Watts For LIFE Fund Raiser Update

Exerpt from Los Alamos Monitor 
 
Jemez Mountain Trail Runs: One event, three courses, endless stories 
Tracy Greer Monitor Sports Editor 
 
“Saturday's second-annual Jemez Mountain Trail Runs hosted almost 250 runners on three courses: 50-miles, 50-kilometers and half-marathon.  
     Headquartered at the Sherriff's Posse Shack on North Mesa, the three courses took ultrarunners across the Los Alamos area, including the Pajarito Ski Area and the Valles Caldera. 
     Some were looking to complete their first endurance run, while others were elite athletes in competition. Whatever the motivation, each participant had a story. A sampling:  
 
The Fundraisers 
Three men. Three ministries. One goal. 
     Jesse Taylor, youth pastor of the Los Alamos Crossroads Bible Church, met Todd Grant, pastor of a Watts, Calif. church, three years ago. The differences in their youth congregations – one in an upper-middle-class mountain town, the other in inner-city Los Angeles – was striking but the two ministries formed a bond, with the local church providing regular financial assistance to Watts. 
     The goal was to raise $7,000 so the youth group in Watts could attend this year's LIFE Conference in Orlando with the Los Alamos youth group. They recruited Kent Julian of Atlanta, the National Director of Alliance Youth, and tied their fundraising efforts to the JMTR. 
     All three men are runners, but Grant and Julian both live at approximately 400 feet above sea level. They opted for the half-marathon while Taylor ran the 50K. 
     The Crossroads Bible Church youth group served the pre-race dinner Friday and helped with aid stations Saturday. One youth group member, Peter Nystrom, also ran the half-marathon and helped Grant get to the top of Mitchell Trail. 
     “I ran the Los Angeles Marathon, but this was four times harder,” Grant said. He finished in 3:13:23, right behind Julian at 3:08:53 
     It was Julian's first mountain race, and he was pleased with his time. “This is beautiful to a guy from the East Coast,” he said of the terrain. “I thought I would have problems with the altitude, but it wasn't until the last mile and a half.” 
     Taylor said he got his second wind around Guaje Ridge and felt good for the last 6.5 miles. He completed the 50K in 6:29:39. 
     By having members of their denomination from across the country pledge money for every mile ran, the trio has raised $3,500 so far. Donations for the “Watts for LIFE” project will be taken up until the conference in early July.” 
 
Todd Grant is the church planting pastor for Powerhouse 1:08 in inner city Los Angeles, CA. This is Living the Call Together. 

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