We Salute Our "Marathon Girls"

We are blessed to have partners who have joined us in our journey to do all we can to stop injustice and cruelty to children. There are unique ideas where generous people share incredible resources and talents such as: weddings, basketball tournament, grade school classes raising money, hosting home parties, Sunday School class sponsorship, Battle of the Bands and now we share the "Marathon Sisters":

From left to right: Callie, Casey and Georgia

Callie says:

A few months ago my sister Georgia asked if I would train for and run a marathon with her. We began training and running in local 5 and 10Ks. Friends and family began to ask "Why are you doing this?" (Quite honestly, I had wondered the same myself.) So, while running one day we talked about these questions and decided it was an opportunity to bring attention to something important.

Touch A Life has been close to the heart of our family for a couple of years now.

Our sister, Casey, lost her baby, George Tanner, to a rare genetic disorder when he was only 17 days old. My mother knew Pam and asked her to talk with Casey about her own struggles with the loss of a child. Through Pam's friendship and encouragement, we slowly began to see the Casey that we once knew.

Pam helped Casey and her husband, Aaron, locate and contact the people who would eventually facilitate the adoption of their daughter, Gracie.

Gracie has been with us for a little over a year now. She has done so much to heal our family.

Georgia and I love running for Touch A Life and what it represents. We have run races in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. I'm sharing a picture from our longest race to date- a 13.1 mile road run in Springfield, MO. I'm also sharing a pic of Miss Gracie cause I can't help myself.

Georgia is 21, a resident of Goodman, MO and will graduate from the Crowder nursing program next week.

I am 28, a resident of Southwest City, MO and an Environmental Biologist.

Thanks go to Callie Bennett and Georgia Hudson for their support--we appreciate you!

You Go, Girls!

The BIG GIVE

Touch A Life was blessed last night by an amazing group of young adults. The Mid-County Church of Christ Youth Ministry hosted a basketball tournament fundraiser and gave all the proceeds to help the children in Africa. It was so cool to be in that gym and feel the energy and excitement through this act of charity. I appreciate kids so much that rise up and fight the injustice of the world today. Over 4,400 dollars was raised in a few hours, amazing. FREEDOM FIGHTERS from Mid-County, St. Louis, MO, THANK YOU for joining the team in the fight against human trafficking.

Tuan's Birthday

Meet Tuan and Claira, two more of our amazing medical visa TAL babies. Tuan just turned nine on March 6th. He is an amazing little boy that has beat all the odds. Tuan was living in an orphanage in Saigon and suffering from a bone infection that was destroying his hip. He has undergone surgery here in the states and is now riding a two-wheel bicycle. Claira, his younger adopted sister was brought to the states for open heart surgery three years ago and is a picture of health and thriving after her heart repair. Tuan and Claira are such a blessing to their new family. March is a great month of celebration for these precious children with their forever families.

Haven Turns 5

Haven Faith Shepherd will turn five this month and is showing off that she has lost her two front teeth. Haven is such a special child. She was born in Vietnam and has lived in the states for the last three years on a medical visa. Haven has an amazing story. Her parents were both married but were having a romantic love affair and she was the love child they conceived. They were destined to be together but their families would not allow them to get a divorce. They decided their lives were hopeless and attempted a family suicide, strapping a homemade bomb to their family. They both died, but Haven survived losing both of her lower legs. She walks with prosthetic legs and there is no doubt will fulfill her dreams and destiny. Touch A Life is so grateful that God has allowed us to be a part of Haven's life. Her journey has paved the way for us to help many more children.

Happy Birthday Haven, we love you!

Mother Teresa

I am reading A NEW EARTH by Eckhart Tolle. He sees the urgency in evolving or dying. Our country is dying because of consumerism and he wants to wake up the world and offer us freedom. "How do you let go of attachment to things? Don't even try. It's impossible. Attachment to things drops away by itself when you no longer seek to find yourself in them. In the proximity of death, the whole concept of ownership stands revealed as ultimately meaningless."

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.
Mother Teresa

It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.
Mother Teresa

I love Mother Teresa. She did not cut anyone slack. She shared openly and honestly about responsibility that we should all have to feed the poor. She knew the true meaning of wealth.

EVOLVE OR DIE.