Thank You Thursday! 

         When my sisters returned from their trip to Jamaica I couldn't help but be a little jealous of all the stories they had to tell and the people they had met. I had never seen them so excited and passionate about anything before and I realized that the children they had cared for had become family during their five week stay.  Kathryn told us about how she had become a Godmother to a unique little boy who had changed her life for the better. It wasn't long before Kathryn was sending care packages to Eniko and making plans to visit him again. She was determined to finish nursing school and obtain a degree so she could help children like her Godson.

        

         In September, when we heard of Eniko’s passing, Kathryn was devastated. It was evident that although Eniko was not blood related, he had become a part of our family. We immediately started thinking of ways to honor Eniko  and share with others how significant his short life truly was. ‘Race for Eniko’ is our way of honoring Eniko for teaching us so much and for becoming a member of our family.

         This week we are reminded of the importance of family and what the word family means to us. Pope John Paul II said. “The sickness of a family member is a call to Christians to demonstrate true compassion, that gentle and persevering sharing in another’s pain”.  Although I was originally envious of Kathryn’s trip to Jamaica, I soon realized that I had a lot to learn from my big sister. It was clear that she was following her call as a Christian and her compassion for her Godson was undeniable. On this Thank you Thursday I would like to thank a very important member of my own family, my big sisters, Kathryn. Thank you for sharing Eniko’s story with us and for being an example of compassion and perseverance. Happy Birthday, Kathryn! We Love You! 

Thank You Thursday!

In Jamaica - the home of Mustard Seed Communities they celebrate "Thank You Thursday" every week!  Each apostolate (orphanage) celebrates in their own unique way and the children are always involved.  You quickly gain a new understanding of true gratitude when you see children that appear to have so little in life thanking God for allowing them to wake up each day!  Even though the majority of their residents are unable to speak these children say "thank you"  every day to the caregivers and volunteers at Mustard Seed with their huge smiles and hugs.  The caregivers at MSC work tirelessly every day to give these children the best quality of life.  

On this "Thank You Thursday" we remember Eniko and thank him for changing our lives for the better after our five brief weeks together.  Eniko was a shining example of strength and grace.  Although each day was  physically draining and exhausting for him he never lost the light in his eye.  Eniko in his fragile state clearly had a pure, strong, and loving soul who touched everyone who worked with him.  He embodies Dostoyevsky's idea that "The soul is healed by being with children". 
 
"Race for Eniko" is our way of saying "thank you" to Eniko and all of his fellow residents at MSC for teaching us what it means to live every moment gracefully and to the fullest even in the face of suffering.  Through this race we are thanking Mustard Seed Communities for providing unconditional love and care for these vulnerable children and adults with special needs!  

 

We also want to say a big thank you to all of our supporters!  This race wouldn't be possible without the love and support of our family and friends, so THANK YOU!  Please continue to spread the word about the race and share with everyone :)! 

We hope to see you this Monday 3/24 at the UNOs in Frederick for our next Fundraiser.  The UNOs fundraiser is ALL day and includes dine-in, carry out, AND happy hour!  So come on by and bring friends and family, we'd love to see you there :).  

Be sure to check back soon as we'll be updating regularly!  
Coming Soon - Our "Sponsorship" page where we will list and thank our sponsors.

Updates!

We're excited to start seeing more people register for the race, thank you for the support, can't wait to see you all on June 29th!  

Thank you to everyone who came out to Beck's last Monday night for our fundraiser!  We had 6 tables just at dinner time alone and of course a great time was had by all! 

Please check out our "Fundraiser" page to find more info on our UNO's night on Monday March 24th.

We also wanted to thank everyone who is helping to spread the word by sharing our flier and sponsor letter.  We are still in need of corporate and individual sponsors and we appreciate each and every donation we receive!