The days are flying by here. We have just finished our 7th week. Wow. Our stay in Wyoming was short. We visited and stayed in Sundance, WY - where our hosts invited us into their homes. That night we were reminded of the things we tend to take for granted like having our own beds and real pillows. Some of the host families took bikers around town, up mountains, and to Devils Tower. So blessed that these people allowed strangers wearing orange into their home. We are daily reminded of how many good people there are across this country! We biked to the east of Yellowstone and entered into Montana. In Billings I was able to reunite with my Montana mom (Debby) while some of the group got the chance to take a ride through some of the prettiest mountains in my opinion - the Beartooth Mountains. I was blessed to get the chance to live and work in Montana for a span over 4 years. In this time I spent most of my time in a small portion of the state. This ride has given me the chance to see so much more of Montana. Every day I love and appreciate the beauty of this state more and more. There have been some pretty hard days with brutal headwinds, climbing mountain passes, flying down hills through National forests where I can barely take it all in. There are sunsets where you feel like you are part of them, mountains in all directions, and a sky that is forever big! Days are spent where I feel like I'm living in a dream. I am literally. I don't want the ride to end in two weeks. God has cleared a lot of the smoke to where we can have clear views and air! Two days ago the Fuller Center hit a milestone and reached an amazing goal. We were able to raise around 175,000 on this years bike ride allowing the Fuller Center to reach its Goal of raising a million dollars!!!!
We are now in Missoula, MT. We get a day off tomorrow and I'll get to meet up with some more friends. We had a lovely 85 mile ride today. It was like a reward because the last two days we have had to face some pretty strong headwinds. Most of the ride was downhill. Biking through mountains with creeks snaking alongside the road, fly fisherman out casting does something to my soul! We lose several riders but add around 10 new bikers for the next section. Next week we will have 2 build days and fewer miles which will be nice! It will be sad to leave Montana but I'm excited to visit our last 3 states.
Hebrews 3:4
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
From the Corn Fields to the Prairies
It is hard to believe this bike trip is already half way done. My heart so full of gratitude and love for all aspects of this adventure. I want to share a little something that was one of those moments that just grabs at your heart. On this trip we have been able to visit areas that most people would hesitate to visit places like Kensington, Pennsylvania and Gary, Indiana. The time I spent in Gary, Indiana touched me deeply. One morning we were driving to breakfast down Broadway - a street that was once lively and thriving with people but now just about every business boarded up and abandoned - one of the ladies said, "How can you have hope in a place like this?" I agreed with her. Not only was this street empty but most neighborhoods looked similar. We were able to see first hand the poverty and brokenness that exists here in the Unites States. We had a build day in Gary on the childhood home of Michael Jackson. We cleaned out over growth so others could actually get to the houses to work. We had a presentation just like we do in most other places where we stay. During this presentation the local President of the Gary Fuller Center and one of the pastors spoke. I was blown away by the passion and most of all by the hope they had about their town and the work that was about to happen. It really opened my eyes to what the Fuller Center is all about. Bringing hope to a community by simply giving a small portion of your time building, serving, and changing one life at a time.
We left Gary and were able to bike through Chicago on Lake Shore Drive. Seeing the skyline of the city was really awesome as all 30 orange bikers dodged the crowds that were enjoying a beautiful sunny Chicago day. We also had a build day in Waukegan - North Chicago. The theme there was heroes. It made me think of all the heroes in my own life. People who in one way or another that have had a hand in shaping my life story. So thankful for the soulful worship, the scrubbing of basement walls, the hospitality, the thick crust Chicago pizza, and the Heroes that we met there!
We had our hardest week after leaving Waukegan. Six days of back to back 80-100 mile days. How would I do individually? How would the group do overall? If I haven't mentioned it yet I will now. The group of people I am sharing this experience with are some of the strongest and most amazing people! We all crushed this week!! We accumulated the miles through Wisconsin, Iowa, and southern Minnesota. Lots of days biking through corn fields, turbines as far as the eyes can see, introduced to strong consistent headwinds, and cheese curds. We spent the Fourth of July in Spirit Lake, Iowa where we had double fireworks - natures thunderstorm provided fireworks a little more impressive than the ones locals shot.
We crossed into the prairies of South Dakota providing us with some much needed change of scenery from the corn. Another one of my favorite stops was the Indian reservation in Porcupine, South Dakota. Here we met David Snell, the president of the Fuller Center. We worked on two houses on the reservation. The work was good but my favorite part came after we put the tools down. There were about half a dozen boys ages 8-12 playing a game of baseball. A wooden crate made up their backstop, a wooden board home plate, and a worn out path that went to one base that was directly behind the pitcher. In order for the ball to be in bounds you had to hit it between the two fields of tall weeds and grasses. Once you hit the ball you run on the worn path to the base and back to home. I played in the field some. It's amazing the way you can communicate by actions without even saying a word. When it was my turn to hit I stood there and pointed my bat to the far trailer next door. I'm sure they thought I would swing and miss or hit it several feet from the plate. I got a good overhand fast ball that I hit toward the trailer. I hit and Jenny ran getting a home run. Those moments shared with these boys will stand out the most in my memory and hopefully in theirs as well!!
Leaving there we biked through the Badlands National Park. The howling of the wind giving the ride a haunting feeling. Wondering all the stories and people who have wondered over this sacred ground. The ride was beautiful. The sun occasionally peaked through showing off the reds and other colors that make up these unique rocks. We made it to Rapid City, South Dakota. The neat little city sitting in bowl made up of the Black Hills. We had several much needed off days there. This morning we crossed into Wyoming - forever west- as the sign read. The state greeted me with a flat tire but also with a huge sky and mountains!! It is hard to believe we have made it this far. I'm so thankful for the strength and opportunity to get the chance to wake up every morning and ride all day on my bike. Despite all obstacles the beauty and experience itself wipe away the rainy days, the butt pain from sitting in the saddle day after day, the wind, and the heat. I'm excited to see what tomorrow and the day after will bring!!
Hebrews 3:4
We left Gary and were able to bike through Chicago on Lake Shore Drive. Seeing the skyline of the city was really awesome as all 30 orange bikers dodged the crowds that were enjoying a beautiful sunny Chicago day. We also had a build day in Waukegan - North Chicago. The theme there was heroes. It made me think of all the heroes in my own life. People who in one way or another that have had a hand in shaping my life story. So thankful for the soulful worship, the scrubbing of basement walls, the hospitality, the thick crust Chicago pizza, and the Heroes that we met there!
We had our hardest week after leaving Waukegan. Six days of back to back 80-100 mile days. How would I do individually? How would the group do overall? If I haven't mentioned it yet I will now. The group of people I am sharing this experience with are some of the strongest and most amazing people! We all crushed this week!! We accumulated the miles through Wisconsin, Iowa, and southern Minnesota. Lots of days biking through corn fields, turbines as far as the eyes can see, introduced to strong consistent headwinds, and cheese curds. We spent the Fourth of July in Spirit Lake, Iowa where we had double fireworks - natures thunderstorm provided fireworks a little more impressive than the ones locals shot.
We crossed into the prairies of South Dakota providing us with some much needed change of scenery from the corn. Another one of my favorite stops was the Indian reservation in Porcupine, South Dakota. Here we met David Snell, the president of the Fuller Center. We worked on two houses on the reservation. The work was good but my favorite part came after we put the tools down. There were about half a dozen boys ages 8-12 playing a game of baseball. A wooden crate made up their backstop, a wooden board home plate, and a worn out path that went to one base that was directly behind the pitcher. In order for the ball to be in bounds you had to hit it between the two fields of tall weeds and grasses. Once you hit the ball you run on the worn path to the base and back to home. I played in the field some. It's amazing the way you can communicate by actions without even saying a word. When it was my turn to hit I stood there and pointed my bat to the far trailer next door. I'm sure they thought I would swing and miss or hit it several feet from the plate. I got a good overhand fast ball that I hit toward the trailer. I hit and Jenny ran getting a home run. Those moments shared with these boys will stand out the most in my memory and hopefully in theirs as well!!
Leaving there we biked through the Badlands National Park. The howling of the wind giving the ride a haunting feeling. Wondering all the stories and people who have wondered over this sacred ground. The ride was beautiful. The sun occasionally peaked through showing off the reds and other colors that make up these unique rocks. We made it to Rapid City, South Dakota. The neat little city sitting in bowl made up of the Black Hills. We had several much needed off days there. This morning we crossed into Wyoming - forever west- as the sign read. The state greeted me with a flat tire but also with a huge sky and mountains!! It is hard to believe we have made it this far. I'm so thankful for the strength and opportunity to get the chance to wake up every morning and ride all day on my bike. Despite all obstacles the beauty and experience itself wipe away the rainy days, the butt pain from sitting in the saddle day after day, the wind, and the heat. I'm excited to see what tomorrow and the day after will bring!!
Hebrews 3:4
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