Ncompass Video Post from this past weekend's fundraiser dinner...less than 3 minutes.
CHECK IT OUT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9honzfH2o4o&feature=youtu.be
Monday, May 21, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Cleared for Takeoff
Hi all, thanks again for stopping by.
This past week was an eventful one in many ways. We held our annual Ncompass fundraiser dinner last night in Tigard and it was a great success with familiar as well as new faces attending just as the miles Miles runs for training increase (yes I just used a pun in third person :). I am excited to see the success of One Thought Away as it sparks future progress in Haiti as well as your personal lives. Feel free to post your own progress on the blog or on Facebook to share!
On top of this I heard a piece of official news I have been waiting on since this past Fall. On Wednesday May 23rd I will be flying to Lackland Air Force Base to attend basic training followed by specialized training at Keesler Air Force Base until the end of September.
This is likely unexpected news to most and familiar news to some. The idea of serving my country in a proactive way through military service has appealed to me since college as well as the special opportunity to develop as a leader in such a service centered organization as the U.S. military. The tipping point to apply this past year was seeing how it would further benefit me in going back to school and where I am at in life since moving back to Portland just a year ago.
What a better way to train for a marathon right? To reassure you, I am still committed to the October 7th race date and finishing this leg of my journey you have helped me start. I will do my best to keep people posted during my time away, but there may be gaps in postings based on the nature of where I will be.
I feel nervous, anxious and also very excited, which is normal I suppose. Please keep me in your prayers and thoughts and I will do likewise; deal? :)
How about you? Are you entering a new chapter of your life? A new beginning, or new transition? Where are your thoughts at?
Thoughts can be powerfully negative, or they can be powerfully positive. Treat your mind like a garden. Nurture the positive thoughts that you planted as seeds of hope at one point and enjoy the produce. At the same time be aware of the weeds of negativity so they do not overtake you; pull them up by the roots because they can grow back fast if you don't.
Have a great week and keep an eye out for new posts AND DON'T FORGET TO TELL MORE PEOPLE ABOUT ONE THOUGHT AWAY!...just read the original post of this blog for the background of this project.
Thank you all for your support, it is amazing to see all who are getting behind this.
Miles
P.S. Feel free to write me if you have specific questions, or if you would prefer dropping off a check compared to using the online donating method.
This past week was an eventful one in many ways. We held our annual Ncompass fundraiser dinner last night in Tigard and it was a great success with familiar as well as new faces attending just as the miles Miles runs for training increase (yes I just used a pun in third person :). I am excited to see the success of One Thought Away as it sparks future progress in Haiti as well as your personal lives. Feel free to post your own progress on the blog or on Facebook to share!
On top of this I heard a piece of official news I have been waiting on since this past Fall. On Wednesday May 23rd I will be flying to Lackland Air Force Base to attend basic training followed by specialized training at Keesler Air Force Base until the end of September.
 |
| Enlistment Ceremony |
What a better way to train for a marathon right? To reassure you, I am still committed to the October 7th race date and finishing this leg of my journey you have helped me start. I will do my best to keep people posted during my time away, but there may be gaps in postings based on the nature of where I will be.
I feel nervous, anxious and also very excited, which is normal I suppose. Please keep me in your prayers and thoughts and I will do likewise; deal? :)
How about you? Are you entering a new chapter of your life? A new beginning, or new transition? Where are your thoughts at?
 |
| From August 2011 Trip |
Have a great week and keep an eye out for new posts AND DON'T FORGET TO TELL MORE PEOPLE ABOUT ONE THOUGHT AWAY!...just read the original post of this blog for the background of this project.
Thank you all for your support, it is amazing to see all who are getting behind this.
Miles
P.S. Feel free to write me if you have specific questions, or if you would prefer dropping off a check compared to using the online donating method.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Happy Mother's Day!
Here we are a week into this One Thought Away experience and I have been blown away by the amount and variety of support I have received. It really means a lot. First thing is first though for this blog. If you have not talked to your mom today, sent her a note, or at least spent a moment reflecting on the importance of moms in general you need to pause reading this and go and do that ASAP!
If it weren't for moms we would not be here; literally (I'm no biology major, but I understand the basics :) ). I know I am very blessed to have a mom that has supported me and has loved me throughout my life no matter where my path has taken me. In fact, my path this coming Saturday the 19th will be at the annual Ncompass fundraiser dinner in Tigard (the organization I am raising money through) where I am fortunate to have my mom and dad drive the 4.5 hours to be in attendance. We have a few more tickets available in case people were free FYI.
However, as I write these words I am reminded of the reality of this world. Some of us do not have moms, or in some cases have been separated from them for whatever reason. This is a common reality in the Maranatha House orphanage in Titanyen Haiti. Some of their moms have left, some have died and some cannot support all their children. Thankfully places like the Maranatha House exist to help mitigate this tragedy.
Perhaps you connect with the experience of always having a supportive mom, or maybe your experience is more aligned with the absence of a mom for whatever reason. Whichever the case, take a moment and reflect on how this has shaped your life and how this experience connects you, however loosely, or closely with your brothers and sisters near you and across the globe.
I write this to paint a brief picture in words of the reality that exists in Haiti. I write this to emphasize how much it means to me and most of all to them that you have, are and continue to show support.
Thank you for giving it a thought,
Miles
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Sunday, May 6, 2012
One Thought Away!
Hi everybody, I am kicking off this blog by giving you a run down of what I am doing and why I am doing it. Thanks for stopping by!
The Maranatha Village orphanage in Titanyen Haiti is
approximately 3,400 miles away from Portland.
However, for someone who has been there they know it is much closer; it
is one thought away. One thought of a
welcoming smile, one thought of an endless game of paddy cake, or one thought
of a choir of orphans singing at night.
It is also one thought away from a different perspective. One thought of the glazed eyes of a
malnourished child, one thought of the realities of cholera on a 12 year old,
or one thought of piles of trash stretching for miles and miles under 100
degree heat.
Specific projects funds will go to:
The Maranatha Village orphanage in Titanyen Haiti is
approximately 3,400 miles away from Portland.
However, for someone who has been there they know it is much closer; it
is one thought away. One thought of a
welcoming smile, one thought of an endless game of paddy cake, or one thought
of a choir of orphans singing at night.
It is also one thought away from a different perspective. One thought of the glazed eyes of a
malnourished child, one thought of the realities of cholera on a 12 year old,
or one thought of piles of trash stretching for miles and miles under 100
degree heat.
There are so many things in life we do not do because we
place limits on ourselves; we convince ourselves we cannot do it by placing a
thought in ourselves that we cannot.
This may include limiting ourselves from serving those in need 3,400
miles away in Haiti, or it may mean something very different in your personal
life. Whether it is “I can’t” or “I
can”, each is one thought away.
My hope is that we build off the energy these thoughts
possess and push the limits of what we think we can do by sharing my own
journey from “I can’t” to “I can”. As
someone who has never ran more than 6 miles at one time I thought to myself one
day of the many doubts in being able to run the 26.2 miles needed to complete a
marathon. My second thought was how
overcoming this could cause a ripple effect of others overcoming their own
doubts. With that in mind I have signed
up for the 2012 Portland Marathon.
By pushing my limits I hope to raise funds for the 41 child
orphanage in Titanyen Haiti for things they doubt they can have (see below)
through the Portland based nonprofit Ncompass*
as well as spark a fire in your own life to push the limits of what you think
you can do. Doing something amazing in
your life is one thought away.
Specific projects funds will go to:
· Window shutters
·
School costs
·
Microfinance
·
New stoves
·
Well costs
My goal is to raise $3,400 (one dollar for every mile from
Portland to Titanyen, Haiti) by race day October 7th. Ways you can support this effort include:
·
Spreading this message to friends and family
o
Posting info on your Facebook wall, Twitter, or
other social media
o
Word of mouth
o
Your organizations, clubs, or networks
·
Keeping the children of the orphanage and myself
in your prayers and thoughts
·
Forwarding suggested training tips, words of
encouragement and suggested songs while I train
o
Support me reaching my goal “one marathon at a
time” with a suggested donation of $26.20 is encouraged however any amount is
appreciated
Thank you so much for your support and I encourage you to
give this your thought J
*Learn more about the work already being done in this orphanage through
the Ncompass
organization
*Ncompass is a 501 (C)(3) nonprofit and your donation is considered tax
deductible
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