worldwide women

today is international women's day. and a happy one to you!

today in guatemala, women and babies suffer the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in all of south, central and north america.

today there is an organization, midwife international, with the goal to change that by providing a school and a three-year training program for women in guatemala to become midwives, and then to take that training back to their towns and villages. most of the women and girls attending school have to send money back to support their families, at a cost of about $3,000 a year.

one day, briana went to guatemala and met some of the extraordinary women in guatemala who are trying to make a difference in the lives of mothers and their babies.

today, people who love briana will be gathering to celebrate her life and hatch a plan to raise $3,000 so one of those women can go to school for a year. the goal is to have all the money raised by april 23rd, the day briana died.

my heart aches to be there, celebrating briana's life with other people who know and love her. i wish we could all be there, actually. but instead, i plan to follow the example of her difference-making life to help make a difference in someone else's life. if you'd care to join me, here's how you do it.

1. go to www.midwifeinternational.org
2. click "donate" on the far right in the toolbar
3. scroll down to pay by credit card and click "donate" (again. just for good measure.)
4. enter the donation amount and click "update total"
5. fill out the required information and click "review donation and continue"
6. on the next screen you will see "special instructions." click on it and type in "in honor of briana blackwelder."
7. finish by clicking "donate $USD now."
8. cry a little, and think about how much you love and miss you dear, sweet friend.

at least, that's what i'll be doing.