In2theRiver

Good morning from Westminster, MD!

When I started traveling to Nicaragua in 2007 on mission trips with my church, Crossroads Church in Westminster, MD, I had no idea how much Nicaragua would impact my life. Now fourteen years later, I have an amazing adopted sister from Nicaragua, I lived in Nicaragua for three years to work in small business and community development, built more friendships with people in Nicaragua then I can count, and continue to travel and volunteer there today. Nicaragua, and its people, are both literally and figuratively a part of my family.

As my 40th birthday drew closer, I began to consider how I could make this milestone count even more. I wondered, “how could I make my dash count?” This birthed an idea inside of me: what if I raised a dollar for Nicaragua for every day I have been alive, and ran a triathlon, a long-time goal of mine, on my birthday to celebrate.

So, I set out to figure out on how days there have been exactly in the past 40 years. How, you ask? I “Googled It” or course! It turns out, according to our friend Google, there are exactly 14,611 days between September 30th, 1981 and September 30th, 2021. That’s a lot of days!

My days now counted, I have officially kicked off my trek to raise $14,611 for Nicaragua for my 40th birthday! Donated funds will go to NicaWorks!, the organization I work with in Nicaragua. NicaWorks! is committed to bringing real hope to hard places through community-led change. With no paid staff in the United States, 100% of donations to NicaWorks! are used to make an impact in Nicaragua. This has always been the heart of Tim and Katie Adams, the founders of NicaWorks!. More information about NicaWorks! can be found at nica.works.

In addition to raising funds, I will be completing a self-created triathlon of 14.611 miles on my birthday, September 30th. I decided 14,611 miles was a few too many!

Why raise a dollar for Nicaragua for every day I have been alive? As I have considered my past 40 years, I have realized how incredibly blessed my days have been. Yes, they have been full of ups and downs, but I have always had what I needed to live out my God-given potential. This has not been the case for many people living in Nicaragua. This has been made even more clear as they have suffered the impact of a COVID-19 outbreak over the past month. It has been heartbreaking to watch friends get sick, and lose friends and family members because of a lack of access to resources we take for granted. I see this as an opportunity to “redeem my days” on behalf of the people who have not received the opportunities I have simply because of where they were born. I dream of a world in which that is no longer the case. On a side note, please be praying for Nicaragua.

Why complete a triathlon? I do not have a profound explanation for that one. It’s just something I decided I should do…I might be a little crazy.

If you would like to find our more about my fundraiser and follow my journey, please check out my fundraiser page on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/donate/346966440461961/.

Thank you for helping me Make My Dash Count!

James Belt