Ratanak 2013 5km Walkathon

This writing is going to start out like an acceptance speech at an awards ceremony.

Thank you God:  For we can control (or try) to so much of our lives, but the Weather is in Your hands.  Booking an outdoor Event 8 months in advance requires Faith and You did not let us down.  This does not mean in the future we will not have bad weather days for this event, however it was so nice to not have to check the hourly forecast in the days leading up to this years event.

Thank you Ratanak International in particular Brian McConaghy:  You have invested 23 years of your life in establishing the good name of Ratanak International with your involvement in changing the lives of the Cambodian people, Ratanak International is a name that is mentioned as a leader in battling overseas child sexual exploitation. Brian is a man who meets with Canadian politicians regularly giving advice on best how to combat this problem.  It was an honour to represent such a reputable organization.  I hope we represented this Organization well, and lived up to your trust.

Thank you Paul:  You put my face on every piece of publicity for this event listing me as the organizer, yet without you we would not have even had the first event, let alone be going forward with the certainty of making this an annual event.  Symbolically enough when I was to say these words to you at the starting line you were tying up the loose ends of some last minute registrants at a picnic table behind the scenes well away from the start and all the activity.

Thank you Toronto Core Group:  I will not mention names because for sure I will miss some, but you designed posters, got sponsors, publicized this event, prayed for this event, volunteered the day of, and came out in large part raising funding and awareness.

Thank you participants:  For without you we do not have an event.  Thank you for your patience, and grace, this is a work in process, and we came a long way from last year, and realize we have a few more things to work on.  I was most encouraged by not knowing more then half the people, in fact it will be interesting to see how many new people showed up at the Event.

Planning such an activity relies on so many people outside of your circle.  We seemed to have more then our share of excitement leading up to our event.  Paul went to pick up the pylons, only to have the person he had communicated with not in that day so Paul had to convince someone else to lend us the pylons, thankfully we did not have to ask Janice for her  "prize" pylons.

I had a three day adventure trying to get someone to return my call about a very important matter.  Finally I had to email a Supervisor to get a response.

Lara went to pick up the Coffee on the Saturday morning only to have the lady she had been dealing with not in as well that day.  Lara must be a great talker as we ended up with our Coffee.

I save the best (worst) for last.  Arriving at the Park Paul informs me that he wants to use my Van to put the Ratanak Banner on.  This started a three vehicle shuffle with the table, chairs, ice, water and Volunteers for the mandatory water station at the 2.5 km mark.  Picture next a Magician with the three shells trick, you know how they put an object under one shell, shuffle them around and when the Magician lifts each shell the object is gone.

Substitute vehicles for shells, and the only key to a locked gate as the object, and myself for the Magician.  Yes for the first time in my life on this Earth I misplaced a key.  At work I am reading a book called Don`t sweat the small stuff (it`s all small stuff) sorry but all the steps I had accomplished in the previous weeks reading this book came undone at this moment.  What followed next was the most stressful 20 minutes of my life, checking, re-checking, praying, almost hyper ventilating, and then Prayer was answered for in the middle of a 5km distance I found the lost key, ran the 500 metres in a time Isabella would have been impressed with and started the process of driving my two volunteers, my sister Linda, and my Mother to set up the water station.

I am known as a slow driver; not this day.  Linda told me a few times to slow down, at one point going over a wobbly Bridge I thought I heard her praying.  The best moment had to be when a 60 something year old man out for his morning jog, enjoying nature with his ear phones in could not hear us approaching.  My Mother said honk and I did, however I was not used to the Horn as it was not my vehicle and I really blasted it.  This startled the poor guy into jumping (no exaggeration) at least four feet into the air.  I still laugh when I picture this moment.  We finally ended up setting up the table and this man and myself had a laugh as I explained my situation, and found out we had ran in a few of the same races.  Later on My Mother talked about these same races with him and gave him some Ratanak International information.  I have to chuckle again thinking what if he comes to a core group meeting?  What is his story going to be like when Jessika asks him how he found out about Ratanak`s work?

The Starting Line

My Speech for the starting line got lost in the vehicle shuffle so I had to wing it.

I mentioned two of the markings I had set up on the course the previous night were  pink ribbons.  I had purposely picked, as for me pink is the colour for a young girl`s innocence, and though we could not give the girls in Cambodia a lost childhood back; Today was for them, Today was about them.  I was going to mention that Today was a day of joy, it was to be a day of celebration, as so many times the Volunteers in our group face difficult stories with no happy ending.  Three times during the previous week the same scripture came to mind.  I am not worthy enough to pray these words, they were going to be a Benediction to encourage the participants.  Now they will used to encourage the readers.

Isaiah 61:1   The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon you,

because the Lord has anointed you

to preach good news to the poor,

He has sent you to bind up the broken-hearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness,

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise,

instead of a spirit of despair.

 

I then went on to explain a few rules and asked for the people who were going to run to start at the front, people who were going to walk/run to line up next, and for people who were just going to walk to line up last.

First person in line I see is Isabella my 11 year old Daughter.  If you are new to my blog Isabella has been quite Honest about my Marathon results, giving most of you some laughs at my expense.  My friend Linda Ruth was impressed about my Cleveland Marathon result and asked me about Isabella`s reaction.  The day before the Marathon my family came face to face with three Kenyan runners in our Hotel`s lobby.  Isabella must have lowered her expectations somewhat as she ignored the two men and asked me if I could beat the lady?  I suggested we look up her winning time from the year before, we found out she had ran a 2 hours 30 minutes marathon.  I informed Isabella I would most likely finish one hour behind this lady and the "Isabella look" I am used to of hope slowly disappearing came over her face.

Thankfully the start of the walk was uneventful and I was encouraged at how many people knew me that I didn`t know.

The first two finishers were students from Charlene`s class.   Charlene may be the "original core member” as I think Lisa Cheong and herself started the group up, and here she is still involved so many years later, in fact bringing a new generation to involve themselves.  Next was our first aid Lady Mary`s sister and Mary`s niece.

Next came Isabella and my Wife Gloria.  Earlier in the race Isabella had to stop running from a stich in her side, and told Gloria to go on without her.  Gloria told her "this day is for not leaving little girls behind, and I am not leaving you behind."   Ultra-competitive Isabella nudged out competitive Gloria for fifth place.

A little further down the way came my 13 year old Daughter Katarina with Gloria`s Mother (Nona).  Katarina has my families’ most natural running stride and if she wanted to could have finished much closer to the front, possibly winning, but walking and spending time with her one Grandmother, and visiting her other Grandmother at the water station were more important to her on this day.

I reflected later on what pride I took as a Father, the day before Father`s day in watching my whole family take part in such a special day.  I have to think that God our eternal Father must feel much the same way when He looks upon us who are His children when we work for His Justice on the earth.

Ecclesiastes 10 vs 11

11 The race is not to the swift

or the battle to the strong.

In my time as a Volunteer for Ratanak I have seen many people come and I have seen many people go.  Some go to other Ministries.  The issue of sexual exploitation of Children in Cambodia is deep rooted and will not go away overnight.  It is something that requires a perseverance that only comes from God.  In my experience God picks people with unrelated skills and gives them a task to complete.  I was thinking just Today of how many people that have came through our group who have stated as one of their assets "Events Planner", not a slight at all on them but I find it interesting that Paul and I get chosen to put on an Event.   Rachelle Kearns is a great Artist and yet she puts on an amazing Art Auction to benefit Ratanak although she confessed (she was, and still is terrified of public speaking.)

Brian McConaghy has said many times his skill set is useless for his role.  Lisa Cheong used to sell stocks to stockbrokers, now she is on the frontlines of helping the young women who were the former child victims of sexual exploitation gain a new chance at life.  I could go on, and on.  I guess when you take a task so far out of your skill set that actually succeeds you have to give God all the Glory.

The rest of the walk was uneventful and many people just stayed well past the finish to enjoy the day, to enjoy the experience.

Many times I have been thanked for having the Vision of the walkathon.  A vision is something that God gives and I am grateful for the amazing people who were able to bring this vision to reality.

These are my thoughts after running in The 2011 Boston Marathon

June 6 2011

500 000 people came to Boston.  $125 million dollars were generated.  At the recent Cleveland Marathon $18 million dollars were generated.   I dreamed of having that kind of support for Ratanak International.

I dreamed of one day set aside in places that have heard of Ratanak`s work.  In my dream I also see the girls from the NewSong Center in Cambodia taking part in their own walk.  It is to be a day set apart when people around the World walk or run in support of those who cannot.  A day that is coming!

I issued the statement on the Neil Boron show that if you can run a Marathon you can organize a walkathon.  You have to look no further then me to see this is true.  To this end there is a Group who came out to support us on Saturday but also to get a feel of which such an event looks like.  They are making plans to add another walkathon in a different City for next year.

There is such a heaviness that sometimes comes from being involved in this Ministry.  What I find most disturbing is that human beings are inflicting such damage to another human being (especially little children.)  Sometimes I am overcome with a sadness that can last for days when I think too much.

A week before the walkathon I felt such a mood coming on.  I thought to change up my music and put a worship cd from David Crowder in my Van on a long drive.  My mood lifted until song number 10.

 

Deliver me

 

Deliver me out of the sadness

Deliver me from all of the madness

Deliver me, courage to guide me

Deliver me, your strength inside me

 

All of my life I`ve been in hiding

Wishing there was someone just like you

Now that your here

I know that your the one to pull me through

 

Deliver me to loving and caring

Deliver me to giving and sharing

Deliver me from this cross that I`m bearing

 

Deliver me

Deliver me

Deliver me

Deliver me

Deliver me

Deliver me

As I heard these words an image of a young girl in Cambodia, being held in chains, held in captivity behind huge walls came to me.  I could see her but she could not see me, although she sensed there was someone wanting to help her, hence her sadness.

Interesting enough this song and this image did not have a negative effect on my thinking, as I thought there is going to be an answer to this.

A friend sent me these words  in regards to the walkathon "Clearly it will be a walk in the park physically, but Spiritually it will be powerful!"

The Wednesday before the walkathon I received an answer to the above song by a highly unlikely source.  As I worked out that day at my Gym a Taylor Swift song was played that as soon as I went home I looked up the lyrics.

I cannot tell you with certainty that this event took place on Saturday as a result of the walkathon,  more importantly to me is that you cannot tell me that it did not happen.

 

Change

 

Because these things will change

Can you feel it now?

These walls that they put up to hold us

back will fall down

This revolution, this time will come

For us to finally win

And we sing hallelujah, we`ll sing hallelujah

 

So we`ve been outnumbered

Raided and now cornered

It`s hard to fight when the fight ain`t fair

We`re getting stronger now

They might be bigger

But were faster and never scared

You can walk away, say we don`t need this

But there`s something in your eyes

That says we can beat this

 

Today we stand, get off our knees

Fight for what we`ve worked for all these years

And the battle was long, it`s the fight of our lives

But we`ll stand up champions tonight

 

It was the day things changed

Can you see it now?

These walls that they put up to hold us

back fell down

It`s a revolution, throw your hands up

Cause we never gave in

And we sang hallelujah, we sang hallelujah

Hallelujah!

 

The image I had of the girl in Cambodia; I see her chains came off,  I see the walls holding her captive are knocked down and I see She walks out Free!   HALLELUJAH!

Thanks to the 100 people including 76 adults 10 students and 14 children (Paul originally estimated 100)  who walked/ran/danced for a total of 500 kms and raised the staggering total of  $12 932 and still coming in (well above Paul`s goal of $10 000.)

See you next year.

Larry

 

Please Do Not Let It Be

Entering Cleveland Browns Football Stadium on May 19 at 6.00 a.m. a song plays that I have not heard for a while.

 

A rite of Spring is about to take place, I am about to run a Spring Marathon to benefit the exploited Children of Cambodia.  I picked Cleveland out of many other Marathons,  I had no particular reason.  Negative thoughts are all around me and I wonder if this will be the year that I cannot finish?

 

Back to the song "Let it be" by the Beatles I listen to the lyrics and shake my head no, for something in these words has struck something very deep within me something, I cannot explain.

 

Let it be, let it be, let it be to me refers to the young children of Cambodia who have been sold into sexual slavery and to me the words are let it be to the problem and let them be to the children themselves.

 

Later on  I hear "Whisper words of wisdom" in the same song.  To me they become the worlds words of wisdom.  A friend read my original thoughts on this moment and wrote me her thoughts.  I quote from her now and these exact thoughts were running through my head as I lined up with more than 22 000 other runners at the starting line.

 

"We cannot let it be.  We will not let it be.  The world`s words of wisdom are:  Let it be.  You can`t make a difference.  It will never change.  It`s too big.  It`s too ugly.  Who cares about those who are half a world away?  And to this we say NO.  Sometimes NO is a beautiful world.

In Cambodia I am told there is a saying "Same same but different."  During my training for the Cleveland Marathon this year I thought of this saying.

Although I was able to complete a marathon the previous year I realized that every year I am starting all over again.  Any  physical benefits from the previous year are long gone and I must start right back at the beginning.

Mentally which I believe is half the battle is also a very hard process.  During the recent  Chilly Half Marathon my stomach was really upset to the point of almost illness and I thought of stopping.  At the 16 km mark this came to a head and I was so grateful for the fact I had 5km left at this point and not 26.

 

The air in Cleveland is very hot and the wind is against me right from the start. The start is uneventful, in fact a fellow runner and myself laugh as with so many runners on a narrow roadway we both take about one minute to move the 200 feet to the official starting line.

 

4 km mark I am sweating and the time I see on the timing clocks by the side of the road cause me concern as I seem to be running much slower than I ever have before.  I laugh again as I realize Cleveland doesn`t use the Metric  system so I have actually ran 4 miles, and I am on pace.

 

I saw many signs during the race one in particular  caught my attention. " Pain is temporary.  Quitting lasts forever."  Harsh maybe, but to me it strikes a chord as for the first time I run with a sign on my back; a friend designed for me.

 

The sign says "Running 42.2kms To Bring Dignity For Cambodia`s Exploited Children"  And for me anything short of completing 42.2kms on this day is a failure, this of course puts a great deal of pressure on myself but I am reminded of the word of Ratanak`s Director Brian McConaghy at a seminar speaking on behalf of the children in Cambodia.  "We cannot take a girl who has been rescued from a life of slavery, place her in one of our programs and than tell her after a period of time sorry the funding ran out we no longer have no room for you."  Brian went on to say we have to commit to these girls until they are healed, however long, however expensive.  I feel the same way about finishing a Marathon.  I doubt if anyone would decide not to sponsor me if one year I quit at the 30 km mark, but for now I am grateful I have not had to face this problem.

 

6 mile mark I feel the sign coming off my back and I place it in my hands and think I may have to carry it for the rest of the race.

 

8 mile mark I cross onto Lorrain and 35 West. I have wondered what my reaction will be at this part of the race for this area has been in the news quite often in the last two weeks.  Lorrain is the street that all three girls in Cleveland were kidnapped, one very close to where I now run.  That means the house these girls were kept for over ten years in somewhere very close by.  Sad for such a waste of these girls lives I pray to the one who can bring true healing to these girls, and I am grateful that I have picked this Marathon to run for girls being held in similar conditions as these girls faced many miles away in Cambodia.  I originally thought I may sense evil in this area, but I noticed the people of Cleveland have started raising funds for these three girls, already $480 000 has been raised, I think of the story how Amanda Barry after ten years of slavery still had hope for a rescue, she still had the presence of mind to take her chance for help when it came, I think of the neighbour who helped her, and I realize Evil has it`s day but Goodness will always have the final say.

 

11 mile mark the former sign on my back slips away from me, briefly I thought to go back for it but is very hot today the temperature will reach 87F or 31C.  I think to myself again I must finish this race.  I believe I carried someone`s 11 miles today, possibly another day or another event such as the upcoming Ratanak 5km walkathon others can finish the process of carrying this person the remaining 15 miles.

 

13 mile mark and surprisingly my time is about where I thought it would be, although I was hoping the wind would relent a bit because it had been against me the whole race, and in fact would not stop until the 18 mile mark.

 

15 mile mark I pass a Old Pentecostal Church who have taken their Worship service outside and their huge speakers shout out the words to "Lord I lift your name on high, how I long to sing your praises, I`m so glad your in my life."  I change the next words from "I`m so glad you came to save me" to I`m so glad you came to save them!  I shiver and repeat these words many times over the next mile.

 

18 mile mark the day seems to get even hotter (in fact it is) I see many runners stopping to walk, in past races I have tried to encourage these runners to keep going, today I lack the strength to even speak, one runner lies down by the side of the road.  The words "Let them be" come into my head and I have no response or even thoughts I just keep running.

 

22 mile mark I finish my last drink from my own water bottles and walk for 30 seconds to try to catch my breath, runners are stopping quite often as this is really too hot of a day to run a marathon on. I am pretty sure if this was my first I would not be able to finish.

 

25 mile mark I hear the roar of the crowd and realize I am almost finished and than my heart goes out to a fellow runner for I see a runner being taken by stretcher to an ambulance, one mile to go and he must have collapsed, what a bitter pill this will be for this man to swallow.  I keep running and cross the finish line and see my time is a little off of what I had hoped for, and yet I am satisfied.  The Boston Marathon is not possible for next year and that is okay as I will now wait and see what other door will open for next year.

 

I meet my family at our designated spot and from a distance they congratulate me (I say from a distance because I think I lost 10 pounds of water and Love has some limits for young girls) Hugging your Father at such a moment is not one of them.

 

 

 

 

This is like a bonus track on a CD these are some of my thoughts from my winter training.

 

Running down a Ravine all Winter for over three hours of times allows for much thought.  A recurring thought I have is for all of Cambodia`s children to be set free from the bondage of Sexual slavery.  How this is to happen I don`t know, when this will happen again I don`t know, but I do believe it will happen. 

 

In the Bible there are three examples I draw strength from:

 

David faced Goliath a nine foot Giant who was an experienced solider and defeated him.  Joshua faced the walls of Jericho and saw them come crumbling down.  Gideon face an enormous army of soldiers and defeated them. In each story they were asked to use  something unusual going into battle.  David used a sling shot, Joshua marched around the walls for 7 days and had a trumpet sounded, and Gideon used torches and lamps.  In each example the enormous enemy had a weakness, a crack in their foundation that was not visible to the human eye, but was seen by God.

 

 

 

This is a picture of a tree fallen over one night before I ran.  Before it`s fall I would not have even noticed it as it was one of many trees.  These fallen trees always represent to me the forces behind the exploitation of children in Cambodia, in that one day they are there enormous and look impossible to defeat, and than one day they are like this tree, dead and exposed for everyone to see.  My weapons against this evil for now are my shoes, shorts, and shirt I use when running a full marathon

 

Not to say that I am to be responsible for bringing about this fall, this is God`s fight.  But I believe there are cracks in place that I can`t see, but in time this evil will be thrown out as every other evil regime has in the past.

 

 

 

 

 

Stairs and bridges are structures that allow us to go places we otherwise would not be able to get to.  I have many examples of this when I run down my ravine.  In life sometimes I feel this is also true.

 

These are some of the lyrics from a song called  Minds Eye by the group DC Talk

 

 In my mind`s eye

  I see your face

  You smile at me and show me grace

  In my mind`s eye

  You take my hand

  We walk through foreign lands

  The foreign lands of life

 

I have never been to Cambodia.  I have never seen the children I advocate for in person.  Yet, as I involve myself in their lives from a enormous physical difference I believe God takes me and allows me to see these children up close in a spiritual dimension.  The closest I ever get for now is training for and than running a marathon.

 

This next words are used from a Pink song.  I don`t always agree with Pink, but I like Pink.  As Pink is authentic and real, Pink does not hide behind a mask.  Too often my fellow church goers and myself are not as authentic as Pink.

 

There is a 16 year old girl in Cambodia.  It is the middle of the night and she is exhausted but she cannot sleep.  She is in a program that is set up to help her overcome a difficult life.  She has been is such programs for the past three years, she is "one of the lucky ones"  She was sold at eight years old and endured five years of Hell until she was rescued.  She sighs so deeply to herself, thinks about the pills she has stored under her bed, and wonders if it would not just be easier to take them and end her pain.  She had thought she was making progress, but today in the Market she saw a face she would never forget.  She saw a man from a foreign Country her first abuser, and all of the hard work of the last three years came undone in this moment.  She thought of the unfairness of life as this man was free to go and ruin other lives while she was a prisoner in her own body, in her own mind.

 

There is a man three thousand miles away from this girl.  Something is wrong he senses it and knows not exactly what it wrong but he senses an urgency he has never experienced before.  He senses hope is going fast and when hope is gone all is lost.  This man has no idea what to do, he feels helpless but goes to his room to pray.  This a "hail Mary" prayer the type of prayer where we acknowledge our smallness and helplessness and wonder what good will come about but praying is the only thing that can done so the man utters this words doubting they will have any effect but he feels he must do something.

 

   Give her just a reason

  Just a little bit`s enough

  Just a second she`s not broken just bent

  And she can learn to love again

  It is in the stars

  It`s been written in the scars on her heart

  That she`s not broken just bent

  And she can learn to love again

 

  Again the man repeats these word unknown to him the girl joins in

 

   Give her (me) a reason

  Just a little bit`s enough

  Just a second she`s (I`m) not broken just bent

  And she (I) can learn to love again

  It is in the stars

  It`s been written on the scars on her (my) heart

  That she`s (I`m) not broken just bent

  And she (I) can learn to love again.

 

The man feels a curtain being drawn over the girl`s life and through his exhaustion feels he has done all he can do and leaves his room.

 

  1 Corinthians 13:12

 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face:

 now I know in part, but then I will know fully 

 

Some rewards are left for those who suffer most.  The man will never suffer like this girl so in his life the screen goes blank.

 

The girl is fully awake as someone has entered her room and she knows not who but senses a peace such as she has never experienced before.  This Man speaks to her:

 

  I AM your reason

  I AM enough

  Just a second your not broken just bent

  And I will teach you how to love again

  Your face is in my Heart

  Your name is written on the scars of my hands

  Your not broken just bent

  And I will teach you how to love again

 

The next morning the girl threw away the pills as she knew she would never need them again.  Her life was not easy and her painful past would come back and hurt her at inopportune times.  But she learned through her pain and her recovery that she was able to mentor and help the younger girls follow the same road to recovery.

 

What she could have never known was her role was to be later in life.  Her story was so powerful coming from a victim of such a start in life it was used to bring sweeping change.  She told her story many times to powerful Politicians from other Countries  who were moved to tears at her honest, straight forward approach to the retelling of her story.

 

She was to be one of the biggest influences for ending the practise of selling children into sexual slavery in Cambodia.

 

Larry

Running for Girls who Cannot

Yesterday while being interviewed on a radio program based out of Buffalo by Neil Boron of WDCX F.M. 99.5 I thought ahead to the upcoming marathon I am to run in Cleveland.  I thought of all the negative associated with the running of an actual marathon, but I also thought of the positive.  That is, when I write out all my thoughts and experiences of the months leading up to the marathon and post it to my blog. Life line is the name of Neil`s show and life line is what Ratanak International is providing for these girls in Cambodia.

The date is Sunday May 10 2009.  The time is 7.25 a.m.

I am standing outside Square One Shopping Mall in Mississauga.

I am with 1414 other people, crowded into a space that should accommodate 200.

Being an introvert, and someone who usually keeps away from large crowds.

I should be feeling extremely uncomfortable.

I am not, in fact I am jumping up and down in anticipation of what awaits me.

I have chosen today to run the full 42.2 km Mississauga Marathon as a means of raising funds and awareness for the New Song Center in Cambodia.

New Song is named after two girls Nhu and Sung.

The center rehabilitates children who have been forced to work as prostitutes.

I trained five months for today.

The last two months have been extremely difficult.

I have felt like there was a spiritual battle going on all around me.

I have had terrible nightmares.

I have had trouble sleeping.

I have been exhausted spiritually, more than physically.

I have felt like I have carried the weight of the 57 girls from New Song on my back.

Today I realize something has changed.

I realize these girls were with me when my father placed his arm on my shoulder and prayed for health, courage and victory before the race.

Today I will hear their voices, cheering me on as I run by the spectators lining the streets of Mississauga.

Today I will see their hands, as they pass me water and Gatorade at the refreshment stations.

Today I will see their feet, as they run before, beside, and behind me keeping my path clear from any obstructions.

On Wednesday I received an email from a friend of mine telling me "I pray that God shows you the faces of the girls when you run."

His prayer was answered.  Usually when I see their faces, they are in pain, they are terrified, they are broken, and they have tears in their eyes.

Today God has smashed their chains, and I see their faces.

They are smiling, they are satisfied, they are whole, and they are laughing.

Yes today is going to be an amazing day I think as I start my run.

The beginning of my run takes me through a very wealthy part of Mississauga.

I could visit, but I could never afford to live here.

The lots are measured in acres, not square feet.

The property values are listed in millions, not thousands.

The house sizes are thousands of square feet, not square feet.

Than I wonder how many men from this neighbourhood have been overseas to abuse children?

Than with almost a sense of dread I ask God an even tougher question.

Lord, even today as I run is there a man from this neighbourhood waiting at the airport?

Is he going to a less fortunate Country to take advantage of his economic strength to sexually abuse children?

My heart sinks, and I shiver as the answer yes comes back to me.

Turning down one street to step onto another I start a series of what if questions.

What if just one house on each street in this neighbourhood decides to sacrifice part of their abundance of wealth, and give it to the poor.

What a difference they could make.

I ran past four Churches that Sunday.

I thought what if one of these four Churches took seriously the charge that is throughout the whole Bible to look after widows and orphans in their distress?

What if one of these Churches realized that righteousness, and justice are the foundation of the Lord`s throne, and acted accordingly?

What if one out of every four Churches in Toronto acted this way?

What if one out of every four people in Toronto who call themselves Christians acted this way?

I dare say Toronto, and the rest of the world would become a better place.

The next part of the run is uneventful until the 27 km mark.

The steepest part of the run starts here and goes for the next km.

Whoever designed the course could not have possibly known the way the wind was to blow on the day of the run.

On top of the difficulty of running up the steepest part of the course, a  50 km/h wind was blowing in my face as I ran up the hill.

This was the toughest part of the run.

This was the toughest physical challenge I have ever faced.

Many people stopped running at this point, but I kept on.

At the top of the hill a strange thing happened.

A woman who I had not seen said "thank you you were the only thing that kept me going."  She sped up, and I never saw her again.

What she had done is to run directly behind me the whole way up the hill.

Since I was taller, and broader than her I took all the force of the wind.  She only had to concentrate on navigating the hill.

The girls of New Song have been taken out of prostitution, but they are starting the rest of their lives at the bottom of a steep hill.

When I intercede for them I am telling God I am willing to go to the bottom of the hill,  to lead them up.

Their struggles are not one kilometre as mine was, but they will have to climb this hill every day for the rest of their lives.

They don`t face wind, but they face shame, guilt, and discouragement as they climb the hill.

When I pray for these girls I believe God may take something satan wanted to add to the girls load, and place on mine.

So maybe the next time when I get an unexpected car repair a traumatic memory is kept from one of these girls.

So maybe when I do somebody else`s job at work without anybody seeming to notice, or thanking me.  Maybe one of these girls was spared some physical harm.

Maybe on one of those days when everything goes wrong from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed.

Instead of feeling sorry for myself, and asking God why?

Maybe I should thank God, because that day was the day when satan wanted to overwhelm one of these girls so much that they would give up and take their own life.

But God knowing the girls were weak that day had allowed me to carry their load.

And maybe, just maybe one day when I am walking in Heaven I will feel a little arm pulling at me.

I will look into the most beautiful eyes of a child I don`t know, but she seems to know me.

She will go on to say "thanks without you I would have not made it to here."

Everything should have been easy after this, but than I met up with someone I have named the obnoxious runner.

After turning the corner after the hill I noticed a man weaving wildly back and forth.

As I came closer to him I saw the reason for his erratic running pattern.

This man was blowing his nose without the benefit of kleenex, he tried to clear his nose at least ten times.

After almost being ran into the second time the old Larry came out.  I seriously considered taking this man`s number down and looking him up at the finish line.

Than my first and only laugh of the day.  I thought if I have enough energy to waste on anger at this point of the race I think I will be all right.

I increased my pace, and thankfully I did not see him again.

I realized through this experience many times satan put`s distractions in my life.

Maybe I don`t agree with someone in a group I belong to.  Maybe I feel left out. 

Maybe I feel someone talks too much.  Maybe I feel someone is getting too much attention.

What this does is much like with that man my focus goes from the race I am supposed to be running and the finish line, instead to the individual or situation that is distracting me.

Sadly I may even stop running.

At the 31 km mark my right calf starts to tingle.  This is not good, as I have battled this problem for the last two months.

Three people who interceded for me gave me Hebrew 12: 12-13 as a promise from God when this injury first flared up.

One wrote me a letter saying this:

12 Therefore strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees

13 Make level paths for your feet, so the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

She went on to say:  I sense that the final words about healing the lame are not just for you Larry, but also for the girls in Cambodia who have been "lamed" prevented from walking away by their captivity, and lamed in their spirits as well.

I sense the Lord is saying that as you Larry, strengthen your knees and make level paths for your feet in running the marathon, the awareness and prayer and funding you inspire will be used by the Lord in bringing not disability, but healing to the girls.

I`m reminded of what Don Brewster said about secular mental health professionals thinking that the girls rescued from slavery are so damaged they will never recover- yet Jesus heals them!

With these thoughts running through my head, I repeated those two verses out loud for the next while and the pain in my calf went away.

All along the course there were many signs with sayings that were mean`t to encourage the runners.

At the 36 km mark one caught my eye.

It said:

Pain is temporary

Pride is forever.

I changed it to:

Pain is temporary

Glory is forever

New Song houses 57 girls.

I have heard estimates that from 1.25 to 1.5 million young children are being forced into prostitution.

Sadly not every one of these girls will be rescued.  Some will die as they lived as virtual slaves.

Yet, this is the second time that God has shown me what is in store for these girls.

Pain is not a word that can even begin to describe what these girls have had to endure each day for their lives.

As much as pain is not a strong enough word to describe these girls conditions.

The word glory need to be multiplied by infinity to explain what God (their creator) has in store for these girls when he brings them to spend the rest of eternity with Himself.

They are going to be given the highest places of honour in Heaven.

The run is finished but I am not.

Two years ago a Conference was held in Toronto titled "Slaying the Giant" ending the sexual exploitation of children.

Another one of my intercessors gave me Job 29: 13 -17 as encouragement.

17 I broke the fangs of the wicked, and snatched the victims from their teeth.

I really like this because if you were to rescue someone by pulling them out of the oppressor`s mouth.  The victim is free, but oppressor is free to grab another victim.

If the fangs of the oppressor are broken.  The victim is free, and the oppressor is not able to grab any more victims.

I believe Jesus is in the process of breaking the fangs of the wicked.

Two stories from the last week.

Craigslist has been forced to shut down their erotic service ads.  Now they have to be monitored. (this was a favourite way for pedophiles to communicate with each other.)

One girl from Svay Park who attended Rahab`s house in Cambodia ( a former brothel turned into a Church) has been rescued from being trafficked.

Larry

  

Just 13 Girls

This is my favourite writing.  It was written in 2010 after the Mississauga Marathon.  This was by far the most difficult, yet most rewarding marathon I have ever ran.  The rocks I wrote about are set up in my backyard as a constant reminder that the girls in Cambodia are Not Forgotten. In a radio interview I quoted from a song that sums up why I run.   Just a Girl No Doubt   Take this pink ribbon from my eyes    I`m exposed   And it`s no big surprise   Don`t you think I know   Exactly where I stand   This world is forcing me   To hold your hand   I`m just a girl, all pretty and petite   So don`t let me have any rights   I`m just a girl in the world   That`s all you`ll let me be   I`m just a girl, living in captivity  I am sending some thoughts to you and my results from today.  Much like a race itself you do not know the results right until the end, so it will be here. Did anybody see the movie UP.  Right now I am walking around my house much like the old man cartoon character did in the movie.  My pain will go away while the ones I run for will not have this luxury tomorrow. On the drive to the race my father had 'Be thou my vision' on his c.d player.  I had him play it twice as I pondered what will my vision be today? I had a sleepless Saturday night.  Chuck Liddell a former U.F.C champion earned the nickname 'The Iceman.'   As he would be sound asleep in his dressing room before a big fight and would have to be woken up.  His trainer said 'you must have ice in your veins.'   I am not as fortunate as I realised everything was totally different from last year. Last year I was injured in my training and I had doubts about the how well I would be able to run.  Just getting to the starting line was a relief and I had no real goal or time just to finish.  The stress of the previous six weeks were gone and I walked up to the starting line calm and relaxed. This year was totally different my training was excellent!  I was healthy, my daughters were healthy, I even had picked up a 'Fundraising Manager'  my father.  All these things allowed me to train very efficiently.  I had noticed an almost awe like tone in various people who heard about someone who had ran faster than the average person in races.  For a Marathon Boston is the place to be.  There is a very high standard a runner has to achieve before they are allowed to enter this race, simply put it is like The Olympics of Marathon running. Three months ago I noticed my times were on pace to qualify me for The Boston Marathon.  Quietly I kept this to myself but I started making this my goal.  One day while running I thought aim for Boston next year and use the knowledge, experience, contacts, and credibility to organise a small maybe 5km walk/run race.  If even 100 people show up and raise $50 each that is $5 000 dollars for Ratanak, not bad for one days work!  The bonus is I would make sure I was in an administrative role so I could watch the others run. So now all I had to do was to run The Mississauga Marathon in less than 3 hours 31 minutes. I shared yesterday at a meeting how my training took me far down the Etobicoke Creek Trail at the end of this trail there is an island like piece of land where if the water is low I could cross on a path of rocks. I than would run over many rocks which may have been covered over by water the day before.  It was a surreal, and beautiful experience. On my long 12 to 23 mile runs I took to picking up rocks that caught my eye.  I thought these rocks represent girls in Cambodia who have been freed from sexual slavery. Overall I picked up 13 rocks/girls.   As I lined up to start I thought 13 girls represent 1 girl every 2 miles I must run today. Last year I wrote how The girls from NewSong were able to help me as I felt they were all around me on the race course.  This year I realised things were going to be quite different.  I had picked up the 13 rocks from the stream bed down my Ravine and put them in a sack but this year the time I wanted to complete this race would put all 13 of them back in my sack and I would have to carry them on my back as far as I could when I ran.  I would be allowed to take them out of the sack at various times during the race finalising their safety. The gun goes off and I am off to a fast start which is part of my plan, as last year I got stuck in a large pack of slower than myself runners and wasted a lot of time and energy swerving through them.   3 km mark I am sweating not a good sign as it is hot outside and running on asphalt that has been heated up by the Sun was going to be a challenge. I release the Ratanak Logo shaped rock my vision is revealed to me a line from a song sang by freed slaves many years ago.   I hear a little voice singing ' no more auction block for me.' My pack feels light and I am literally tearing up the race course.  I do not know the exact distance but the next two rocks  I take out of my pack bring me great joy.   S.N. for you Lisa.  Next comes L, yes for you Charlene. Two more faint voices 'no more auction block for me.' I am really feeling good, but I am sweating quite a lot. Each race has certain people who are called pacers they are volunteers who run a certain pace to help other runners achieve their goals. At my Marathon they wore bunny ears hence the name pace bunnies.   At the start I picked a spot between the 3.15 and the 3.30 bunny. I thought no matter what happens I cannot let the 3.30 bunny pass me. At the 18 km mark me and another man cruise by the 3.15 pace bunny. He turns to me and says 'we are on pace for a 3.10 Marathon.'   I am releasing various rocks and hearing the faint voices sing 'no more auction block for me' but although my time is very good and I have released many rocks my pack seems to be getting heavier and I am starting to labour.  My month long cold seems to be catching up with me.   24 km to 28 km the 3.15 bunny overtakes me I have not only hit the wall I feel the wall has crashed in on me.  I cannot begin to describe the feeling that came over me than, exhaustion, discouragement, despair, hopelessness are insufficient to describe my state of mind.  Looking back I believe the enemy of my soul  who was restrained as I trained for this run was allowed to take his best shots at me than.  What to do?  Pray?  Good idea!   One of the most brutally honest prayers of my life.  'Lord if I am chasing my glory than let me quit, but if you have called me to this than find a way for me to finish for I feel I cannot go on.  Send me an angel to strengthen me.   I was sent my Angel! I had a certain rock I wanted to take right to the finish line.  This girl has had one of the most miserable lives that I know of.  A Canadian man made pornographic video tapes with her when she was very young.  She is still in Prostitution right now, it is the only life she has ever known.  She is lost right now afraid and un trusting of the only people who actually care for and would love to help her.  She once asked does anybody know or care about me?  She is someone Brain McConaghy has prayed for even on the point of exhaustion.  The NewSong Center is half named after her.  The lady I am to take out of my pack is no other than Sung, my very unlikely Angel but if anything I thought I have to finish today if even just for her.  Her voice is louder and deeper; tinged with far more sorrow than the other girls but a glimmer of hope goes into me 'no more auction block for me.'   The enemy of my soul sees this spark and tries to put it out immediately.  My legs start cramping, not just my calves, but my hamstrings, and even my front right quadriceps muscle.  I had to use all of my effort for the next while not to have a leg buckle underneath me. Last year I noticed signs as I ran.  This year my focus and now my challenges kept me from noticing too many outside influences.  Someone with chalk had written 'Surrender' at the 30 km mark. I guess someone has a warped sense of humour.  Another spark is put in me as I angrily shake my head NO!  The only surrender here today will be the enemies grasp on these girls once and for all.  I will not surrender today!  I must finish this race!  The next 6 kms are pure torture between keeping my legs stable and my mental state, it was definitely not  fun. 36 km  I take the matching rocks out of my pack. They were picked up on my longest run of training 23 miles.  I feel they are sisters possibly even twins.  I dig deep and keep going 'no more auction block carries to me over the crowd.   38 km a voice from the crowd.  My race bib has my name on it.  A man shouts encouragement 'Keep it up Larry, your form looks great and your camouflage even better.' Interesting in two years I have never been asked about my choice of outfit.  I ran with 1700+ people on Sunday I was the only one dressed like this.  To me my run is a day of battle, a day of war.  Solomon mentions a time for everything even War, hence my outfit. I think of a another man who was said to have a Heart after God.  He made many mistakes but God still used him very mightily.  Before fighting the Giant Goliath; David said he had killed a Bear, and a Lion so what was Goliath to him? I thought maybe last year I defeated a Bear, this year I am in a fierce battle with a ferocious Lion.  Perhaps I am being prepared for a battle next year with some kind of Giant.  On the surface that does not look like good news but the spark became a fire within me, as by looking at the times after the race I actually ran the last 4 km in a pace similar to what I ran earlier in the race.  Now I can see the finish line.  I actually sprint the last 50 metres, as I cross the line I think one more rock to take out of sack. I do not know her name, she is tiny, she is beautiful, she is unmarked, and bears no scars physical,sexual or spiritual.  Yes this precious little rock has never been or ever will be subjected to sexual abuse. Her chorus is a little different than the other girls' I never was on the auction block.'   A band plays a song at the finish line that means a lot to a group of people I know who went to Cambodia last year and the girls they bonded with all who probably are still on the Auction block. Joy from my core group you were in that park.  The Song was 'no woman no pride, no woman no cry.'   With the stress of the race over and my pack finally empty comes my reward.  I wrote before sometimes a touch of Heaven reaches out and gives us just a glimpse a small taste of what it will be like. All 13 girls appear before me.  They are various size and ages.  Most are from Cambodia. Two are from Vietnam, and one is from Thailand. Angels cannot sing better than this. They sing   No more auction block for me   No more, no more   No more auction block for me   Many thousands gone   No more strange man`s hands on me   No more, no more   No more rapes of me   Many thousands gone   No more being sold for me   No more, no more   No more beatings for me   Many thousands gone   No more auction block for me   No more, no more   No more auction block for me   Many thousands gone   Now back to visible reality.  My Mother and Father, my wife and two daughter`s greet me at the finish line.  In football a game ball is given to a most valuable player.  I wear my own shirt so my Father is given my Mississauga Marathon shirt.  He worked diligently, tirelessly, and efficiently in raising funding for the NewSong Center and released me to train. My Mom hugs me and as a picture is being taken says 'try not to look so tired Larry.'  Thanks Mom.   Gloria my most beautiful wife kisses me an whispers I am so proud of you! I am proud of her not once did she complain or question the many hours I put into preparing for today. Katarina gave me my gift on Thursday she said 'I know why you are running, I know what has happened to those girls and I am proud of you.'  Although saddened a 10 year old has to know about such things, how about the 10 year old girls in Cambodia who not only know about these things but have experienced them repeatedly for at least the last four years. Do you believe in miracles?  I am starting to.  Isabella precious, beautiful Isabella the same girl who last year told me 'Daddy you did terrible', the same girl who said only a top ten finish would be acceptable for me this year.  Isabella ran and gave me a big hug and said 'Daddy you did very well, I am also proud of you.'   Now to the end the finish line so to speak.  Was I chasing my own glory?  Was I mistaken in my goals?  Would I let you guys, God and the girls of Cambodia down. 1717 people ran this years Mississauga Marathon.  I finished 126th. I needed my time to be better than 3 hours 31 minutes. I finished in 3 hours 19 minutes. I am indeed going to run in The Boston Marathon next year. (which I have) Hopefully in two years organize a small race. (which has been done.) Thank you  Larry