Defeating The Big 6 Baby-Killers

Below is an excerpt from the Child Survival Program website www.rescuebabiesnow.org
Do you know the Big 6 Baby-Killers? Would you have guessed that they are all preventable? The right food, hydration, clean water, some medicine. These are all things our children have, but millions of children around the world do not. Subsequently, 25,000 children die EVERYDAY of the Big 6. Read about it.
This is why we are doing Run For Compassion! You can be apart of the solution! Saving the lives of children and helping to free them from poverty, IN JESUS' NAME! Not only do they receive physical life, they hear the gospel and are ministered to by the local church, partnered with Compassion.
Here is more about the Big 6...

In your household, diarrhea probably isn't a life or death situation. Yet in developing countries, diarrhea is one of the Big 6 Baby Killers, causing the death of 1.5 million babies every year.

All of the Big 6 Baby Killers—diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, measles, HIV/AIDS, and malnutrition—are preventable or treatable.

Compassion, working through local churches and Survival Specialists, provides practical solutions like vaccinations, access to doctors, malaria nets, antibiotics, and education.

Be apart of the solution! Register to run or walk, or donate on our website, www.runforcompassion.com and 100% of your registration fee is donated directly to Compassion's Child Survival Programs in Ethiopia and Haiti.

Register for Run For Compassion!

I'm so excited to say that registration for Run For Compassion is up! You can register or donate today! 100% of registration fees go to the Child Survival Project of Compassion in Ethiopia and Haiti. In fact, when you register or donate, you will be giving us your race info. on our site, but then you will be taken to the Compassion site where you donate the required registration fee directly to them. ($20 for the 5K and $25 for the 10K.) That's the way I wanted registration to work this year. I didn't even want to touch the registration money. I wanted all of our participants to have the joy of knowing exactly where their money is going. Because I feel so passionate about what the CSP is doing in saving lives of babies and children ages five and under, sharing the gospel with their families, teaching Moms and Dads how to take care of and nurture their children, and providing food, medicine, clean water, job training...there's so much! I've seen some amazing videos where people testify as to what God has done to transform their lives physically and spiritually through the CSP and I cry every time. It's overwhelming.

You can pray in faith with me that we find enough corporate sponsors to cover the costs of the race. But I feel so confident that God will provide that and that Run For Compassion will be so much fun for us and for every participant.

Please, help us reach our goal of $8,000 to send to the CSP in Haiti and Ethiopia! Register or donate today! Early registration really helps us, as we purchase things like bibb numbers, t-shirts, etc. And recruit a friend to do it with you. You can know that $20 is being used in an amazing way!

If you are interested in volunteering for the race, there is a place for that on our registration page as well! We'd love to have you!

Child Survival Program

You may or may not know, we are in the process of planning Run For Compassion 2010! Save the date, April 10, 2010. This run means so much to me. It gives me an outlet to pour into something I'm passionate about. Compassion International is doing so much in so many countries around the world, it's hard to sum up. You may be most familiar with their child sponsorship program. I'd like to also introduce to you the Child Survival program.

My brother Brian works for Compassion and is in Uganda right now. He just posted on Facebook that he held today a little one who has had malaria three times in the last year. The Child Survival Program saved that baby. He posted the link to the CSP- www.rescuebabiesnow.org
Here is a brief excerpt from that site.

3-20-2009

I still cannot believe I am going to have a baby. I am 17 years old. I am not ready for this. I’ve never been so scared. I hope it’s a boy. In my community, boys are praised, but girls are looked down on. At least if it is a boy, he could have a better life than me.

I don’t know if my baby will even survive birth. I’ve known many women who bought baby coffins before their baby was born because so many babies die in their first month. What will I name it? In Haiti, we do not even name babies until they are 5. We just call them all Ti Chape (little survivor). It hurts less that way. Will my little Ti Chape make it? I do not know what to do. That is all I can say for tonight.

Tomorrow will come.

For all of us here, having healthy babies, naming them before they're even born, it's hard to imagine this life. How could this not move us to action? You can read the rest of this woman's journey on the site for yourself.
The CSP partners with local churches to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of women and children. It's named quite appropriately. It's about survival. I hope you'll read more about it and get excited about what we can do alongside Compassion!

Child Survival Program

This is a short and powerful video from Compassion about the Child Survival Program. This is what Run For Compassion is ALL ABOUT. I can't watch this video without crying. We are so moved by what Compassion is doing through the CSP. The statistics are staggering. We are enjoying the perfect health of so many of our sweet little ones, but the mortality rate of children under the age of five just across the ocean from us is unbelievable. Please join with us in Run For Compassion, and if you're local here, you can partner in with your time as well! Now, watch...

Run For Compassion 2010

Our first Run For Compassion was last April, as some of you remember. It was a special time for this family as we gave our all for a cause that has moved us. We sponsored a Child Survival Project in Ethiopia from this run, and because of so many of you, sent almost $4,000, which was wildly exciting! Here is an excerpt from our Run For Compassion website about the CSP...

The Child Survival Program through Compassion is saving the lives of children. You can sponsor a child, beginning at age five, through Compassion. We do, and we highly encourage you to do the same! But the mortality rate is so high for children under the age of five, they have to live to five first. That’s where the Child Survival Program comes in. This is straight from their web site. Tragically, nearly 27,000 children under age 5 die every day, mainly from preventable diseases and related causes. Through the Child Survival Program (CSP), Compassion is battling for the lives of vulnerable children and their caregivers, providing: prenatal care ongoing health screening infant survival training for mothers and caregivers spiritual guidance and education Help save lives. It’s hard to sum up everything a Child Survival Project is doing in their work with children and mothers or caregivers, but in short, they are doing all that it takes to give them life, and not just physical life. Spiritual life as well. Your registration fee will not just possibly make a difference. It will make a difference. Lives will be saved and people will come to know Jesus as their Savior. What better reason could we have for running for Compassion? A couple of Christmases ago, my Mom and Dad decided our family was going to raise money for the Child Survival Program. My Mom’s life work is at New Life, a pregnancy Crisis Center and adoption agency in Houston. (Two of our kids have come from New Life.) She has given all she has to babies, born and unborn, and their mothers. It was not hard for my parents to connect to this work. So they gave us $50 and told us to make more money with that seed money. At the end of the year, we would collect our money and send it to a Child Survival Project. We did. It was exciting! God moved in us as He used us. So we got our $50 again this year. And the idea of a Run for Compassion was born. That’s where you step in to this story. Literally.

We are just as passionate about this cause this year, and more sure of what God can do through us, just simple, broken vessels for Him. We knew nothing about being race directors last year. Not one thing. But God did good things, despite all of our shortcomings. We have full confidence that He has a good work through this run planned for this coming April 10, 2010.
The planning has just begun. Basically, all we have is a date. But I have started assembling a team of precious girls who are going to help me this year, and make this successful and profitable for the Kingdom.
If you are interested in being on this team who raises sponsorship money, advertises, helps with race day logistics, works on the website, manages finances (that's not for me!), and collects prizes, let me know. We will have a chairman over each area of this race, and I would like for these chairmen, or chairwomen, to have a full committee so that no ONE person has to do all the work. It was amazing for us last year, but it was too much work for a few people. We need a team.
If you're interested in being a team player for Run For Compassion, let me know!
If you're interested in running, then get your shoes on! You can train to do the 5K or 10K this spring, no matter who you are! More to come on Run For Compassion...get excited!

Run For Compassion FINISH LINE!

Run For Compassion 2009 has come to an end. Yes, the t-shirts sell on, but it is truly done.
We did it! Rain, lightning, and mere 24 hour days tried to hold us down- but no!
We still had 75 out of our registered 158 runners participate despite the rain delay.
So many were first time racers, and it was just sweet to cheer you on!
So many of you wonderful people gave, ran, and volunteered your time and talents. I really need to say thanks.

Thank you to EVERYONE who volunteered on race day. I'll admit, nothing went the way I expected, but the end result was still good.

Thanks Jeanna! There's absolutely no way I could have done this without your help! You were the crucial piece needed to make this possible. I adore you, of course!

Thanks Charlie- who designed the super cool t-shirts that are selling as we speak. And for the website too! Charlie, your gifts were definitely used for the kingdom! Thank you for being willing.

Thanks Jim and Rachel Jobe! You were just so willing to help with everything needed, and I might have drowned in it all had you two not been there.

Thanks to our sponsors- who gave so that all of our registration fees could go to the Child Survival Program!

Thanks friends who cared, contributed, ran errands, spread the word, and just plain came and ran your hearts out- THANKS!

We turned $50 into $3800 and counting. I just know we can sell every t-shirt and reach our $4000 goal!
My whole family sponsors 6 CSP's and this costs $2000 for the year. We're doubling that! Praise the Lord!
As we Bacaks cross the finish line, this passage is on our hearts:
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Watch for it next year. We'll be back. And if you have any feedback on the race, please let me know your constructive ideas for our next Run For Compassion!

Peaceful and beautiful?

I have not abandoned this blog.
Or my normal life.
Well I sort of have, but just temporarily.
This has been a hectic week, as you might could guess.
It's race week! Hooray! God is bringing this good work to completion, and I'm so excited!
But it has been a little overwhelming at times.
Sometimes I realize my visions are bigger than my abilities.
That's a good thing to learn about yourself.
I'm so thankful for the people in my life who keep asking me "what can I do? What can I take from you?"
Sometimes I know, and sometimes I don't know where to begin.
I have been battling a spreadsheet this week. I'm not sure I've been winning. It's my first spreadsheet. I think Excel has been laughing at me.
And to top off yesterday, we had our family pictures taken.
They weren't originally planned for this week. Seriously, THIS WEEK!?
You Moms know what it's like to make six people look coordinated, shiny, and beautiful, right? It's sort of a nightmare.
And we hired a really talented professional photographer, our friend Ryan Price. We needed to make this shoot worthy of the time, money, and talent.
I couldn't even clear my head enough to figure out what I wanted us to wear.
I was shopping 15 minutes before it started for a white dress for Emma to wear.
(I think it turned out stunning, my daughter wearing a white dress, riding bareback on a horse. I CAN'T WAIT to see these photos!)
I e-mailed with my Mom a few hours prior to that, and mentioned I was stressed with race details and making us all "beautiful".
She wrote back and said to be "peaceful and beautiful."
I needed to hear that. I was quoting scripture to myself yesterday, but I knew it was not penetrating the reality of my day.
I was frazzled.
I went to bed last night, after painting 15 giant arrows on posterboards (you know, so you people don't get lost during the race. Kind of important!) and felt unsettled.
I had a headache, and my superhero husband sent me to bed and took what was left on my list and accomplished it like only he can.
But I still felt amiss in my spirit.
I went to each of the kids' rooms and kissed them again, while they slept.
I missed them. That seems strange, since I'm always with them.
But I have not been WITH them all week.
I've not been present in my life. I've been here, but glued to my computer and my spreadsheet while my children enjoyed the beautiful weather and sunshine. The registrations have been pouring in, and I have fought to keep up with them.
This is not me complaining! This is me LEARNING.
I have already begun a list in my handy-dandy notebook of "What I need to know next year." I will do a lot of things differently. I will start the spreadsheet earlier, and I'll know how to set it up.
I'll assemble a team of people, besides just me and Jeanna, who will give their all to this event. I know some of you would have been willing. I was just afraid to ask.
I'll start getting sponsors earlier.
I'll close streets along our route.
The list goes on.
I'll learn how to take this on, and be "peaceful and beautiful."
Today, when I woke-up and spent time with the Lord, He told me not to go to my exercise class this morning. He told me to stay home and be present with my children. I needed to not waste this day, neglecting my number one job as wife, Mom, and teacher.
Inhale. Exhale. Peace.
I'm so grateful to have heard Him speak.
I've been too busy to listen lately. I have been glued to lists, notebooks, and computers. I've literally wished outloud for a white board in my shower. Too many things pop into my head when I'm showering.
I've dreamed about the race, and have been rather consumed.
I stopped this morning and played trucks with Treston for a good 15 minutes. When was the last time I did that? Not this week. (It took me a long time to learn how to play trucks. You just have to make a LOT of sound effects. I've got it down now.)
But we are here, nearing the finish line.
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude that this event is successful and we've already broken the $3000 mark going to the CSP in Ethiopia. Can you imagine what that money means to them?
I'm overwhelmed with what God has chosen to do in changing women in my church's hearts about being good stewards of their bodies and breaking years of bondage as they've trained for this thing. I didn't see that coming, to be honest. God always overshoots my expectations.
I believe race day will be no different.
I'm thankful, and peaceful in this moment.
And I'm going outside to swing my kids.
Peace out.

Inspired to Action interview

This really neat site interviewed me for the Run For Compassion. You can read the interview and check out this site!

Run For Compassion- the Child Survival Program

To give you an update, the Run For Compassion is coming along!
I think we have close to 50 people registered. That's totalling close to $1000.00
Our goal is 200 people and $4000.00
If you've read about this here or on the website www.runforcompassion.com then you know how this got started.
My Godly parents have set the bar for us kids (grown kids, of course) to raise money for this. They gave us each $50 and told us to make more with it. (Sounds like the parable of the talents, right?)
This is the info my Mom sent us recently:
One sponsorship for a CSP is $28 per month - this includes $8 per month for Compassion AIDS initiative - which we will include.
It is our goal to commit as one large family to 6 sponsorships. That is $168 per month or $2016 per year.
I think this is an amazing goal, but if we reach our goal with this run, we can double it.
I'm not sure we could even count how many children and their families' lives could be changed. The Lord is doing something huge in my heart and Rusty's heart. We are broken for what's happenning an ocean away. We should have been a long time ago. And we have to ask ourselves what more can we do, in His name? For His kingdom?
Join us! You can be apart of this by registering for the 5K, 10K or kids fun run. There's also a place to donate. If you'd like to send a check to me directly, make it to Compassion with us on the memo line, and I'll send it in with the money. We could also use volunteers on race day.
I've obviously never been a race director before. I've only been in two races! This is crazy, and overwhelming! But I'm learning. I will know more next year, that's for sure! I need to know how many t-shirts and racing numbers to order. The earlier you register, the better I'll sleep.
I'm so excited! Thanks for your excitement as well!

Register Today!

Hooray! The website for the Run For Compassion 5K/10K on April 18th is up! Go to www.runforcompassion.com and register TODAY! And don't do it alone. Make sure you spread the word and invite others to join you for this special day.
I have a goal for what we can raise for the Child Survival Project in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. But I have to tell you, I'd really like to see us exceed it!
So if you have a blog or Facebook page, and you're excited about this cause, would you post this?
This is so exciting! Pass it on!