HAVE YOU GOT A HERO.........?

Followers of "Thought's" are aware that I am a fan of "action rather than words".....if you have a story of  somebody or thing that rings of heroism,love,call of duty above the norm .....let me know and
we will see to it that it is recognized.

My motivation for this blog is to tell positive "life stories and dreams of people "........It is great to give  recognition due to human and spiritual achievement ......harveyrowe@me.com is open 24 hours
awaiting your story.......

Have a Great Day    !

FATHER RALPH W. BEITING....REST IN HEAVEN

www.fbamc-ky-org

One of the greatest figures that I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED  passed away while I was on my trip to Ecuador.I strongly urge that you link to the above site.

His brave heart gave away a few weeks ago while a group of missionaries from Boston had come to assist him in helping the poor in the Mountains of Kentucky.He was in the Hospital and he requested that the Group visit him. In his true fashion he gave them a list of all things he wanted accomplished during the week......along with an overview of the Mission in the future.He passed in his sleep that evening.

He went to the Mountains of Kentucky shortly after graduating from the Seminary for a one year assignment.The year ended and instead of leaving he requested to stay awhile longer.He did not want to leave the "poor of the mountain"..........60 years or so later......His life on earth came to an end in a mountain hospital.

What did he do ?.....He built thrift stores which hired employees,the stores needed maintenance crews,
who in turn needed stores......all of which churned out an economy that needed homes,trailers,schools
and warehouses.The good people of the USA sent donations of clothes,appliances,food....you name it.....it showed up.......It was a hard week of work to unload those trucks as they came....You never knew what was in them.

He built an economy.......out of faith,love and hope.

Saint Mother Theresa visited him....since she had learned of his deeds....Yes, the same Mother Theresa
of whose Nuns had created the Hospice in Ecuador that I visited last month.

Interesting note.....Only 2% of the population that he served is Catholic.

Please pray for him and ...."His people of the Mountain"    http://www.cdlex.org/index.cfm/NewsItem?ID=339937&From=Home

KIM......PULLS A SURPRISE.....

Ok......when is enough........enough.....Kim mentioned the other night at  "My Brother's Table"that
he might swim on Saturday......

So what did he do ? He swam the Graves Light Swim  to Carson Beach, South Boston which I
believe is 8 miles..........This must be some kind of world record.........If not it should be......Swim the
English Channel and six days later finish another long distance swim....

The director of the Race said he has no memory of anyone doing it in the past.

Kim mentioned that he weighed 200 lbs. prior to the English swim and was at 184 lbs.  the other night.

Maybe  he has developed a new weight loss program....It is hard to eat much... when in the water.

A LOVE STORY......AT SEA

How do you know a relationship is based on love ???......Love as defined by JOHN in the BIBLE is
not selfish,angry demanding or judgmental among other things.It is in summary putting that other person above your own wants and needs.How is that in a few words ?

The reason I bring it up is because of Kim Garbarino and Amy Simione- Garbarino.It is my understanding that they became engaged on the White Cliffs of Dover,England last year and got married in 2012.

In the failed Channel swim last year Amy was "deathly " sick during the entire time.This year she knew it was going to happen again and in spite of it all she "sucked it up "and lasted 22 hours in the boat while still doing her assigned duties during the swim.........I always say in this blog that actions are louder than words.


Additionally, Beth Simione, Sister of Amy took time off from her busy life to support Kim & Amy.
She knew what fate Amy had coming to her,but Beth knew it might not turn out all that good for her.

It didn't.......but she worked on.....and even gave a smile once in awhile.Another story of Sister Love.

BROTHER'S TABLE TONIGHT 7-9 PM CHANNEL TEAM

Dear friends.....I know it is late notice,but it would be appreciated if you could make it to The Annual
Summer Party for My Brother's Table. It is at the Nahant Country Club  Tonight and I am sure some or all of the
Channel Team members will make an appearance.

The Table served 110,000 meals this past year.....and it is done by a strong volunteer force both in time
and money.The Table does not accept any public funds........

If you can make it.....It will be appreciated

Thanks

HOME......WITH FANFARE......CRAIG LEWIN

Kim was interviewed by the Lynn Item yesterday followed by WBZ RADIO and in the next day
or so by the Lynn & Revere Journal........Who knows what is next........

I have received many comments and a few people have asked specifics about Craig Lewin.You have asked the right guy.He is the Son of two dear friends, Brenda & Richard Lewin of Swampscott,Ma.
He was a swim star at both Swampscott High School and the Boston College Eagles in the competitive
ACC.He has received a Master's Degree from Northeastern and has an exciting full time position in an
area of research that is confidential in nature.He is not James Bond.....I can tell you for certain.

He has another endeavor which is ENDURANCE SWIMMING   www.enduranceswimming.com
which has developed HEADSTRONG POSTURE TRAINER which helps develop the maximum potential of a swimmer in that it corrects the head and body position leading to a more efficient stroke.
www.headstrongposturetrainer.com.

I was talking with Kim yesterday in relation to Craig and we came up with the following consensus;
It may be possible to find strong swimmers similar to him, but very difficult to get one that combines his realistic coaching techniques and mental toughness at the same time.

I mentioned the other day that Craig was in and out of the water seven times during the Channel swim
since the rules allowed him to be in one hour and then out for one hour.Each time he came out of the cold water he would get the "chills" and get seasick.This happened each time,but he answered the "bell"each hour.It reminded Kim of his old boxing days .......

If you want to Swim and win or just be a lifeguard for your kids.....look him up and he will assist you.
It is a way to meet a "celebrity of the future."

Further,the Posture Trainer can help you "Golf Duffers"keep your head in the right position during

your swing.

IT HAS BEEN DONE...KIM CONQUERS CHANNEL

It is hard to believe that I had the opportunity to be part of this team that helped Kim Garbarino
to this "shining moment".......People have been trying to accomplish this feat since 1903 and only a 1000 or so ever have actually done it.

It is a daunting attempt.......Kim started at 5:57 am on Sunday Morning and completed it at 11:17
that night.The time was 15 hour and 37 minutes.We left the Bread & Breakfast at 4:45 am on Sunday
and did not return there until 2:30 am on Monday.We had to pack our clothes,sleep one hour and rush off to the Heathrow Airport.We arrived at Logan and  we were picked up by Limo to drive us home
As we came into Winthrop we were  greeted by the sign in this picture.

The swim was very difficult due to cold air and water  rough seas and currents.An example of the
the problems is the following, if Kim was thrown a bottle to drink.......and he stopped his swimming stroke the currents would drop him back 500 feet every thirty seconds. The Channel swim is approximately 22 miles long.The official report is not complete yet but it is probable b that Kim
had to swim 34 miles to finish the 22.

Kim & Amy wish to thank everyone for their interest and support, Amy's Sister, Beth Simone
was the one that noticed the sign in Winthrop and had the Driver,Sully spin around and surprise Kim the next time around.It is all good.

There was a lot of sea sickness yesterday in the 20 hours, but no one complained but just went about their business.I am "so proud"and I cannot say enough about Craig Lewin.He trained with Kim,and
it was his job to swim along with him for an hour every other hour.His problem was not so much the hours in the water,but the coming out which would make him cold and seasick in the boat.He was in
and out of the boat seven times.It was very difficult to stay on course,but it was accomplished.Craig
was a master at it.

The Team Stayed Calm and Carried On.....We prayed for this ending and our Prayers were Answered.
How to Go.

5 AM......ANOTHER GO AT IT...

I have told you before.......The weather and tides in both England and France are the variables
That can ruin the day for any great swimmer such as Kim.He is ready along with the team,and we
Are hopeful ,determined and have the will to do this..

We went for a swim in the Channel along with a run and a hike on the White Cliffs of Dover..

Kim and Craig took a nice swim.It is unbelievable to see all the swimmers,probably 50 or more
With the water temperature at 61 degrees and the air at 75 degrees.

The English call this a scorcher ....Sorry for the glitches in the blog.I cannot contain certain tech issues that keep occurring

we have great photos.....and it is promised that there will be follow ups upon on our return.They will not download to the iPad.I have done it many times but it will not cooperate.

STAY CALM,CARRY ON

ANOTHER DELAY

We were on the boat ready and packed....The weather was clear and chilly. then the word came that
There was a storm front on the French side...It was put off to tomorrow morning.The problem on that side is that storm fronts increase the riptides and the boat going slow along with the swimmer go off course and cannot get to the finish........

The weather is fine here and we are going for a swim

TEN HOURS AND COUNTING.....

We were up early and in London by 10:30 am ( 3:30 EST). We toured the City in the double busses
And saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace......The Queen,and her relatives were no
Where to be found.........
The highlight was that we did get to see an Olympic Event.....The Open water  10 K Swim which I
Assume you guys in CONUS can see this evening......We had the opportunity to purchase memorabilia and hang out in Hyde Park which is 500 Acres and is the size of Monaco ....

The weather controls .......but at the moment it appears that we will be in and on the water at 5 am.
We also were informed that Craig can be in the water every other hour with Kim rather than after each two hours.He decided that he could use some more  nourishment so we went and purchased a few more Red Bulls and power bars.

we all want this to start...Amy and Beth are making more sandwiches........and there has been discussion about "sea sickness".Craig says he would rather be in the water rather than the boat when
Discussing sickness

I will report any results as soon as I can,but we will be out of communication for most of the day.

STAY CALM,CARRY ON..........Kim is quiet but determined,trained and ready

KIM TEAM TO LONDON IN MORNING...

We went to the Channel this afternoon and Kim,Craig and myself went into the Channel for
A light workout.I wore a wetsuit and the water felt comfortable.....Of course Kim and Craig
Wore just bathing suits and it was fine for them also......I called them "show offs".........
Kim is ready,and we have decided that we all are going to London early in the morning.

We had a great meal with many laughs tonight. we are ready for this adventure.
As I write this some of the words seem crossed out.Please ignore the glitch


STAY CALM, CARRY ON

A HICUPP.....SWIM POSTPONED TO SATURDAY AT FIVE AM

Team Kim is all set.....and then the word from the Boat Captain that we are put off one more day
Until Saturday at 5 am Greenwich Time.It is disappointing but Kim will have his time.

The upside is that Craig and myself are going to Olympic Park and Buckingham Palace early in the
Morning.....and that may bring some gifts for the people close to us

STAY CALM,CARRY ON !!!

Standby for more info tomorrow from Olympic Central, London...

KIM IS READY........

Good Morning Chaps.....I was told to sleep in today....We awoke at 9 am (3am) your time
The swim for Kim is at 3am here....you do the math.....It is cloudy at 65 degrees....The water
Is about 61.......We are going to drive a practice run to the beach.....since the evening dark with
Narrow roads and no street lights might be a little issue.....Kim is rested after watching Olympic
Boxing last night.

Later report during day.....Have to get ready for drive

It is now 3:30...15:30 at our Country retreat....We had a wonderful time shopping and walking
Around Cantebury in the County of Kent....yes the City of Chaucer fame.It is about 60 miles from
London....If you come to the UK it is worth the trip....especially for some one of the background
Such as my Daughter,Shannon who has the Education and teaching of the English language. It
Is a shame that I did not brush up on the Cantebury Tales before leaving on this adventure.It is
Modern day shopping with history surrounding it.

The thyme for the rest of the day and night is the following;

" STAY CALM,AND CARRY ON "......Kim is resting and I am sure he is reflecting on the next 24-30 hours.....Will report again.....soon

LONDON AND CHANNEL ...KIM GARBARINO

Monday Night and Tuesday were basically travel days and we have "pitched our tents"
In the English Countryside and after Fish and Chips we got a good night of sleep. The team
For Kim includes his Sweetheart and Wife Amy and Her Sister , Beth.  Craig Lewin of
Endurance Swimming Open Water Training and " yours truly."

The weather is ok , however, the swim has been changed from 2am this evening until
3am tomorrow evening which is 9pm for you EST people

We are set for liftoff and Iwill keep you  informed.

Ihad a great trip to London today....will report later

LONDON OLYMPICS...HERE HE COMES.....KIM

We are at Logan awaiting British Air Flight 214 to London....We have gone thru security and Kim is guarding his goggles like a "new born baby"......We leave at 10:30 EST and arrive at 9:30am London time......Have a good nite....and sleep sound.....Story to continue....

ENGLISH CHANNEL AND ECUADOR.....OLYMPICS AND SURVIVAL

My trip to the English Channel is approximately 36 hours away and the anticipation of this event is high . I hope to challenge you with stories of challenge, hope and endurance in the quest of Kim
Garbarino to swim this "monster body of water "that is a heavily travelled shipping lane with
Tankers and other Commercial floating machines that hopefully will be aware of the swimmers.

However, my "heart thoughts" at the moment are on the people of Ecuador that I met a few weeks ago.
They have few of the modern conveniences that are part of our daily living,but on the other hand seem driven by a spiritual living that spreads happiness and a joy for living that seems less stressful and complicated than ours.......Upon my return I hope to give you further thoughts on this Country and it's

People.....

PHELPS...FRANKLIN......AND GARBARINO....IN ENGLAND

The day is fast approaching for the "assault on the English Channel "........The team of Kim Garbarino will be flying to England on Monday evening, and the swim is at present set for Thursday, August 9,2012 at 2am .........Weather is a factor and it could change the schedule.

Michael Phelps and Missy Franklin have the Gold in their pocket......but Kim G. is coming to the starting gate and his training has been phenomenal.....along with a  great attitude ..He has tremendous
support along with Craig Lewin of Boston College Swim Fame who has been at his side the last few months in the long trainings.

This is Kim's time.........STAY TUNED.......