Mark Wilkerson’s Blog

March 9 Update

March 9, 2010

Spiritual Prep
As I contemplated the Word of God from the scripture yesterday, mercy is in the center of my mind. Justice is what most everyone cries for yet it is not what we really want. Justice is an easy thing to ask for when it is being administered to others or when we have been wronged. However, when I inspect and really look at my life, yeah I would rather have mercy. I cannot stand in the presence of the Lord or you and demand justice. Thanks be to the Lord for his mercy.

Story about Haiti

Clean water is vital to the health of the people in Haiti. At the refugee stations, there is an immediate need to provide clean drinking water for the thousands. The make shift process works with one small filter and 2 five gallon buckets, one being poured through the filter to the other. After obtaining over 200 water filters there was a need for over 400 five gallon buckets. A group of women at a Church in Burlington, Kentucky decided to supply these buckets and put out a call for help. And help arrived to fully fund the cost of the needed buckets. But the really cool part was how everyone got involved and what came next. The women made and put labels on each bucket before they were sent to Haiti. It said in Creole (the language in Haiti), “Ask me about living water” (John 4). This small act of faith may just cause one person to ask of those offering mercy with clean drinking water to tell about “Living Water”. Is that great or what! God’s people love Him.

Training Prep
Rode my bike today for 1 hour and 15 minutes. I tried to keep my heart rate at a constant 125 bpm (beats per minute). I ride indoors when the weather is bad. For Christmas, JJ and Franklin (our daughter and son in law) gave me an apparatus I can put my road bike in and use it just like I was outdoors. It is cool. I started last year substituting a long bike ride for the long runs recommended by most training programs. Easier on the aging knees. Getting in shape and losing weight is all about the heart rate and time. I will give you some thoughts on that as we go. See you tomorrow.

March 8 Update

March 8, 2010

Spiritual Prep
My thoughts today center on how I can’t imagine a day without feeling the redeeming love of God.  For far too many years I sought redemption in my own strength.  The world values and rewards strength.  Yet in the face of sin and death, my own strength is useless.  I am very disappointed in myself as I consider how weak I am spiritually.  When I  face the truth about myself all I am able to do is to bow and yield to the living God and ask that His power, wisdom and mercy rule in my life.  For in my inner most being, you know that place where you face yourself in the presence of the Lord, where it is just you and Him; I find myself humbled and  I am sometimes overcome by emotions of sorrow about my ability to behave and act in accordance with His goodness.  Yet when I leave that place, I am comforted by the understanding that He is God and has provided mercy for my weakness.  With my faith strengthened and my spirit comforted, I can push forward and face the days and nights.

Matthew 9:13 “But go and learn what this means, I desire compassion, and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Story about Haiti

As we launch this effort, Cameron from NWHCM shared this with me!

“When I first experienced the medical work at NWHCM, I could tell God was saving lives through the medical work!  In one day, I had experienced the following:  an IV being started on a three year old girl with typhoid, a pregnant mom giving birth, a six-month old coming for a check that weighed only seven pounds, and holding 3 lb. 12 oz. Isaiah who was born three days earlier on the side of the road where his mother died.  I praise God that Mark has stepped up to make this a priority and to help us meet the medical needs in Haiti.”—Cameron Mayhill, Director of Development, NWHCM

Training Prep
Today I ran Intervals.  This is a method of running to help your speed and conditioning.  I warm up by running ½ mile at a slower than race pace.  Then I sprint ¾ for a mile at a pace faster than race pace.  Then I walk ¼ mile and then start the sprint again.  I do this for 4 miles, then finish with a ½ mile at a slower than race pace to cool down.   I am watching my diet as well.  I need to drop at least 5 pounds before the race.

See you tomorrow.  Remember, to reach 1,000,000 pennies pledged it will take you and all your friends passing this on to entire email address books and asking everyone to pass it on to their friends.  See you tomorrow.  In Him who can do more than we ask!

Welcome

March 7, 2010

WELCOME: Thanks for coming to “Run Mark Run” and learning what this is all about. If you were asked by a friend to check it out, please read the introduction below. It is a short synopsis of what’s up. Thanks again for your time and consideration.

Introduction: The purpose of “Run Mark Run” is to raise money and create a fund for the on-going and long term cost of medical care for people in Haiti. Many of you along with others around the world have sent money for food, water, shelter and the care of orphans after the huge earthquake in Haiti. Doctors, medical workers and many others have offered their hands in service. What great gifts of money and time have been given to the people of a country that before this tragedy had little hope with hardships already almost too much to bear.

After these contributions are spent on the immediate needs, what will not be funded is the continuing care and rehabilitation of the sick and injured as the country works to dig out and rebuild. This continuing medical care expense is one of the most difficult needs to get funded by contributions. This need has existed all along but is much greater with the devastation and large amount of injuries.

Missions and Charities understand their commitment to provide the specific things for which people are giving money. If money is for food, then food is what it is used to provide, if for orphans then it is used for orphans. That is why we decided to do “Run Mark Run”. It is specifically to raise a large fund to provide for the continuing medical needs of the people of Haiti. It is not just for medicine and equipment but also to provide the money necessary to hire, train and operate the hospitals and clinics needed on a daily basis.
We have teamed up with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission. These men and women along with their families are in a strategic location to administer this care. This organization is healthy and has been at work on the island for over 30 years. Their record, reputation and ability to administer these funds and work with the local government of Haiti is outstanding. To know more about the organization, go to nwhcm.org to see all the work they are doing and to meet some of the people. There you will see all of the outreaches like the orphanage, birthing center, medical clinic and feeding program to name a few. All of this is done in the name of Jesus with the love and compassion his spirit places in their hearts.

So here’s the gig. To raise money we have set up Facebook, Twitter and this blog where people can pledge pennies for every runner I pass in the OneAmerica Mini Marathon race held in Indianapolis on May 8th, 2010. It is the largest mini-marathon in the United States. I will start at the rear of all the runners (about 40,000 total participants) and work my way through the runners to the finish. The race is 13.1 miles. This is the only race I participate in regularly each year. My best time is 2 hours and 20 minutes from start to finish.   I only run for health as you can tell by my not so competitive time. However, for a 59 year old bald guy, I am blessed with the good health to be active and can complete this distance with some occasional walking. I hope to recruit others to run a mile or two along the way and will keep you posted on who I might talk into joining me. I have no idea how many people I can pass and not have them pass me back. The goal would be a minimum of 12,000 runners. This means if you pledge a penny for every person I pass and 12,000 is the number; your pledge would be worth $120. If you pledge 2 cents per person that would be is $240 and 5 cents pledged would be $600. Just think what it would mean if we could reach thousands of donors. Together we could create a medical fund that might endow a hospital and needed medical care for years to come. It seems like a huge goal and I understand how you might feel. I felt that way myself. Upon reflection, I found these precepts…….

• “with God, all things are possible” Matt 19:26
• “He or She who expects little won’t be disappointed.” Author unknown

I am committed to posting each day on this blog some of what is going on around “Run Mark Run”. We will include stories from Haiti so you can learn about the people your pennies will help. In addition, I will add some quick notes on how I am preparing both spiritually and physically over the days till the actual race. CJ (my wife of 33 years) and I plan to travel to Haiti before the race just as last year. 

I am prayerfully asking for you to pass these links on to as many people as possible. We are asking the Spirit of the Lord through his gift of technology to virally enable us raise through you and those you enlist with this media, thousads of pennies pledged for every fellow runner I pass. It is a large petition and it will take the Lord to make this happen. He has given us the power of email, face book, blogging and the internet. Let’s use this power to touch every one you know and ask them to give pennies in His Name. Our God is an Awesome God.

Amen.

See you at the finish line and thanks in advance for your faithfulness to this request!  Mark and CJ