Bio Sand Filters & World Water Day

This past Christmas we were looking for something different to do with the kids. In the past we have done the angel tree at our church. We heard about what blood:water was doing wiht their Filters for Families campaign. We knew this would cost more then buying a toy for a local kid. So we challenged our kids to give up something of their own and raise enough money to buy a biosand filter for a family in Africa through Blood:water mission. The kids each picked some of their things to sell and we sold them on eBay. We were very proud of them and their sacrifice and their desire to help others. After selling their items and reaching into their piggy banks we were able to buy two filters. They really do love doing things for others. Trinity loves to draw pictures and write letters to her World Vision 'sister'.

Well, this past week I received an email from Blood:water about their Filters for Families campaign. There were 1,640 safe water filters bought for families in the Ndola and Lusaka regions of Zambia.

Here is a short transformation story: Mr. James Kayata lives with his wife and seven children in Mackenzie Township in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. Mackenzie is a community of about 9,500 that was plagued by cholera every rainy season until biosand filters were installed in their homes.

Before receiving the filter, Mr. Kayata's family collected water from a well that was contaminated by nearby latrines, and were frequently ill as a result. They participated in a hygiene and sanitation training, learned how the water was causing their sickness, and requested a clean water filter. Since receiving the filter, they have experienced no cholera, and even occurrences of diarrhea are very rare. His children never miss school due to sickness, and are healthier than they have been in years.

Mr Kayata credits the filter as being the solution to many problems, and shares the cool, clean water with three other families in Mackenzie.

Thanks to Christian, Dylan, and Trinity's sacrifice many more families like James' will have safe, clean water for many years to come. And thanks to your support of my racing and your sacrificial giving to Ride:well, which goes directly to blood:water, you are changing lives as well.

Every $1 you give changes the lives of someone in Africa for a whole year! $12 allows a child to go to school rather than collect water. $25 provides clean water to an African for 25 years!

Also, today, March 22d, is World Water Day. Here are a few facts about water:

I'm so proud of my family and the story we are writing together. My prayer is that when they leave our home they will write a better story then myself. Sherri, Christian, Dylan and Trinity are my heroes for what they do for others. Their compassion and caring have been an inspiration to me, to do more then just ride a bike.

Rhapsody Denton Recap

Well, the race has come and gone. It was amazing fun! We got up at 6:30 this morning, the whole family. The race was about 1.5 hours away and we got their a little early so I could get warmed up. Our friend Greg Bargo met us up there. This was also Greg's first race. Greg rode cross country with Ride:well 2 summers ago, so he shares my passion for Africa and clean water & blood. He has also biked across parts of Africa while doing missions work and meeting with government officials there about the prevention of malaria. You can learn more about him and what he does at http://www.onebloodinitiative.org/

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The weather was around 50 degrees, and the wind was blowing hard, b/t 18 and 20 mph. The race started promptly at 9:15. I got off to a terrible start b/c my foot slipped while trying to clip into my pedal, but I was able to stay onto the back of the group and not get too far behind.

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The race was much harder then I expected. The pace was very high, it started high and they never slowed down. I eventually fell off the back with some others, sometimes riding by myself and sometimes riding with 3 or 4 of others. Which was much easier then being alone, especially when there was a headwind or crosswind. I rode a few miles with a guy who races for LSU (one of his teammates finished 2d). Go SEC! I was able to tell him a little bit about Ride:well also. Greg and I were both in our Ride:well jerseys, so that was very cool.

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What I learned: Riding around that many people, going that fast, is pretty scary. So I need to do more grouping riding to get used to that. I also need to practice clipping in faster. And that I really enjoy racing, that it is a fun, crazy challenge and I love it.

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The numbers: 40 minutes, 13.3 miles, 19mph avg, 27mph top speed, 18 laps, 38th place out of 52 racers.

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Now for all you who sponsored me or would still like to donate at this time. 1st, thanks you for your support! 2d, just scroll back up and follow the instructions under the 'How to Donate' section.

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Thanks again to all my supporters and a special thank you to Sherri, Christian, Dylan, Trinity, Devin, and Justin for getting up early to come and watch.

I'm typing this at work and it won't let me upload any pictures. So I will add some pictures later tonight or tomorrow.

First Race - Rhapsody Denton

Well, my first race is this Saturday, the 13th. It is a Criterium called the Rhapsody Denton. It is a 40 minute race around a track that is about .75 miles in length. The one with the most laps at the end of the 40 minutes wins. The course goes around a football field and thru a parking lot and has 4 or 5 turns.

I'm very excited to get to race while wearing the Ride:Well & Blood:Water Jersey. Raising awareness and money for such a great cause is an honor. Here is what I need from you guys: I want to start out with atleast 5 of you sponsoring me for this race. Well, you won't actually be sponsoring me, you will be sponsoring and providing clean water to thousands of African families. Every $1 you give will take care of one person for a whole year. My $5000 goal could build a well for a whole village, but I need your help.

Like I was saying earlier, this race is 40 minutes long. I would like you to decide in your head how much you will sponsor me for each lap I complete in that 40 minutes. You can do .10, .50, $1, $10, whatever you like, I don't even have to know what amount you decide or if you are able to sponsor me this time or not. You could even throw in a little bonus if I make a top ten finish (there will be about 3o racers). I think I will be able to do about 30 laps in that 40 minutes.

Then, on Saturday afternoon I will post the results of my race and provide instructions on how to give.

Thanks for reading, for your support and especially for your prayers for a safe race!

Day 13 Update

The Unwritten Life

It's been a crazy week! Lots of late nights and long hours at work. I won't pretend to say that it has been easy. When we work concerts I normally drink a monster or two. Well, not this week. I have to thank Trinity for getting me through the first day. She had given my a Fun Dip Valentines day card and the sugar and lik-a-stick kept me going. The guys have been very supportive as well, encouraging me to keep going and sacrificing for Africa.

Today, Sherri and I watched a great movie: 'The Brother's Bloom'. There are a couple of great lines in the movie. The first is this: 'There is no such thing as an unwritten life, only a bad story.' & then later: 'Let's live like we are writing the best story ever told.'

Those lines reminded me of why we are doing 40 days & why I'm racing for Ride:well & Blood:water. I had just finished reading Donald Miller's new book, 'A Million Miles In a Thousand Years'. If you haven't read it, you should. It has inspired me to try and live a better life. His book is a challenge for us to live a life for more then ourselves. To write a story that will change the lives of your friends, your family, yourself, and all those you come in contact with and even those you will never meet. This is why we do things like 40 Days, why we give up things like coffee, soda, and tea (& monsters). It is much harder to do then you think and I believe it is changing me. Sherri has always been the compassionate one, going on missions trips, adopting kids through World Vision & teaching our kids about giving and caring for others. I am really enjoying sharing this experience with Sherri and the kids. I'm finally putting into action what I've known to do for so long. Living with a purpose is fun!

So, get out there and live like you are writing the best story ever told!