Final Day Report!

Report from The Riders

Day 10

II Timothy 4:7
“I have fought long and hard for my Lord and through it all I have kept true to Him. And now the time has come to stop fighting and rest.” NLV
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” NIV

Ps. 115:1
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”

It was an exciting day. The last leg of our trip and we woke up to rain. Lots of rain. The decision was made to sag a head a bit and try to drive out of it. We then realized we were driving into it not out. Tropical storm Hermine had moved on shore and was here to stay. In the end we were able to ride into Grapevine’s Gaylord Texan Convention Center and were greeted with a warm reception! It was an emotional moment with lots of high fives, hugs, tears and cheering; a fitting culmination to a long, challenging, and very rewarding journey. We wish we could have shared the moment with each of you. Jason was broadcasting on WJQ as we entered, we hope you were able to hear that and share in the celebration!

After drying our eyes, and talking to CareNet staff we again mounted our bikes, headed to our hotel and rode through the rain one final time as a group. Oh, and Carolyn had to take one final tumble but that’s all we will say about that! We changed our clothes and headed out for our “last supper” together at the Cheesecake Factory. It was a great night but a little bittersweet. Many will head out tomorrow so we pray for their safe travel. Thank you all for the prayers throughout this adventure. They have been uplifting and have given us strength beyond measure!

Here are some thoughts about each person on this awesome team…
Barb: Don’t let her size fool you. She may be small but she can keep up with the best of them. She was able to lead the group the day we had a tailwind. She quietly encourages and loves to laugh.
Betty: Where do we start? She whistles, she sings, she amazes and inspires each of us, not just because of what she was able to do but because of who she is.
Bob: Bob was not with us physically but he was surely instrumental for the success of this ride. He arranged for the hotels, the routes, and lent his van to serve as one of the sag vehicles. We are grateful for his generosity and for his encouragement throughout the ride. His presence was missed this year!
Carolyn: Started as a biker but became a sag driver. She was always there with water and encouragement. Her quick wit made our breaks so much fun.
Cliff: Cliff is thoughtful, kind, helpful and when he laughs he really laughs! And when he snores he really snores.
Debbie: She hunted out that one “special place” that would accommodate a large motor home and all of us for each break. She is quiet, helpful and ready to serve and can wrangle a vehicle any tight place!
Derek: Joined us the first day but was pulled away due to the birth of his first child. Congrats D!!! We missed his attention to detail but his presence was with us each day as we pulled out our route maps made to keep us on track.
Don: Is full of stories and fun little quirks. He encouraged each of us and gave everyone that little spark to keep pedaling. His emotions are on his sleeve and we were sorry to see him have to leave a couple days early. He was missed as we rode in across the “finish line”
Jason: Jason was the “voice” of the Ride. He reported in each day and represented LPC so well. He was helpful as he took charge of “airing” up the tires each morning. He loves his family and missed them greatly.
Karen: Pedaled hard and long, with tenacity that is to be commended. She is a lot of fun, good company, strong and is to be admired for her dedication to helping LPC in this endeavor.
Mark: Is focused, driven and tried to keep this crew on track. (Which by the way, was no easy task.  He is strong and dedicated to the cause of life and is appreciated for stirring us all up to take on this challenge.
Sherry: Is funny, quick witted and kept us laughing. She is strong and encouraging and somehow found a way, on a cross-country bike ride found a way to “accessorize”. She became a friend and a little sister.
Mike and Val Volkema: This couple trained with us and in the end were unable to make the ride. They too were missed but their support and provision of a vehicle helped in the success of this endeavor. Thanks Mike and Val. You were missed!

That is a quick glimpse into the people who made up this ride. We could say so much more about each of them and what we have meant to each other.
The other part of the team is each one of you reading this. You have encouraged us, prayed for us, called us, and emailed us. You have been such an important part of this journey.
Thank you for that! Go Team!!

We are concluding this blog entry with a poem written by Betty Guerink (our 74 year old rider) that retells our adventure though prose.
Enjoy!

“We started out nine bikers strong,
from Holland, Mich. rolling along.
We want to help clients from LPC
They are even allowing “older” me.
Since I said I’d raise money too,
We trained hard because we are new.
Money was raised and we set out fast,
hoping to arrive in Grapevine, TX at last.
Some are fast, some are slow
we pray for unity; strength to grow.
I feel like the tortoise not the hare
and ladies need men to pump the “air”.
The men have been thoughtful and kind,
saying, “If you are slow we don’t mind.”
Barb and Sherry keep up quite well,
and we won’t mention those who fell.
I, personally, wanted to do better
as the high heat cooled as we got wetter.
Well that didn’t last, there was a storm
but heat and hills have been the norm.
Karen and I have our own style,
we are peddling hard all the while.
Mark as our leader sets a good pace.
he’s quick to say it’s not a race.
But 15-17 mph is not really real,
even though it had some appeal.
Each morning, we eat pretty good,
and each carry snacks as we should.
The two sag ladies are Carolyn and Deb too,
they feed us, cheer us, and guide us through.
There was much to plan and Bob and Derek did fine,
some of our riders are always “online.”
Jason needed to report to the Zeeland station,
we wish we could tell all the nation.
Don regaled us with stories each day,
and Cliff was steady – come what may.
Well, God has been good we know,
words will fail me if I have to show,
How much we depend on God’s grace.
He has kept us, and there are smiles on each face.
As we near the end of our long run,
we also have had laughter and fun.
Well, we were refreshed, lead by Mark,
we worshiped, ate well and Sunday was a “lark”.
Early we do rise ‘cause we can’t be late,
if possible at 7:00 am we are “out the gate”.
Glen and Sue are looking for a wheel,
Barb’s bike has become a big deal.
Oklahoma was HOT we really must say,
after 34 miles, the van was the way,
for Karen and Betty to rest a bit,
best be wise or we’ll pay for it.
Deb and Carolyn made taco salad this day,
and we ate by an old red barn along the way.
We saw Armadillos upside down, big and fat,
while others laid there extremely flat.
Sherry was our "lookout" when dogs did chase,
Pit bulls can really make you race!
In Kirby our rooms were great,
we were slow starting up, we were late.
‘Cause tubes and tires kept going flat,
so far about 10 flats – What is that!
But then we know that folks will pray,
and we hope for another God honoring day.
Glen and Sue joined us at Hugo to eat,
we could all be there, that was neat.
At last we left Hugo, in the rain
this is not for which we did train.
So 5 girls were sitting in the van,
noisy and silly without a single man.
Lots of rain is why we’re sagging now,
our schedule’s really been changed, and how.
Mark had to put the gas cap on tight,
while rain came down with all it’s might.
This is it, this day is the last.
what can I say, “It was a blast.”
It seems tropical storm Hermine,
has met us at the finish line.
God bless our sponsors, and clients too,
With His help, we’ve done all we could do.”

What more can we say? The journey is finished and everyone will make their way home tomorrow. Pray for safe travel and much love as they reunite with family and friends.
We again, thank you all for your love and support. It seems the last total of funds raised is now close to $60,000! We are blessed and indebted to you all! Continue to pray for LPC and if you feel you want to contribute to The Ride...it is not too late!