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.