^15″… As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Romans 10:15

March 1: Nate Logan, Gasparilla Marathon (Tampa Bay,FL) Nate has an amazing heart for Christ and is willing to serve Him in any aspect. After dribbling the marathon, Nate, his wife Cherith, and their two children moved to Porto Alegre, Brasil, where they are serving as missionaries. You can check out their work at their website. 

Dan and Nate

August 16: Ashley Ten Kate, NYC Half Marathon (NYC) Ash was our first female runner to dribble in a race! With her involvement, we had our second consecutive year in the NYC Half Marathon. She dribbled for Bethesda Outreach and Love146 who works to end childhood sex slavery and exploitation.

Ashley

August 30: Eric Martin and Micael Carbonneau, Quebec City Half Marathon (Quebec City, Quebec, Canada) Eric and Micael were our first international dribblers!! After they heard about Ash’s half marathon while at Camp Brochet, they immediately started dribbling around the gym.  Three weeks later, they were dribbling through the streets of Quebec City! Fantastique les gars! =]

Eric and Micael

October 11: The 100 Mile Challenge (Jersey and NYC) 20 runners dribbled a basketball 5 miles each spanning 100 miles across New York City and New Jersey to stop the genocide in Sudan! Check it out the above link to see the five organizations that were blessed to support! Praise God for what He allowed us to do that day and for everyone who helped out!!

The 100 Mile Challenge

November 1: Eric Martin, ING NYC Marathon (NYC) As if Quebec City wasn’t enough, ;] Eric came to the city to dribble in the biggest marathon in the world!! With his participation, we had our third consecutive year of a dribbler in the marathon! Eric ran for Malaria No More and helped raise funds for life saving mosquito nets.

Eric

November 8: Whitney Rodgers, Danny Mundo, Melissa Mundo-O’Neill, Ashley Ten Kate ACT 5K/10K for Darfur (LI, NY) Through working with Save Darfur during The 100 Mile Challenge, we came across Athletes Changing Tomorrow and were able to support the work of another newly founded non-profit who assists those who are suffering injustice worldwide. Thanks Jessica and Amanda for all you girls do at ACT!

Danny and Melissa

December 12: Morgan Cook, Reindeer Run 5K (Orlando, FL) Morgan heard about DribbleTheWorld from a friend of hers and checked out the site! She read about Ash’s half marathon and was challenged to dribble a race of her own. Morgan dribbled for Bethesda Outreach and Society of Saint Andrew to help feed the hungry in her area. Great job Morgan!

Morgan

Praise God for all of the events that we were able to participate in this year! THANK YOU to all those who have prayed, told their friends about us, dribbled, donated, and read our stories! May God continue to be glorified in all that we do!

-ash

“When Dan, Ashley, and others dribbled their races, they were able to use talents that God gave them to glorify Him. I am not a basketball player, nor a runner. So, by deciding to dribble any distance, I placed my trust in God that He would glorify Himself through my weakness.
 
After about six weeks of training, two weeks of alternating cold and warm fronts, and a week of crazy rain, it was race day! A moderate temperature in the 60s, and definitely no snow, my roommate, Nneka, and I set out for the Reindeer Run. We were surrounded by folks wearing reindeer antlers and jingle bells.

Morgan as she dribbles in the Reindeer Run.

 
Before the start of the race, I was able to chat with a few people about the Society of St. Andrew (which benefits people here in central Florida, and that folks can volunteer with) and about Bethesda Outreach. As I was dribbling I could hear people around me noting the website on the back of my shirt and wondering whether I would dribble the whole distance. Although I was not able to respond yet (as I was concentrating on dribbling), Nneka was able to fill in the gap for me and tell people about what we were doing. 
 
After the crowd thinned out a bit more, and I felt more at home on the road, I was able to have full conversations with people as I dribbled about why I was doing this crazy thing. One of my favorite moments was when a woman dressed as an elf offered to dribble for me for a distance. I heard parents saying to their kids, “Do you see her dribbling? She’s going to do that for the whole race, do you think you could do that?” The kids would reply no. Several times I said, “You can! It just takes practice.” I also responded directly to a little boy who asked why I was dribbling, “I am doing this so that people around here can have fresh food for Christmas.” 
 

Morgan and Nneka at the end of the race!

Around the 2-mile mark I was a little loose with my dribbling, and that meant that I was getting tired. I am so glad for Nneka, she began reminding me of why I was doing this. I did this so that people who are hungry will be fed, that those who have who have lost their parents would be surrounded with family. That people would know of the Lord’s love for them. She reminded me of Isaiah, “…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (40:31) She then began praying for the orphans in South Africa, the churches here that partner with them, the farmers who offer their fields to be gleaned, the volunteers who do the gleaning, and those that would receive the blessings. It was good to dribble knowing that my Sustainer gives me hope, and that He will sustain those working for and benefiting from Bethesda and SoSA.

I finished around 44 minutes. Now, this is no record-setting time, but it does show that even in our weakness the Lord can use us to impact our world, to love others well, and ultimately to give Him the glory.

Now, as a rookie at this, I would like to pass this baton to other rookies! Use your talents to glorify the Lord, but also use your weakness to glorify the Lord. Do something that you will have to trust Him, that He will have to be your Sustainer. Let God use you to change your world. Love others well. Give God the glory!”

Way to go Morgan! Thanks for bringing DribbleTheWorld back to Florida!

-ash

So what do we do? Rest assured! We have an answer: Orlando, Florida. Orlando is where DribbleTheWorld’s newest face, Morgan Cook will be dribbling in the Reindeer Run 5k on December 12, 2009.

Reindeer Run 5k

How Morgan got involved with us is pretty sweet. As soon as Morgan found out about our vision, she wanted in on it! Morgan is friends with one of Occh’s friends from high school (who lives in Orlando now), and found out about DribbleTheWorld through her – thanks for telling Morgan about us Regina! Morgan emailed me before I dribbled the Half, and we’ve been in contact since then. Morgan has been so encouraging to DribbleTheWorld with her constant desire to pray for us. She is truly a prayer warrior and is so passionate about sharing the Gospel with as many people as possible and helping people less fortunate than herself.

Morgan will be dribbling for two causes:

• Bethesda Outreach - Their mission is to encourage and assist local churches in meeting the needs of orphan children, that they may become disciples of Christ.
• Society of St. Andrews - Their main goal is to: Glean America’s Fields to Feed America’s Hungry. For the past 30 years, Society of St. Andrews has been hard at work to end hunger.

36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Matthew 9:36-38

To me, it is simply amazing to see how the Lord is bringing people together to serve Him. We’ve been able to make connections with people who we don’t even know yet and they too, are passionate about helping people. The Lord has blessed us with connections in non-profit organizations and new faces around the country.

As Morgan so graciously does for us, I ask that you pray for her as she continues to train for dribbling the Reindeer Run on 12/12. Pray that she would be bold in sharing her faith with those around her as she runs and that she would keep her eyes fixed on the Lord throughout this part of her journey in following Christ.

-ash

After Danny Mundo, his sister Melissa, Whitney and I participated in The 100 Mile Challenge , we wanted to be able to do more for DribbleTheWorld- so we did. We knew that the Lord had more in store for us as far as running and dribbling went. We looked up future events, and found the Athletes Changing Tomorrow  5k/10k for Darfur which was on November 8, 2009 in Center Moriches, Long Island.

Danny Mundo and Melissa dribbling through Center Moriches.

In our contact with two of the founders at Athletes Changing Tomorrow, Jessica and Amanda, we donated to their efforts (everyone at the event received a t-shirt…with dribbletheworld.com on the back as a sponsor!) they hooked us up with a media contact (check out the article!) and were huge supporters of our coming to dribble the 10k! So the four of us headed out to Long Island to share with people we had never met our vision to dribble the world.  

We were greeted with open arms when we arrived and tons of participants had questions for us and thanked us for coming. We were asked the usual questions: “Are you going to do that the whole time?” “Where did you play in college?” and my favorite, “Why are you dribbling?” I was so excited to be in Center Moriches that morning with Mundo, Melissa and Whit – along with our small but mighty cheering squad! =D Seeing Mundo, Melissa and Whit be able to discuss with people our desire was really encouraging! Thanks guys! Seeing how the Lord uses people and creating their involvement with BallForLives is really awesome. It’s a priviledge serving with you guys.

The best part? Participating in this event proves that anyone reading this can get involved. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to dribble a full marathon like Occh, Gian Paul, Nate or Eric. At BallForLives, we’re all about how everyone can use their talents and interests to serve the Lord. In an article on the  BallForLives website, Occh points out just how Whitney has been used by the Lord recently in so many aspects – and now she’s showing a desire to run even more. She’s pretty amazing!

Jessica and Amanda with Ash after the race.

Through dribbling for Darfur in LI, we were able to establish a great relationship with Jessica and Amanda. Athletes Changing Tomorrow has information available on their website about how they specifically are involved with Darfur.

Despite the cold weather coming up in Jersey, DribbleTheWorld still has some pretty cool opportunities coming up in the near future!

Check back soon!!

-ash

Eric was moving through the Five Boroughs (like Occh had mentioned) and finished with an amazing time of 4:00:45!

Eric was collected, composed and focused as he dribbled through the city’s streets. Onlookers couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw (and heard!) him coming. Eric’s marathon was a way to let other people become involved and realize their roles in DribbleTheWorld and I was excited to have a whole new perspective on our events.

Eric Martin dribbling through the streets of NYC.

Being able to watch someone like Eric dribble a marathon was unreal. His desire was not that people might know who he was, but that they would see his service to the Lord and that he was running for so much more than self satisfaction. No matter who you are cheering for on the day of the big race, you become a fan of every single person running that day. We were cheering for Jon’s, Stephanie’s , Caroline’s-whoever’s name we could read on the front of their shirts and it was right where I wanted to be that day…cheering people on.

Eric dribbling through the streets!

I love encouraging people, and rarely enjoy being the center of attention and on the day of the marathon, that’s what I knew I wanted to be for Eric-an encouragement. I vividly remember when I dribbled in August and how Whitney went nuts every time she saw me! She made me feel like a rockstar! I wanted Eric to feel the same way when he ran (but there was no competing with his wife, Rachael in cheering him on-she booked it down the street after him! She ran for at least 5 NYC blocks!)

Eric and Rachael

Isn’t that what we’re supposed to be all about though? In the body of Christ, we are supposed to edify one another, uplift one another, encourage one another. Romans 1:11-12 says:

¹¹I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong-¹²that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

The previous DribbletheWorld.com record was 4:37:54 at the 2007 NYC Marathon. Other impressive times were 4:41:21 and 4:44:14–Eric shaved well over a minute off of every mile from those times! For those of you who are runners, imagine running around a 9:18 pace for over 26 miles, while dribbling a basketball!!

All that to say-GREAT JOB ERIC!!! Praise God for you and the heart He has given you for people. As far as I’m concerned, you have world record for dribbling a marathon-and if someone finds a faster time, we’ll bring you back to NYC to beat it

We’re still accepting donations in honor of Eric’s effort to help Malaria No More end malaria deaths by 2015. Remember, every $10 buys, ships, and distributes 2 mosquito nets to protect at risk families. If you are inspired in this way to give, donate here.

Keep checking DribbletheWorld.com-Many pictures and videos coming soon!

End Malaria Deaths?? YES!! In fact, the organization we are supporting with Eric’s NYC Marathon dribble is called, MALARIA NO MORE and their goal is to end Malaria deaths by 2015.

I hope this helps you visualize just how far $10 goes to saving the lives of African families.   Malaria is spread by mosquitos, and a net can protect a child and its family as they sleep, the time when most malaria-spreading bites occur.

Imagine living in the year 2030 and reading back on a disease called Malaria that once killed 3000 kids a day. Then imagine reading about the heroes that stepped up to end the crisis.

I believe with all my heart that God wants His Church at the front lines of this effort.

We will be some of those heroes.

Here’s our chance!

Donate to Ball for Lives today-your entire donation will go to Malaria No More’s Net Distribution project in Senegal. Remember, every $10 buys, ships, and distributes a mosquito net to an at risk family. Malaria No More HAS EVEN RECEIVED A MATCHING GRANT OFFER-so now your $10 provides TWO mosquito nets!

Let’s encourage Eric days before he dribbles 26.2 miles through NYC by saving the lives of the children he’s running for.

Gian Paul Gonzalez took our dreams to a whole new level when he became our second runner to dribble 26.2 miles  in the 2008 NYC Marathon. Nate Logan took this incredible accomplishment to the other side of the east coast as he dribbled the Tampa Bay Marathon this past February. Now Eric Martin, all the way from Quebec City, Canada, is bringing us back to the five boroughs as he dribbles the 2009 New York City Marathon on November 1st.

THIS WILL BE OUR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR DRIBBLING THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON!!!

Why has Eric joined our team?

I can tell you from knowing Eric Martin for years that he is a real man of God who loves people from deep within his heart. Eric’s heart was so moved by Ashley’s NYC Half Marathon effort against child sex slavery that he signed up to dribble the Quebec City half Marathon ONLY 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE RACE! (AND he finished in under 2 hours!)

Eric and Micael Complete the 2009 Quebec City Half Marathon

Now, Eric wants to use this NYC Marathon effort to help stop the 3000 deaths that Malaria causes daily. Malaria is a preventable disease that we can absolutely stop from killing so many (we eliminated it from the US in 1951!)

Make sure you read our post on Malaria on BallforLives.com

Ready to act?? Here’s some simple things you can do right away:

1. Pray for Eric and encourage him on this journey: Believe me, it’s not always easy dribbling the NYC Marathon! Pray for him and leave an encouraging comment below this post.

2. Forward this story everywhere and let the world know about Eric’s NYC Marathon effort and Malaria No More, the organization we’re getting behind.

3. Purchase a Mosquito net to save a life from Malaria: Saving children from disease and death can be as simple as providing a net for them to sleep under. Every $10 makes, ships, and distributes a mosquito net! Donate Here, and mark your donation Eric’s NYC Marathon.

Finally, if you’re a Jersey/NYC local, join us at our

Ball for Lives Pancake Breakfast on October 31st!

Eric Martin is dribbling 26.2 miles through one of the biggest cities in the world to inspire thousands and save children from Malaria-Imagine what all of us together could accomplish!

 WorldVision and Bethesda Outreach: Humanitarian Work

WorldVision is well aware of the crisis throughout all of Sudan – including the lack of water. In southern Sudan, only 30% of rural citizens have access to safe drinking water. Tons of adults and children are dying from diarrhea and other water-related illnesses. Malaria, typhoid and dengue fever are running rampid throughout the country. Almost 350,000 people are living with HIV and AIDS – these are the people that we’re seeking to help.

Currently, WorldVision is making an effort in Sudan with the following projects:

• The Darfur Clean Water Initiative: improves access to water in Darfur by drilling 50 wells.
• The Yambio County Water and Environmental Sanitation Project: addresses the insufficient water supply in the Sakure and Li-rangu areas.
• Quality Basic Education for War-Affected Children in South Darfur: improves the quality of education for school aged children (focusing on girls) in Darfur providing all neccessary clothing, tools and school supplies for the girls.
• Child Friendly Spaces: provides safe locations for formal and informal educational opportunities for children.
• Community Based Health Care: improves the community by having training programs focusing on reproductive health, nutrition, and relationships.

Bethesda Outreach’s mission is to encourage and assist local churches in meeting the needs of orphan children, that they may become disciples of Christ. They work in doing so in South Africa, where one in five people are infected by AIDS. Bethesda’s desire is that these children will be a part of families where they will learn more about Christ and encourage others to seek Him also.

• 75% of all AIDS related deaths occur in Africa.
• By 2010, there will be 42 million orphans in Africa, half due to AIDS.
• Current like expectancy (at birth) is 51 years of age for a child born with the AIDS virus.

Our desire at Ball for Lives is to do our part to help these children and the people of Darfur! Our goal is to see Bethesda Outreaches spread throughout Africa, especially to countries like Sudan. We want you to join us in any way that you can – whether it be through prayer, dribbling a race, or through a monetary donation, we want you to be a part of what we’re doing to help.

-ash

 

To zoom in and out of the map and see it in different types of maps (like a satellite map!) click on this link: 

The 100 Mile Challenge Course

(Sorry, miles 1-5 and 90-100 tend to over lap. Also, the course goes to almost 107 miles because the Staten Island Ferry and one section of Fort Lee we didn’t dribble were included. Don’t get too confused! Also, this is NOT the exact map we used for our mile markers. We used bikes with odometers to map out the entire course.)

A Picture of the Church 

100 Miles completed. Did you look at that course??? How in the world did we finish that thing? How did we get everyone in the right position at the right time? Because Occh is amazing at details right? Wrong!!

Did everything go according to plan? Of course not! During the last week we lost 5 dribblers who were unable to participate. Twitter updates stopped in Brooklyn due to cell phone battery issues.  Imagine having to lead the last 25 miles of this with no cell phone to see where people are. Should have seen that one coming!

To our credit, we did begin at our anticipated 6:00 am start time. However, we finished at 11:30 pm! We also learned that 6:00 am and 11:30 pm are extremely cold times to be outside in the middle of October. 

There are plenty of other mishaps I could mention that happened that day. So how did we pull it off?? When God puts a dream on your heart, He will provide the people to make it happen. The 100 Mile Challenge was an awesome picture of His Church. Each of us had our role, each of us did it well, and together we were used of God to accomplish something amazing for His kingdom. Ball for Lives began as the vision of one man. Look what it is today. Amazing!

So, in addition to all of our runners who particpated, special thanks goes to:

–Gian Paul, Dave, Bernie, and Ashely, who all dribbled 10 Miles each so we could finish our course!    

–Danny Mundo who drove everywhere getting people where they needed to be (and brought me home!!)

–My sister Elyse who drove me to Staten Island and then brought my stuff to the ferry. Sorry for bad directions Elyse!!

–Morgan Cook, representing all those who prayed fervantly to our Father on our behalf. Thank you!

–Gaston Nunez and others who made sure runners were in their correct spots, especially in Manhattan.

–Jim McNamee, who biked at least 40 Miles of the 100 Mile Challenge so that runners knew their course.

–Whitney Rodgers and others who found time to take pictures amidst other responsibilites. Pictures are coming!

–Mrs. Ten Kate and Carly who came to cheer Ashley on and bring her home. After miles 5-10 at 10:00pm she wasn’t making it back on her own!

–And to my wonderful mother who brought food for everyone when it got late-Thanks Mom!! 

To all of you who participated, prayed, or donated, thank you. Enjoy this wonderful accomplishment in the Lord.  

Occh