Reading for Clean Water II (aka READ-A-THON!!!!)

I am again, like a gnat attracted to light heading right smack into the next read-a-thon which is next Saturday (the 18th of April)! And since I have tried it while reading for a charity and while not, I know that what is even better than reading is reading with a purpose. My purpose during this read-a-thon is going to be again, reading for clean water internationally. I searched other charities and this still is the one that seems to ring the loudest in my heart.

The other ones are all good and necessary, but I want to bring clean drinking water to more and more people around the world. I can't imagine knowing that I am drinking water infested with cholera and having family members die and still drinking that same water! I can't imagine not having any other source other than sludge to drink from! Just because I cannot imagine it I know I am hugely blessed, and that is why I want to pour out clean water on others worldwide through this read-a-thon.

The charity is called Living Water International and I promise I have done my homework and I have worked with them before as well. I have nothing but amazing reports. Also if you want to donate, you are welcome to do so. I will get a widget up on the sidebar there and have it there as a convenience in case you want to help support bringing clean water worldwide. In no way do you need to feel that I expect anything of you, I don't but if you want to give than I will do a somersault just for you! Thanks to my readers and family during the last read-a-thon we raised $210.16 last time.

I also said at the beginning of the year that I am personally going to donate $1 per book I read this year, so I will be sure to honour that as well and pay up during the read-a-thon. I already owe $35!!

Think about how you would like to support Living Water International, you could do a set amount, a price per book (last read-a-thon I did $5 per book and many of you joined me on that, even busting out up to $20 per book!!) or you could donate per page. I think this time I myself am going to donate per page, since some books are longer and some shorter I think per page is a little more accurate of a count.

To give you an idea last time I read 933 pages. I was dying to crack 1000 but didn't quite make it :( this time I am shooting for 1000. I read 4 books last time and made it most of the way through my 5th, but didn't quite get there. You see, reading for 24 hours straight sounds like a lot of fun (oh, and it really is!!) but when you have been reading for so long your eyes dry out and you start to drift.

What do you think? Are you going to do the read-a-thon? Consider supporting Living Water International too! Or do you want to support the cause? You can either comment below, click on the firstgiving widget (directly below or in my sidebar) or send me an email and make a pledge.




More information:

I did a third party search of this charity, and it gets amazing results on Charity Navigator.
If you want more info on why this charity is important: Reading for Clean Water I
Want to sign up for the read-a-thon too???

210 people will now have clean water, thanks to you.

Thank you, THANK YOU! There is no way I can tell you just how amazing it has been to see your generosity for people around the world to be able to drink clean water! Thank you for giving to Living Water International. When I set the initial goal of $100.0o I thought that that was high, half way through the read-a-thon I knew that we would break that easy. I then set the goal fund raising target at $200.00. I am excited to announce that we have broken that goal as well. We are currently at a total of $210.16, and not even all the funds are in yet. Check out the sidebar widget!!!

So in raising $210.16 we have given clean water to 210 people for one year!!! Yes, each dollar is enough to give one person clean water for an entire year!!!


Here are my amazing financial supporters, you all are amazing!

Susan
Bill and Diane
Floyd
Ronda
Trish
Corinne
Dawn
Ellyn
B&b

THANK YOU!!!!

Looking ahead...
$1 per book, in 2009:
I am going to give one dollar per book for every book I read all through next year, 2009. Consider joining me. Yes, it is great to read about international hardship, to become educated and know what is happening worldwide, but to stop there is to be powerless. To know of desperation and not make a change is a hopeless place. Knowing about the need is not enough. Knowing is half, doing is the other half. I know many of you support different organizations, and charities. That is great!

However, Consider joining me, one dollar for every book. If you join with me in supporting Living Water International that would mean for every book you read you'd be giving one person clean water for the entire year!

I will make the official announcement in December. Think about it.

Un-update for me, a HUGE update for CLEAN WATER!!

how could anyone get anything done with these guys floating around!?! :)

Okay, you are wondering what I am up to...well not much. (but now I will be) I have only read 70 pages since my last update (that was 4 hours ago!). I only read that much because I needed to come home and hang out with the boys, give them baths and get them off to bed. They should be in a coma by now, so we are good :)

BUT did you see that Trish completed another book for the clean water cause!!! YAY! Do you know what that means!?!?!?! that means that we have already conquered the goal I put in. I didn't know what to put. I thought $100.00 would be high....but YAY!!!!! You all are so awesome!
I am going to UP the STAKES :) for Clean Water OOOOH, does that sound scary?? Not a huge deal, but I want your comments to count as well! So for each comment I get during the read-a-thon I am going to donate $.10 (ten cents) to Living Water International . Currently I have gotten 90 comments so that is: $9.00 more!!! SO KEEP 'EM COMING!
Do you want to join in on this?? You could do $.10 per comment on your blog durring the read-a-thon, or you can match mine for the comments on my blog. Or, you could come up with something I haven't even thought of...and let me know!! :) See how fun and creative this can be!!

I have now earned $93.00 for clean water worldwide!!!
Plus the comments, 89 comments at $.10 each adds $9.00!
Plus trish is adding in $5 for every book she finishes!! That brings the clean water total to: $112.00 so far!

Where will the dinero ($) go? It will go to an organization I have become quite passionate about. I will be giving it to Living Water International an amazing organization funding the building of wells all over the world in developing nations.

Update 5: 3 books complete!

Personal Update: I at lunch, my tummy feels good. The food was yummy, and I did eat a little much. Oh, I have to tell you...here is an interesting story:

I left my stuff at the restaurant after ordering, because they don't take debit and I always forget that. I walked around the back of the restaurant strip mall and down the block to the bank atm.

On my way back I see a man yelling outside of a different restaurant (a pizza restaurant if you are interested) and since I had to walk by I asked him if he was okay, since I saw what he saw just before he almost steped on it. He looked down and said, " Are you?" I looked to his feet where he was looking and their was a dead rat! He asked me what it was, I said: "That's a rat". "A RAT!" he says, and I answer, "It's okay", thinking he was scared of it. He looks at me and kicks it against the trash can with a PLUNK, saying: " oh, we'd better get rid of that, girls are scared by them, and we don't want them to see them". I couldn't help but thinking, "did I almost step on that when I walked by the first time?" How on earth could I have not, unless it literally died in 1.5 minutes. It was sick. I went inside MY restaurant to find my yellow tofu curry, which is what I always order. I was starving, but somehow I couldn't get the rat out of my mind. Where had it eaten the poison that it had died from? I'd hope that it ate it in the alley where it was found...but there was no way to know! Anyway, I gobbled my curry. A rat is a rat, right?

How did you like my adventure? Anyway...I am currently quite content. I am actually sitting in my car. It is nice and quiet and warm.

Book update: I finished David Sadaris' book Holidays on Ice. Oh, I loved the stories, but one in particular called : Christmas Means Giving.
Have you read it? Oh, it is a must story....quite an ingesting look on motives behind giving. I enjoyed it. So I am currently at: 533 pages and 3 complete books :)

Currently I am going to start reading dating da vinci by malena lott. I think it is a good light read for me right now. After that I am trying to decide between: the Saffron kitchen by Yasmin Crowther, The Pearl by Steinbeck, and Night by Elie Weisel. However, I only have an hour before I need to head home and hang out with the boys so my hubby can go to a prayer meeting. I will check back then. :)

Thanks to all you commenters!!!! you are INCREDIBLE!!!

I have now earned $93.00 for clean water worldwide!!!
Plus trish is adding in $5 for every book she finishes!! That brings the clean water total to: $98.00 so far! (make sure you go cheer her on!!)

Where will the dinero ($) go? It will go to an organization I have become quite passionate about. I will be giving it to Living Water International an amazing organization funding the building of wells all over the world in developing nations.


(there is still time to sponsor me!!!)

Update #3: book two complete :)

Personal update: hahah!! you all are so sweet. If you only knew that even the caffeine from dark chocolate will make my hands shake (it isn't like a tremor or anything, just if I try to hold them steady they will slightly shake). Thanks for taking care of me though!!! You are all so great!! Veens...no worries girl, I am not sick or anything. I am sorry to have worried you :)

Many of you are wondering why I am at a coffee shop, that it would be impossible for you to concentrate at one. If you had two boys, ages 2.5 and 4.5 you would be able to concentrate anywhere better than at home :) Haha....I have become way better at concentrating since I had them.

Thanks so much to all you who are diehardedly (another invented word!!) cheering me on! You are hard core and awesome thanks so much to you all for keeping me in the game!

As far as books go: I have finished my second!!!! Yah! Beasts of No Nation is Complete. I am so glad to be done with it. I will try to pick something silly now to balance it out.
I am going to try Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris. Have you read it?? :)

I have now earned $ 62 for clean water worldwide!!!
Plus trish is adding in $5 for every book she finishes!! That brings the clean water total to: $67.00 so far! (make sure you go cheer her on!!)

Where will the dinero ($) go? It will go to an organization I have become quite passionate about. I will be giving it to Living Water International an amazing organization funding the building of wells all over the world in developing nations.
(there is still time to sponsor me!!!)

Update #1: first book complete, second started

I know, that you are all interested in an update. Here is my first! I am now just over three hours into this and have read my first book and started my second.
I finished The Shiniest Jewel: A Family Love Story by Miriam Henely. It was incredible. I cried. If a book can make you cry at 6 am it has to be great. I started Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala. I am 20 pages in, but it is pretty intense, guerrilla warlike and I don't know if I will handle the intensity well right now. Anyway, so yes, there you have it.


Personal update: I had Mate for my waker-uper this morning. Do you know what that is? No, it is not illegal! It is a caffeine-like stimulant used in many places in southern america (Guatemala, Peru.....) It got me going, but now I feel shaky. I should eat. It is now 8:29 or three hours and 29 minutes into this 24 hour read-a-thon and I need to get out of my house. The little monkeys (my sons) will be up soon. I need to open up my chicken coup and feed the chickens and then hop into my car and head out!

How are you holding up?? How is that for an update Veens!?!?! :)

I just earned $31 for clean water!!!

read-a-thon must haves:

1. An non distracting environment
2. A comfy seat (although I sat on a wood bench last time for most of it and was blessed by the alertness of being uncomfortable :)
3. food. Salty, sweet, yummy, and tons of variety. I know exactly what I want, I love MOCHI!! (Japanese Ice cream rapped in yummy rice four mochi)
4. liquids. I will drink a little coffee in the AM tomorrow, but only because the read-a-thon starts at 5 am for me. Besides that, I won't. Just herbal tea, water and hot chocolate. :)
5. A dozen short, fun, good books that grab your attention well. If you don't like one, ditch the dud and move to the next.
6. my trusted macbook :)
7. the amazing cheerleaders that help me every step of the way :)
8. a blanket
9. a good, fast internet connection
10. a wonderful husband to watch my boys all day while I get to read!! (thanks B)
what did I miss??? You tell me!

Here is what is in my bag (since my camera takes pictures backwards):

Night by Elie Wiesel
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala
The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther
The Book Shop by Penelope Fitzgerald
The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
Dating Da Vinci by Madalena Lott
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
When We Were Romans by Matthew Kneale
Out-Takes from a Marriage by Ann Leary
The Shiniest Jewel by Mariam Henley
The Chinese Knot by Lien Chao
Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway

Have you read any of them? warn me if one of these is horrid!!!
I won't get through them, maybe not even half of them...but I like to bring a selection along with me :)

The read-a-thon starts in less than 9 hours!!! I can't wait to get my readin' on.
Also, I have to tell you I am being sponsored (so far) for $31 per book I read during the 24 hour period! It is not to late for you to join in too, my cause is for Living Water International which digs wells in developing nations worldwide so that everyone can have clean drinking water, here is my full post.

There is still a TON of time to sponsor me, you can do it per page, per book or a set amount:

book by book to clean water

This is a widget that makes donations easy. I wanted to be sure all the money goes straight to Living Water International. You can just click on the link and donate. That is easy enough right? I just started my donation page, our little piece of change.
During the read-a-thon I will sponsor myself for $5 per book. Would you like to too? Do you want to sponsor yourself?

If you don't know what this is all about, go here.

Read-A-Thon: Reading for Clean Water!

The Read-A-Thon starts soon, on Saturday morning supa-early (for me at 5 am). I just made a post stating that I really want to read this time (last time I only read for 11.5 hours!), read, read, read!!! Don't doubt that I will check out the other readers and help cheer a little too, but I am reading for a reason this Read-A-Thon. I am going to donate $5 per book I complete during the 24 hour period.

Where will the dinero ($) go? It will go to an organization I have become quite passionate about. I will be giving it to Living Water International an amazing organization funding the building of wells all over the world in developing nations.I posted some videos yesterday for an organization called Advent Conspiracy that works through Living Water International. Clean water is such a huge problem, here is what the news says:

Water-related disease is the single largest killer of infants in developing countries—diarrhea alone causes 1.8 million child deaths each year—and access to safe water is the most important factor in the survival of children under the age of five. Nearly half of all people in developing countries are suffering from water-related health problems. The annual number of deaths from water-related diseases is six times greater than the number of deaths from armed violence.

So why don't I take a part, take a little step. If we all did, the problem would be resolved. Yes RESOLVED! So for that reason I am taking this Read-A-Thon seriously....(not so seriously I can't enjoy it though, don't worry about that!!!! :) But I am reading with a purpose, reading for a reason other than just for me.

Contaminated drinking water is the largest killer in the world.

Would you drink it? What if that were all there was?



I want to be part of making this (above) into
this(below)

Want to join in on this??? Tell me about it. You can sponsor me too, or you can do the same thing I am doing. Let's make the difference!