tuesday & wednesday blur

 Barry finished mile 131 this morning.

 Tuesday class, some of the 40 babies in ECD class.

 Running with the sunrise.

 Working out the kinks.

Running with the super-machine.

Between regularly scheduled life and the Run for Life (Haiti) --- things are blurring together and passing by quickly.  We don't have a ton of time to write in detail but wanted to share some photos from the last couple days.

Barry finished his FIFTH marathon today.  Tomorrow he'll run through the heart of Port au Prince and pass by both the current Maternity Center and the land where the new one will eventually be built. A bunch of us will be joining him for a few miles of morale boosting.  I (tara) had the honor and privilege of meeting up with him 8 miles into today's marathon and running with him for couple hours. His resolve is strong and he truly is inspirational.  Perhaps non-runners or runner haters aren't in a spot to truly understand the insanity of it all - I'll just say:  This.IS.Hard.  He literally won't run or walk another step without some pain and discomfort. He'll likely need to add in more walking to continue on another seven days .... friends of Barry are jumping in and out to encourage and run with him along the way.

Please be praying for this guy - he has many more days to go - he's flippin amazing!!!

After praying for him, please tell anyone that is even remotely listening to you that maternal health care in undeveloped countries is INCREDIBLY important.... It reduces the number of orphans. When mothers die, poverty worsens and children are scattered to family members and orphanages.  The babies in the baby photo above ALL HAVE MOTHERS that LOVE and WANT them ... nobody needs to adopt them. They are right where they need to be, at the breast of their mamas. The dream of empty orphanages is a key motivational factor of the Heartline Maternity Center. Prenatal care and safe birth and postpartum care along with education and support in the first months of a baby's life equals (alive!) bonded moms that love their children well.

Barry hopes that this run will result in a new, larger maternity center and  more women offered a loving, respectful place to be cared for and supported.  There is already nearly 200K given to go toward that effort. We hope to spread the word far and wide.

Go, Barry, go. 




photos courtesy of M.K. Smith