Some Final Personal Stats

There are 200 million people without God’s Word in their heart language but even after Scripture is translated, there are still obstacles. One of the greatest obstacles is the literacy barrier. Riding across the country to help Wycliffe raise awareness of this need and help fund an audio Scripture project in Guatemala was truly an incredible adventure.

I logged 2667 miles in 35 days, spending 185 hours in the saddle.

By God’s grace we missed 115 degree temps in the southwest by a week and a half.

The longest hill—Alamagordo to Cloudcroft NM, 15 miles at a 6% grade.

I was given the award for the most flats (Edwin and I were neck and neck till he split off for home at Florence, AL). I stopped counting when I started getting two a day (I don't think I got more than 12 or so but some of my teammates would beg to differ).

Points of interest for me:

• Riding below sea level along the Salton Sea, CA
• White Sands Missile range
• Crossing the Mississippi on a bike
• Riding the historic Natchez Trace Parkway through MS & AL
• Riding through my wife’s hometown and past the church where we were married in Limestone, TN (Davy Crockett’s birthplace)
• Can't forget riding through Frognot, Noodle and Bugtussle TX (and so many other wonderful little towns across our great country)

Biggest surprise—Jo and the girls showing up in Dallas on my birthday half way into the trip.

We had some interesting wildlife crossings including rattlesnake and tarantulas and the closest I’ve ever seen a bicycle come to hitting a deer in Mayhill, NM

Greatest rush on the bike was the first day—riding into Palm Springs, CA with 40 mph tailwinds—we literally coasted for miles.

We slept in church nurseries, Sunday school rooms, fellowship halls and sanctuaries and never missed a shower.

Thanks for your prayers for our safety. As a team we safely logged just over 20,000 miles accident free.

As a WHEEL POWER Christian Cyclist team we were able to witness to 242 individuals one-on-one and led 49 people to the Lord with 14 rededicating their lives to the Lord.

As of today we’re just $2,700 short of the funds needed to make our goal, a matching $25,000 gift toward the Kekchi audio Scripture project. Would you consider helping us go over the top?

Thanks to Wycliffe USA for this opportunity and to WHEEL POWER Christian Cyclists for making it happen. To my wife and daugthers and my home church (Faith Assembly, Orlando) for all your support... it's been an awesome ride! Soli Deo Gloria!

Home.

I'm thankful to be home with my family tonight! I'm thankful for friends in Lynchburg who gave up half their day to get me to Richmond for a little savings on the flight. I'm thankful for the experience, the new and deepened friendships, for what the Lord has done and what He has ahead.

A few stats coming soon, like tomorrow.

Picture. Reunion at the bus stop this afternoon!

Blue Sky!

Today is Sunday and I’m in a borrowed car (it belongs to long-time friends living in Lynchburg—thanks Tracy & Ang!) in a wi-fi parking lot across the road from the church I’ll be attending this morning. The service will be the culminating event of our cross-country trip.

We’ve had some down time the last couple days. Friday was another soggy day in a place that has been desperate for rain. Instead of a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway we did some packing, some bike maintenance with a team dinner and commencement celebration that took us late into the evening. Saturday was the dawning of a new day and our first glimpse of the sun since arriving in Virginia. Because of WHEEL POWER’s indirect ties and relationship with Liberty University, we were invited to be a part of the weekend homecoming festivities which started with a parade, tail-gate party and football game. A couple of us opted for a ride instead of the game and we got in a beautiful 64 mile ride southwest of town. You’d think we’d had enough riding in the last six weeks but there’s something about a beautiful day and beautiful countryside to lure the runaway heart of a cyclist.

I’m ready to be home. My family is ready for me to be home. It’s been an incredible adventure. I plan to do a final blog in the next day or two with the final stats. Your prayers for our safety have been answered. Praise God! We appreciate your ongoing prayers for the lives we touched along the way and please continue praying for the Kekchi people of Guatemala. We may never know this side of heaven the impact and the lives touched through God’s Word in Kekchi in audio. And it’s not too late to give toward this project. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever!

Pictures. 1) Final group shot. 2) Somewhere outside of Lynchburg, VA--beautiful ride!

Soggy Blog 2

Today was a challenging day, but probably not in the way you are thinking. It rained all night and this morning with even cooler temps than yesterday. For this and a few other reasons, the decision was made by the team leader to "SAG-up" to our destination. To "SAG-up" is to call the ride and load the bikes in the trailer. Now because we are only one day from our final destination with no change in tomorrow's weather forecast, it was decided to "SAG-up" not just to Christiansburg, but all the way to Lynchburg --a rather anti-climatic, but probably a wise move to conclude our 3000 mile adventure.

There was no riding at all today, but we do have a riding option tomorrow. A 75 mile loop up Thunder Ridge along the Blue Ridge Parkway. We are praying for a respite in the weather and a fun, safe, conclusion to our cross-country ride.

I hope to be able to connect to the internet tomorrow and post some pictures of the last few days.

Soggy Blog

We did not avoid the rain today. It was 57degrees and raining when we left Abingdon, VA this morning. I think all but 10 out of the 67 miles were in steady rain, which makes the extremities uncooperative and stiff and makes you cold to the bone. The hot shower felt very, very nice.

Cycling in VA is beautiful...with winding, hilly, narrow roads with no shoulders. We had low ceilings with a touch of fog on a couple of our climbs. Hillman Highway took us right through the middle of Emory and Henry College campus and on to Glade Spring. Highway 91 and US42 took us through Saltville (Salt Capitol of the Confederacy) and on to Bland, VA. We're seeing some color in the trees with leaves starting to fall, but I think we are going to miss the peak of the season by a week or so.

Every once in awhile I ask myself why I am on this ride --especially on days like today. I guess the answer lies in the fact that you are reading this blog. The last time I checked, the Kekchi Audio Scripture project we're supporting stands at 84% funded. This is awesome! I've never been a part of anything like this before. I felt "inspired" to do this ride. I rejoice that you are "inspired" to follow the progress. I don't always feel I have a lot to offer the Lord, but oh, just let me run with what I've got! If I can please God and advance His Kingdom purpose on a bicycle, then......Let's Ride!

Final Stretch

After a short shuttle to avoid some construction and potential wet road hazards, we left Gray, TN for Abingdon, VA. Once we got to 11E, it was an easy ride with good shoulders into Bristol --not counting the 3 flat tires we got along the way. I was in the front group as we cycled past the motor speedway and continued on to State St downtown where we were to muster for the group crossing into VA. As we waited for the second group, we learned that they had stopped for a photo-op at the Speedway and as the minutes went by, I just knew they had somehow finagled their way into the Speedway for a lap on their bikes.....and that's just what happened! Slimy dogs.

We avoided the rain again today. We've been blessed with overcast skies, 75 degrees, and tailwinds. It couldn't be better weather for cycling. We are headed for Bland, VA tomorrow.

I'll be backposting pictures as soon as I can. It has been a couple of days now without an internet connection. Jo helps me out on the wireless-less days.

Pictures (when I can!) 1. The "other" group at the finish line at Bristol Motor Speedway...slimy dogs. 2. Group shot at the last Stateline we cross --Virginia

Memory Lane

Today's ride from Midway to Gray, TN was a blast from the past. I didn't realize when I signed up for the trip that the route through northeast TN would go through Limestone, my wife's hometown. I grew up in Montana, but met and married a local girl while in flight training at Moody Aviation in Elizabethton, TN. Today we cycled past the church where Jo and I were married (18 years, two months and 17 days ago!), the Italian restaurant where we ate dinner on our honeymoon, past our first apartment, and through the intersection where my first car, a 73 volkswagon bug was totaled.

A "small world" bonus for me was meeting up with more family. Another rider in our group's mother (Agnes) just happened to grow up in Limestone and knew some of Jo's family. When Agnes found out that her son was riding with someone who married a local girl, she got names connected the dots and got on the phone. What fun to ride into our SAG at David Crockett Park and have lunch with Aunt Mamie and Uncle Robie.

We beat the rain today. It was on our heels coming into Gray, but there's a good chance that we will be in it for the next couple of days. No complaining though.....East TN is in a drought in a bad way. Pray for our safety in these last days as we wrap things up this Friday. Tomorrow we cross into VA.

Picture. Mt. Bethel where Jo and I were married.

Crossville to Knoxville

We’ve ridden over 2000 miles on this trip and I must say that today was the high point so far. First off, the section of Highway 70 we rode off the Cumberland Plateau between Crossville and Knoxville was absolutely gorgeous. Winding steeply up ....then back down .....then climb some more. When we came across the Mt. Roosevelt scenic overlook sign, we couldn’t resist. It went steeper yet, but oh, was it worth the climb!

Down off the mountain, we rolled into Rockwood to find a young couple sitting outside a convenience store gas station. The woman was actually the clerk sitting outside taking a break talking with her husband. We rolled up to say hello and ended up talking about the trip and the scenery and how anyone could deny there is a God. We asked the husband if we could pray for him and he shared a struggle with a life-controlling issue and his need for freedom. The first prayer led to words of encouragement and a second prayer, a prayer of salvation. As God’s providence would have it another local patron who was a lay minister and short-term missionary, was there to follow-up with this brand new believer.

So how did my day end? We arrived at Messiah Lutheran Church on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. I got cleaned up, picked up by my wife’s folks, drove to Olive Garden, met some more family and had a wonderful time. Thanks Mom and Dad Dunford, you made my day!

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan. What a privilege and a joy to ride that others would know this same fullness and joy. Thanks so much for praying, thanks so much for giving.

Pictures. 1) Early morning bike prep. 2) The ride up scenic Avery Trace—Highway 70 west of Rockwood. 3) Mt. Roosevelt overlook… my, oh my.

Cycling Tennessee

We’ve seen some gorgeous scenery in the last few weeks but I must say the most beautiful so far is Tennessee. I’m a little partial having lived in the state for eight years, my wife was born and raised in northeast TN, we were married and both our daughters were born in TN. I love riding in TN.

We rode Highway 96 out of Murfreesboro then on into Crossville on US 70. We passed a couple Civil War battlegrounds (the Battle of Milton and Snow Hill), climbed the Cumberland Plateau, took in some awesome overlooks, changed a couple flat tires (both mine—we’ve seen more glass in the shoulder here than anywhere else). Tomorrow we’re riding to Knoxville where I’m meeting up with my wife’s folks for dinner. I’m getting closer to Lynchburg every day!

Pictures. 1) Scenic overlook on US 70 out of Sparta, TN. 2) Doug getting some help patching a tube at destination Homestead Baptist Church, Crossville, TN.

To Ride Or Not To Ride

The only pictures I took today are pictures of us loading and strapping our bikes into SAG vehicles. We had significant weather last night and since the weatherman was calling for more of the same during the day, we loaded and shuttled ourselves to our next stop in Murfreesboro, TN. The weather was favorable for a ride once we arrived so a few of us reversed our course and still got in 53 miles, a nice warm-up to keep us loose for tomorrow... smile.

I had a chance to meet up with great friends from my home church back in Orlando for dinner tonight. They've been greatly missed since they moved up to Tennessee last year. They drove an hour to meet up with me and buy me dinner... thanks again Todd and Kathy!!

Picture. Linda prepping a couple bikes for our shuttle to Murfreesboro.

Captain Doug

I have never ridden a tandem bike that I can remember. Today I not only rode a tandem but a tandem recumbent. The guy in the front is called a "captain," the guy in back is called a "stoker." Helen was my stoker for the first 25 miles of our ride from Florence, AL, to Pulaski, TN. It was a sweet ride! The trick on a tandem is learning to cycle as a team. The first technique is getting started. One of the best methods is for the stoker to stay “clipped in” at a stop. At “go” the stoker starts pedaling while the captain steadies the bike and gets clipped in himself. There’s constant communication from the front, “slowing,” “stopping,” “bump,” etc., with the stoker doing the hand signaling, navigating, reading, sleeping…

I hope you sense God’s pleasure in you today. I feel His pleasure when I ride my bike, when I carry the ice chest to the trailer in the morning, being a husband and a dad, in my work back in Orlando (always room for improvement but hey, life is a journey). What a joy to live for Him who gave everything for us!

Sweet Home Alabama

If only it was home! We rode another 87 miles on the beautiful Natchez Trace crossing into the northwest corner of Alabama on our way to Florence. We left Tupelo with wet roads, drizzle and morning traffic. Things dried out later with the light winds and overcast skies making it a great day for cycling.

Today was a first, Richard and I beat our SAG vehicle to the SAG stop. But since we didn’t know the Pharr Mounds Overlook was the designated stop, we kept going. Once we figured out what happened and that it would be mile 64 before the next stop we started looking for alternate water sources. We happened upon Tishomingo State Park, a mile off the Trace, boasting not one, but two 18 hole disc golf courses. It was tempting, but we decided to settle for just the water bottle refill.

We’re only 33 miles from Tennessee, one state away from Virginia. Today brought us 96 miles closer.

Picture. East side of the Tennessee River off the Natchez Trace Parkway. Be sure to check out Saturday's (Oct 13th) post for the picture of Edwin on the State trooper's hood!

Riding the Trace

Oh my, what a ride. Today’s 96 miles from Winona to Tupelo included 55 miles of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The Trace starts in Natchez, MS and runs roughly 450 miles ending in Nashville, TN. It’s a road through the wilderness with centuries of history binding the old Southwest to the rest of the nation. It was used by Native American Indians and French explorers in the 18th century and it gained folk legend with the return march of Gen. Andrew Jackson’s men after their victory at the battle of New Orleans ending the war of 1812. It’s a Nat’l Park with no commercial traffic (no 18 wheelers!), no billboards, 45 mph speed limits and beautifully maintained. A serious scenic route for bicycles—we reveled in every mile! We get to do it again on our way to Florence, AL tomorrow.

Out of the Delta and Into the Hills

We had a good ride today. 83 miles from Greenville, Mississippi to Winona, Mississippi. We stayed on hwy 82 all day, and we're looking to ride 40 more miles on it tomorrow. It was flat with a slight headwind component out of the Southeast most of the day. Then out of the delta river basin, we climbed abruptly. the last 15 miles or so were all hills. I love hills. I miss having them in Florida --I have yet to ride Sugar Loaf near Clermont, the only hill in Central Florida (Carl, as soon as I get home, I'm with you!)

Lots of folks back home in Orlando have been asking my wife how I'm doing, and if I'm sick of the bike yet. I'm not. I actually enjoy it a lot. I'm thankful for this privilege. I'm thankful for the strong legs God has given me. I praise God for the life He gives with every breath! Pray with me that His ways would be known throughout the earth. His saving power among the people everywhere! (Psalm 67:2)

Mississippi Crossing

Crossing the Mississippi on Hwy 82 at Greenville is no small undertaking. It is a mile and a half long steel truss, two lane road with absolutely no shoulder. We were either going to shuttle our bikes across in our SAG wagon, or get a police escort. Arkansas State Trooper, Terry, was the man of the hour.

Everything was going fine until we got near the top of the bridge. One challenge we didn't anticipate was crossing the expansion joints of the bridge on a bike. Most of the interlocking, steel fingers were tightly meshed, navigable even with narrow road bike tires. But one joint was a little wider than the rest, taking us a little by surprise. Some of us crossed diagonally, others like myself "bunny hopped" the front tire. Edwin "bunny-hopped" but the rear wheel hit the opposite side of the narrow, steel gap hard enough to "pinch" a flat. He was the last one in the group and none of us noticed that he dropped off the back of the pack until he and his bike reappeared behind us on the hood of the patrol car. He was planning to walk his bike down the last 3/4 mile or so, but it's illegal to walk on the bridge. Instead of putting the bike in the trunk, the trooper told him to put in on the hood --quickly. Edwin's reply was that it would fall off unless he held it.....and that is exactly what he did! I got the picture, but since I don't have internet tonight, you'll just have to wait.

Your prayers are being answered. We've been blessed with beautiful weather and many safe cycling miles. One of them on the hood of a patrol car.

Easy Rider

The big news today…no flats. This is good. And it was our second shortest day of the trip so far, only 49.1 miles. What’s nice about short days is that we don’t have any pressure to make our destination at a certain time. I enjoy the challenge of pushing myself on the bike but on days like today you can take a lot more time to enjoy the people too. Riding across the country is quite a conversation starter.

Tomorrow will be interesting, we’ll be crossing the Mississippi river on our way into Greenville, MS. It’s a two-lane bridge with no shoulder which requires a police escort. I’ll let you know how that goes next time. Blessings.

Picture. Stained glass window at Emmanuel Baptist Church, El Dorado, AR

Rubber Woes

We put in another 90 miles on Hwy 82 today. Arriving in El Dorado, Arkansas by mid-afternoon. Southern Arkansas is very beautiful with undulating hills and dense forest. We cycled past a couple of lumber mills which brought back some good memories. It was a plywood plant in my hometown in Montana and some help from my folks that got me through college.

We struggled against headwinds most of the day, but that wasn't the only challenge. I ended up with two more flats early in the ride. That's four flats in two days. I'm building quite a reputation on the team. I need to order some puncture-resistant road tires with heavy duty tubes equipped with puncture sealing goop. Then I'll need to upgrade my pump. How about a portable air compressor? I'll need a trailer for that...Maybe they make solid tires for bikes now...All in all, I'm keeping a pretty good attitude. (Can't you tell? :-)

I don't know what the problem is with the GPS tracker. I haven't had access to the internet for a few days now. But I've been told that it looks like I've back-tracked a couple of times and that I'm lost somewhere around Magnolia, Arkansas. We're hoping a reboot will correct the problem in the morning. If not, we will be reassessing the tracker. I'll keep you posted.

Thank God for another safe day on the road. Pray for an internet connection soon.....I love to keep you up to date with pictures.

Cross Country

We made it Cross Country.....Texas, that is. It actually went by faster than I thought it would. Today we spun down Hwy 82 for nearly 97 miles. The winds were lighter and there weren't as many hills, this translatred to an average speed of 16mph --not too bad.

I had a rash of flats today --two of them on the rear wheel. It's the price you pay when you opt to ride a little further into the shoulder of the road. It's more comfortable for me to take the shoulder, but the closer you get to the edge of the road, the more debris you find. Today I picked up a nail. My second flat on the rear came from a faulty patch job on the replacement tube. You have to have the right attitude because "flats" can lead to "divine appointments." Today we got to witness to Ricky on his front porch after we fixed my flat tire.

Texarkana is an interesting place. The Dual Post Office downtown is the only federal building in the United States that is located in two States....in two different counties.....and two cities. The State line between Texas and Arkansas literally runs down the center of the building. The PO address is Texarkana, USA. It made for a great photo opportunity. And yes, I'm standing with one foot in each State. (If there is no picture and you are wondering what I'm talking about, it means that I did not have an internet connection tonight. I'll post the picture as soon as I can.)

Tomorrow is another 90 mile day to El Dorado. Thanks so much for your prayers for our safety.

We're Not in France

I didn't get to see it today, but the world's 2nd largest Paris boasts a 1/3 scale statue of the Eiffel Tower complete with a cowboy hat on top. Today found us riding 115 miles from Richardson to Paris, TX. You guessed it......we're still in Texas. Only one more day though. Tomorrow night will find us in Texarkana, AR.

I had the privilege of riding with two Wycliffe colleagues today. They have been following the ride with great interest since we began and since we were cycling so close to their area, they couldn't resist the urge to cycle with us. It was good to have them along.

We went through some pretty unique towns today. My personal favoites were Frognot (population 0....but they said it was on the map) and Bugtussel. We also cycled by the South Fork Ranch --home/location of the popular 80's TV show, Dallas.

I want to say a big thank you to the folks who put up the Wheel Power Team for 3 nights in Richardson. What a blessing you were to all of us! After a restful, surprise week-end, it's good to be back on the bike. Thanks again!

With all of this spinning it would be easy to lose sight of the big picture. Collectively as a team we have logged 12, 760 miles. We have had a chance to share the gospel with 147 people, and 34 of those have come to a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. Continue to pray for more opportunities to share God's love to those we meet along the way. Also please pray for the Kekchi people of Guatemala. They need to hear God's Word so that they can also grow in their relationship with Him.

Tracker In Place

If you click on the GPS TRACKER button right here, you'll get a current view of where Doug is cycling. A satellite picture of the location and the actual route he's following will come up on the website. The true route is somewhat different from what's reported since it only updates every so often. Nonetheless, one can almost "see" Doug cycling down the road! The picture to the left was taken this morning and shows the progress being made. The speed is not accurate but the location is. Today's ride takes Doug and the group to Paris, TX, a distance of about 110 miles.

Thanks for praying for Doug's safety and mission. He was joined by 2 Wycliffe colleagues this morning who rode for about 25 miles before they turned around to go back. Doug will post the results of today's ride later this evening.

Birthday Surprise

October 8th is my birthday. It just happened to fall on the scheduled day off on this ride across America. It wasn't planned but because of a blessing from some very special people, Jo and the girls were able to fly to Dallas and "show up" Sunday evening for a short 24 hour b-day visit. Monday morning we rode the Dallas Area Rapid Transit train through downtown to the Dallas Zoo. By mid-afternoon they dropped me off where they found me and were gone again... just like that. It was a short but it was definitely a memory maker! What a blessing.

Well, after two days off, we have a very full day tomorrow. 110 miles from Richardson to Paris. What a way to start my 44th year! Thanks so much for your prayers for Ed and I, Wycliffe and the work of Bible translation and the WHEEL POWER team. I'm missing my teammate but I am privileged to ride out of town in the morning with two other Wycliffe colleagues working out of the Dallas office. They are joining us for a half day. I've not met them personally but what a great way to get to know new friends.

Picture. Jo and the girls at the train station.

Tracker Re-energized and Ready to Roll

The tracker is in Dallas and tomorrow, when the team heads out for the second half of the journey, it should start tracking their progress once again. We apologize for this 2-week interruption. Click here GPS TRACKER to follow the team.
The Kekchi project for which the cycling tour was arranged, is 68% funded. Thank you to all who have participated. Please consider giving towards this project so that the 400,000 Kekchi speakers may hear the Gospel in a way that they have never heard it before. Please click on Give To The Project! to donate. Thank you once again.
Picture: The 8 oz. tracker. For those who are more technically inclined, here are some extra details. The tracker uses cell towers to triangulate its position and then reports it to the satellite, which in turn gets reported to the website. It's basically a cell phone that frequently and automatically reports its position. It has no switches and starts tracking by detecting motion. It uses a SIM chip similar to those found in cell phones.

Caddo SAG

Today’s 70 miles from Breckenridge to Weatherford brought us close to the halfway mark of our trip. The last couple days have been long so the slightly shorter day with afternoon cloud cover and light winds was a very welcome respite.

We had a unique SAG stop on our itinerary this morning. Last night while the Wheel Power group was hanging out the Breckenridge homecoming community fair, we ran into a pastor whose small country church was along our route out of town. He and his wife invited our whole team to cycle through the tiny little town of Caddo and stop in for some coffee and a honey bun. I’m glad we did. This old country church was as plain as could be, but the inside was open and full of light and I could just imagine generations of music, prayers and good old-fashioned Bible preaching being offered week after week. What a blessing to get us through the rest of the day.

There were some complications with our accommodations tonight in Weatherford. Due to the logistical challenges involved with a group our size, it was decided we would forego our planned Sunday ride and shuttle directly to Richardson where we were due for our scheduled day off on Monday. We now get two days off—this too will be a very welcome respite.

Texas Towns

We had a SAG stop in Gail, TX yesterday. By way of reminder a SAG is short for Support and Gear. Our SAG vehicle is an RV with a 14' trailer in tow. The RV is Judy's home on the road (http://www.wheelpower.org/founder.html) and the trailer holds spare parts, a couple bikes, tools, pumps, our luggage and food for our SAG stops. Back to Gail and a little Texas trivia. Gail is smack dab in the middle of Borden County. Turns out it was Gail Borden who invented condensed milk back in 1851. You'll have to "google" Noodle for more Texas trivia, I couldn't pass up the sign :- ).

Our last couple of days in Texas have been long, 97 miles from Lamesa to Roby and today was 91 miles from Roby to Breckenridge but it has been cool to watch the change in color and terrain. We've been riding past cotton fields for two days and today we rode a bridge over the first lake we've seen since California. It's nice to be out of the desert.

Pictures. 1) Sunrise in the Lone Star State. 2) I've always loved climbing things.

One of Those Days

After a few mornings off I’m back to the flat-first-thing-in-the-morning routine, and I wasn’t the only one. We didn’t even get to the edge of town (Hobbs, NM) when Bill got a flat. One mile later it was my turn. I’m actually getting pretty efficient at fixing flats and I’m thankful for the experience. I did make a rookie mistake this morning though. It’s not a good idea to run your hand around the tire “feeling” for whatever it was that actually caused the flat… I believe it was the tiny little wire poking out that sliced into my thumb. It’s harder to change a flat without both thumbs, while you’re bleeding. I won’t get into any more detail here but needless to say I took a little extra time to clean up my wheel when we got in to Lemesa this evening. Oh yeah, Lemesa is in Texas. Whaa whooo! Another state down.

I got a bee sting today too, at least I think it was a bee sting. It could have been a horsefly, I remember horsefly bites smarting like this one did. If it was a horsefly it was a Texas horsefly. I was composed, I only screamed, I did not crash.

We got our first taste of Texas hospitality tonight at First Baptist Church, Lemesa. Wow. The folks hosting us have been incredible. I’m sleeping in the nursery tonight, on my aerobed. I plug it in to inflate it, takes about 60 seconds. We do nurserys, Sunday School rooms and sanctuaries, you name it.

We ride about 95 miles tomorrow. I need to get to bed.

This has truly been an adventure, flats, cuts, bee stings and more. I’m loving every minute of it. I want to inspire you who are reading this blog. Live to hear God’s voice and ride like there’s no tomorrow… whatever your ride might be!

Pictures 1) I got tired of seeing me in front of signs, that's my bike. 2) My small ride group today was Dana, Mary and Bill.

Tracker Information

We keep hearing reports of how many people are actually following the tracking device. We've experienced a problem in that I'm currently not cycling with the group. The tracker is in my possession and I'm in Michigan. However, I have mailed the tracker to Doug and he should have it in a few days when the group arrives in Dallas this weekend. We hope to have it up and running again shortly. I surmise that it will start tracking again next week Tuesday. We apologize for this interruption. Thanks for understanding.

Local Scoop

We were saved from about 42 miles of rough truck infested roads with no shoulders today thanks to the locals, our new friends at Faith Baptist Church in Artesia, NM. Last night they let us know our planned route down Highway 529 into Hobbs would take us through oil country with a lot of truck traffic. Although six miles longer, our alternate route, Highway 82 to 18 proved quieter with a great shoulder, always a welcome alternative.

You've got to love tailwinds. Our small ride group averaged 16 mph on our 87 mile ride today. I "broke away" from the others on a long straight stretch doing about 26 mph for a few miles... I think I could have gone on for an hour or more... but back to my group... good fun!

Tonight is our last night in New Mexico, tomorrow we cross into Central time zone. One hour closer to my lovely wife and two daughters!

Thanks so much for your prayers. We've been blessed with many safe miles so far. And please pray for the Kekchi of Guatemala, that funding would would be available and that hearts would be ready to hear the message of hope and life--God's Word--in audio form.

Pictures 1) Oil pump in Eddy county, NM. 2) Heeded warning at a rest stop.

Living Water

I'm getting my first on-the-ground look at the southwest part of the country. The first look was from a couple thousand feet in a Cessna 185 on a long cross country with fellow Moody Aviation classmates. We spent a week and a half training on back country and forest service strips in New Mexico and Arizona on our way to California 17 years ago. I didn't think to dig out my log book before this ride, I've probably cycled by a couple of those strips by now. This country is vast and dry. Our ride out of Mayhill, down the eastern slopes of the Sacramento Mountains followed a drainage that actually had water flowing. We've cycled past many dry river beds in the last two weeks, it was wonderful to hear the sound of flowing water. We're getting farther east every day, only one more day in New Mexico. I hope to see more and more water as we go.

I have never lived in an area without an abundance of rivers and lakes. I think I was slightly surprised by the security I felt being near water once again--cycling through a desert can mess with you I guess. So many are without knowledge of the One who is the Living Water, from whom springs life eternal. If I have one desire it would be that the world would have this knowledge--that it would fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Pictures 1) Our cabin in the pines in Mayhill. 2) Out of the mountains on Highway 82, west of Hope, NM.

Close Encounter

Today was just one massive, long, killer climb up to Cloudcroft, NM (elevation 8,665ft) --about 15 miles at 6% grade. I climb a "hill" every Saturday morning with a group of guys from church back home in Orlando. Guys, I'm a long, long way from Florida. I wish you were here! This mountain gave a whole new meaning to "spaghetti hill."

At several points you could look back down the valley and see the white dunes of White Sands, NM, home of Holloman Air Force Base and the White Sands Missile Range. We rode through this area on Hwy 70 into Alamagordo yesterday. I would have loved to have spent some more time there.

One of the highlights from today's ride was the tunnel passage nine miles into the assent. It was narrow, dark, and had no shoulder. We decided to have a mini-SAG at the mouth allowing everyone a chance to regroup. We took off as a group with a vehicle escort from the rear. It worked out great.

Cloudcroft to Mayhill was a fun, downhill run. It was also the closest I've seen a bike come to hitting a deer. Richard was ahead of me by about 30 feet when he spooked a deer that was beside the road. The deer was caught between the backside of the guardrail and the deep ditch. Rather than run uphill away from us or just stand still, it decided to try and outrun us. We weren't going slow --doing about 25-30mph -- and it was quite a drama from my perspective. The deer was running downhill full tilt with the guardrail and barely 15 feet between it and Richard. As we approached an access road, the deer tried to cut in front of Richard on the road, but changed his mind a split second later opting to cut back behind the guardrail. But he had already passed the end. I thought for sure that I was going to witness the death of this deer piling head-on into the post and steel, but at that moment it launched over the rail --disappearing down the drop-off. All of this took about 12-15 seconds. We're safe now.

Tonight we're sleeping in cabins at the Sacramento Mountain Retreat Center. It is gorgeous. We're in the mountains, nestled in pine trees.....quite a contrast from the last few days in the desert.

Your prayers keep us going safely. Tomorrow is 75 miles downhill to Artesia, NM.

Picture. Cyclemate Edwin at the tunnel overlook. White Sands lies in the valley just beyond the last ridge.

The Road to Alamogordo

I say it often, but I have to say it again.....It was a beautiful morning to ride! I have to pinch myself every once in awhile....It's gorgeous outside, the sun is coming up, and I'm on my bike in the middle of New Mexico....or wherever we are.

It didn't take me long to pick up a goathead --the morning flat tire has been the trend lately, but it was providential. It slowed us down long enough to meet Peter. He had pulled his pickup to the side of the road to find out what was making the grinding noise in the rear end. We talked about his mechanical issues until he found out we had been cycling 11 days and were on our way to VA. This bicycling mission thing is really cool --Wheel Power is on to something here --It creates genuine interest and opportunity to share the difference Jesus makes in our lives. I had the opportunity to present the gospel and lead Peter to the Lord. As he got back into his truck to drive off, we encouraged him to stop at the top of the pass (three miles to St Augustine pass, Hwy 70, 5,719feet) where our SAG (support and gear) vehicle was set up and ask for a New Testament. When we arrived at the top 20 minutes later, we found out that he had done just that. This is what this ride is all about --sharing this glorious message one on one while advancing the work to see God's Word accessible to all people in a language that speaks to their heart.

I miss my family bad, but oh, I'm so thankful for this opportunity. What a privilege, what a blast! Will you go the distance with us? Tomorrow's hill is the same 6% grade, but it's 15 miles long. Let's ride!

Another Crossing

Today we rode our last 11 miles on the interstate, we did the other 53 miles along beautiful frontage roads complete with wildlife crossings! We had eight flat tires, several were caused by goatheads, the seed of what's otherwise known as puncturevine. The long sharp thorn easily punctures normal bike tires and they are everywhere.

We passed a loaded cyclist named Melvin halfway to Las Cruces. He spent 50 years in the Navy as a fighter pilot and he's now crossing the country on his bike. He started in Seattle and is on his way to Key West, FL. After taking a month off he plans on looping back to Alaska.

We've got some hills to climb over the next couple days, a big climb into Alamogordo and a very long climb into Mayhill the day after that. I'll keep you posted. I'm actually not too worried about the hills (this might change over the next few days), my training has been very adequate for this adventure so far making it very enjoyable and easy to encourage others. I do get some soreness in my shoulders from leaning on the bars but it goes away quickly as I change positions or get off the bike for a stretch. Soreness on the backside is an issue too but standing on the pedals for a few minutes gets you down the road another 30 minutes easy. I would break up the monotony by seeing how long I could stand on my trainer back home, it has turned out to be excellent preparation for this trip!

Thanks so much for your prayers. May God's Kingdom come through our lives and our efforts.

Pictures. 1) Doug crossing the Rio Grande at Las Cruces. 2) Wildlife crossing! 3) Melvin on his way to Key West.

East of the Divide

Growing up in Montana was an incredible blessing that I took for granted for many years. I would ride my motorcycle up the "Going-To-The-Sun" highway along the Continental Divide in Glacier Nat'l Park just for kicks. I crossed the Divide again today, in New Mexico. The scenery was a little different (it moved by quite a bit slower), it wasn't quite as high in altitude but we crossed it none the less.

We're almost done with riding interstate highways, I'm hoping tomorrow is the last day. Today we had a much smoother ride but we did have to negotiate about three miles of construction between Lordsburg and Deming. We tried to find alternate routes but neither frontage road would lead us where we needed to go, so into the fray we six went. It was a little unnerving for some but the highway crew was gracious and we made it through ok.

I want to express my gratitude to Wheel Power Christian Cyclists for hosting Ed and I on this ride to help promote the need for Bible translation. Please be sure to check out their website--it's under "cool links" on the right column.

One State Down.....Five to Go

Our last day in Arizona started at sunrise with slight downhill grades and tailwinds. It was beautiful...for about 15 miles. At that point the smooth bike friendly shoulder of I-10 deteriorated to a shaved, cobblestone surface full of loose gravel and debris. We took a needed break in Bowie, AZ and readily considered an alternate route suggested by a store clerk. Although the alternate route gave us a break from the busy interstate, we got no break for our backsides and we endured another 12 miles of incredibly rough conditions but we survived. We had good shoulders and good conditions to the New Mexico border and beyond to Lordsburg.

After arriving in Lordsburg, we went to the home of a Baptist pastor for showers and then we walked over to the home of a Methodist pastor for a cook-out of hamburgers and great fellowship. We then returned to the Baptist church to sleep.....each of us with our own Sunday School room for sleeping.

Tomorrow is a short day --only 60 miles to Deming, NM. Who would have thought 60 miles on a bicycle would be a "short" day.

Still in Tucson

While Doug has cycled on to Lordsburg, NM with the rest of the group, I'm still in Tucson visiting Wycliffe colleagues at the SIL/WBT Mexico Branch headquarters. I haven't seen some of them in more than 20 years. It's been a great reunion of sorts. I'm getting the opportunity to talk about the Wycliffe Bike Tour and corresponding project for the Kekchi of Central America. I'm also able to talk to others I meet in the area about Wycliffe simply because I'm in biking clothes. Tomorrow I hope to have more information about when I will rejoin the group. Thank you for praying for me and for the project we're cycling for.

Pictures: 1) in front of the Mexico Branch headquarters sign in Tucson. 2) the reverse side of the Wycliffe biking jersey.

Biker's Paradise

If you're crazy about cycling, Tuscon, AZ would be a great place to live. It's a gorgeous city surrounded on nearly all sides by the Catalina, Tuscon and Rincon Mountains with wide bike lanes on practically every street. We were on our bikes at 6:00am with the sun just rising over the eastern ranges.

A large portion of our route today was spent on I-10. It's not the optimum for bikes, but not bad once you get used to it. The long climb(s) out of Benson, AZ was the most challenging so far on the trip, but Texas Canyon's beautiful rock formations made it worth the effort to the summit.

We are anticipating another beautiful, mild day tomorrow. Your prayers for us have truly been answered --just a week and a half ago the temps were up to 115 degrees. We road 100 miles today and the plan is to ride 70 miles tomorrow. Please continue to pray for us as we go the distance to see God's Word accessible to all people in a language and form that speaks to their heart.

Houston, we have a problem with the Tracking Device.

I have been getting regular reports from people about the tracking device installed on my bike. They have gone to the website to track the progress being made as I head east towards Dallas and beyond.
I am currently in Tucson at the Wycliffe Center located here. I am taking a couple of days off from riding and hope to rejoin the group soon. Doug has gone on ahead with the rest of the cyclists. A Wycliffe colleague has agreed to drive me to join them in a couple of days.
There is an issue with the tracking device, however. It is consuming batteries faster than what I anticipated. In addition to that, it reports its position via cellular towers frequently, about every 10 minutes or so, making the reporting side the equation quite expensive, about $5-$7 per day. I have asked the tracking device company to slow the reporting period down somewhat, to save both battery life as well as the actual cost of reporting. In a few days I will re-evaluate the situation and make a decision about the tracking device. Thanks for understanding.

Bike Tour Route

Here is a list of the places we will be stopping along the bike tour.

Day 1 Wed 9/19 Riverside, CA to Palm Springs
Day 2 Thur 9/20 Palm Springs to El Centro
Day 3 Fri 9/21 El Centro to Welton, AZ
Day 4 Sat 9/22 Welton to Gila Bend
Day 5 Sun 9/23 Gila Bend to Casa Grande
Day 6 Mon 9/24 Casa Grande to Tucson
Day 7 Tue 9/25 Tucson to Wilcox
Day 8 Wed 9/26 Wilcox to Lordsburg, NM
Day 9 Thur 9/27 Lordsburg to Deming
Day 10 Fri 9/28 Deming to Las Cruces
Day 11 Sat 9/29 Las Cruces to Alamogordo
Day 12 Sun 9/30 Alamogordo to Mayhill
Day 13 Mon 10/1 Mayhill to Artesia
Day 14 Tue 10/2 Artesia to Hobbs
Day 15 Wed 10/3 Hobbs to Lamesa, TX
Day 16 Thur 10/4 Lamesa to Roby
Day 17 Fri 10/5 Roby to Breckenridge
Day 18 Sat 10/6 Breckenridge to Weatherford
Day 19 Sun 10/7 Weatherford to Plano
Day 20 Mon 10/8 Day OFF Plano
Day 21 Tue 10/9 Plano to Paris
Day 22 Wed 10/10 Paris to Texarkana, AR
Day 23 Thur 10/11 Texarkana to El Dorado
Day 24 Fri 10/12 El Dorado to Crossett
Day 25 Sat 10/13 Crossett to Greenville, MS
Day 26 Sun 10/14 Greenville to Winona
Day 27 Mon 10/15 Winona to Tupelo
Day 28 Tue 10/16 Tupelo to Florence, AL
Day 29 Wed 10/17 Florence to Pulaski, TN
Day 30 Thur 10/18 Pulaski to Murfreesboro
Day 31 Fri 10/19 Mufreesboro to Crossville
Day 32 Sat 10/20 Crossville to Knoxville
Day 33 Sun 10/21 Knoxville to Morristown
Day 34 Mon 10/22 Morristown to Kingsport
Day 35 Tue 10/23 Kingsport to Damascus, VA
Day 36 Wed 10/24 Damascus to Independence
Day 37 Thur 10/25 Independence to Hillsville
Day 38 Fri 10/26 Hillsville to Roanoke
Day 39 Sat 10/27 Roanoke to Lynchburg
Day 40 Sun 10/28 Closing Church Service

Tucson at last!

Today's ride was basically a long slow 62-mile climb up to Tucson from Casa Grande. So slow in fact, that the rise in elevation was barely perceptible. The temperature is in the high 80's, making Holland, Michigan at 91 degrees even hotter. At a SAG stop just outside of Tucson, Doug noticed that there was something wrong with his bike. In Tucson it was confirmed that a bearing had gone out on the bottom bracket. Because we had arrived plenty early in Tucson, we were able to find a bike shop that was still open and also had the right bearing. The bike has been repaired by our handy mechanic and Doug is good to go for the morning. Thank you for praying for safety and for good riding conditions. We covet your prayers as we ride. And we covet your prayers for the Kekchi in Guatemala that they might receive God's Word in audio form as a result of this trip.

Pictures: 1) Doug working on his bike repairing the bottom bracket bearing. Praise God were able to find just the right parts. 2) Ed just outside Tucson, wondering if he has time to climb the mountain behind him. Uhhh, maybe on another day.

The Hot Sonoran Desert/You Made A Wrong Turn

Today's trip took us through the Sonoran Desert between Gila Bend and Casa Grande, Arizona. We had one SAG stop in the 72-mile sojourn over a relatively easy pass at about 1530 feet. Partway into the trip, I (Ed) was talking to Linda in Michigan on the cell phone. Traffic was almost non-existent. Suddenly she said, "I think you took a wrong turn. You're supposed to be on Maricopa Rd." Sure enough, we had made a wrong turn and had to backtrack about 4 miles because we had missed the tiny sign for Maricopa Rd. But how did she know, more than 2000 miles away? She had just come home from church, had gone to the website displaying our progress via the tracking device attached to my bike and saw that we were heading for Phoenix instead of Casa Grande. Doug with his pilot's sense and who was in an earlier riding group, sensed that somewhere they had taken a wrong turn as well. At about the same time that Linda called, Doug called on his cell phone to let me know that they had taken a wrong turn.

If you wish to follow our progress as we travel, please feel free to go to this link:

Click Here To Track Our Progress

Left: Doug with Sagauro Cactus

Right: Ed with a different Sagauro Cactus

Southwest Hospitality

We've been blown away over the past several days by the hospitality of our host churches. Folks seem to go the extra mile when they're spreading a meal for a group of hungry cyclists. In addition to the great food, the folks in Gila Bend, AZ even put us up in the Best Western. The air mattress works but a real bed is going to feel... out of this world!

Flat, Hot, and Long

Today's biking route took us from Wellton to Gila Bend, AZ. These two small towns are separated by 88 miles of Interstate (I-8) and miles and miles of flat, hot desert. There are no side roads or service roads nearby so we ended up riding on the shoulder of the Interstate, a legal practice in these parts of Arizona. With cars and trucks whizzing by at high speeds, it takes a lot of concentration to remain focused on the ride. But the busyness of the road was made up for by a generous tailwind that pushed us along at an average speed of about 20 mph. A flat tire on another rider's bike reminded us of how thin our tires actually are. Only minutes after fixing it, I picked up a small wire (from a steel belted radial car tire) that stuck in my tire. The clicking sound alerted my biking partner. We stopped, found the wire and pulled it out. Thankfully it hadn't punctured the inner tube.

The landscape here reminds me of the terrain in parts of Mexico and also Guatemala, where the Kekchi live. 400,000 Kekchi speakers received their complete Bible some years ago but the literacy rate remains very low. The audio version of the Scriptures can become a reality with your help. If you haven't already done so, would you prayerfully consider a gift towards this important project? Click on the following link Give To The Project! to donate. Thank you.

Tomorrow's travels will take us to Casa Grande, about 65 miles due east. Thank you for your love and concern as we bike towards new places each of the 40 days.

Picture: Q. How many men does it take to fix one flat tire? A. Three. Ed, Richard and Bill!

Trying Not To Cry!

Any cyclist worth his salt who is told he can't ride on a particular day, is bound to start crying. As cyclists there are few experiences more exhilarating than sitting on a bike and pedaling long distances. So when we got up at 4 AM this morning and were told the bad news that we couldn't cycle because of inclement weather, well, it was just about enough to make some grown men cry. But, we followed the rules. Locals tell us that El Centro, CA only gets 1/10th of an inch of rain a year. ElCentro got enough this morning to last 5 years! It was pouring this morning when we got up and even though rain does not generally stop us from riding, lightning will. A steel, titanium, or aluminum bike becomes an easy target for a lightning strike. So we packed up our bikes into a trailer and drove the 100 miles to Wellton, AZ, where I sitting this evening writing this. Tomorrow we'll try again and hopefully ride out to Gila Bend, a distance of about 85 miles.

We saw some great sights today as we took smaller rides in the countryside. Cotton grows abundantly out here, thanks to the widespread use of irrigation.

Thanks for your participation in the opportunity to use this biking trip to provide audio Scriptures for the Kekchi in Guatemala.

How Low Can You Go?

The day started out from Palm Springs, which is about 350 feet above sea level. We headed south and east and pedaled 111 miles to El Centro, just a few miles from the Mexican border. About 95% of the day was spent biking in the desert below sea level. At one point we were at 200 feet below sea level. Our water bottles were quickly empty and we were glad when the SAG* wagon came to refill them *(Support And Gear). Along the way today, were shared the gospel with many people, as we stopped here and there to share the love of God. 2 people gave their lives to Jesus and 2 others re-dedicated their lives.

Being near to the Mexican border tonight reminds us that the Kekchi-speaking people are in the country just south of Mexico, namely, Guatemala, awaiting their Scriptures in audio form. Please pray with Doug and Ed that the funds for this project will be raised up for God's glory. A very generous donor has given a matching gift of $25,000. Thank the Lord for others who will team up for this great project.

Tomorrow is another 100 mile to Wellton, AZ.

Photos: 1) A sugar silo in the Imperial Valley showing where sea level is. 2) Doug (left) and Ed (with helmet) with 2 of the other cyclists at a SAG stop.

What a Breeze!

Today was our first day of our 40 day ride across America. Riverside to Palm Springs is about 70 miles. The first half is mostly uphill and the second half downhill. After 35 miles we started downhill and stopped to help someone fix a flat tire on their RV. The wind was SO strong that it practically blew us off the road! For more than 20 miles we rode downhill without pedalling at sustained speeds of 35 to 40mph, a biker's dream indeed.

Please continue to pray that the Kekchi of Guatemala will be able to receive their Proclaimers to hear God's Word clearly and respond in kind. Thank you for your prayers. Tomorrow's ride is to El Centro along the Mexican border, a distance of 105 miles. It promises to be both hot and windy.