Running to Make a Difference

by Chloe Lee

If anyone were to ask me, “Could you run a 5K?” I would probably say, “No.” I'm a terrible runner, only good at sprinting, because I get awful windburns when I run long distances. The reason I ran the race was to help some person that needed help. My Refuge House (MRH) foundation provides a safe place for young women and children that are victims of sex trafficking to live in the Philippines. What motivated me the most to run the 5K was just to think about the victims and the feat MRH is trying to achieve. I bet some of the sex victims are probably about my age and are living homeless on the streets. It's pretty depressing to think about. What if it had been you living on the streets, and one day being kidnapped and taken away from the closest thing you can call home?

Velocity ran together during the race, except for a few other people. The staff was very friendly and sometimes we would jog while chatting with other fellow runners. It was fun to yell out and hear other kids yelling in response. It was also very tiring, and one time when we were trying to run up a very steep hill, we were yelling our heads off like maniacs while we tried to race up the hill. Each step you take may not seem like much, but each step takes up one step closer to the goal you are trying to achieve.

At the end of the race, a man stepped up in front of the microphone and told us a story. He told us that a little boy was at the beach throwing starfish that had been washed up along the beach. Then a fisherman approached him and asked,"Why are you doing that? It's not going to make a difference because there are millions of starfish in the ocean." Then the little boy says, "I bet I just made a difference to the starfish I just threw back." The pastor told us that when you do something good for a person, even if it isn't a lot, you may not think it makes a difference, but it does because even if you do something as little as that, it makes a big difference to someone else.

My Refuge House (MRH) provides an immediate safe home to young women and children rescued from sex-trafficking in the Philippines. It is dedicated to alleviating the effects of abuse and trauma sustained by these victims.

MRH started 2 years ago with a few Christians who wanted to respond to the horrors of human trafficking. After renting a house for a year and running a successful program, they embarked on a new effort to build a safe house that they could own and expand as God moved. On May 8th, 2011, MRH officially opened the first phase of their safe house. About a quarter of the funds to build the new building was contributed by NOC members! The next phase of the building process is making comfortable living spaces to receive more girls into the safe house. $30,000 will build a dorm pod for 6 girls to live. If you would like more info on how you can pray and contribute to this project, please email johnny lee at Johnny@fullertonact.com