So Who are Nwankwo Kanu & Dikembe Mutombo?

In my last post, I talked about a newspaper article that mentioned the humanitarian works of two gentlemen for which little recognition has been give. In this post, I hope to shed some light on these two men.

Nwankwo Kanu was born in Nigeria and is a professional footballer. After discovering in 1996 that he had a heart defect, he founded the Kanu Heart Foundation which helps young African children suffering from heart conditions. Kanu was appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. This position has given him the ability to encourage girls in Nigeria to enroll in school, tackle AIDS/HIV by youth empowerment and boost routine immunizations.

Dikembe Mutombo is probably best know as an NBA player for the Houston Rockets and the incident that occurred last year when a fan yelled racial slurs at him. The man latter apologized. Mutombo is an adoptive parent and speaks English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and 5 African languages. Mutombo founded the Dikembe Mutombo foundation to improve living conditions in his native Democratic Republic of Congo in 1997. He earned the NBA's Humanitarian award in 2001. He is also involved in Basketball without Borders which tours African countries and helps to improve infrastructure. Mutombo is a spokes person for CARE. In 1997, his foundation began plans for a 300 bed hospital outside of Kinshasa, the Congolese capital. The hospital opened in 2006. The facility was the first modern medical facility to be built in nearly 30 years.

I tend to agree with the article in that these two gentlemen should be recognized for their good works more in the media, but at the same time, I take solace in knowing that the Lord's face has shown upon them and in the end, they will be recognized by the only One that truely matters.

A short update on our adoption journey, the dossier is now in the mail and we had a good visit with a travel clinic this past week (more details to come). We have passed the adoption timeline torch onto our agency and need to settle in for a long wait.

Thanks for the contributions

I received the notifications of some contributions to my Team World Vision efforts. Thank you to the family members, and colleagues from work that have helped to support me in this way. The "Amount Raised Offline " on the FirstGiving page (http://www.firstgiving.com/twollnik2007) has been updated. (Unfortunately, only online contributions show up in the Sponsors table at the bottom of the page)

3000 and counting

For those of you following our Destination Addis Ababa, we have reached a milestone this week. All the biking to work, jogging, swimming, you name is slowly adding up. With Ted's marathon training today, and Jodie's biking to work today, we have crossed the 3000 mile mark. Today we sit at 3008. Only 4,555 miles to go..

Open letter to Uzodinma Iweala

Mr. Iweala,

I read your article “Can you stop trying to ‘save’ Africa" yesterday. It appears it was originally published in the Washington Post. I must admit upfront that I have not read your book “Beasts of No Nation” about child soldiers.

We are adopting a child from Ethiopia. In your article, you talk about the West turning to Africa for redemption for the humanitarian crisis it has created in the Middle East. Your article states “They fly in for internships and fact-finding missions, or to pick out children to adopt in much the same way that my friends and I in New York take the subway to the pound to adopt stray dogs”

As an adoptive parent, I cannot begin to express how disconcerting it is to have our children compared to selecting a stray dog. My husband and I suffered years of infertility in our attempts to have a family, as did many adoptive parents I know. We are not “saving” a child through adoption, or “saving Africa” for a humanitarian crisis that we did not support or create, that child is “saving” us. Without our adopted children, we would not be a family. There has been no greater joy or blessing in our lives. And we are not alone in the sentiment.

In an interview, you stated that you wanted to understand the experiences of being a child soldier, which is an odd thing to say, you stated, because you can’t really understand it unless you have been one. I agree, you can’t really understand what it is like to be unable to bear children unless you have been infertile, and you can’t really understand adoption unless it has touched your life. You did extensive research to write your book about child soldiers, yet you compare adoption to you and your friends going to an animal shelter with little or no understanding of adoption, and certainly no research.

Your article attempts to bring light to the potential for growth in Africa through fair partnerships with other members of the global community. In our paper, your article was 162 lines of text long. Your mention of Nwankwo Kanu and Dikebme Mutombo encompassed 2 of those lines. Your article was published in the Washington Post and picked up by countless other newspapers. You had the audience, but in the end, you focused your attention on criticizing Bono and Angelina Jolie rather than drawing attention to Kanu and Mutombom, the AU, and what fair partnerships mean and how they can be achieved.

I wish you well in your future endeavors and pray that when you try to walk in someone shoes, you aren’t stepping on another person’s feet.

Article link without login required on Washington Post website: http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/2007/07/22/opinion/editorials/doc46a2e6e1ee69b820799143.txt

The Spirit of Racine 1/2 Ironman

Lets get right to it. In terms of Triathlon, there are a few basic classes (or lengths if you will). There are:

• sprint triathlons (generally about 400-600meter swim, a 14-16mile bike ride, and a 3-5 mile run).
• Olympic distance (aka International Distance) This consists of about a 1 mile swim (1.5 km), a 24.8 mile bike (40 km) and a 6.2 mile run (10km).
• 1/2 Ironman distance (aka 70.3) Is a 1.2 mile open water swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run
  
• and the grandaddy of them all, the full Ironman distance (aka 140.6) Which is a 2.4 mile open water swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run.

The Spirit of Racine race I participated is a 1/2 ironman. Its a pretty big jump from the International distance which was my previous longest race.

So how did I do? Well I'm here to blog about it! So I made it. I exceeded my goal. I hoped to finish between 5 1/2 hour to 6 hours, and I ended up finishing in 5 hours 21 minutes and 20 secs.

I was not racing to win, of course you all know that from my past posts. But for those of you that like stats, rankings, and numbers, here is the nitty gritty.

There were 2000 registered participants in the Spirit of Racine Race this year, only 1256 finished the race. 5:21:20 was my overall time. Which placed me 86/173 in the 35-39 age group and 469/1256 overall.
My splits were as follows:

• 00:40:42 in the swim, which was good enough for 629 ranking overall (top 50% percentile)
• 00:02:00 for T1 (transition #1 from swim to bike)
• 02:40:05 on the bike, 21.0 avg MPH, with a 469 ranking overall (top 37% percentile)
• 00:01:06 for T2 (transition #2 from bike to run), no rankings, but one of the fastest overall
• 01:57:27 on the run, 08:58 p/mile, with a 502 overall ranking (top 40% percentile)

I felt very good in the swim, the waves in the water were minimal, the 63 degree water temp was not an issue. It was just a slow and steady for me. I exited the water feeling pretty good. Perhaps I could have gone harder, but hey, it was my first 1/2 ironman, I didn't want to use all my energy in the swim.

On the bike I felt very strong. Although in the first 10 miles my legs felt unusual. I can't say I can describe the feeling, nor have I ever felt it before. I was worried that i might be cramping up, or something so I slowed down for a bit and the sensation cleared up and never came back. Perhaps I have to much lactic acid building up, I dunno. There were some decent hills and climbs. My speedometer often read 24-26 MPH. Apparently the climbs brought the average down to 21. At mile 42 I did stop for 30-40 secs at a porta-john. I did not want to start the run feeling that I had to go to the bathroom, and I'm not crazy enough like the Ironman triathletes to just "go" while riding. Yuck!

The run, my typically strongest event, was a real challenge. In training for the Chicago marathon, I've done a number of 12+ mile runs, and I even participated in a 1/2 marathon race earlier in the year. I had held out some hopes that maybe I could hold an 8 minutes per/mile pace, but again, as my 1st 1/2 ironman I didn't know what to expect. Needless to say, I couldn't hold an 8min p/mile pace, I ended up at 8:58. I'm pleased. Especially considering that I was feeling very fatigued. In fact, for the first time ever, in any sort of race, I started walking. I walked during each of the 13 water stations (there was a water station at every mile of the 13.1 miles). And when the water stations were not aligned with the mile marking, I would walk then also. So I would run, walk, run, walk, intermittently between mile marker to aid station to mile marker. Even with that walking I held the 8:58 pace. Looking at my watch, I would guess that I was walking anywhere between 1 to 1:30 minutes each mile. So i was really running pretty quickly in between that walking, a sub 8 min pace. Not sure what a triathlon coach or sports physician would say. Not sure if it would have been better to just run slower and not walk at all, or if the walking, and running faster is better. But it worked for me.

I am very thrilled with the outcome. My stretch goal was 5 hours 3o minutes, so 5:20 was a nice surprise. One thing was clear after the race though, I'm not trained well enough to attempt an Ironman. I could survive the swim and bike on an Ironman, but I think the run would kick my butt, or perhaps its just typical to walk that much. No way could I have held out 8:58 pace for another 13.1 miles. Is a Full Ironman in my future? Not at this juncture. For now.. I'm happy to have conquered my first 70.3 (a 1/2 Ironman)

And to close, a reading from the day (taking from the Veggie Tales story I read my son at bedtime)

Reading for the Day...

Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests, but (also) everyone for those of others.

Peace...
(I'll post race pictures in the coming days)

Tri for Hope, Sacrifice with purpose...

Buried in my brain I have the remnants of a story, I am not sure where it was from. There was a fella watching another fella running full speed into a brick wall. Over and over... As expected the brick wall didn't crack, crumble, or fall. So the spectator asked, why do you keep running into that wall, you know you cant knock it down that way. The reply, "I run into the brick wall, because I can".

So its a silly little thought, that story, but it illustrates my point. Most people can do just about anything if they set their minds to it. A few years ago I would have never thought I would be able to swim 1.2 miles, follow it up with a 56 miles bike ride, and then top it off with a 13.1 mile (1/2 marathon) run. People have all sorts of reasons for doing what they do, even that fella running into the brick wall. For me, simply put, "because I can" is just not good enough. Not any more anyway.

Traveling through terribly impoverished areas in Belize, Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador (and soon Ethiopia), has transformed me. We, in the United States, have so much. So much transportation, electricity, communication, TV. So much food. So much water. We are so blessed, and I suspect that many cannot even see it.

If I were born in Ethiopia, I could expect to die within the next 10years. The average male lives to be only 48 years old. 48!!

I probably cannot change the entire world. Although through Team World Vision Chicago and its efforts to help the poorest of the poor in Zambia and Ethiopia, I can certainly help to touch the families in those communities. As a result of Team World Vision we have a sponsor child named Geremew in the Guraghe region of Ethiopia. We have improved that young boy's life.

My wife and I are very spiritual, and devote practicing Catholics. We believe that the Lord does work in mysterious ways, and through each of us. I also believe that if I lift up my Joys, Gifts, Works, and my sufferings to the Lord for others, he will indeed help them.

So am I ready for this weekend? You bet! Bring on the blood, sweat, and tears. I have been given Beyond Measure, its time to give back..

Peace
Ted


p.s. If you read this, and you have not yet contributed to TWV or sponsored me, won't you help? Any amount, even $25 can help to save a life. You can help by clicking below:

My Weekends Inspiration

Motivational Song for the weekend
"Beyond Measure" by Jeremy Camp.

The fog has finally cleared to see,
The beautiful life you've given me
To feel the breeze of my newborn's gentle breath
With one to walk hand in hand,
To share this life that you have planned
It's like a storybook with dreams
That are meant to see every next step is an extraordinary scene

I know that I've been,
Given more than beyond measure,
I come alive when,
I see beyond my fears
I know that I've been given more than earthly treasure,
I come alive when
I've broken down and given You control

I've faced a great tragedy,
But have seen the works of what You bring
A display of faith that You give,
I don't know if I will ever understand
The depth of what it is You've done inside,
But I know that I won't find any worth apart from You

I know that I've been,
Given more than beyond measure,
I come alive when,
I see beyond my fears
I know that I've been given more than earthly treasure,
I come alive when
I've broken down and given You control

Everything that I have
Has been given so unselfishly
And shown that even when I don't deserve
You always show the fullness of Your love

I know that I've been,
Given more than beyond measure,
I come alive when,
I see beyond my fears
I know that I've been given more than earthly treasure,
I come alive when
I've broken down and given You control
When I've broken down and given You control

All quiet on the Western front...

Its been a whirlwind for me the past week or so. So much is happening all around. So lets just jump on in...(the water's great!)

The Dossier Blitzkrieg has begun. Jodie and I have split up the documents we are to collect to fulfill our dossier requirements. The dossier is a collection of personal, medical, financial, and miscellaneous documents that get translated and sent to the Ethiopian government. I guess one way to look at it is this, someone in the Ethiopian government will look at this collection of documents on us and determine if we are not only worthy of being parents, but being parents for an Ethiopian child. Amidst work being busy, training for the BIG race this weekend, we are pushing through the document collection quickly. Hence the phrase "Dossier Blitzkrieg"

Work has had me slammed, but I am still gainfully employed, so no reason to say much else there except that its been a tough juggling act these past few weeks.

The BIG race.. is now just 3 short days from now. In fact by this time Sunday, I'll probably be in the middle of my 1.2 mile swim. The shin splints are mostly gone, and I am feeling reasonably well rested. I am as ready as I'll ever be. I'm excited. I'm inspired. Crazy as it sounds though, not because of the personal experience of this all. At least for this morning, I'm feeling really good that what I'm doing, with Team World Vision, is helping to make a BIG difference. And its so great that I have the ability to do this (race) not for myself, but as I said in the "Welcome Message" for something "Greater". More to come tomorrow about the race and how I'm doing going into it.

Before I go, I wanted to share a quote that a friend from our local fitness center shared with me (Thanks!!), and how true (and relevant) it is..

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of WILL ! - Vince Lombardi

The paperwork frenzy can offically begin!

Hubby informed me yesterday that we received three wonderful pieces of mail (thank you kind postal worker!). Two of which were our fingerprint appointments for USCIS (Yah!) and one was a large envelope from AAI with our Dossier Packet (Double Yah!!!). It was a great mail day indeed. After a stress filled meeting last night, I was geared up to unwind in front of the computer and dive right in to the paperwork (until way past my bedtime). Ironically, the stress fill meeting involved discussions regarding the critical path for a construction project which didn't go in the direction I felt was necessary to accomplish the goal. I understand from the wealth of experience on AAI's forum, that the critical path in the dossier packet is the state certifying of two documents. Now there is something I can move forward on. With hubby busy at work and preparing for the big race, I am hopeful we can move these two documents along quickly and then focus on the others in the next few weeks.

On a side note, our little guy has moved on from sleeping under the bed to sleeping on the futon. It is a small accomplishment as he is actually on something as opposed to under something. I am starting to wonder if tomorrow we will find him in a dresser drawer.

Extreme Home Makeover quote

This past week on Extreme Home Makeover (from the Green Bay Wisconsin area), there was a quote from a Father who was stricken down (quite suddenly) by cancer. Ty and the gang, as a part of the extreme makeover, built a large stone bench with this quote from the father:

There's a lot of things to think about, but nothing to worry about.
- Matt Koepke

That quote just hits home. As Jodie and I ponder the possibility of (possibly large delays) in the USCIS processing of our I-171H form, I am hoping that we can keep the mindset that this process is moving at the Lord's pace, an not necessarily ours. And if we should encounter delays, however difficult they might be, that we can look for the blessings in them. Like more time to prepare our son, our home, our family, to prepare ourselves.

We would love for our adoption process to be smooth sailing all the way through, and have our second child home soon. Your prayers can not only help to make that happen, but even if this adoption does begin to stretch out, our family can be strengthened through your prayers and support.

Peace...

We have just one life...

Why all the biking, all the running, all the swimming? Why bother with all the sacrifice? What can a few measly dollars do to help anyone anyway? The problem is just to big. Right?

I recall a story told in church one day about a little girl that was on a beach with her father. The beach was full of countless starfish that had washed ashore. The young girl was picking them up and throwing them back. Her father watched as she proceeded to throw the starfish back, one at a time. Then the father said, "You know honey that with so many starfish, you are not really going to make a difference". As the daughter picked up another starfish and threw it back into the water she replied with "it made a difference to that one".

That is what this is Team World Vision effort is about. If nothing else it is about helping one person at time. I've discovered this World Vision video that expresses the need in a way I could never hope to.

The Campers Return

We are back from a wonderful camping weekend with our World Wide Marriage Encounter Community! We had a beautiful weekend weather-wise and enjoyed some quality time with family and friends. The little guy is quite the outdoors-man, busy busy all weekend, collecting rocks, meeting new people and even trying the penguin dance (which was priceless and sent the crowd into an uproar). Needless to say, after the big weekend, he slept the whole way home in the car and didn't make a peep when we put him to bed that night after a much needed hair cut.

The Ethiopian adoption process marches on. We received a draft of our homestudy today. It will be finalized soon and sent to USCIS as well as faxed to AAI for their review and approval. No dossier package as of yet, as Mary over at Owlhaven always says, "Time to start stalking the mailman!"