Report from The Riders
Today we left Carbondale around 7:30 am and arrived safely in Malden around 6:30 pm. "The devotional meditation today was from II Cor. 3 and 4.
“ For God, who said, ‘…Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
Today was filled with opportunities to shine in the darkness, and show the all-surpassing power of God in our lives. The first 15 miles of our trip was filled with long gradual hills that sapped energy quickly. The downhill glide on the backside of these hills was refreshing and very welcome! Only to be greeted with the next long grade!
Memorable Moments:
1. Double dog chase. Two dogs came running after us, it was a bit disconcerting but the dogs seem to enjoy herding us down the road!
2. After asking permission to use their parking lot for a break, a woman in an optometrist office in Jonesboro, IL (I think that was the town…maybe it was Anna, IL – they all run together after awhile)anyway, she called her local newspaper about our ride. She came out of the office to inform us that a reporter was on his way. We waited awhile but no reporter. We wanted to press on so we told her we would be heading down highway 146 S and that we break every ten miles. Approximately 12 miles down the road we found ourselves being filmed by the channel 12 news out of Cape Girardeau Mark stopped to tell him about our mission on camera. – “He made His light shine in our hearts”.
3. Just an hour later we found ourselves at the great Mississippi River. (We hope to post some video of that tomorrow). A few of us had to stop at the top and experience a Kodak moment! (one of them included Barb!) Your prayers definitely worked.
4. Just when we were ready to call it a day we came to realize that God was not ready to shut out “the light”. A trip to a local pizza parlor with one of us sporting a Lifewalk t-shirt brought on an amazing story that only God could write. The owner’s daughter (approximately 8 years old) came to our table and introduced herself. The next words out of her mouth in a sweet southern drawl were, “I love your t-shirt.”It was the blue Lifewalk t-shirt that reads, “Serving with the love of Christ”. She asked if we were from a church. After a bit of conversation and explanation of who we were and what we did we promised little “M” that we would send her a shirt. She asked if we could send some for her two sisters as well. Soon her parents were at our table asking questions about the ministry of LPC and The Ride. What a wonderful family. They then told their story. Little “M” has been adopted. The woman’s niece has had multiple abortions but little “M” was not. Her mother however, was not able to raise “M” so her aunt and uncle (the owners of the pizza parlor) choose to adopt her. As we shared together with this amazing family their pastor walked in to pick up pizza for his family. They introduced us and told him about The Ride we were doing. He promised to pray for us and the ministry and on his way out placed a $20 dollar bill on our table saying, “It isn’t much but I want to invest into what you are doing. God bless ya’ll”. We went back to finishing our pizza while little “M” entertained us with an assortment of stories about her life. As we went to pay our bill the owners said, “The pizza is on us. We want to contribute somehow too.” Everyone tonight experienced “His light in our hearts.” To end the evening we had our picture taken with little “M” in front of (get this) a bicycle they had as a decoration near one of the booths! The story does not end here, this amazing couple hopes to adopt “M’s” little sister as well.
Truly Thankful
1. Again Barb made the bridge without incident.
2. We all made it safely through a storm. Rain, hail, and wind – they all came on quickly but we were close to shelter.
3.For all of the wonderful people we have met again today
4.4 days down!
1. Another 8 gallons of water and 6 bags of ice.
2. Top speed today was 21 mph that was Sherry riding away from one of two dogs that ran after us!
3. Karen’s bike is officially nicknamed, “the lead sled”.
4. Hair salon and fitness center – yesterday a petting zoo today a fitness center? Interesting combinations!
5. Semi’s STILL create a lot of wind.
6. Storms can come out of nowhere and hail does bounce off helmets.
7. Barb is NOT wind resistant. The 30 mile hour gusts during the rain storm literally were blowing her backward!
8. Jason can catch up to the group quickly after doing his live phone interview back to the station.
9. People can be really grumpy when they have to go around a group of bicyclist on the road. One thought he needed to let us know this with a few choice words.
10. Armadillos have become the most popular road kill since entering the “Show Me” state of Missouri
11. Average speed of dogs chasing bikers: 16mph average speed of bikers being chased by dogs: Not fast enough!
Things to Pray about:
1. Wind still an issue. Better at times and worse at others.
2. Some clouds today – keep praying!
3. Flat land, cool temperatures, minimal wind, and ongoing safety.
4. That our witness and “His light” will continue to shine!
Overall our day today was very good. The rain storm delayed us a bit spirits are high and we are looking ahead to day 6!
His glory has been evident and we are humbled to be the earthen vessels chosen for this mission.
Keep praying "Ya'll!'
Cycling to raise awareness and funding for Lakeshore Pregnancy Center. Visit lpcenters.com for more information.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, August 30, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Pre-Game Ride
We're gearing up for The Ride. This Saturday, July 17, we'll be riding together from Holland LPC to Maranatha Conference center totaling 83.5 miles.
If you're part of The Ride team, plan on being at LPC at 6:30am, we roll at 7 and want to talk about a few things first.
Here's our route for Saturday.
If you're not currently part of The Ride team but would like to join us Saturday, email theride@lpcenters.com and we'll figure out the details, we'd love to have you.
If you're part of The Ride team, plan on being at LPC at 6:30am, we roll at 7 and want to talk about a few things first.
Here's our route for Saturday.
If you're not currently part of The Ride team but would like to join us Saturday, email theride@lpcenters.com and we'll figure out the details, we'd love to have you.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Interested In Getting Involved?
Great! What would you like to do? We need riders. We need trailers and vehicles to pull them and drivers to drive them. We need food. We need prayer teams. We need Other CPCs to join us along the way.
Want to ride or drive but can't commit to this long of a trip? We still want you!
We realize that this is a big time commitment to be away from family and work. Would you consider joining us for a section of our trip? For those of us who are riding all the way to Grapevine, TX, the fundraising goal is $5,000. For those of us riding a portion of the trip toward Grapevine, TX, the fundraising goal is $1,000 for every 200 miles ridden.
Email theride@lpcenters.com for more information.
Want to ride or drive but can't commit to this long of a trip? We still want you!
We realize that this is a big time commitment to be away from family and work. Would you consider joining us for a section of our trip? For those of us who are riding all the way to Grapevine, TX, the fundraising goal is $5,000. For those of us riding a portion of the trip toward Grapevine, TX, the fundraising goal is $1,000 for every 200 miles ridden.
Email theride@lpcenters.com for more information.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
2010 LPC Ride4Life : August 28 - September 7
We've begun mapping out the 2010 LPC Ride4Life!
We'll depart from Holland, MI on August 28 and arrive in Grapevine, TX on September 7.
We already have several riders committed to the 2010 LPC Ride4Life. ARE YOU INTERESTED in getting involved on some level? WE NEED YOU! Contact theride@lpcenters.com for more information. We need riders. We need drivers. We need trailers and vehicles to pull them. We need food. We need prayer warriors. We need other Crisis Pregnancy Centers to join us along the way. And of course, one of the main reasons we do this annual trip is to raise funds for Lakeshore Pregnancy Centers.
We encourage you to pray about your involvement with the 2010 LPC Ride4Life. We'd love to have you join us in any capacity God is laying on your heart.
Here is our tentative riding plan as of now:
Day 1 - Saturday, August 28 - Valparaiso, IN : 114 miles
Day 2 - Sunday, August 29 - Crawfordsville, IN : 105 miles
Day 3 - Monday, August 30 - Effingham, IL : 127 miles
Day 4 - Tuesday, August 31 - Carbondale, IL : 125 miles
Day 5 - Wednesday, September 1 - Malden, MO : 113 miles
Day 6 - Thursday, September 2 - Wynne, AR : 116 miles
Day 7 - Friday, September 3 - Little Rock, AZ : 102 miles
Day 8 - Saturday, September 4 - Kirby, AR : 112 miles
Day 9 - Sunday, September 5 - REST DAY : No Riding
Day 10 - Monday, September 6 - Hugo, TX : 117 miles
Day 11 - Tuesday, September 7 - Grapevine, TX : 138 miles
1,169 Total Approximate Riding Miles
While this is a challenging schedule, we believe it is doable and still allows us a REST DAY on September 5. According to current route estimations, there doesn't seem to be any grades greater than 1% - 4%. This would be a significant advantage considering our daily distances and the heat we'll encounter. We also climbed 4% - 9% grades fairly consistently last year on our trek to Baltimore, MD. Each rider will need to train effectively. We would really like to get all Holland area participants to ride in the Holland Hundred together. Here's some info on the Holland Hundred as well as some other local rides this season:
Local Cycling EVENTS:
Grand Haven Memorial Day Canadian Century on May 31, 2010
Grand Rapids 100 Grand on June 5, 2010
Holland Hundred on July 17, 2010
Local Cycling WEEKLY RIDES:
No matter your skill level, learning group dynamic is important before we embark on our trip. We're not gonna be loan rangerin' it on our trip, please don't do so in your training either.
Men On Bikes - Tuesday Nights 6:30pm From Providence Church Parking Lot
VeloCity / Macatawa Cycling Club - Multiple Weekly Rides. Get on your bike and join.
We'll depart from Holland, MI on August 28 and arrive in Grapevine, TX on September 7.
We already have several riders committed to the 2010 LPC Ride4Life. ARE YOU INTERESTED in getting involved on some level? WE NEED YOU! Contact theride@lpcenters.com for more information. We need riders. We need drivers. We need trailers and vehicles to pull them. We need food. We need prayer warriors. We need other Crisis Pregnancy Centers to join us along the way. And of course, one of the main reasons we do this annual trip is to raise funds for Lakeshore Pregnancy Centers.
We encourage you to pray about your involvement with the 2010 LPC Ride4Life. We'd love to have you join us in any capacity God is laying on your heart.
Here is our tentative riding plan as of now:
Day 1 - Saturday, August 28 - Valparaiso, IN : 114 miles
Day 2 - Sunday, August 29 - Crawfordsville, IN : 105 miles
Day 3 - Monday, August 30 - Effingham, IL : 127 miles
Day 4 - Tuesday, August 31 - Carbondale, IL : 125 miles
Day 5 - Wednesday, September 1 - Malden, MO : 113 miles
Day 6 - Thursday, September 2 - Wynne, AR : 116 miles
Day 7 - Friday, September 3 - Little Rock, AZ : 102 miles
Day 8 - Saturday, September 4 - Kirby, AR : 112 miles
Day 9 - Sunday, September 5 - REST DAY : No Riding
Day 10 - Monday, September 6 - Hugo, TX : 117 miles
Day 11 - Tuesday, September 7 - Grapevine, TX : 138 miles
1,169 Total Approximate Riding Miles
While this is a challenging schedule, we believe it is doable and still allows us a REST DAY on September 5. According to current route estimations, there doesn't seem to be any grades greater than 1% - 4%. This would be a significant advantage considering our daily distances and the heat we'll encounter. We also climbed 4% - 9% grades fairly consistently last year on our trek to Baltimore, MD. Each rider will need to train effectively. We would really like to get all Holland area participants to ride in the Holland Hundred together. Here's some info on the Holland Hundred as well as some other local rides this season:
Local Cycling EVENTS:
Grand Haven Memorial Day Canadian Century on May 31, 2010
Grand Rapids 100 Grand on June 5, 2010
Holland Hundred on July 17, 2010
Local Cycling WEEKLY RIDES:
No matter your skill level, learning group dynamic is important before we embark on our trip. We're not gonna be loan rangerin' it on our trip, please don't do so in your training either.
Men On Bikes - Tuesday Nights 6:30pm From Providence Church Parking Lot
VeloCity / Macatawa Cycling Club - Multiple Weekly Rides. Get on your bike and join.
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