Let us begin by saying we are so grateful for all the prayers you are praying! They are appreciated and felt! Please continue to pray!

We thank you for your patience as you have checked the blog only to find no update. Our "go to blogger", who was with us on the first day of this journey, went home thinking he did not want to wander far, as his wife was due to deliver their first baby. Low and behold, they greeted their little girl a day and a half later. Needless to say, he is a bit preoccupied. The news of little Ryann's birth came at a very crucial time for those on this RIDE.
Carolyn received an email on her phone while waiting in the "sag vehicle" for those on bikes as the struggled up a huge hill. As they passed she yelled, "We have a baby! Her name is Ryann!"
What a great visual for each rider! Ride 4 Life! And a birth announce is given en route.
As the riders came to the next big hill one of them yelled, "This one's for Ryann!"

Many moments like this have filled these past few days. We have met so many wonderful people, seen and experienced God's awesome creation and have grown together as a team.
We have traveled approximately 400 miles, in increments of 10 to 20 mile sections with quick water breaks at each. We have traveled through Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. Tomorrow we will enter our fourth state, Missouri where we will cross the great Mississippi. (Pray for Barb, she doesn't like bridges).

Interesting facts:
1. We sleep with our bikes (they go in the room with us) Cozy!
2. We have gone through more than 40 gallons of water.
3. We have seen more garage sales than we can count. Some want to stop to shop but it is hard to carry stuff on a bicycle!
4. Semi trucks create a lot of extra wind!
5. Top speed was on day two: 30 mph.
6. 7 people and three bikes in a motor home is a tight squeeze.
7. It takes Mark and Jason only 5-7 minutes to inflate 18 tires every morning.
8. Karen rides a bike that probably weighs more than she does. (Really, it weighs a lot!)
9. We saw a sign where you could get a hair cut AND visit the petting farm! (We think we will stick with our own stylist!) yikes.
10. We have logged approximately 40 hours of riding our bicycles.

Memorable Moments:
1. A women gave a car escort for us through a construction zone. (Random act of kindness - Go God!)
2. Driving through Terre Haute, IN looking for a bike shop (Jason had a wheel in need of repair) we passed a Planned Parenthood just two blocks from the university campus. But as we turned the corner there too, was a crisis pregnancy center. Pray for them this week as students begin a new year.
3. A woman at breakfast this morning was fascinated with our story and promised to pray for us.
4. Don blew out a second tire on his bike which led to another riders discovery of a love note from her husband in her bike bag while searching for a tube to lend Don. (she's still weepy- ah love).
5. Jason ate a record amount of food on the second night. He finished his meal plus the remainder of four other meals.

Truly Thankful
1. A church secretary at the Nazarene church in Terre Haute, IN let us lunch on the
property AND use the bathrooms. (Not an outhouse or a big tree).
2. The woman at the Turkey Run State Park who allowed us to "dump" the motor home tank (stinky). She "coincidentally" interned at a pregnancy center in Cincinnati! She gave us a great "dump deal"!
3. We are thankful for safety and health.
4. The riders are extremely thankful for the "sag wagon" drivers. They are doing a great job. Thanks for leading the way Debbie and maneuvering that motor home through some pretty vicarious spaces, and Carolyn who is always just a couple miles ahead in case we need anything!
5. We are thankful that no matter how hard this gets we know that God is with us and has called us to Ride for Life!

Here are some prayer specifics:

1. Calm the wind or change it's direction to be at our backs as opposed to our faces.
2. We could use an encore of the pillar of cloud by day to keep us a bit cooler.
3. It has been very hot, 91 to 97 degrees. Pray for cooler weather.
4. Ongoing safety, unity, health, physical endurance and spiritual growth.

Throughout this journey we have felt exuberance and exhaustion, fear and courage, laughter and tears, homesickness and new friendships, disagreements and agreements. But through it all, we are a team with one goal. We Ride 4 Life, we ride for our clients who experience these emotions daily. May we continue to MAGNIFY our God every mile along the way!

Thanks to all our family and friends!
We will keep you posted.

Thank you all again for your support and prayers! We feel them. If you want to further invest into this endeavor it is not too late to donate. Go to our website, click on events and donate.

Great start

Well things are off to a great start. We got to Valparaiso, IN yesterday with much effort, though little trouble. It was a long day in the saddle (12 hour day, ~10 hours in saddle), but long showers, Red Robin, and beds to sleep in helped.

I will do my best to keep the latest and greatest coming your way via this blog, though I will need to ask your understanding and grace in these first few days as my wife went into labor tonight 3 weeks early with our first baby girl. We're at full term, so there shouldn't be and aren't currently any signs of any complications. We're excited and mom and baby are doing well. Delivery isn't expected until early-mid morning.

Continue to keep The Ride team in your prayers as they encounter daily challenges both expected and not so expected. Pray for their safety, health, moral, stamina, and focus, that they will recall, at the most difficult and opportune times of giving up, that our clients too face seemingly insurmountable challenges. Just as we encourage and pray for our clients,  we cheer on and pray for each cyclist trekking to Dallas, that they would find the courage and strength within themselves, their team mates, and God to overcome their insurmountable but manageable challenges one crank of the pedal at a time.

When I get more information to report from The Dallas Ride Team and have a chance, I'll post again. Until then, keep praying and encouraging our riders through phone calls, texts, emails and whatever other creative means you can come up with.

Blessings.

Gearing Up

3 days to departure!
Preparations have been made. Prayers have been (and continue to be) said. Support request letters have been sent. Training is beginning to subside to rest our bodies before the big trip. Financial support has already begun coming in!

We leave this Saturday, August 28th at 7:00am from the Holland LPC office. Anyone who is interested is welcome to join us for the send off. Riders will be meeting at LPC at 6:00am. You're welcome to show up anytime after 6:30am. If you're family of a rider you are of course welcome to come earlier.

We have 9 riders cycling 1,100+ miles to Grapevine, TX August 28 - September 7. We also have a local chapter of this event going on. Anyone who is interested in riding locally to help raise support for LPC is welcome. Contact Derek @ 

d e r e k . o w e n s @ l p c e n t e r s . c o m 
or
6 1 6 . 5 6 6 . 2 2 2 0.

This local chapter of The Ride will cycle 50+ miles twice daily Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays August 28 - September 11. This group will join the Dallas group for the 1st day on Saturday, riding to Valparaiso, IN. You may join us for any of these rides in part or whole. Just let Derek know.

Keep checking back here for daily updates beginning August 28. You'll be able to see the expected daily route as well as read an evening report about the happenings of the day.

Until Saturday.