May 3, 2010

Spiritual Prep

This is CJ, Mark’s wife of 33 years.  I am subbing in tonight because he needs a break.  We were up at 4:00 am and traveled in from St. Thomas to arrive and tackle the unpacking, mail sorting, outside chores and other home duties that pile up while gone from home.  Mark quickly unpacked, put on his workout clothes and hit the elipitcal.  I am utterly in awe of his dedication to this cause.   He is relentless and I’ve pondered this.  What drives a person to go the extra mile day after day, even when you are exhausted and hurting?  I think it’s when we’ve stared real need in the face and that face haunts us and stirs something inside of us that is bigger and more important than ourselves.  For us, it is the faces of hundreds of helpless Haitian women and children.   It is the fearful eyes of the Haitian men as they deliberate over and over again on how they will care for their families.  And it is the weak, the elderly, the sick, the disabled, the orphaned …  who will stand in the gap for them?  Who will sacrifice a little to help a lot? 

Also haunting is the knowledge of how far an American dollar will go in Haiti.  We ate dinner out tonight and it makes me sick to think of what those same dollars could have done in Haiti.  I believe it’s similar thinking that makes Mark go that extra mile each and every day. 

To those of you who are following Mark’s journey on this blog, may I ask in this final week that you keep him in your prayers and ask Him Who has planted this burden in Mark’s heart, to give him the strength, the health, the stamina and everything that it will take to cross that finish line Saturday and that nothing or no one impede the cause.  We never forget the reason for all of this … simply, to pool our resources for the severe needs in Haiti.  We may miss a few meals but what a worthy sacrifice and cause.

Training Prep

Mark did an hour and 8 miles on the eliptical this afternoon.  He needed some time without heavy impact.  He will start unwinding and hope for rest in order to be at the top on Saturday.  I’m going to feed him a good power breakfast and be sure he has an ample supply of runner’s jelly beans!