When we arrived at the motel tonight we knew that we had no choice but to stop everything and give God the glory for all that He accomplished today.  We are really getting to know one another and loving it. What a great team we have.  

TODAY’S TOP TEN

1.       We did not get lost today.

2.       We climbed over 3,500 feet and 1,000 feet in the last 60 minutes of the ride.

3.       We rode a total of 103 miles (12 hours on the rode).

4.       Praying at the bottom of hills for power to make it to the top.

5.       Sarah  has become the scripture girl at the break stops.

6.       MOOmers Ice Cream stop – at 80 miles …23 more to go (thanks for ice cream Don).

7.       We killed a snake today. Running over a live snake with a bike is rather scary.

8.       We had another rider join us for about ten miles of riding. Thanks for joining us for a while!

9.       Ben changed another guys flat tire at our lunch stop. The man was out of spare tubes and we have plenty since we went ALL day without a flat.

10.   Laura wins the quote of the day, “I would rather give birth 4 times than ride up these hills.”

Amy  and the gang pushing through the last huge hill

We don’t have many photos to post tonight because they are not loading well with the limited internet.

What a day! A very fitting verse was sent to us today.

                Psalm 121

                “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip, He who watches over you will neither slumber or sleep. The Lord watches over you. ..The Lord  will keep you from harm, he will watch over your coming and going both now and forever more.”

We pulled out of the cabins a little late this morning. It also started with a bit of confusion.

When the routine of beginning with breakfast is messed with we fell apart momentarily. Once on the road things smoothed out and we hit our first break at 19 miles. Carolyn and Betty fixed scrambled eggs, sausage and cereal along side the road at a park and ride. Delicious and fuel for the long day. We rode 100 miles today and felt like we were make in familiar territory as we cross the bridge. Last year we had the Port Authority sag us across bit we decided to do our own sagging this year. We had bikes and people squashed  into every nook and cranny of the RV.

We had lunch in Mackinaw at the Subway. (Big shout out to the girls and guys behind the counter - we threw them for a loop).
We met 2 gentlemen who thought what we were doing was really cool. (Shout out to you, Subway guys).
Upon leaving, we again had some confusion. The trail we thought continued for 10 miles suddenly turned to gravel. We rerouted and continued on to our destination of Harbor Springs.
Tomorrow we WILL leave on time and we WILL NOT get lost. That's the mantra for the day. :)

Thank you all who prayed specifically for the rain to stop. It worked! We rode in and out of rain a couple of times but nothing too terrible. There are mixed forecasts for tomorrow (rain, pop up thunderstorms or possible sun but warmer) so pray for the weather well.
It was a very late night tonight. We did not leave for the restaurant for dinner until almost 9:00 pm (that's what happens when we don't get in until 7 PM). We had a great dinner at a local Mexican restaurant and headed off to bed.  (Sorry for those looking for this earlier-food must come first!)


TODAY'S TOP 10

1. Quote of the day, "Let's just flip a coin to see what way to go."
2. We had 4 flat ties today
3. We made it across the bridge! Fun and exciting time.

What a group. Back to this side of the lake. 

4. Val saw the bridge for the first time

Val taking in the view.

5. Ben rode with us in his jeans
6. Lots of hills at the end of the day. (they have only just begun)

7. More gorgeous views along the top of the lake.
8. Ridng a full 100 miles
9. The State Policeman that offered to escort us out of town in the morning. (We did not take him up on it but it was cool of him to offer)
10. Dunes resort ice cream and pasties.


One extra little piece of information...
We believe that if Don Wickstra and Sirri had a trivia contest, DOn would probably win!

We ask that you continue to pray for our safety, sore bodies and injuries. We are doing this for HIS GLORY so God, please hide us in your shadow.

Good night everyone and thank you! (We will spare you the John boy routine tonight)
 - The Ride4Life team.

ODDS & ENDS & OTHER COOL PICS

Sherry and Val - photo op

We’re back!

It was a beautiful but cold morning! The first scenery of the morning was over the water, watching the clouds reach down into the water with the sun reflecting across the waves. Gorgeous. 

We made great time today even while climbing about 1,500 feet. When we left Escanaba the sun was shining brightly.  We rounded the bay and headed across the UP on US2, which provided us with a wide shoulder with a rumble strip.

Our bodies are feeling that we are on day four. Please continue to pray for muscles, rears (as strange as that may sound, it is a very important component on a ride like this), ankles, knees, tendons, shouldres, etc. You get the picture. WE ARE WEAK BUT HE IS STRONG!!!

Here’s today’s TOP TEN:

1.       Our 2^nd flat of the trip (same bike)

2.       We finally found the ice cream stop and Don held  to his promise to buy for us all. Thanks Don!

3.       Avoided all the tires and road kill. Today the number one victim of those ruthless motorized vehicles was SNAKES.

4.       The wind at our back literally felt as though God was pushing us! Thank you God!

5.       The trees are beautiful and beginning to change. It just added to the majesty of following the lake. Our God is quite the artist.

6.       Don decided to take a swim upon arrival at our cabins tonight.

7.       Beautiful views all day long.

8.       Feeling your prayers!

9.       Great conversations while riding and later tonight during devotions. These people are impressive.

10.   We have raised over $70,000 between the two centers (Alpha and Lakeshore)! It takes around $1,000- $1,200 to save a baby and we are riding 700 miles. As we did that math and found that together we (the team and every supporter) are saving a life every 11 miles!

So, tomorrow we ride again and every 11 miles we will be renewed! We pray that you will all be conscious of what is happening during these eight days too. It is so much more that a ride around the lake. It is a ride for life!

Photos coming when we have the service to download. Thanks all and goodnight!

…Good night John Boy…Good night Jonna… goodnight Don…goodnight Sherry…goodnight Rachel…goodnight Amy…goodnight Sarah…goodnight Abbie…goodnight Ben…goodnight Betty…goodnight Carolyn…goodnight Shelley…goodnight Val…goodnight Mary…goodnight Rachel…

Day Four!
We have arrived at our destination but it is in "Timbucktoo" (not sure about the spelling on that). I am quickly posting to say that we had a great day and highlights will follow. Our internet is very limited and sporadic. I am racing against time before we lose it again!
Watch for an update as soon as possible in the morning. If we can get more posted yet tonight we will but not sure if photos will load. Stay tuned...it's all part of the adventure.

Day Three!

The day dawned with the promise of a nutritional trip to McDonalds. The sky was bright blue and the sun graced us all day. (A wonderful reprieve after the rain yesterday). It was cool but gorgeous as we rode along the lake.

I have to say that there are a lot of sore bodies and bottoms. Spirits are high and the scenery is beautiful.

We have decided to write the highlights of the day as a Top Ten List.  Here are todays (in no particular order).

1.)    A funny little frog hitching a ride on Val’s handle bars. (She named him Freddy and he rode with her for 2 miles). See photo

2.)    Protection from the Big Rigs that played chicken on our road.

3.)    Riders reminiscing about this leg of the ride from last year – This year sunny and cool…Last year torrential rain and freezing! – ahhh sun.

4.)    No flat tires today!

5.)    Scenery along the way: a field of sunflowers this morning, gorgeous views of Lake Michigan, deer (we did not have to dodge), and an eagle perched at the top of a tree.

6.)    An awesome lunch of hot turkey on buns and homemade cookies. (Thank you Phyillis!)

7.)    Our resident dentist has found a new use for dental floss.  Curious as to what that is? It may cost you! – no really, it has to do with hanging dry clothes.

8.)    Our group dinner with  great fellowship, gut laughter, punch happy  energy  at the end of the day.

9.)    The couple that asked what this was all about as we set up for lunch in the camp ground. The guy immediately reached for his wallet and handed me a 20 dollar bill!

10.) Advice of the day,

a.       “Swallow that pillow and you will feel better in the morning.”

b.      “Put some chap stick on it and call it a day.”

Okay tonight we may have to add one more!

11). The many text messages, scripture verses, and encouragement coming to the riders throughout the day. They may not always be able to text you back due to the craziness of the day but they ARE getting them. Many of your texts  have been read to the group because we know that they will be an encouragement to us all!

Tomorrow we head into the UP (aye and don’t you know? – Pastie anyone?)

Keep praying and thanks again for hanging out here on the blog to keep track of our progress. This morning in our devotions we were reminded again why we are doing this. We are riding for babies (born and not yet born), for moms, for dads, for life!

With great appreciation,

Your Ride4Life team

We began the day with cold and rain it soaked our bikes, our clothes, and especially our feet.  However it could not dampen our spirits.  I cannot tell you how I impressed I am with this group of people I have the privilege of spending this week with.  We took a moment for a photo spot we could not resist!


Abby predicted sun by 1:00 and it arrived to take us another 40 miles. We were grateful to warm up and dry out. The sunshine stayed with us while we made our way through Green Bay. God saw us through safely and we were thankful to get back out into a more rural area.  Everything was going well as we made our way through the last 30 miles.  Then we hit some more weather.

 We had a mile to go to get to the Motor Home for a break and we were trying to beat the storm as we were heading straight into it.  Note to self "bikes do not outrun storms!"  Needless to say we got wet again but we didn't melt and we got there safely.  The last 20 miles were tough but everyone really stayed strong through 2 dog chases and a deer crossing.  We rolled into the hotel about 7:45.  Our journey lasted over 12 hours and was 110.5 miles!!!!!! Some of us went into the hot tub (in our bike clothes) and some headed straight for a hot shower.  We ordered in some food and ate a quick meal in the lobby.

I told the group tonight "you are ordinary people doing extraordinary things." We are not a group of extreme athletes. We are just riding with Gods Grace leading us to raise money for a cause for which we are very passionate.  During dinner tonight we came up with a list of things we are thankful for along with some highlights from a very long day.  Thank you for lifting us up today. We could not do this without your love and support.  Tomorrow looks chilly but sunny.  We are looking forward to another day on the road doing exactly what we signed up for. Riding our bikes to raise funds to promote the precious gift of life.

Gratitude & Praise:

• Your prayers! We could not do this without you!
• The couple that gave us a donation when this bedraggled group arrived at the hotel.
• Ben fixing a flat tire in the rain
• God protecting Val as her foot was stuck in her peddle for the last 3 hours of the day and Ben for fixing it tonight.
• Thankful for having two nurses along and that's all we are going to say about that!
• Safety through the city.
• Thank you for your many texts of encouragement and inspirational scripture even though we can't usually answer they are so appreciated and often read out loud to the rest of the group.
• Carolyn, Betty, Ben & Abby for taking care of us all .  We could not do this without them. We are all tired but at the end of a long day Ben cleaned all of our bikes and got them ready for tomorrow and Carolyn and Betty were off to do laundry.  
• Most of all Thanks be to our God for being with us for every stroke of the pedal.

To God be all the Glory and Praise,
The Riders

After a great breakfast and a quick 5 mile ride we boarded the Ferry. Since many of us were meeting for the first time we decided to gather together and get to know one another.  Laura Thompson is joining us this year from Alpha Family Center in Greenville. She is raising funds for Alpha in collaboration with LPC. We are so excited about her joining!

We were asked over and over what we were doing due to the amazing outfits that attracting so much attention!

Carolyn said that you could see us as soon as the bright coats came out of the door and stood proudly on the deck.

Once off the ferry we had lunch in the parking lot (Carolyn had set up for us).  Then, off we go!

We had some loss time due mix up in routes but made it through the big city and felt God’s hand of protection many times  - your prayers are being answered.  We traveled a total of 71 miles today and didn’t arrive into the hotel until 7:30 pm (Milwaukee time- 8:30 our time).  Everyone showered and met downstairs for dinner. (We ordered in) We had a time of devotions and prayer, shared some highlights of the day (a couple minor falls and one minor crash) – keep praying everyone!

Everyone is in great spirits but very tired.

We had a beautiful sunny day today and please pray tomorrow for good weather. There is rain in the forecast and we have 104 miles to ride..

Thanks for your prayers and all of your support. So far we have raised approximately $55,000. That is amazing but we would love to get to $75,000!! So it is not too late to give!

Go to www.lpcenters.com  or www.alphafamilycenter.org

Thanks again for your prayers, encouragement and support. Keep messaging your friends and loved ones, they need all the cheering on they can get!