Sponsor Letter Is Done!!

I am so happy to share with all of you that I have finished my sponsor letter and started handing it out! I'm not really much of a writer...but it seems I've been doing a lot of it since the start of this. I have attached a copy of it for all of you to read. If you are reading this and do not receive a letter but would like to donate, please contact me and do so! I'm very excited to see where God is going to take this...after all, it was HIS idea!!

Dear family and friends,

Greetings! This letter is to inform you of and ask for your support in a challenge I have committed to.

I belong to Monroeville Assembly of God church and am a youth leader there for Incline Student Ministries, the church’s youth group. Our church, specifically Incline, supports an organization called “Speed the Light”(STL). STL supports missionaries around the world by providing them vehicles and sound equipment, enabling them to more effectively spread the good news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our youth were challenged to raise $35,000 this year to purchase a vehicle for Bettina Weaver, a missionary in Myanmar, Africa.

As a leader, I felt compelled to be an example and work“outside of the box” to contribute towards this seemingly insane monetary goal. Four months after we were initially presented with this goal, God spoke to me. He told me to run a marathon to benefit Bettina Weaver through Speed the Light. I was pretty sure, on many levels, that this was not possible. I spent the next 5 weeks in denial, actively ignoring all the signs of confirmation from God that I really was supposed to do this (and I was flooded with signs). You see, I really did not want to run a marathon. There was just nothing attractive to me about the thought of running over 26 miles. I learned over those 5 weeks that what was lacking was faith. I did not have enough faith to:
1) believe this was really something that came from God…because God doesn’t just talk to me like that.
2) believe this was actually something I could physically do…and live through.
3) believe that I could put in enough training hours and not lose too much time with Matt and my girls.
4) believe that I could find enough (very inexpensive) childcare all summer while I trained.

It all came down to one Sunday morning sermon. The congregation was handed an outline, on it was the word “marathon”, with a star beside it. I knew that was meant for me. It was the big flashing “this IS God talking sign” that I needed. Still deficient in faith, I would not commit…until the following day when I opened up a Runner’s World magazine to see the headline “Running on Faith.” At that point, I finally submitted to God’s will and registered for a marathon. Though I still struggle in confidence about the running part, I do get more and more excited every time my feet hit the pavement in training. I will be running the 26.2 miles on Sunday, September 18^th at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pa!

There is a lot more to this story and if you would like to read it, I have started a blog to share with you this entire endeavor, from beginning to end. Please visit: http://runningonfaith-stl.blogspot.com

I am asking for you to prayerfully consider partnering with me in this challenge to benefit Bettina Weaver and her ability to spread God’s word to lost souls. My goal is to raise a minimum of $2600. That seems like a lot of money but it’s really only $100 per mile. I am not necessarily asking for that much from each of you. I am asking for you to give what you can, be it more or less. I want to show my Incline students that God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things when done for Him.

I also ask for your prayer as I train for the big day and for Bettina Weaver and her mission in Myanmar. I would like to have every mile I run sponsored by someone, that’s 26 people. I want you to choose the specific mile you want to sponsor. I will have a list of all my sponsors and their mile with me on race day. In return, I commit to give you my prayers during that mile of the race. Prayer and running have come together as one for me and I can’t think of any better way to spend 26 miles on the road than to lift all of you up!

Thank You for your support!! 
Lisa Benton

“Running on Faith”

Marathon Sponsorship for Bettina Weaver through Speed the Light
*This is considered a tax deductible donation.
*Please make checks payable to: Monroeville Assembly of God
*Write in the memo: Speed the Light
Please indicate your first and second choice for which mile you prefer to sponsor, if you have a preference. I cannot guarantee you’ll get your preference, unless you return this quickly. J If I am, by some chance, fortunate enough to have more than 26 sponsors, I’ll double up sponsors on that mile. I’m really looking forward to taking you all to the Lord that day, so please send me your prayer requests! I run at least 30 miles/wk in training now so I’m even happy to lift up your requests now..send them my way..I have lots of time out there on the road!
Please feel free to contact me regarding any of this at any time! This is a family commitment in the Benton home and I want you to be completely comfortable with any commitments you make in support as well. Even if your prayer requests change over the course of the next couple months, please let me know!
Lisa Benton: lmding@msn.com