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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.

Doug and Ed, on the eve before the ride. If Ed looks a little bleary eyed, it's probably because of the 3 hour time difference on the West Coast. But we're pumped and ready to ride out to Palm Springs on Wednesday morning, a distance of about 70-75 miles from Riverside, from where the trip is officially starting.

We took a short "practice" ride with the group this afternoon, getting used to riding together.

Thanks for praying as we share the Good News with many we meet. And pray that God would raise up the funds needed for the Kekchi speaking people in Guatemala. Blessings!

Wycliffe USA Send Off

It was great to have the opportunity to share the excitement of the bike trip with my Wycliffe colleagues during our weekly "Entermission" chapel service this morning. I was encouraged to show up in my cycling garb. Public speaking in spandex is not my thing--I have to work hard at public speaking period--I just imagined everybody else sitting there in their underwear. Not really. I did oblige though and even rode my Mongoose into the room "clipped-in" negotiating the course between the front row of tables and the platform... went around Carolyn... and made it safely to the platform. Whew.

Ed and I are grateful to all our colleagues. Thanks guys for your support and your prayers--may God move mountains (please, Lord!) on our behalf! For His glory among the nations!

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