I cannot believe I have been home 5 days and I have not posted a blog about my trip. Now I have 5 days of things to say on top of my trip, so I will just attempt a brain dump and start where my brain is at...
2000m Steeplechase Champion
The race was awesome! If you tried to watch the live feed or the archive, since I ran in 4th most of the race you could only see me sporatically. Now if i'd have know that I may have run a little faster so I could be on T.V. :-) Actually I was very happy with my time. I ran exactly where I was training. I knew I was not in my top shape, so when that is where you are at, you don't race faster than you've trained... or the race can be a miserable memory...
The barrier my husband built me made a world of difference. The steeplechase race I ran a few months ago was horrible because I was not prepared for the water jump... it can be very startling as you crash down into the water if you have not trained your body to jump, land on an incline, and start running from a dead stop. It can put you into oxygen debt very quickly and can make the rest of the race miserable. I felt like I cruised over the barriers, was very strong coming out of the water pit and never went into O2 debt. It was just an awesome race and I give all glory to God.
...So, I won my age division, got an awesome medal, met some great ladies I am going to keep in contact with, and was National Champion which is what I went up there to do.
There were so many other incredible stories and pictures to share... like many people twice my age (that would be 80 and above) competing in all sorts of events. The story of my rental car that I had to break into and crawl through the trunk to get into the car because the key would not unlock the door. How beautiful the north was, but how in need of a Savior they were...
Baby Isaac Feb-Aug 2007
I hope to share so many stories with you over the next few days. But today we get to go and celebrate the brief life of Isaac Jordan Leino, (and what an amazing story that is). His funeral is today at 3pm and the strength and faith of his parents have been amazing.
Chicago
We then get to prepare, (wash, pack, pack car, etc.) to leave early in the morning for Chicago to visit a church we may be partnering with, and to meet a very gifted couple on staff there who may be going with us to France.
Bill, the husband, has an awesome site that shows alot of his gifts and talents, and explains alot about what their church (Christian Community Church) does in collaborating and sharing high quality arts with one another. Their church has 8 satellite campuses in the Chicago area and 9 churches around the U.S. that have their own pastors, yet they still collaborate and share material. It is an amazing concept and one we think may work in Europe. And we may get to take the couple that helped make this idea a reality to France with us.
Pray for Bill and Rachel Carroll :-) because we will be staying at there home for 4 nights. Yes, us and our 4 kids ages 6 and under will join their probably more quiet house of 4, a daughter who is 2 and son who is almost one. We will also get to spend a whirlwind weekend visiting many of their campuses in the Chicago area and then getting to attend an invited only training for church planters that may be interested in being a church plant of CCC (at least I think that's what this conference is) :-).
Catalyst France
So I will share more later... but things seem to be getting more and more exciting as God continues to lead in His plan for Catalyst France. We have had so many new supporters, and people who have actually used our Catalyst France website which is really cool to see God working like this. Life is so exciting when you get on God's plan, and not your own.
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