In training: the IndyMini

If you've seen some of my Facebook posts recently, you'll know that I'm in training, for my first half-marathon.

Last year, something unexpected happened. It didn't start with running, it didn't even start with working out regularly and becoming active (though that did happen) but I became a runner. I'm still tempted to say I'm becoming a runner, but as my fitness app (MapMyFitness) is telling me I have run 316.28 miles over the last 12 months, (yes, RUN!, I've walked and biked some miles too), I am a runner. And I'm loving it!

Time to replace the more-than-10-years-old running shoes!

But the first few weeks of running around our local park, desperate to get to our end point (a STOP sign) nearly a mile away left me red-faced and puffing like a dragon - just in case you're thinking I'm a natural :) But the persistence paid off. If I had not persisted through the early miles, I would not have learned that it takes me about 3 miles to get into my groove. Then I hear whispers of "Run, Forest, Run"....

After I finished our city's Mill Race 5K in September, we went to the finish line of the half and full marathons and cheered the runners on...I must admit I went a little wild and crazy in cheering and shouting for people I had never met, nor have met since. But seeing people - of all ages, shapes and sizes - working hard, putting in the effort and reaching their goal was pretty amazing. And inspired me to do the same.

But as I started building up my distances from 3 miles to 5, 6, then 8 miles, I began wondering what would keep me going for 13.1 miles. And it was obvious - another family in Haiti receiving a Resounding Hope radio. That's what would keep me going another mile, another mile....

Though I had enjoyed the fact that running was my own activity and not work-related, what I do with Radio 4VEH/Resounding Hope is such a part of who I am, and I just can't separate it! So I'm running for Resounding Hope, to raise funds for solar radios tuned to Radio 4VEH to bless families in Haiti.

I started the Resounding Hope initiative a few years ago, and I know these radios are making a huge difference in people's lives in Haiti - reaching people with the Gospel, helping believers grow in their faith, building up the church and serving the people of Haiti in Jesus' name. Others have ridden bikes across the country, made hair bows to sell, had lemonade stands and pancake breakfasts...all to raise funds for Resounding Hope. 

And so I've been putting in the miles (and miles...) through the cold Indiana winter and now stormy spring to be ready for the Indy 500 Mini (Half Marathon) on May 2 and to raise funds for more radios. 

I was determined not to be just a fair-weather runner, though the winter here can
get nasty. I only missed running outside one week because of ice and wind-chill
advisories (frostbite warnings etc), and one week because I pulled a calf muscle.

Can't have too many hats on when it's below freezing! 

Did you know: 

• 4 in 5 people in Haiti live in poverty
• 4 in 5 adults can't read well enough to cope with daily life

So these radios, powered by the sun, help connect often-illiterate, isolated, Voodoo-background households with the Bible in their heart language, with practical farming & health advice, life-saving information when disaster strikes, and friendly voices (like hubby Storly's) to help and encourage them.

My goal is to raise $3,900 to sponsor 65 solar radios - and bless 65 households in Haiti. That's $60 to sponsor one radio and reach a whole household. And 65 radios in honour of Radio 4VEH's 65th Anniversary in June. And thanks to some generous friends, I'm at 73% of my fundraising goal. 

You can help me reach my goal by making a donation of $20, $60, $100, $600 or any amount you can manage. Every little helps! Go to my online fundraising page here: http://org.grouprev.com/katesrunforresoundinghope to make an online donation. 

If you prefer, you can give by check, payable to One Mission Society with "407870-HRKM1 Kate's Run" in the memo line, and mail it to One Mission Society, PO Box 1648, Monument, CO 80132-1648. Your donation is tax-deductible in the US, and you will receive a receipt from One Mission Society. 

If you're in the UK and would like to give, make your cheque payable to One Mission Society, marked for Resounding Hope (Project RESHO) with a note "Kate's Run" and send to:

One Mission Society/OMS UK, 1 Sandileigh Ave, Manchester, M20 3LN Charity No. 245124    Tel: 0161 283 7992

Be sure to let me know so I can mark your donation against my goal on my fundraising page. 

So, what is the Indy Mini? 

• the biggest half-marathon in the USA - about 35,000 participants
• there's nothing mini about running 13.1 miles
• in Indianapolis, the big city nearest us
• it's part of the Indy500 racing car festival
• the route includes a 2.5 mile lap around the Indy500 racetrack at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - woohoo!
• and it's in 19 days - yikes!

Jam-packed, Overflowing: NRB#15

Back in February, Storly and I had a quick, jam-packed, overflowing visit with thousands of fellow Christian communicators at National Religious Broadcasters annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. And it was fabulous! It was my fifth Convention, and it's become one of the highlights of the year.

Why? Because it's a great reminder, a great encouragement and a great time to get better equipped and connected, to strive for excellence in our craft - of communicating the good news of Jesus through media - so that many people will hear the clear and compelling message, and will respond.

It's exciting to meet others in the same 'business', and to hear how God is using different ministries in so many powerful ways.

With the switch of the convention to four weekdays (instead of part-weekend), and our kids needing to be in school, we were really glad that Storly's mom could come from New York and stay with the girls so we could be away for one night, and one whole day (till 2 a.m. the next day!) at the convention.

Though there's a ton of opportunities to go to training seminars and general sessions, our focus at NRB has become meeting with people and ministries we are already, or are working towards collaborating with in some way, whether it's in programming, in promoting 4VEH among potential supporters, in documenting the impact of 4VEH's ministry, in training, in getting resources, equipment, tools to make the ministry more effective. Despite the tight schedule, we crammed in a bunch of meetings, over coffee, lunch, dinner, in between conference sessions and visits to the large exhibition hall.

Always on a tight budget, I don't usually go for any extras, but really loved the women's breakfast event. It was an honor to hear Meriam Ibrahim speak (she was sentenced to death in Sudan for being a Christian, gave birth in prison in shackles, was finally released). She asked us to pray for so many like her around the world who are being persecuted. Inspiring & challenging.

Also loved hearing Janet Parshall (host of weekday program on Moody Radio, In the Market with Janet Parshall, that I listen to a lot) speak about prayer.

We always look out for our friends at Faith Radio, based in Montgomery, Alabama, who in addition to their own local audiences, are partnering with us to bless English-speaking and English-learning listeners in Cap-Haitien through their broadcasts via 4VEH.  Here's us with Billy Irvin, Director of Ministry Relations at Faith Radio, and yes, he is more than a foot taller than me!

And below is the Faith Radio team in action at their booth - always a busy place. Bob Crittenden at the mic, interviewing Joni Eareckson Tada, Wiley Boswell, the engineer (in blue) and Billy.

Then a planning meeting with Ron Harris, president of MEDIAlliance International, who links Christian broadcasters in the United States with those in various places around the world (like us in Haiti) to grow the impact of Christian broadcasting and the Gospel of Christ. We first met Ron a few years ago, and I had the pleasure of hosting him and our good friend Tim Whitehead of Galcom International (who make our solar radios) on an evangelism & radio distribution visit to Haiti in 2011. Ron is helping us at 4VEH host a media training seminar this summer.

And below, taking pictures of people taking pictures of people taking pictures of people taking pictures. Crazy things happens when communicators get together. 

Fantastic to see the good folks at Galcom and MegaVoice (below), doing amazing things with solar, radio and audio technologies so that ministries like us can use reliable, effective tools to deliver the Gospel to people.

We first met Dianne Becker, an award-winning documentary producer, when she came to Haiti accompanied by the fabulous Sharon Mishler, to film for Radio 4VEH. I was in the morning-sickness stages of early pregnancy with Esther, and so didn't get to go out with Dianne :( 

Dianne produced this video for Radio 4VEH, and we're talking with her about documenting the impact of 4VEH ministry again. 

We also picked her brains on a few other things in the visual world, but more on that later.

Storly in the exhibition hall

Then we got to meet another redhead (always a blessing!). Barb Dowling and I have worked together before, but we've never actually met. Barb works with Faith FM in Kitchener, Ontario, and went on a Resounding Hope solar radios trip to Haiti, and shared some great stories on Faith FM on her return. When our family visited the team at Faith FM, Barb was away. So, it was great to meet in person, and to work on plans to share the Resounding Hope initiative again with the Faith FM audience.

And no photos, but we had a great meeting with ministry partners at TWR (Trans World Radio). Always good to share our 'how God moved us to the US' story, how He connected us with TWR (Storly is the Creole producer of TWR's Thru the Bible radio series) and to share needs, plans and dreams for the future at 4VEH.

One of the biggest impressions we've had over the years at NRB is that we go with this list of needs, burdens, things beyond our knowledge/understanding/training/reach, things we need help on, that we're struggling with, and as we talk with people, we hear "we can help you with that". That's the real beauty of gathering thousands of Christian communicators into the same space for a few days, the "we're together in this mission". Powerful stuff.

And on a final note, Storly didn't believe there's a sofa in the ladies restrooms at Gaylord Opryland Convention Center. But there is!