On April 18,2010 Laurie Plante completed all 12.4 miles of the Penn Relays Distance Classic 20k in an amazing time of 1:42:53. Two weeks later, DribbleTheWorld was back in Philly to support Kellyn Lovell in the Broad Street Run on a very hot and humid Sunday morning! Kellyn was equally as impressive, with a time of 1:40:29. What was so special about Laurie and Kellyn’s involvement in the Broad Street Run? That with these races, these girls put us up to  number 16 on our list of events dribbled to draw awareness to African orphans and children who are in poverty worldwide!

Praise God for what He is allowing us to do for Him and His children! The girls were also able to fundraise $2040 through their efforts. With these donations, Laurie and Kellyn asked that $1040 be sent to Sou La Woch, the orphanage that the two were able to visit during their time in Haiti.  The girls decided to have DribbleTheWorld save $1000 for them to be able to go back to Haiti and minister to the children there.

It has been said, “With great knowledge comes great responsibility.” Recently, I was exposed to devastating, heart-breaking knowledge.  Knowledge that has sparked a great sense of responsibility within me, which has inspired a belief that change is possible and an undeniable calling to be an active part of that change. This great knowledge has moved me to action, and I would like to share some of its startling realities in hopes that it will move you as well.    

The Cause: Human Sex Trafficking

Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor.  It is a modern-day form of slavery, and the fastest growing criminal industry in the world.  The area of human trafficking that I am particularly focused on is sexual exploitation.

Quick facts on global sex trafficking:

• The International Labor Organization estimates that there are at least 12.3 million adults and children in forced labor, bonded labor, and commercial sexual servitude at any given time
• 1.2 million children are being trafficked every year; this is in addition to the millions already held captive by trafficking 
• 2 children are sold every minute
• UNICEF reports approximately 30 million children have lost their childhood through sexual exploitation over the past 30 years
• The average age of a trafficked victim is 11-14 years old
• People are trafficked from 127 countries to be exploited in 137 countries  
• The total market value of illicit human trafficking is estimated to be in excess of $32 billion
• By the end of 2010 human trafficking will be the second largest crime worldwide

This is just a brief snapshot of the horrific acts occurring around the world and in our own backyards, and it is one that requires much from all of us.  There are many organizations nationally and internationally that have made some progress for those affected by sex trafficking, but the efforts, resources and voices of us all are still greatly needed.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuhhb65i9xo&NR=1)

Our part

To help spread awareness and gain support for this cause, I will be running the Twin Cities Half Marathon on July 4, 2010 (http://www.mtcmarathon.org/HalfMarathon) as Jamie Miller dribbles all 13.1 miles with a basketball!  The money we raise through running 13.1 miles will be to support the Stitt Family whose compassion for those affected by sex trafficking will bring them to the Home of Hope, a refuge in Moldova where victims of this evil practice may come to find healing and restoration, as well as educational opportunities which will help to regain them a place in a functioning society.

Donations

I will be running the race under the umbrella of an organization I have become passionately involved with called Ball for Lives  which exists to fight injustices such as sex trafficking.

100% of your donations to my participation in this race will go directly to Ball for Lives and be provided to the Stitt Family. These funds will enable the Stitts to spend two years in the Home of Hope, bringing healing, support, and life to women and children whose innocence and lives have been violently taken from them.  To learn more about the Stitt Family and their mission to help heal victims of sex slavery visit their site,  PatrickandKalyna.com. 

Donations can be made in the following ways:

1.)    To donate electronically, click on the “donate” button in the top right corner DribbletheWorld.com.  This will lead you to a payment page where you can pay and leave a memo stating what your gift is for by simply typing “TC Half-Marathon”

2.)    To donate via check, please make check out to “Ball for Lives” and write “TC Half-Marathon” in the memo line. Mail to

Ball for Lives, Inc. - 395 Park Ave – Fairview, NJ 07022

Please remember any donation you make on behalf of this cause is tax-deductible, and Ball for Lives will provide you with a letter of acknowledgement for your gift at the end of the 2010 calendar year. 

My gratitude

2 children are sold into slavery every minute.  This means that nearly 260 children will be sold into slavery while I run 13.1 miles on the morning of July 4^th.  Please, please join me in this fight against sex trafficking.  As cliché as it may sound, the reality is that every small display of acknowledgement and support of this senseless crime does indeed make a difference in the life of a woman or child being sold into sex trafficking.

Please feel free to email me with questions:

nsmith1211@gmail.com

Thank you for taking the time to consider this cause, and I appreciate anything you can contribute.

God Bless,

Nicole

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,

Because the LORD has anointed Me

To preach good tidings to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

Isaiah 61:1-3 NKJV

Two years later Dribble the World was introduced to Samaritan’s Feet, a non-profit organization with a goal of providing 10 million shoes to 10 million kids in poverty around the world. Through their ministry we discovered that 300 million people wake up each morning without a pair of shoes to protect their feet from injury, infection, disease, and death.

Needless to say, we were moved to join the barefoot movement! But instead of one of us dribbling a full marathon barefoot, we decided to do our own event, El Maraton Descalzo (The Barefoot Marathon)!  

On Sunday, May 30, 2010, 13 dribblers (with 13 running partners) will run barefoot for two miles each in a relay totalling 26.2 miles (a barefoot marathon!) .   

INSPIRED TO HELP US PUT NEW SHOES ON LITTLE FEET? Two simple ways to donate:

1. Text SHOES to 85944 and $5 will be added to your phone bill and donated directly to Samaritan’s Feet.

2. Donate to Ball for Lives, and help us cover costs of the event and make the first ever Maraton Descalzo huge!

El Maraton Descalzo starts at 1:00pm on the Hudson River Walkway in West New York, NJ. Participants will dribble south through Weehawken, Hoboken and Jersey City to the Statue of Liberty, then loop back toward the starting point.

Spread the word about what we’re doing to everyone, check out the ministry of Samaritan’s Feet, and pray that God would do a great work in and through us! As Jesus said:

“You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

Dribble the World – Apple Blossom 5k, Williamson, NY. May 14, 2010. from Josh Crocker on Vimeo.

Support Josh and Nate as they run Dribble the World's next 5K in Vibram Five Fingers!

Check out barefoot running shoes at VibramFiveFingers.com

Josh and Nate were two of my basketball teammates at Baptist Bible College in PA. Josh is easily one of the funniest people I’ve ever met! And Nate was in my class, so we had a lot of great times together. But what has made both of them the men they are to so many people is their love for Jesus Christ. Josh has spoken to me several times about bringing the efforts of Ball for Lives to his area of upstate NY. The X Fund was started at their church last weekend!

They asked for this race to benefit “Helping Haiti Rebuild” a ministry their church in Marion has started. Any donations Ball for Lives receives will be sent to this ministry. I hope you were able to see the beautiful orphans that Laurie and Kellyn dribbled for last month in Philadelphia. Let’s continue to use Dribble the World to save these precious lives, just as Christ gave His life to save ours.

-Occh

Kellyn and I were in the same dorm in college. What I had the chance to learn about her is that she is an extremely passionate person. Her heart is so genuine and when she wants to help someone, she doesn’t hold back. Kellyn, like Laurie, had the opportunity to go to Haiti. The second time she went was in March when she went with Laurie. Since then, they have been forever changed by their time there. Lau and Kellyn both fell in love with an orphanage called Sou La Woch (On The Rock) in Ounaminthe, Haiti.

Here’s a little of what Kellyn had to say when I asked her about why she wanted to dribble one of the most popular 10 mile races in the country:

“I love when things in my life connect. I met Occh maybe a week before his Marathon and loved the idea. I have wanted to do a race since then, but it never really worked out. I think it’s cool that God brought it back into my life at the time that He did. Haiti has been so heavy on my heart since my first trip in July and I have wanted to do something about it. Enter you, Laurie and DribbleTheWorld. It must have been a God thing. One of the things that I love about this whole experience is the opportunity to synthesize the gifts and passions God has given me in an amazing way! I’m passionate about running, basketball and using sports to glorify God. I’m passionate about Haiti, social activism and helping people. I guess I was just meant for this.”

You sure were Kellyn! :]

So what can YOU do? A lot of people say, “I could never dribble a race!” So here are some tangible ways that we can help Kellyn in her efforts to continue to support the children at Sou La Woch.

YOU CAN:

1. Pray: 2 Corinthians 1:11 says: ¹¹ you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.”

2. Cheer Kellyn on! Live in the Philly area? Come on over to the Broad Streeet Run and encourage Kellyn along the way! Can’t make it there on May 2? Send her a message, Facebook her, or like we said above, pray for her!

3. Support DribbleTheWorld: Our mission is to use basketball to rescue African orphans and children in poverty around the world. Laurie and Kellyn became involved first hand by helping people who they were able to build relationships with-real people who are struggling in Haiti. Know of any social issues that you feel we should be involved with? Email us!

4. Give: If you’re interested in supporting Kellyn, there are three ways that you can do so. You can use PayPal, (top right of this page), make a check payable to Ball for Lives, Inc. 395 Park Ave. Fairview, NJ 07022, or give your donation directly to Kellyn. (All donations are tax-deductible).

-ash

Laurie will be dribbling to support The Fondation Madame Mauviette Toussaint, an orphanage in Haiti that she was able to work with while she was on her Spring Break from BBC  in March.  Here are some of Laurie’s favorite pictures from her time there.

Laurie was used mightily during her time in Haiti. She was a blessing to the children at the Fondation and to all of those she came in contact with. Her desire to seek Christ and use her talents for Him is inspiring to those around her. Here are some more pictures of the basketball courts in Haiti and a group photo of Laurie and a group of kids she was able to play soccer with throughout the week.

Check back next week to see how she did! We’re praying for you Lau and can’t wait to see you dribbling on Sunday! Praise the Lord for what He is doing with you and through you!

-ash

Whitney before dribbling 13.1 miles!

     If you told me 5 years ago that I would dribble a half marathon, I would say you were crazy.  Even a year ago, I could barely run a mile!!!   The Lord has really blessed me this last year and changed my heart so much.  This time last year I barely knew what Ball for Lives was.  I knew that Occh had dribbled the 2007 Marathon, but I was only beginning to find out why and now it is such a HUGE part of my life.  Everyone involved has become my family and they continually challenge me to strive for God’s will in my life.

     I loved seeing Ashley and Eric run their races. Running around NYC, cheering them on, was so much fun.   Even at those races, I had no desire even to run a half, let alone to dribble one.  Being a spectator is fun and it really motivates the participants, but it didn’t really challenge me.  It is something I love doing, supporting others, and I can do it forever. 

     One day though, I received an e-mail for a World Vision 13.1 Marathon in NYC to help people who don’t have something as basic as clean drinking water;  and I just felt that God was tugging at my heart strings to get out of my comfort zone, to challenge myself physically, to do something for others.  I really didn’t give it a second thought, I e-mailed Occh and Ash and said I was doing it!  If you know me, you could tell I am no runner and at barely 5ft, I was never encouraged to play basketball or even dribble one, but I had no doubt that I could do this if I put it in the Lord’s hands.  It was something I really wanted to accomplish before my 30^th birthday (yes, I am 30!!) 

Check out those green DribbleTheWorld shirts!

     Occh and Ash had to basically teach me how to dribble. Occh made me do drills everyday to work on my ball handling.  He really knows what he is doing.  Through it all, everyone in Ball for Lives was so encouraging, always believing in me.  I just want to thank everyone: Thank you Occh, Ash, Mundo, Steve, Jimmy, Cristian, Ron, Femundo, Ana, Morgan, Fairview Gospel Church, ACTION! Group!!! Thank you for your love and prayers!

Whit tore it up on Saturday!!

     This past Saturday was one of the most amazing days of my life.  It meant so much to know how many people were standing behind me, but most of all I knew that Jesus was in control.  I have two good legs, two good arms, I am capable of doing this.  There are people all over the world who are suffering, who are hurting, who need food, who need water, why can’t I run 13.1 miles for them?  And I did it! And it was not that hard considering what others have to go through daily.  To think that God could challenge me, that He could use me, boggles my mind, but He did, and He can use you too!! 

     You may not be called to dribble a marathon, but maybe you can visit an elderly person in your community, or volunteer  at an afterschool program, who knows?  I am so excited to see what He does next in my life.

Whit was amazing on Saturday! Great job! Thank you so much for sharing with others your desire to continually be used by Christ! The Lord is pleased with your compassionate heart and willingness to take action in helping others halfway across the globe. Your story is definitely an inspiring one-one that only Christ could write! Thank you for EVERYTHING you do for Ball for Lives. We love you girl!!

-ash

Fast Facts on Unclean Drinking Water:

• 12 million people die each year from lack of safe drinking water. (WHO).
• Over 80% of the disease in developing countries is related to poor drinking water and sanitation. (WHO) .
• The average distance a woman in Africa walks to collect water is roughly 4 miles (www.whrnet.org).
• Women are the primary caretakers for those who fall ill from water-related diseases, reducing their time available for education and productive economic efforts. (www.unfpa.org)  
• In some parts of Africa, women spend almost 85% of their day getting water, increasing incidences of anemia and other health problems. (www.unhabitat.org)

“Women and children are walking miles a day to get murky water in an attempt to sustain themselves daily.  Why can’t I run 13.1 miles in one day so that there might be funding to build them a well?” – Whitney

Think that’s awesome? Check this out: Whit is one of the hardest working, most driven people I know. Whitney has been so encouraging in every race that she has been to! This is just a glimpse of what she is capable of doing because of the love she has for Christ. Want to see more? Read the post about her called  A Hero Emerges to learn about some of the things that Whit has done recently. 

You’re going to be AMAZING on Saturday Whit!!

-ash

DTW: Mundo, why did you participate in the NYC Half Marathon in the first place?

Mundo: Occh suckered me into it. Haha. No, when I saw normal people like Ash dribbling races for people they didn’t know, I thought why couldn’t I do it? I wanted to be a part of something bigger than me.

DTW: We know that you’ve had some problems with your knee in the past, how did you feel when you first started dribbling through Central Park?

Mundo: Haha, honestly, I thought I was going to die at mile 2 because of the pain I was feeling. It went down for a little while, but once I was out of the Park at mile 8, it turned into extreme pain…by mile 10, I wanted to dive into the Hudson River and cool off.

DTW: How did runners react when they saw you with your basketball?

Mundo: People look at you like you’re nuts, but when you tell them why you’re dribbling, they really respect it. There was a guy named Dave who loved what I was doing. He works with kids in Harlem on AAU basketball teams. There was a woman in I guess her mid-50’s who was really encouraging. People recognized the DribbleTheWorld shirt!

DTW: What helped you to get through this Half Marathon?

Mundo: A lot of things helped me pull through. One was knowing why I ran. I had the chance to run for two organizations in Africa-Bethesda Outreach and A Running Start. I had some pretty amazing people who ran with me for a few miles too. It was cool to be able to run on the West Side and get a shout out from some of the performers. Another thing was seeing people run who had physical limitations. I mean, I have two perfectly good legs. Why should I give up if they don’t give up?

DTW: How did you feel when you crossed the finish line?

Mundo: Relieved. Accomplished. Excited. Exhausted. I had a feeling that I  finally did something meaningful with my life. Working for someone who I don’t even know is pretty awesome.

DTW: How do you think the Lord used you?

Mundo: Christ got me to the finish line. The pain was bad while I was running, but it was even worse when I finished. God didn’t allow the pain to set in fully until after the race. He helped me realize that today wasn’t for me but other people and Him.

DTW: What can others learn from your Half?

Mundo: Anything is possible. As long as you put the Lord first in all you do-anything is possible.

DTW: Any final remarks?

Mundo: Thanks for the support. I’m looking forward to running many more 10k’s for DribbleTheWorld. As far as Half Marathons go, I retire. :]

Great job Mundo! We’re so proud of you! The Lord is pleased with your act of serving Him in a new way.

-ash