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