I am very proud of and excited for my wife Liz.  She is going to run a marathon in Kenya this fall with a team from World Vision. I am sure it will be a fun trip, but its purpose is not ultimately to vacation or sight see. She is going with the intent to raise money for World Vision.

She has written a letter that is below, and that gives a lot of the details about what the trip entails. Please read it.

Liz and I currently sponsor 4 children currently through World Vision (you can see their beautiful faces here). As you will see in her note, she is trying to get 50 new children sponsored, which will trigger a new wave of comprehensive community development in those children’s town.

Sponsoring a child is a big deal, but it also makes a big impact.

When you are doing reading this letter, email me at dhill@rivercity.cc if you are open to learning more about this opportunity.

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Hello Friends and Family,

I am writing to share exciting news with you – this fall, I will be traveling to Kenya to participate in the Nairobi Marathon!

I have always dreamed of going to Africa, so this is very exciting. But the ultimate reason that I decided to say yes is not because of a marathon or the chance to travel.  I am going on this trip to raise money for World Vision and to make a long term impact in the lives of the families and children in Bartabwa, Kenya. Daniel and I have been working with World Vision for almost a decade now. We believe in the organization. World Vision has a perfect four star rating from Charity Navigator– incredible for such a large organization- and puts almost 90% of the funds raised to directly benefit people.  Daniel and I sponsor 4 children through World Vision (probably more after this!). We believe in the child sponsorship model because:

• Sponsorships benefit the entire community. A sponsorship provides a steady amount of money to the area in which the child lives. This money can help to fund small items – like a school uniform for the child – but it can also help support large-scale projects in the child’s area.
• Sponsorships allow a child to feel special. Children correspond with their sponsors and grow up knowing that someone half a world away cares about them.
• Sponsorships allow the sponsor to develop a special relationship with a child.  As a sponsor, you are able to correspond with the child as they grow and thrive. You learn about the child’s world and what his/her day-to-day life is like.

That is what makes this trip so very important for me.  I, along with 14 other people, have committed to finding sponsors for 50+ children in the Bartabwa area. The number 50 is significant. If we each reach our 50+ sponsorship goal, it will translate into building a pipeline of fresh water for the people of Bartabwa.

That stirs something inside of me. I can’t imagine what it would be like to wake each morning wondering where your water will come from and that is the current condition for HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of men, women, and children in that area. You and I could end that together.

That is why I am writing you, and why I am asking you to join me in this cause. I understand that it is a very significant commitment to sponsor a child, and I don’t ask you to consider it lightly.  If you know me well, you know that to even ask is far outside of my comfort zone. But I believe in World Vision, and I believe in what can happen through our work in Bartabwa. I am all in and am asking you to consider participating too.

Will you consider sponsoring a child?  For $35/month you can transform both a child’s life and the community in which they live. We can bring clean drinking water to a place that does not have it.

I believe this is an opportunity for you to impact Africa, and for Africa to impact you. Thanks for your consideration and your prayers,

Liz