Racing 4 Ugandan kids togoto School

Janey and I travelled to Uganda earlier this year in what was a life changing experience. We went through an organization called Show Mercy International. They are based in Wakiso, Uganda and do daily missions throughout the week. They participate in a child sponorship program for $39/month.  There are many things that this sponsorship includes, but the two I would like to focus on is education and "Say No to Hunger."  Say No to Hunger provides them with a warm meal with meat every Saturday in surrounding villages. Education costs around $300 a year per child and most families have multiple children, The average income per family is about $300 per year. As you can see there is a gap between income and the cost of education with other living expenses they have. This often leads to children not being able to attend school or they have to choose which of their children they are going to send to school.  There are several children on a waiting list for sponsors so they can attend school. These children are so eager to learn and are extremely motivated to be educated so they can better their families and communities. 

"Education is the key to opportunity. It is the ticket out of poverty."  - George H. W. Bush

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela 

Here is my ask of you all:

I am running a race on September 16th in Vermont. It will be the hardest thing I have ever done physically in my life.  It is a Spartan Ultra Beast consisting of 30+ miles, 60 obstacles, with roughly 16,000 ft. elevation GAIN. From what I have read online only about 25%-30% of racers complete the race (70%+ failure rate). These statistics are terrifying so "I may fail in my attempt, but I will not fail to attempt." 

I have been training very hard since March in preperation for this race. I have successfully completed 6 Spartan Races in the past, but none longer than 14 miles to this point. Running is something I have come to love the past few years with the mental and physical toughness that it requires. When I am out trail running mountains it is just me and the environment and as you begin to tire all you begin to focus on is the essentials; breathing, water, food, and staying positive. The sad truth of this is in America I am choosing to put myself in a situation where all I have to rely on the basics, but in Uganda many children are forced to be in survival mode every day for the same essentials. While this race would be an incredible accomplishment for myself, I realize that only Christ can fulfill my every ,need.  The feeling of finishing this race will only be temporary, but the Love of Christ is everlasting. It is my hope that running for a greater purpose than myself will not only help me to finish the race, but also help me to carry that mentality of something bigger than myself on a daily basis and raise awareness for those less fortunate. 

How to Donate:

Whatever you are comfortable donating for this cause.

OR

Pledge a $1.10 for every mile that I complete in the Spartan Ultra Beast (estimated race length is 28-35 miles). 

$1.10  x  Xmiles = Your Pledge amount 
*I will post the total miles completed after the race on September 16th. 

For now: If you agree to pledge $1.10 per mile that I complete. Please just leave a comment ex. "in", "yes", "i commit", , "All IN" etc. 

I hope this brings more awareness to hunger and education all over the world and for those of you that are able to pledge or donate more money that is greatly appreciated. 

Goal:

To raise enough money to send 3 children to school for a year, but there are 27 children waiting to be sponsored. Would love to blow my goal out of the water and see all of these wonderful children have an opportunity to go to school! 

You can find out more about Show Mercy International at the URL below.  

http://showmercy.org/smi/ 

Child Sponsorship - http://showmercy.org/smi/orphan-care-sponsorship/ 

Say No To Hunger - http://showmercy.org/smi/say-no-to-hunger/