Tod Bolsinger

Team World Vision...and you.

"15 million children have been left orphaned by HIV/AIDS.  It's not just an 'issue', it's a pandemic."

You can read more about our team and our Marathon for Malawi project by clicking here.

What One Marine Does In Between Deployments

The tall guy next to me in this picture is Jon Moran.   Jon is a Chief Warrant Officer 5 in the USMC. He was deployed last year to Iraq.  And he will be going back again in a few months.  So, what is Jon doing with his months at home between deployments?  He is training for the Chicago Marathon to raise money for World Vision in Malawi. And we just finished a 15 mile training run. 

Jon is a member of my church and a good, good man.  He not only serves to protect his country, he lives to make a difference for Christ in the world.  He is just one of the team members that you could support by clicking here.  In supporting Jon, you not only say thanks to one of the few and the proud for using his time at home in an inspiring way.  But you'll make a world of difference to kids in Africa who need all the help and hope they can.

You can read more about our team and our Marathon for Malawi project by clicking here.

Just some of the runners...

While I am off on vacation for two weeks, I am going to leave up this picture and a link to our San Clemente Presbyterian Church Marathon for Malawi Team.  This previous post will tell you all about us.

And this is where you can go to sponsor one of the runners. 

I'll be back after the first week of August rested, refreshed and ready to get back to the church and the blog.

Tod

Still not too late for birthday presents

I received a birthday present Friday.  It was really great.  Just what I wanted.  I was thrilled...and surprised, too.

You see, I turned 43 on March 8. That is almost half a year ago.  But my sweet sister-in-law and her family sent in a contribution to support my marathoning for Malawi.  Which, as I said, was just what I wanted for my birthday. 

Currently, our team of 20 runners (give or take a couple as we await what injuries will do to them) is enjoying getting together for long runs on Saturday mornings (this morning's run was 11 miles) and then on some days, eating breakfast together. We always start with a prayer together that God would keep us thinking about why we are running.  And then we run. 

Doing this Marathoning "for" something means both running the miles and raising money.  And most of us are trying to get more earnest about both right about now. 

So far, I am a bit over 25% toward my goal of raising $10,000. 

Feel free to send "me" a birthday present, if you like.  It's really not too late and it will actually be an even bigger gift to some kids in Malawi than it is even to me.

Our group...off and running for Africa

12 of the 28 members of the Marathoners for Malawi took off on our first training run and then had breakfast together.  After three months of getting organized, getting in shape and getting ready, we are now training together for the children of Africa.  More info here, but if you'd like to make a difference in a world that needs a difference made, please consider sponsoring us here.

Marathon for Malawi Update

My son Brooks and I off to Language School in Costa Rica to study Spanish (and hopefully keep running regularly).  He is training to join the SCHS cross-country team in the fall and I continue to train for the Vineman Half-Ironman in July and the Chicago Marathon in October to raise funds for our World Vision project in Malawi Africa.

Our team of runners continues to grow and when I get back we'll start training together.  If you'd like to contribute to our cause, please hit the button below.  And thanks to all those who have already given.  It is a gift indeed that you have cared so much.  I am 1/4 of the way to my goal.  Please help me get there.

I'll keep you posted, please pray for me and our band of runners with a cause.

And I'll try to post again from the land of Pura Vida.

Weekend Update: Marathon for Malawi

The training schedule for the Team World Vision Chicago Marathon doesn't even start until May, but the SC Marathoners for Malawi are well underway.  We are now 21 (now 24!) runners strong (with runners of all speeds, shapes, sizes and experience.) For many this will be their first marathon.

My personal goal is raise $10,000 toward a team goal of $100,000.  So far I have $1800 (now $1900--thanks, sis) raised and more on the way.  (Thanks to all of you who have contributed already, you have been a huge encouragement to me and my team.)

While there have been a few articles lately that have been critical of some larger corporate efforts to combine philanthropy with consumerism, good old fashion "giving" to reputable groups still seems the best way to make genuine lasting change. While our team will be training for the next seven months for October 7 Chicago Marathon, the good news is that your contribution to our efforts goes immediately to the Nkohma Area Development Project in Malawi Africa.  You can make a difference today even though the race is still months away. 

If you are interested in learning more about World Vision, Malawi or even professional athletes who have joined with World Vision to make a difference in the world, just follow the links. 

If you are a blogger and would like to use your influence for good by linking to this post, we'd appreciate it.

If you want to run with us and be part of the team, we'd love to have you join us.

And of course, if you'd like to contribute to our good cause.  Just click here.

I'll keep you posted, please pray for me and our band of runners with a cause.

For More than Just an Amusing Weekend...

SEE A MOVIE... If you haven't seen the movie, Amazing Grace, I highly recommend it.  Reviewers have said that it is "more interesting than good", but I was so moved by the story that I will be using it in my sermon on Romans 13 this weekend. 

Most Christians don't really know of the 46 year battle that William Wilberforce led to see both the slavery and the slave trade abolished in the British Empire.  Because of both his dedication and the manner in which he led the  debate and  worked for change, Britain  turned their  back on slavery without a civil war  or a bloody internal revolution.

Favorite quote from the film: "“Do you intend to use your beautiful voice to praise the Lord or change the world?” (Of course, what Wilberforce discovered is that the correct answer is "Both".)

READ THESE POSTS... Mark Roberts takes on the most delicate and difficult topic of what it means to fulfill Jesus' charge to "love your enemies." 

TAKE A RUN...or sponsor some who will.  As I mentioned in my last post,  a group of runners from our church are just beginning the long discipline toward running the Chicago Marathon to raise funds and awareness for our World Vision project in Malawi, Africa.  I haven't even started yet and I am 12% of the way to my goal.  If you are a runner, consider joining our team.  If you are not, then become part of the team that will make our running really count for something great.

Marathon for Malawi

For the past three years, I have been running, cycling and swimming.  Last summer, my pal Charlie and I completed Ironman Canada. It was my six triathlon and it meant the completion of my second full marathon (I ran the first one WITHOUT first swimming 1.2 miles and riding my bike 112 miles.)

The elation and camaraderie of the day has lingered these past months as I have reflected on some good lessons learned, slipped into a good season of rest, recuperation and returning to exercising like normal people (which is not all that much, honestly).

But that couldn't last, now could it?

Charlie, his brother Ted and I are already signed up for the Vineman  Half Ironman in July and we begin training in earnest on March 1.  But now something even more meaningful has come my way. And so Vineman now becomes a training day for another goal.

While speaking to the national development staff for World Vision a month ago, I was challenged by one of the staff guys to put a team together to raise money for our Nkhoma, Malawi, Africa Area Development Project by running the Chicago Marathon on October 7, 2007.  I thought and prayed about it...for about 56 seconds.

I'm in. I'm doing it.  I plunked down the money for the entry fee, will pony up for the plane flight and hotel and will pound the pavement for the next seven months.  It's going to be great.

I also put out word to some folks at our church and we have an informational meeting scheduled for next week.  It looks like somewhere between 10-20 of us are going to give it go. 

So, want to be part of something really cool?  Join us.  (You thought I was going to say "sponsor us" didn't you?)  Really you can.  Go here and register as part of our "SC Marathoners for Malawi" team.  If you live near to San Clemente we'll keep you posted on group runs and team get-to-gethers and travel plans.  If you don't, well join us anyway, sign up as part of the team, meet us in Chicago and consider yourself part of the family. We'd love to have you running with us.  We'll be the slow group in the back with big smiles knowing that we are running for a really good cause.

Can't put some marathon training into the schedule?  Then, okay.  Sponsor us. Here. We are setting a goal to raise $100,000.  I already have my first $100.  (The "first giving" button on the left works, too.)

Want to see why we would do all this?   Read here.  Or look at these pictures. or watch this short video.

Come on.  You know, you want to  do something. My friends and I are willing to do the running. We are just asking you to do what's on your heart.