Spring ride is over ...

The Natchez Trace bike ride is an annual Fuller Center event, this being our fourth ride down the Trace. This time it was scheduled about a month later than the first three times, which made the ride so much more beautiful, with spring “springing”.

Weather report: it rained four of the six riding days, almost all day, but temperatures were much warmer than the last two years, so it was good riding. Still a bit of a hassle having to dry everything each night, but at least we didn’t have to lay on the hood of the van at the rest stops trying to warm up! I did get slightly chilled at a couple of rest stops, but warmed up again once we started riding. And, we had no rain on the work day.

Work day: we split up to work on four projects. I got to dig a ditch, clean up the yard, and then after lunch transfer over to the second project, roofing, to help pick up shingles. With the other two groups working on their projects we were able to help a total of four families, which made for a great day of service.

Biking: I rode the entire distance, no support needed, about 375 miles. I hooked up with 4 other riders and we rode a pace line each day, helping each other. We were an older group, but we pulled along one 25 year old rider. :-) Picked up other riders at times, getting up to maybe 10 riders total with us. In the past I have been mostly riding by myself, because I don’t seem to match up ability wise with many riders, although the double pace line we had last year was fantastic. 

Chocolate malt report:  DISMAL Only managed one, and that was a milk shake, so barely worth rating. 

Food:  we had to cook dinner two times, which was really good, but the rest of the time we had more great food provided by the host churches than we could eat. 

Summer ride: and now, on to the summer ride. I need to get a lot of saddle time, but have been sick this past week with some respiratory issues. Hope this clears up soon, ‘cause since I’ve been back this is now 9 days out of the saddle, and I need to be riding!  

I’m feeling better about the summer ride since the spring ride went so well for me. So, if I can get well soon, I feel I’ll be able to do the summer ride, and be ok doing it, although it is a huge mental challenge for me. So, here’s to health!

Oh, and, I still need donations to help with the summer ride, if you are so inclined.

Peace

I think I can.......at least I hope I can!

“Your time is a wonderful gift to give” 

And so is your money! I choose to give both while I can.

So, it’s getting harder ... but, I believe we can't grow without challenge!

This will be my fifth year biking for The Fuller Center for Affordable Housing (FCBA). A quick recap: I have participated in four 9-week, 3,600-mile, cross country rides, and three one-week spring rides. In 2012 I biked 7,400 miles, mostly for the Fuller Center. In 2013 I struggled with some health problems, along with saddle blisters, so I used my car and helped support the last half of the 2013 ride. In 2014 Lois and I, using our van, both worked as support, in an effort to give back to the riders and still help FCBA. 

This year I am again signed up for both the spring and the summer rides. This summer we are adding a week (400 miles), to make it a total of 10 weeks and 4,000 miles. I will be 73 when the summer ride starts this year, and am determined to bike the entire distance from Oceanside CA to Portland ME. At my age the total distance is becoming a larger factor, but the mental challenge of 9 or 10 weeks in the saddle again is wearing on my soul. Getting and keeping the will to start and finish this ride is becoming enormous. I love biking! I love even more the fact that the money I raise is going to a great cause. I am blessed to see the action of my riding and all money raised pay off - for the families we help with affordable homes.

So, over these last four years I have now slept on church floors over 250 times. I started early with these arrangements, by finding chairs to place my one duffle bag on so I didn't have to bend over, and having a chair by my sleeping bag to help me get up and down. Not a bad arrangement, considering often the people we are helping do not have a safe place to live.

I believe that we can't grow without challenge. Last year because I was supporting I did not have to raise money for the ride. We still donated to FCBA, and also donated our car and the cost of driving our car for the 3,600+ miles it took to support the ride. Lois and I are happy to donate because we have seen firsthand FCBA headquarters, and firsthand how our money is diligently used.

Each year I have participated I have blogged, but unfortunately the blogging slowed down, last year especially. So, I’ll try to blog again this year, but it will probably be sketchy, as I will most likely not have a computer with me. However, I do anticipate posting on Facebook more this year.

NOTE: The greatest blessing I have gained from FCBA is the joy of living and riding as family with the greatest bunch of “kids and grandkids” it is possible to know. The integrity, faith, and absolute love demonstrated by these riders has been a shining light, opening my heart to the goodness I have witnessed across this great country. I have given a lot to FCBA, but I have gained so much more.

Peace

The Adventure has Ended

The 7th Annual Fuller Center Bike Adventure, June 5 through August 10, 2014, has officially ended.

From the Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic City, NJ)

     to the Pacific Ocean (Seaside, OR) -- 3,600 miles!

The van survived the trip (with 8,645 miles added), and I’ve promised it a thorough detailing when we get home!!! 











There was a big difference in being support as opposed to biking the entire trip, and though I did miss the biking, I felt good about being able to give back as support, to pay back for the support I’ve received over the past rides. And, it helped to have Lois along on the trip. 

It was a great thrill when trip leader Melissa announced at morning circle up in Helena the end of July that the one million dollar donation goal, set in 2008, had been reached.

It’s always bittersweet to have to say all those goodbyes at the end of the trip, to people who were strangers nine short weeks ago, but have become friends and family during the adventure. Memories, tears, laughter, hugs … it was quite the adventure!!

 

Peace

The Adventure Continues

Sunday all the FCBAers enjoyed a day off. It’s always great to break the routine every week, worship at church, and enjoy that ‘day of rest’ as we get ready to continue the journey Monday morning.

As the weeks go by some riders leave, new riders join for a day, or for a week, or for the  remaining weeks (five weeks left in the adventure). At the team meeting on Sunday nights as we sit in a circle and share who we are and something about why we participate in the bike adventure I’m always amazed and delighted at the depth of the responses. Some are funny, some are heart rending, but all are amazing. Also, each rider is assigned a day to blog for the Fuller Bike Adventure website, and those blogs are truly inspiring (http://www.fullercenter.org/blogs/bikeadventure .

Then, Monday morning, we’re on the road again, as we bike to our next destination where yet another host church opens their doors to us and we again set up our bikes and sleeping areas in whatever spaces we can find. 

A tough day yesterday, 96 miles, with climbing and a 20-30 MPH head wind or cross wind. We are in charge of the last rest stop, waiting for all riders to pass through, while the van and trailer head to the church to unload. Rider after rider came in with tongue hanging out, saying they would have been ready to quit as they came over the hill if the support van had not been in sight!!

Another tough day today, scheduled for 103 miles. As we start out, winds are calm, but the bikers face almost 4,000 feet of climbing; nothing that looks steep or long, but still 4,000 feet. We were fueled by as much spaghetti and meat balls as we could eat last night, with another great host church, Assembly of God in Winner, SD. 

Peace

Why I Ride

While chatting with a Waukegan FCBA board member Friday evening, I was asked why I keep riding year after year. Not a simple thing to answer. I’ll try to explain: I am an introvert, which may raise some eyebrows from my FCBA family, but it’s true. Because I am an introvert, I have trouble meeting people and making friends. The FCBA adventure forces me to meet new people and forces me to relate to them. And, this is only a little painful for me, for the people who ride with me very soon become my heroes -- I can sit back and watch the relationships grow between the riders, and eventually they all seek me out to some degree, and soon we start bonding in a very beautiful way. Almost without exception, they are all younger than I am. They inspire me more and more as the weeks progress, as they are challenged both physically and mentally, while they seek out who they are, and who their God is. They witness their faith, which allows me to grow in my faith. I can encourage them as they struggle up the hills, against the wind, against the cold, against the hot, against the road conditions, against the loneliness when they end up by themselves mile after mile, and when I see the looks on their faces as they reach summit after summit of struggle on this adventure, my heart sings for them. 

Then, of course, there are the people we meet in church after church. Beautiful children of God! Going out of their way to open the doors of their churches, their kitchens, their homes for showers, helping us with transportation to the showers, sharing their faith, cooking meal after meal, etc. Sometimes only doing one of the above, more often doing all of the above. 

And finally, the people that we help. Fixing a bathroom so the homeowner will not have to use the woods, adding wheel chair ramp after wheel chair ramp, replacing an entire roof, helping a young man regain some dignity with an accessible bedroom and bathroom, painting, cleaning up yards, etc., etc., etc. Who benefits most, me or the families we are helping? 

As we meet people on the street I hand them FCBA business cards, explaining what we are doing, and I’m always thrilled by the looks on their faces as they try to comprehend exactly what that means. 

The reaction on our first practice ride in Atlantic City when we were stopped at a light not two blocks from our start was priceless. A couple across the street called out, asking what we were doing, so I rode across the street to hand them a card and explained that we would be riding our bikes to the West Coast. The man asked two times if this was true, and finally shouted out, “You’re not really going to _ _ _ _ing Oregon, are you?” I explained again that we were. He looked over to the group and shouted out to Everett, “Hey brother, are you really going to Oregon?” like he didn’t really believe me and had to ask the only brother he saw. A most delightful experience, and it’s one that’s repeated time after time the entire nine weeks, but usually without the colorful language.

And so I have evolved from a cynical old man sitting at home, signing up for a bike ride across America, and finding out that it was God’s plan all along to put me on my first ride so I could grow in my faith. Once I found out firsthand what the Fuller Center is all about, namely helping people with a hand up to affordable housing, it was no longer about a bike ride, but it was about me doing God’s work, and growing in my faith. A truly beautiful experience! I am blessed to have found this calling. After riding the last three years, being supported by others, I decided to give back to the riders by driving my car as an extra support vehicle this year, with Lois as my navigator, and I am greatly enjoying the experience.

Peace

Support Team

The bike adventure is so much more than just biking and speaking and building, although that is what its purpose is. It’s fireflies in Toledo, mayflies in Cleveland, a boat ride on the Maumee River,

an overnight stay at an archery loft in Cleveland, a dedication ceremony at the home of Dee and Roy, removing tree branches and digging out shrubs, tilling garden areas which are then mulched, painting the entire outside of a home, painting the inside of another home … and the list goes on. But, the most wonderful part seems to be the welcoming and offering of help, along with a generous amount of hugs, along with tears of blessing, gratitude, and thanks, both from the bike adventurers as well as from the people we are privileged to serve.

There have been a number of bike issues, along with some accidents. We had six go down on a bridge crossing in a small town, five at one time. Worst injury was to John, some road rash on his face; he is fine, just looks like he lost the proverbial fight. Some other road rash on knees and shoulders, but, all in all, everyone’s doing fine. The bikes took a worse beating, with three needing work, and parts replacement.

It’s been interesting to be support for the trip rather than a rider as I have been the past three years...getting to see the adventure from a different perspective. As support I’ve had the opportunity to go into businesses and/or even private properties arranging support stops that have bathrooms. Today, in the middle of farm country, with the corn much too short, I stopped at a preschool nursery that was closed. I found the owner next door working in the yard of a rather large farm. I explained what we were about, asking her if we could use her driveway to support the riders. She asked if we needed bathrooms, and graciously took me over, opened her school, and shared God’s love by letting us use her facility. The neat thing is that this is not unusual. The same thing happened last week, when I stopped at a large 4-door work building next to a house. The homeowner used the building to store and work on very old cars and army vehicles. He still had a Studebaker from late 50‘s, early 60’s in which he dated the girl he married. As the riders kept coming in, he kept showing off his car and other vehicles, and opening up his home.

This morning at circle up, Leah shared a beautiful poem she had written about her experience with the bike adventure, and then lead us in prayer. These riders keep impressing me with their faith, and their many personal abilities and gifts. It is a delight to experience this adventure with such beautiful children of God.

Peace

Finally, some word from the old guy on the FCBA adventure...

On the third day of the drive over we were "profiled" (or so it appeared). Colorado, as most everyone knows, has legalized marijuana, so the adjacent states have been stopping cars with Colorado plates, looking for marijuana. I had been watching my speed, setting my cruise control at the speed limit mostly. On the Ohio tollway (speed limit of 70), far from Colorado, I had gotten brave and set my cruise on 74, four miles over the limit. I noticed a state trooper car parked ahead, as two cars passed me as we all went past the trooper's car. I saw the trooper leave his position, come up fast, with no lights, me in the right lane, he in the left. He got just up to me, then abruptly slowed down, got behind me, and turned on his lights. Up until now I had never heard of a cop stopping a car going 4 mph over the limit. He was very polite, checked my license and registration, asked some questions about what we were doing in Ohio (we gave him a bike adventure card), asked Lois if she was Lois, asked me if my driving record was clean (he never checked before approaching our car?), and told us to stay at the speed limit, and to enjoy our adventure. I guess he smelled no marijuana, so he let us go?

Orientation in Atlantic City was fun, as alway, as we got to know one another (via "train wreck" as we introduced ourselves) and then learned a bit about what's expected on the trip, got chore assignments, etc. We enjoyed a walk on the boardwalk, and I even joined the 10 mile practice ride as a sweep. After the ride we had a great build day in Atlantic City. Lots of mudding upstairs and down, lots of window work. I found a little work I could do, but was mostly transported people and then shopped with Melissa. It was great to see all the progress made on the house by our team, and to help the local Fuller affiliate for the time we were there.

After an early breakfast we all headed for the beach for devotion, followed by the traditional dipping of the back tires of the bikes into the ocean. And, then, the riders were off! 

We overnighted at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Tabernacle and were treated to lunch, bbq dinner, breakfast, and lunch after church. What a wonderful group of folks! It was good to visit with a number of people I had met on an earlier trip.

On the 2012 bike adventure we stopped to help build an accessible bedroom and bathroom for Justin. He and his mom were at church Sunday and I was so glad to visit with them. He is enjoying his new area, which he had painted blue. I asked him why not pink, at which he laughed and said pink was for girls. I brought in my pink bike to show him what I ride and he laughed heartily at me.

I told him I have a picture of him being hugged by two pretty girls and that I was jealous. He remembered with a big smile that it was Kelsey and Kelsey. I'm totally blessed to have helped on his project and to have visited with him again. God continues to work in and thru me. (This picture is from 2012 at the work site.)

Today we helped Shane Claiborne and staff move furnishings out of one building, into another for The Simple Way, to consolidate their offices into one central location. That took the morning and a little of the afternoon, with lots and lots of boxes, furniture, supplies, etc. being moved via 'bucket brigades'. Shane and Katie graciously hosted a cookout feast at their home, and Shane explained the progress made by Simple Way in the Kensington community, a community that works together. They have also started a FC affiliate called Simple Homes Fuller Center. We toured the aquaponics project (awesome); some helped clean garbage from the sidewalk; some cleaned the garden area; some took a bike tour of Philly. A shout out to Shane and Katie, and Mike (as well as his daughter Sumer) for opening their homes to a number of us, and for their dedication to this community!

My buddy Kert, and his wonderful family, have been just outstanding in their support of this ride. About 12 riders stayed overnight at their home on our way to Atlantic City, as they graciously hosted us and provided much more food than we could eat. Today, here in the Kensington community, they have provided more and more and more food for us. It's been so great to spend time with Kert's family, to get to meet his extended family and friends who have been providing so much love, support, and prayers.

Tomorrow we have a long ride to Hershey, PA so we'll be getting an early start with breakfast at 4:30. The adventure has begun, and there are so many neat "kids" and "grandkids" to get to know better as the ride progresses, and many new friends to meet along the way.

Peace