kickin' it 4 captives

This past weekend was the Mercy Project's spring fundraiser. Starting at noon on Friday and ending at 2pm on Sunday, 41 people played kickball for 50 hours in the Guiness World Record breaking Kickin' It 4 Captives. This game is the longest kickball marathon to date, and it was no easy feat. The players were incredible, and I was truly humbled by their sacrifice to give up a weekend to sleep in tents and play kickball! Each person played for about 25 of the 50 hours...crazy!!! Let me just say that I have a great deal of respect for the players because not only did they get very little sleep, but they were on their feet and physically active for way more hours than one's body is used to! There may have been some limping, and by Sunday morning, there were fewer people hustling. But, I did not hear one person complain. AWESOME!

But, even greater than being world record holders, these 41 players {plus 6 wonderful people who gave up their weekend just to help out with less glorifying tasks} raised $20,000 for the kids in Ghana! Simply incredible. When Chris and I first started discussing the possibilities of this kickball game, we never could have imagined that it would have been this successful. And, honestly, it wouldn't have been if it were just up to us, but thankfully, we serve a mighty, mighty God and worked with some fantastic people. These players really bought into the idea of being people who live out the gospel and take it to ALL of God's children, and they worked hard to fundraise for this event. Chris and I were seriously blown away. Because of Kickin' It 4 Captives, almost 15 children will be able to be rescued off of the lake in Ghana and will have a place to live!

There are times when the Mercy Project {the nonprofit organization that Chris founded after his trip to Ghana} is overwhelming and time consuming, and it can even seem like we aren't making any difference all the way on the other side of the world. But, then, in a weekend like this, I am reminded that God is truly up to something. All of the effort, sweat, and tears is worth it because He is in the middle of it.

So, thank you to all the amazing players and helpers for the weekend! We couldn't have done it without you. And, to my incredible husband, thank you for showing me how to love mercy with every fiber of my being!

Hope some of you can join us next year for whatever other crazy, world record breaking event we do! It will be worth it!