The friends of In His Name Ministries.

Ken Burns, Hudsonville, Michigan.  His wife Lois is an intercessor who prays for this ministry. And she sends us regular donations, newspaper devotional clippings and encouraging notes.  

Ken in retirement, works part time at a health center. And he runs.

I mean 25 mile runs.  He has run routes in the mountains of Utah, South Texas, in the Nevada desert, and the forests of Kentucky and Tennessee.   Some of these have lasted into the darkness of night where he used a miners headlamp to see his way.

He was mainly alone even though a group of other runners took the same route. He carried all of his gear including food and cooking utensils.  He periodically refilled his pack with essential foods, sent mail, received letters at designated General Delivery addresses and posted reports on his web site (see below).

We first met Ken and Lois after they had made several donations to IHNM's Oklahoma City Murrah Bombing Victims fund in 1995.  One January on their drive from Michigan to South Texas they met Margaret and me for lunch in Oklahoma City.  Since then they have stayed in our guest room each year.  Their annual visit is something we really look forward to.

One memorable time a few years ago -- Ken had risen early to go for a jaunt around Lake Hefner.  An edge of the lake is near our home.   Ninety minutes later, I was at the front door when Ken walked in.  His face was wet with perspiration, but his breathing was absolutely normal.  As I looked at his calmness I imagined how I would have been struggling to breath after running for an hour and a half. Long distance runners have big hearts.  In Ken's case this is true in two ways.