In January, I traveled with six VA Tech students via Megabus to New York City on a mission trip.  We waited for subways, people, tours, and meetings.  We wondered about many things…why well-dressed, well-mannered, educated people could become homeless, why we’d been warned to avoid eye contact with people in general, why we should wear [...]

In January, I traveled with six VA Tech students via Megabus to New York City on a mission trip.  We waited for subways, people, tours, and meetings.  We wondered about many things...why well-dressed, well-mannered, educated people could become homeless, why we'd been warned to avoid eye contact with people in general, why we should wear dark colors to blend in.  We wandered Central Park, the neighborhoods surrounding iconic cathedrals, and smaller icons like St. Paul's Chapel near the site of 9/11, poignant reminders of rescue workers who were fed, massaged, counseled, and given respite from the unspeakable  tasks only they could carry out.  Yes, we waited, we wondered, and wandered through this amazingly diverse and welcoming city.  We learned that in the midst of serving the homeless and the elderly, we were given more than we gave.   We came to serve, but it was we who were served. That's how I feel about Team in Training...about training for endurance and raising funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Try training with a blood cancer survivor.  It will change your life.  It's like going on a mission trip, then coming home to realize you're the one that has been blessed.  Whether your contribution is one of offering prayers, $5, $50, or $500....it all adds up to something greater than the individual gift.  Collective prayer is powerful.  I have experienced it.  And our collective gifts add up to funds that translate into new treatments, education,  and family services.   Thanks to the efforts of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 75% of your contribution is guaranteed to get to the mission!  So please click on that donation button today and make a difference in the lives of those trying to live the way we do.  They are the first to say they are blessed by your gift.  If you prefer to send a check, make it to LLS and send to me at 305 Country Club Dr., SE, Blacksburg, VA  24060.