Let's get this party started!

2012...mercy.  I must admit 2011 was a jam packed, epic eventful, crazy busy, super fun and went by in a flash year!  However, it also felt like 1 year = about 3 years!  Have you ever finished something and felt a little lighter after?  It's like you didn't even realize all the 'stuff' you were carrying, doing, responsible for, until it is done-- you have shaken the dust off given a couple of celibatory  high-fives to your work mates/friends who have carried the 'stuff' also, look back and say "wow, that was some year!"  Then off we go for a little rest and get ready for the year...

So let's get started!  There are many exciting things that are taking place this year at SP Liberia-and as always I am super thankful that God has us here for this time.  We have some new projects, we are going to be building a new ELWA hospital in partnership with ELWA/SIM, we have new staff joining us and more teams and visitors. All of these are in addition to our ongoing 30 projects that will impacting over 350,000 Liberians this year...that is 10% of the population!

Many of you may set New Years resolutions...I for one, am one of those.  Most January's I think about some of the things I want to accomplish or a goal I want to work towards. One year I wanted to learn guitar-so I taught myself, one year it was to enter a PhD program, so I did...and so on.  But this year is a different (I know shocking!).  As I was running the other day I was thinking about this year-yes, the London marathon entered my mind, but there were other things that I wanted to work on in 2012-here are some of them:  Spend more time in the field with our staff and beneficiaries, collect more stories from our beneficiaries, support the program managers I will be working with this year, teach my boys something new (not sure what yet...)-just little things-that can make a big difference.

There are some that think 2012 is the year the earth blows up-or comes to and end-or whatever...I do not.  I believe that NO ONE knows when the earth will end no matter how smart you are or what calendar you are looking at!  I am not going to worry about it-in fact I am going to try and worry less! Instead I am going to focus on one day at a time-being thankful for what we have and work on those little things.

Love this!! For us 80's kids...

As for marathon training in 2012...Well, the first week of marathon training has gone ok.  I would give it a 6.5/10.  I had a 2 week break from running over homeleave-so getting back into it can be a painful process!  It usually doesn't take me to long to get used to the heat and humidity-it actually feels great to have a good 'sweat'! Next week I will be in Foya with a team from Salmon Arm-can't wait!  I will be going to see some projects, see our friends in many villages, and will gather stories for the projects that I am running for in April at the marathon.  Running/training for the marathon is helping me get started on the right foot for 2012-and putting into practice the things I want to work on for this year! So let's get this party started!!!

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