Thursday, March 31, 2011

running with beautiful feet

last weekend i drove 2 hours to cedarville after a long work day and week for the 2nd annual possible impossibilities 10k run/walk/relay. it was so stinking cold....

rewind to september 2009: i had just started my senior year at cedarville which included classes, an internship, a couple of jobs, and i was media/publicity coordinator for the IJM chapter. i had just started running again during the summer. one of our officers mentioned that she was training for a marathon and i thought to myself that organizing a race at cedarville would be cool. i could plan something, run, and we could say we were doing it to fight injustice. we began the beginning stages of planning and it soon turned into something more than a race to fight injustice. we decided to support GRACEHAVEN HOUSE- a safehouse for victims of domestic minor sex trafficking in the columbus, oh area (http://www.gracehavenhouse.org). when i told people we were organizing a 10k and that they should run, the response i got was a giantic laugh followed by, i can barely walk 6.2 miles (10 k), let along run it. so we prayed more and thought about it and tried to relate running a 10 k- a seemingly impossible task- to coming out of a life of oppression and bondage. understanding that for these girls, it takes alot of more than deciding to come out of a life of oppression or even being rescue- it takes perseverance, determination, dedication, and community of people supporting and encouraging you. similar things needed in order to train for a marathon or 10 k.

so we got people on board. fast forward to the race. we had 690 register total, and 594 show up on race day. we raised over $20,000 for Gracehaven. what i saw that day was indescribable. when we first started planning, the LORD put Hab. 1:5 on my heart to be the theme verse for the race- "look at the nations and watch -and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." this is the only way i can describe that day and the events. seeing people coming out in the freezing cold, to run a race, to raise money for girls who are victims of a horrific crime whom they have never met- wow. people came in hoards towards the end of registration. it was amazing. i was utterly amazed and i wouldn't have believed you if you told me.

fast forward to last saturday: i came back to see 2 amazing girls, who helped last year, taking on this project and exceeding what we did last year. i cried happy tears. i was- am- so incredible proud of these girls for taking this on, trusting the LORD, and believing that justice is something worth fighting for. they raised money for an organization called Daughters of Cambodia- (http://daughtersofcambodia.org/)- an amazing organization and all the money raised will go to be a salary for women so they have another option besides selling their bodies. i cannot wait to see how much was raised. almost 500 people came out to run this race again. the weather was even colder. but still- i was amazed to see that people came out to run for girls they have never met- but girls they know about. girls they have been praying for. girls whose names were on runners arms as they ran 6.2 miles. 

being a part of something bigger than yourselves. brook fraser has a song called- albertine which i amazing and says- 'now that i have seen, i am responsible.' now that you know you are responsible. you must tell. you are not being part of the movement to end slavery, to fight for justice if you do not educate-- if you do not fight. the 2nd annual 10k was such an encouragement. who would have thought that some crazy idea that got laughed at countless times would first, raise so much money, second- happen AGAIN a second year, and third, continue to educate people on an issue that is so close to the heart of God and bring people out to run 6.2 miles is 40 degree weather. 

i feel like i have so much more to say- but i am just without words for how cool it was to see so many people out again. to know that a crazy idea can have such an impact. i got to pray for the race on saturday which was great...and SHOOT OFF THE PISTOL! :) so great, except i stood in the middle of the path and got mauled by runners- should have stood in the grass. 

long- all for now. take crazy ideas from the Lord and run with beautiful feet.




***If you want to give to Gracehaven House- www.gracehavenhouse.org/howtohelp/donate
or Daughters of Cambodia- http://ijm.cedarville.org -(also to find out race numbers and totals!)

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

parent's have 50 years of experience playing games, Sam.

there is a reason there was such a large gap between my most recent post and the one before it. i have no time to write. but i have to write about these things the kids said before i get to a post about the 2nd Annual Possible Impossibilities 10K!!

first- coloring. i am so tired in the mornings when i arrive that i usually color for most of the morning. it's great when all the girls are at the table because i feel like i am interacting with them, all the while trying to wake up still. 
i am a coloring master. yes, i am a good 15 years or so older than most of the kids, and i have had all the time to perfect my coloring skills, but, almost every day i get compliments on my great coloring skills. sometimes they just sit and watching me color...kind of awkward. but, i am glad to have the title of best color-er... ;)

Kaitlin- pyscho-perky- freakishly smart, tiny 6 year old girl. she colors me a picture every day. first time she spelled my name right. since then, the amount of 'E's' in jen varies from 2-3: jeen, jene, jeene... this same girl- kaitlin- can entertain herself coloring, reading a book, or one morning, playing mancala  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mancala) - great game. she was playing a game and i came over and asked if she wanted to play me in a game. she agreed and of course she went first. her turn lasted FOREVER. she was so good. she got at least half, if not more, of the marbles in her side of the board before i even had a turn. so i comment on how good she is and that we need to play another game so i can win. she goes- 'uh, probably not. i usually only play 2 games of mancala a day and this is my second. so i probably can't play with you again.' thanks.

as soon as sam (2nd grade) got into the cafeteria one day he immediately comes up to me and asks me to play LIFE with him. I am half asleep, but agree. we had got everything set up, we each took a turn. one boy comes up to us and watches us play. right away sam tells him to leave, but i tell sam that he isn't hurting us by watching and say that he wants to stay and watch ME win the game. sam goes, 'i'll win!' and the boy, luke (kindergarten), goes, 'sam- parent's have life 50 years of experience playing games, you won't win.' i died. (so i'm assuming i am considered a parent because i'm a grown up). ' my dad even has 50 years of experience.' i go, luke, is your dad 50 and he says no. he goes 'maybe 50 years of school or something.' Sam: 'dude, college isn't 50 years, maybe like 20 or something...' i could barely keep from laughing. we play a few more turns and sam goes, 'i'm winning because i have 20 years of experience.' i say, really... sam goes 'okay, maybe 1 year i think.' seriously, most hysterical thing i have heard. if only i could record what their voices sound like on here.

i ended up loosing the game sadly. this is no good for me because i am so competitive that i hate to let the kids win. 

that same morning i had to go straight to LOFT for work and i put on my black boyfriend blazer, a pink shirt, skinny jeans and flats. i walk about just before the bell rings and Sam goes' man, you sure look pretty, are you going to a prom or something?' no, no prom in jeans. 

brianna (4th grade- from previous post) told me she was excited to go to high school, only she didn't want to dissect frogs because she really likes frogs and asks why she has to dissect one. i tell her that frogs are plentiful and that's just what you have to do. she goes, 'why frogs though? why can't we just dissect a lion or something...are they alive when you dissect them?' pretty sure a lion would eat you before you are able to dissect it. 

10K post coming soon.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

kids say the darndest things

it has been forever since i've posted anything. it's been a tough, long few months with a few good things thrown in also. in that time, i got a new job at LOFT and just recently got a job at the YMCA doing before/after care at a school by my house. i've also had to start paying on loan. wah, wah, wah. no fun. so, in the past week or so, i have had a burst of motivation to get a big kid, grown up job even though i am still struggling through getting my degree. in my mind, it seems to be the only logical way to get this degree finished up in a timely fashion and pay stupid student loans. bah.

so, i figured why not start blogging again, giving insight into what i'm learning, jobs that are working out, and some of the crazy things the kids i work with say, among other things...here are a few tidbits.
.......................
i started last monday. arrived at school at  6:30 in the morning :/ first kid walks in. sam. he's in the second grade he tells me, because he was held back (i find out later he has severe ADHD and other behavioral issues). he is asking me questions about myself...'so, you out of high school and what not, in college?' i say, yes, i'm out of high school, almost done with college. he says, 'well that's cool, looks like you are living the life then.' i died. living the life by almost finishing up college...

brianna (4th grade) was asking what i was going to college for. i said social work, mentioned that i wanted to be a doctor before that. she then proceeds to tell me about her grandmother. 'my grandma went to 10 different colleges. she has 10 different degrees.'  i said, wow, she must be really rich to be able to afford all of that. she says' no, she want to online college (hahaha). She has a doctor degree, she's like a brain surgeon, a teaching degree, a social work degree, a business degree, a law degree...i can't remember the other 5 though...' i was cracking up. that would be quite a woman.

jack asked me to play chess, which i have no idea how to play. i said sure, and that i'd try to play (a couple of kids said they'd help me). mid way through play, it started to get intense. i was losing pretty bad, jack was telling me to move places so he could take my pieces. this one kid came up and started helping me. maybe 3rd grade. he is into the game, taking time to look at all my options before he tells me where to move. i know i am losing bad, so i joke around and say- if only i could just move this way and SHAZAM jack's pieces out of the way. i said this a few times, saying SHAZAM each time. then, the kid who was helping was like, 'NO! you can't. if you SHAZAM that piece he can just take this one away.' died laughing as he kept saying SHAZAM.

i always get the same three questions: miss jen, are you married? do you have kids? how old are you? today, i was subbing at another school, and this girl asks me how old i am. i said, 23. she goes, 'wow, you look was younger.' i said, really, how old? she said, 'hmm, maybe 20 or so.' hahaha.

there have been others i have not been fortunate to remember. but just wait, i'm sure i will have new stories tomorrow morning. :)