Week 1

My training program for the Madison Marathon has officially begun. This week I ran a total of 18 miles. This morning I ran 8 miles in and around the Arboretum with two men who are veteran marathoners. It was a beautiful run as the sun was coming up. It was a little windy and cold (26 degrees when I left my house at 6:45 a.m.) but it felt good to be up and out in the world when things are quiet and most people are still sleeping.

When I think about the next 4 months of training I am mostly excited but occasionally overwhelmed. I am excited because I feel so proud of myself for setting such an ambitious goal that will push me beyond anything I've ever imagined I could do or would even want to do. I feel overwhelmed when I think of finding the time and energy to get my 4 weekly runs and 2 weekly cross-training classes in. My greatest asset at this point is the fact that I am a person who thrives on routine and discipline. I love to do lists and see my Marathon training plan as a 4 month to do list. I know I'll take pleasure every morning in crossing off each day's first task.

As I look at the next 4 months with thoughts about Haiti on my mind and heart I hope and pray that by the time I cross the finish line of the Madison Marathon the situation in Haiti will be more stable than it is right now. I hope that people will have access to food and water and shelter that is reliably available. I hope the world community will have agreed to cancel Haiti's debt and to see the aid being given by goverment organizations as grants rather than loans. I hope that people will be steadily rebuilding their lives. But for right now, as of this week, I know that food and water and shelter continue to be difficult to come by and the supplies on the ground are largely inadequate.

This week the core leader of Haiti Partners MCC, Bryan Sirchio, is in Haiti along with 4 others taking supplies and cash to our Haitian Partners in order to support their efforts to feed and provide water and shelter to the students of the Community School of Cite Soleil and the SPARE students and their families (see haitipartnersmcc.org for more information on these programs) and to support the ministries of CONASPEH, partners of our denomination's Global Partners Missionaries. CONASPEH (The National Spiritual Council of Protestant Churches in Haiti) is an ambitious organization made up of Protestant churches and their pastors that provides training for nurses, mobile medical clinics, schools for children, education and training for pastors and many other programs and efforts that work for justice and a better life in Haiti.

The primary building out of which CONASPEH operated in Port au Prince collapsed in the earthquake killing many of their nursing students and others. In the face of this incredible loss they are casting a courageous and ambitious vision for recovery. (See www.globalministries.org for more information on this ministry and partnership.)

Throughout my training I will be selecting a weekly Psalm to read each morning and reflect upon as I run and work out. This week I've been reading and praying Psalm 138 as interpreted by Nan C. Merrill in her book Psalms for Praying. Psalm 138 includes these words:

"All the leaders of the earth shall one day praise You,
When your Word awakens in every heart;
And they shall proclaim the new dawn of Light and Love,"

I pray that this will be so in the case of Haiti, in the case of all the places in the world crying out for justice and peace. I pray that this time of training for a marathon will also be a time of deepening faith and growing compassion.

Until next week,
Amen.