We Completed the Marathon!

After months of training, last minute travel complications, and confusion on the race course we successfully completed all 42 kilometers (26.2 miles) of the Red Sea/Aqaba Marathon! We have almost met our fundraising goal of $5,000 but we are still looking for last minute contributions. MRDS has agreed to continue collecting funds for MOT through January and we hope those who haven’t yet had time to contribute will be able to do so in the coming month.

Finishing the marathon was an emotional event for both of us, bringing full circle our time as Fulbrighters and our efforts to help our friends in Yemen. We won 2nd (Jess) and 3rd (Diana) place out of the few women who participated. But, better than any trophy was the satisfaction both of us felt at having completed an event which meant so much to us. While we celebrated mastering the physical challenges of the race, our real joy came from the knowledge that in completing the marathon we had guaranteed our ability to meaningfully contribute to the YFCA and the Deaf Association.

We cannot fully express our gratitude to those of you who have donated. Your contributions will soon be helping in the procurement of an autoclave for the Safe Motherhood Hospital in Sana’a, and educational materials for Deaf schools in Aden. Without your donations MOT would have remained a dream, and it is to you we owe endless thanks.

May the New Year bring peace and stability to our global community.

Diana and Jess
January 1, 2008