Why Run?

So here it is. The moment you've all been waiting for...

I want to tell you about a Revolution. This is one of the coolest, most spectacular, life changing revolutions you will ever have the opportunity to be a part of. It's called Run4Revolution and so many are already choosing to take part. This is an exclusive running club around the world! (Okay so Kenya and America so far...)

CT and I have been prompted to put in writing what our passions are. One day, a while back, I was just doing my daily run and I began thinking about what mine were. I thought of 2 of them immediately b/c usually I'm doing them at the same time. I am passionate about children and running. Not just praying for my children, friends children, and those adopting, but children among the least of these. I have always been drawn to the least of the least. There are children out there, approximately one million, that I am passionate about saving. These children are not necessarily orphans. Some have families, but they have been ripped from them to spend their lives having the most despicable, atrocious things being done to them day in and day out. What is this? It's called a few different things. You may of heard it called sex trafficking, child trafficking, child slavery, human trafficking. There have been arguments what to call it and what not to call it. Call it whatever you want. I call it despicable and something MUST be done about it. What am I going to do about it? Well first I spoke with the first person I could think of that is also passionate about justice, stopping human trafficking, and running. Lindsey Broereand I have emailed back and forth 100 times growing our ideas and passions. It amazes me how God began speaking to both of our hearts at the exact same time about the exact same things! Secondly, I started running further and harder. Thirdly, I began talking it up to my runny friends. We have 6 people so far that are doing the same. We will RUN 4 REVOLUTION. We will RUN LIKE SOMEONE'S LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. Our goal is to raise awareness about Human Trafficking and raise money to aid organizations who raid these brothels, that force children as young as 4 year olds, to surrender to such heinous acts. It's still a work in progress, but the revolution has already begun...

I think I have said this before at some point but I want to try and explain why and how I run. When I began running back in 07' I began to do so to release some serotonin and a crazy amount of energy (In fact, it was Michael B that talked me into starting b/c he had been running). Soon after I began running it turned it to a wonderful prayer time with the Lord. As I began picking up my milage Joy talked to me about focusing my runs/prayers ON something specific or someone. This totally opened my eyes to a whole to realm of thoughts on my runs.

Running, for me, has never been about myself, my health, nor my appearance. I relate it a little to fasting. It's weakening the flesh to strengthen the spirit. When I've already run 5 miles and I am about to run up a huge hill, I think about a friend going through some difficult situations. I run that hill FOR that person. I do not allow myself to stop. I run it FOR strength and hope for those children in the brothels. I run it FOR those men who have left their families to put themselves in danger to raid brothels and save little girls from a life of exploitation. I run for those starving to death in Kenya due to the lack of rain which has led to dead livestock and zero crops. This is why I run...

What can you do?

~Educate yourselves on human trafficking

~Read books on human trafficking. My first one was "Terrify No More" Gary Haugen

~Pray about joining R4R- EMAIL US if you would like to learn how to get started or get involved.

~Help us get the word out

~Tell your runny friends

~Most importantly, start running/walking several minutes a day. Use that time to focus on praying for these victims.

~And stay tuned as the next few posts reveal more about how you can help

I'll betcha my Cat is waaay cooler than yours...

Can your cat do this?

How about this?

Can your cat do this 6 times over?

Yea, that's what I thought.

Mine can.

Pepper killed Momba number 6...

...twas a green one this time.

...so Pepper got extra dried fish!

Good kitty.

The Container is here!!

Saturday Sept 12th

Yippy!  Food is here in Kenya.  180,576 meals to be exact!!  Feed My Starving Children gave NDI a 40 foot container filled with food to send where they wanted.  They chose to send it to Kenya to supply street boys, slum school children, samburu tribe children, and many more.  It arrived from the port in Mombassa to Nairobi Saturday afternoon.  We hired a forklift to get the container off the truck only the forklift was broken.  Did we still have to pay the man for the broken forklift?  You bet ya!  "And that's the way the cookie crumbles."  Seriously, we didn't expect anything different.   

I just wanted you all to get a little laugh at this.  After the truck dumped it off they slid the side with the doors all the way back so that we couldn't get the doors open.  So what do we do? 

Well we try to hook the several ton container to a wench on the front of a truck

well that didn't work so lets try hooking up a big chain to the front...

nope. that didn't work either.  How about hooking the chain to the BACK?

Nope.  But it was really entertaining to watch!  Poor guys.  They tried so hard.  But today (Monday) they were able to open it up and get into the food.  Graig said there were a ton of people who somehow knew there was food in it.  B/c MANY people were coming up to them asking them for food.  :(  Sorry it's already promised away...

What a blessing this will be to the Kenyans!  We are SO excited!

Ya-Ya Monkeez Market

That's right everyone.  It's time again for a fund raiser for tiny Thompson(s).  It's another Ya-ya market, except this time it's at Monkeez Brew.  So we will appropriately rename it Ya-ya Monkeez Market.   If you missed the last one, here is your chance to get some really cool stuff handmade in Kenya for a great price and you get to help an orphan (or 2!) .  Go ahead, get authentic and unique gifts for birthdays and Christmas this year!  There will also be adoption T-shirts for sale for $15.  

The market will run from 5pm-9pm September 12th.  Sorry but there will be no sales before that date!  First come, first serve!  While you are there listen to some music and grab a cup of coffee. Have breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or all 3 because 10% of the sales the WHOLE DAY of the 12th go toward our adoption!  Thank you Brinkleys!  

Grocery shopping 101...

There are 4 young men who are now off the streets of Kawangware and sleeping under a real roof.  Chris is so passionate about the street boys and the ministry with them and he has such an amazing way with them.  It is so evident the way they love and respect him.  To watch them with him just makes me so proud- the way they cling to every word he says.  

About a month or so after feeding the street boys consistently every Tuesday we were captivated by a few young men who cooked, cleaned, and made sure everyone had food before they took a plate for themselves.  Chris and I began to pray about what Only Servants' role would be with these older street boys.  Chris knew he desperately wanted to get them off the street, get them a trade and working a real job.  Though sniffing glue, in the past, had been a struggle for them they'd been fighting to rid themselves of that temporary pleasure.  I'm not naieve enough to think they don't struggle anymore, but I do believe they are winning this battle.  

Saturday, Chris and I got the pleasure of taking them to Nakumat to get some essential grocery items.  Alex was walking around with his kiddie grocery cart finding the best prices, Evans was toting his 10 pack of Cosy toilet paper on his head, and Don was smelling out every single deodorant.  They were so funny picking it out.  I watched Alex open one, smell it and smile, then shove it right under Evans' nose.  They loved the deoterant.  It was their favorite part of the trip, next to the chicken and fries probably. 

It truly was such a joy to watch these boys in this massive gorcery store wide eyed.  Evans and his brother Don had never been inside anywhere like that, and they live only a mile from it.  As a matter of fact we had called them to meet us at Junction- the name of this small mall like building.  Alex called us and told us the guard would not let them in.  My blood began to boil!  I was so mad!  Why out of everyone who comes in and out of there on foot did the guard have to stop them and tell them they couldn't come in!!?  To me, they look like anyone else!  I would love to know his reasoning as to why they couldn't come in.  I mean why should they be denied and no one else?!  As I walked to the gate I was ready to let some guard have it.  But we simply walked to them and they walked back in with us.  We didn't stop and make a scene.  It didn't matter, the boys weren't phased a bit.  Are they that used to being rejected?  We guided them to the food court where they all ordered chicken, fries, and a drink.  They were HAPPY boys!