PAUL WILL WALK 309 MILES TO RAISE MONEY FOR CHILDREN

BUILDING CHILDREN IS HIS LIFE'S MISSION
When Paul Riley begins talking about his latest vision to walk 309 miles to raise money for needy children, you get the feeling that these 309 miles are just part of a longer life journey for him.

Poverty, heartache, emotional pain and grief have not been strangers to Paul. Born into a family with a loving mother and a messed up dad, he survived only to begin forging his own link in a dysfunctional tradition. His father, an abusive alcoholic, married ten women and fathered twelve children! He so alienated his children that only three or four of them found it in their hearts to even attend his funeral.

When Paul's father and mother divorced, he and his brother, Charles, struggled with bitterness and anger. They had to do without most things normal children enjoyed. Life was tough but through the hard work of a self-sacrificing mother, they managed to exist.

When he was nine years old and living in Panama City, Florida, Paul had his first experience with love from an outside source. The Panama City Jaycees sponsored a project to help needy children at Christmas time that year. He, along with about one hundred other children were taken to the City Auditorium where everyone received some new clothes and toys.

Paul will never forget the impact that made on him as he went home with two pairs of jeans, two shirts, underclothes, a jacket and a toys for Christmas. Years later, after the family had moved to Belleview, Florida, at the suggestion of his brother, Charles, he joined the Belleview Jaycees and found a way to pay back for the kindness he had been shown.

He suggested the Belleview Jaycees import the operation for giving children a happy Christmas that had touched him so much in Panama City. The idea caught and they implemented the Empty Stocking Fund and for about fifteen years they took between fifteen and fifty needy children shopping for clothes and toys with a lunch afterwards every year.

Paul was elected President of the club in 1988 and later was awarded a "Senatorship" by the Jaycees? an award only given to the top one percent of members for outstanding leadership and service. But while one part of him got actively involved in raising money for such causes as Ronald McDonald House, Muscular Dystrophy, Juvenile Diabetes and the Rodeheaver Boys Ranch, he still struggled with the demons of the past.

Paul openly admits that for a while, he followed the way of his father and became an alcoholic and an obsessive gambler, losing thousands and thousands of dollars in the process. It seemed he was bent on a downward trail, but God brought some wonderful people into his life, including, Lisa, whom he married in 1994.

Paul and Lisa became parents to Justin, their first son, in 1998 and then and then joined the foster parent program in 2001. During the eight years since then, they have been foster parents to approximately seventy children, but five of them found a special place in Paul and Lisa's hearts and are now their own adopted children.

Also, during those years, Paul began to see his and Lisa's life's mission taking shape. It involves a vision of helping as many children as possible escape from the darkness of living without love and hope.

In 2007 Paul and Lisa decided to pack all the kids in the car and attend a service at the Open Door Community Church in Summerfield, Florida. Paul says of that experience, "When you attend the church, you will immediately feel the love and fellowship fostered by Pastor Gerald Bustin and Associate Pastor, Dr. David Akaji. This truly is a ?come-as-you-are' church and it is a wonderful feeling of being accepted." He goes on to invite everyone to come experience it for themselves.

It didn't take Paul and Lisa with their six children long to fit right in and become part of the church family. And it didn't take long for the church members to begin to take note of this outstanding family and the "most well behaved children in the church."

And Paul found more than just friendly people. He found Jesus Christ and was baptized in
December of 2008. He also found that Jesus, with his love for children, was a kindred spirit and enhanced his own vision.

Then Paul and Lisa learned that the Open Door Community Church is really a part of a larger ministry, the Evangelical Bible Mission, (EBM) which sponsors ministries around the world with a heavy focus on needy children. For almost 70 years EBM has had a proven track record of feeding and clothing little children, giving them an education, and helping them find their life purpose.

And when Paul heard about an orphanage in Nigeria, West Africa, sponsored by EBM that is under construction but needing funds to complete he was touched so deeply he began to look for creative ways to raise those needed funds.

Since supporting and feeding his own family of six children does not leave a lot of extra money to help kids in Africa, he knew finishing that orphanage would be a challenge. But remembering his own childhood, and knowing there are many, many children who are desperate for love and care, He determined to find a way.

That's when he came up with the idea of NOW?Nigerian Orphanage Walk-A-Thon. He
approached the pastors with the plan to lead a walk from the church and mission headquarters in Summerfield, Florida all the way to Miami? over 300 miles! By getting enough sponsors to pledge funds for each mile walked, he feels sure he can raise the $150,000 needed to finish that Nigerian orphanage?and more!

And while Paul is gearing up for this great trek to Miami, Lisa is making plans to be a short term missionary to Africa this summer to get some close up, first hand, experience. It's still up for grabs if they will end up in Africa helping to run the orphanage when it is completed, but for now, Paul is focused on raising the needed funds.

And he knows that this one orphanage is just a start. There are many more kids around the world to help if we can just find the resources to do it.

Please join Paul in this great effort. Your support as a volunteer or sponsor for this Walk-a-thon will make a huge difference in the lives of many little children.

With a lot of hard work and help from everyone, this vision will become a reality. The walk is scheduled to start in April 2009

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS WALK A SUCCESS.

Help us by Sponsoring Paul for each mile of the trip. $10. per mile; $5 per mile; $1 per mile
Plan to walk with Paul or be a substitute walker

Help us recruit more walkers and sponsors