve been doing this weekend gym dwelling for about 14 years now and even though the days are long, we find a way to have some good fun. Plus, it gives me a chance to practice my indoor sports photography.

[storiesforglory]

Where do I even begin?! First of all, I guess I will let you know that I am back safe and sound here in America. Second, you should know that I didn’t take my computer and that is why I have not updated or posted any photos from the week. But lucky you, here is the update now, complete with photos! (Sorry for the length)

Saturday I left for the airport at 5:45am. I arrived and made it quickly through security to my gate. Everything was going well. Security went quickly and smoothly, I was seated in emergency exit rows twice, it was awesome. But that flight from El Salvador to Honduras decided there was too much of a good thing. We reached Honduras and began our descent. I felt the plane continue to bank right, straighten out, and bank right again. Yes, this is a plane’s version of donuts. For an hour, we circled Tegucigalpa waiting to land. The captain kept coming on and making announcements but my Spanish is not strong enough to understand them and his accent was too thick for me to catch all of his English. However, after a few announcements I gathered, “cannot land”, “cloud coverage”, and “returning to El Salvador”. Bummer. I arrived back in El Salvador and tried to text my friends that had been waiting for me to let them know the situation and that my plane would now be delayed an additional 2.5 hours. We took off later than scheduled still and I believe I finally arrived in Honduras at about 8:45pm – approximately 6 hours later than planned. But, I made it in the same day and that was at least the good part.

Sunday we went to church and then walked through Centro to get some of the cultural experience of Honduras. For lunch, the girls wanted to take me to their favorite pizza place so we took a drive to Valle de Angeles. The town is pretty touristy so we walked through the shops while we waited on our pizza to be made. That night, after returning home, I met more friends at dinner and then we decorated for Christmas. Now, if you are doing the calculations in your head, yes, we decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving but it is because the girls will leave for Christmas break before Christmas and they wanted to enjoy the decorations for longer than a couple of weeks.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were school days that included evening trips afterward. I was given a tour of the school grounds and was able to sit in on my best friend’s P.E. classes on those days. Essentially my early days in Honduras were “survey” days so that I could put images and ideas with the people and places I have only really ever heard about.

“Side trips” included: Cristo de Picacho and a soccer scrimmage for one of the teams my best friend coaches.

Photos from Cristo de Picacho

  Photos from Soccer

Wednesday was a half day of school so after a Thanksgiving day lunch for the staff, our group of 7 took off for Lago de Yojoa. What an adventure, even just getting there! We were dropped off to wait for our transportation. Our driver arrived in a new SUV. When he found out there were 7 of us instead of 6, he made a nervous face. They had sent us a 7 passenger SUV. . .with no trunk space. It took us about 15 minutes to load all of our luggage on top and tie it down and load ourselves into the car. We managed to fit by squishing 4 of us in the middle row of seating. Our 3 hour journey slowly became 5.5. We determined our driver was nervous because of the vehicle being new, his GPS had stopped working properly, there were 7 of us instead of 6, and we were all speaking English. By 9:30 we had made it to D&D Brewery, Lodge and Restaurant and decided that we all just wanted to sleep. So sleep we did.

Thursday began the adventures!

Thursday: Kayaking on Lago de Yojoa and a walk on the El Paraiso Coffee Plantation before returning for a HUGE Thanksgiving dinner!

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Friday: We took a taxi to the Pulhapahanzak waterfall. You thought our story about squishing 7 of us into an SUV was good? This tops it. 7 of us, in a car – 5 in the back and 2 in the front. That was a good time. The waterfall was really cool. We walked down a path, jumped in the water, walked right under the cascade, climbed up in a tiny little cave, and then turned around and went back. We walked down and caught a bus into Peña Blanca to do some shopping and then walked back to the Brewery for dinner and games.

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Saturday: This day we set aside for our big adventures. We were deciding between hiking or spelunking. A nearly unanimous vote won out to go spelunking. What a good choice! Our group decided to do extreme spelunking at Cuaves de Taulabe which took 2 hours. We got covered in mud and a few of us bled but it was so much fun. By the time we were done, we realized we could still go hiking if we wanted. So, some of us loaded up and made the trip to Parque Nacional Cerro Azul  to hike the mountain. We crushed the 3.5 to 4 hour hike in just 2.5 hours. It was incredible!

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Sunday: The group returned home and my little teacher friends worked on their school work for this coming week. But we ended my little vacation with a trip to the movies and the end of Christmas decorating.

Monday: I caught a bus to the airport at 5:00am and flew back to Washington through El Salvador. My mom and friend Nicole picked me up and brought me home by midnight. What a trip! Hopefully I will be able to make another trip to Honduras for another vacation in the future.

  And that is that! Thanks so much for taking the time to read and look at the photos!

En Honduras con mis amigas Where do I even begin?! First of all, I guess I will let you know that I am back safe and sound here in America.

[storiesforglory]

Cave Dwellers

Took a group of students to Indian Echo Caverns in Hummelstown, PA today. While walking through the section that leads to what they call “The Wedding Chapel” I found this patch of moss and fern growing near the path lights.

[storiesforglory]

Honduran Thanksgiving

On the horizon is my newest adventure! I am headed to Honduras to spend the Thanksgiving week with my best friend and some of her co workers in Honduras. They are school teachers at an academy just up a mountain near the heart of a central Honduran city, the capital, Tegucigalpa. This will be my first “vacation” style trip out of country. It is kind of strange to think about. All my other trips…

[storiesforglory]

Gradient Reflection

I just really like the way fog “works”. When you stand in its midst, you can see things clearly when they are close, but the farther out you look, the less distinct things become. Crazy to think that some water vapor can obscure so much, eh?

[storiesforglory]

Ghost Ship

Through the yard, across the street, and over the parking lot. Fog rolled off the Susquehanna River on Monday morning. My little brother and I, on our walk, weren’t the only ones out though. Seems fog has allure over the anglers (no pun intended).

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Get My Good Side

Decided to try an experiment. The “test” photo should have been a straight on, I realize that, but when I shot the image, I hadn’t intended this to be the purpose yet. Anyway, the angle of the original resulted in some distortion but here’s what my brother’s face looks like when mirrored.  Top: Original Middle: Right side mirror Bottom: Left side mirror

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The Ring Man

Little bit of a throwback to a wedding I did this past winter. Here’s the little ring bearer in all his cuteness during the pre-wedding craziness.

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Uprise Festival 2015

Thousand Foot Krutch nailin’ it.

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Uprise Festival 2015

NF killing it on stage. And the crowd was lovin’ him!

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Uprise Festival 2015

For King and Country put on a pretty crazy show.