Induction

The first ever Just+Hope Women’s tour from Nova Scotia to NYC is ready to be inducted into the Venture Expeditions family.  Just like any Venture tour we have encountered many trails including:

• ·         Roads and maps that don’t match up
• ·         Gravel
• ·         GPS and cell phones that don’t work in Canada
• ·         Hills. Lots and lots of hills
• ·         Moose – okay, it wasn’t really a moose, it was just a big dog we decided to name moose
• ·         Being chased by Bear – yeah, that one was just a dog too.
• ·         Rain, Rain, Rain
• ·         Eating dinner in a Laundromat
• ·         Flash floods
• ·         Swarms of mosquitos
• ·         Busy roads and crazy drivers

And in each of these trails we have seen the hand of God provide for us again and again, and I think that is the true legacy of Venture.  God has provided safety, shelter, strength, and encouragement. 

So far, this is my favorite story of how God has provided for us on tour.  We were supposed to camp the first night we were in Maine.  We had ridden 90+ miles that day and during the last ten miles it started to rain.  We reached the deserted, marshy, campsite and set the tents up.  We were all wet and tired and the mosquitoes at the campsite were swarming.  Seriously, the mosquitoes were crazy.   There were always at least 5 mosquitoes on you at all times and 20 more flying around your head no matter how much you moved and swatted at them.  We all piled in the van to go to the Laundromat to do laundry, eat dinner (yes, that’s right, we ate dinner in the Laundromat), and escape the rain and mosquitoes for a little bit.  While we were driving we saw a church with its lights on so two of the girls went inside to ask if we could sleep on their floor.  Just picture it: two girls who are a “hot mess” walk into the middle of your VBS meeting to ask if they can sleep on your church floor.  To say the least, they were a little apprehensive at first, but once they heard our story they said they would look into some options while we did our laundry.  They soon called us back and said we could probably stay in the parsonage, and if that didn’t work we could sleep on the church floor.  At this point there was much cheering in the Laundromat.  But the story doesn’t stop there.  They called us back a few minutes later and said they had contacted the local hotel and they had offered us two FREE rooms.  And it gets even better; the hotel lady at the front desk said we would probably be more comfortable in THREE free rooms.  That meant that everyone had a hot shower and everyone had a bed.  I love that God didn’t just provide one spot for us, but he provided three safe, warm, and dry places for us to stay.  Isn’t that just like Him?  Always going above and beyond what we could ask or imagine.  

Canada

After a long ride in the van my team and I have arrived in Canada.
We will spend a few days here in Halifax training and then on Thursday we will hit the road.  Next stop: NYC.

Close Encounters of the Dog Kind

That was the meanest dog I have faced on my bike.

Most of the time dogs start chasing me from the side which is great because it gives me a built in head start.  This dog was different because he was waiting for me in the middle of the road.  As I was approaching the dog I noticed that it was a yellow lab and I thought, "oh, labs are nice."  I knew he might follow me for a bit, but I didn't think he would be hostile.  As I got closer I saw that the fur around his neck was all riled up and he was crouched down preparing to pounce.  Once my brain processed this information I kicked it into high gear and started sprinting.  He was right on my wheel and the growls coming from deep within him did not sound pleasant.  Fortunately, my adrenalin rush worked just like it is supposed to and he eventually gave up the pursuit.

Speak Up and Act Out

On Sunday I had the opportunity to share at my church about the Just+Hope Campaign.  The sermon was about Esther and how she spoke up and acted out on behalf of the Jews.  The pastor shared some modern day examples of how we can speak up and act out.  During this time, I was able to share about my tour this summer and how we will be raising support for women in Asia suffering from many forms of injustice.  I'm excited humbled by the opportunity to speak up and act out for these women this summer.

The only awkward part was wearing spandex in church.  You see, the whole time the pastor was preaching I was spinning up on the stage with my bike and trainer...in spandex.  I don't know about you, but spandex are not my typical Sunday apparel.  A few years ago I feared spandex, but the more I bike the more I realize that they are an important aspect of the sport.  I've even become quite confident in my spandex, but I still feel strange wearing them to church.

One interesting thing about Esther is that it is the only book in the Bible that never mentions God.  Even though God is never directly mentioned His fingerprints can be clearly seen throughout the whole story.  As I look at my life I can see the fingerprints of God, and sometimes they are in the most unlikely places.  Who would of thought that when my dad taught me to ride my bike as a little girl it was preparing me to ride across the country to promote justice around the world?

Thank you Craig Knisley for letting me be a part of the service and thank you Westlake Church of God for your generosity, support, and prayers.

Sold

I just read Sold by Patricia McCormick.  The book is about Lakshmi, a 13 year old girl from Nepal, who is sold to a brothel.  It is a heartbreaking story, but a great reminder of what I'm riding for this summer.  While I was reading it I couldn't help but think of the 13 year-old girls that I teach.  I'm thankful that they have not experienced the same horrors as Lakshmi, but my heart is saddened that any girl would have to endure this.

I have no skills that would help save girls like Lakshmi; however, I can ride a bike, and I'll use this skill to fight for these girls.  I will advocate for them, speak for them, pray for them, ride for them, and raise support for them so that they might know that they are preciously loved daughters of the Most High God.

Garage Sale

This weeks fundraising extravaganza was a garage sale at my sister's house in Michigan.  All the proceeds of the sale went to support the Just+Hope Campaign.  Rob, who will be riding the Northern tour (Seattle, WA to New York), and I are both riding this summer to raise support and awareness for this cause.  To spice things up a bit Rob and I were on our bikes spinning all day.  We told people about the cause and what we will be doing this summer.  It was a great opportunity to talk to people, raise support, and spread the word about the Just+Hope Campaign.

The best part of the day was when we had to guest riders.  We made Eli and Luke makeshift trainer out of phone books, pieces of wood, and training wheels so that they could spin with us.  As my sister said, there are probably not too many 3 year olds that know what "spinning" is, but Eli has definitely got it figured out.

Go, Eli, Go!
This is my favorite picture.

40 Miles

I went on a 40 mile ride this morning with they guys.  During the first half of the ride I was feeling really good.  In fact, I was even thinking about how I was going to tell you that I'm in really good shape. But then the second half of the ride kind-of kicked my butt (and yes, I do mean that literally because my butt, along with my legs, was aching).  Overall, it was a great ride and workout, but I'm not going to self-proclaim that I'm in shape.

I met a couple of cool guys.  One of them has done a few cross country tours so he and I were swapping tour stories.  He is going to ride 1800 miles along the Mississippi River this summer.  Then he plans on riding the Pacific Coast.  He is going to ride from north to south and I told him that was a very good idea because he'll have a tailwind the whole time.

I was wearing my Ride:Well jersey and it has the Blood:Water Mission logo on it.  One of the other guys asked me about it because he has done some riding for Blood:Water.  Last summer he did the RAIN ride (Ride Across Indiana) to raise support for Blood:Water.

Anticlimactic

I had big plans for the car show on Saturday.  The chain pieces were ready to go, I made a poster explaining the Just+Hope Campaign, and I even had a video to show.  I was going to ride my bike on the trainer all day and talk to anyone and everyone at the car show about the Just+Hope campaign.

From the beginning, I knew that things weren't going to go as I planned because as I was driving to the show it started to rain.  There were only about 15 people there when I arrived, and not many more showed up throughout the day.   Since it had momentarily stopped raining I went ahead and set up my bike.  I rode for about half an hour before the thunder and lighting drove me under the overhang.  The car show people hung-out inside the church while I pedaled away and watched the storm (I'm not going to lie, it was kind-of fun to watch the storm from my bike).  About two hours later they decided to postpone the car show for sometime in September.

The day was not wasted, it just wasn't what I thought it would be.  I got in a good workout, a free lunch, and I was even able to tell a few people about the Just+Hope Campaign.  Maybe I'll try to ride at the show again in September, and if I do I'll have to update my poster with some pictures from the summer.

Good Ride

I went for a good group ride with five guys last night.  These guys were speedy.  I was pretty proud of myself because I was able to keep up with them and we were averaging over 20 mph for the first half of our 22 mile ride.  By the time I got back to my apartment I was starting to get a little cocky because I still felt great.  Then, about an hour later, I started to feel the pain.  My legs were tired, heavy, and they had that tingly feeling that comes after a good workout.  I guess this means I still have some training to do before I tackle the east coast.

Dogs and Squirrels

I start every ride the same way.  Not because it's a particularly good way to start a ride, but because it's the fastest way to get to the tail that leads to all the good biking roads.  After riding through a neighborhood I cut through a small woods on a sidewalk.  In the neighborhood there are these two yippy dogs that live at one of the houses.  Every time I ride past them they bark and chase me with all their might only to be stopped short by the chains that keep them in their yard.  After I ride past the dogs I go through the small woods and I always see tons of squirrels scurry away from me to take refuge in the trees.  One day while the dogs were still barking and the squirrels were still running away I thought it would be funny if the dogs and squirrels changed roles.  What if the instead of running away the squirrels chased me?  I thought about this for a bit and decided it wouldn't be funny at all.  In fact, it would be quite terrifying.  The squirrels don't have those handy chains keeping them in their yards, and I think squirrels look feisty.  I'd rather be chased by a dog than a squirrel.

Arts and Crafts

I'm not really an artsy person.  The doodles on my papers always end up looking more like scribbles than actual pictures.  But every once and a while I get bitten by the crafty bug.  Sometimes the projects end up looking nice, other times the finished product looks a bit dismal.  I tell you all this because I got bitten by the crafty bug a few weeks ago.

It all started when I got my bike tuned-up at the local bike shop (shout out to Gear Up - it's a great bike shop!). The tune-up included a few new components, including a new chain.  That meant my old chain was just sitting around my apartment, so I decided to to a craft project.

First, I made a bracelet.  That was easy enough, because - let's face it - it's difficult to mess up a bracelet.  The thing I like about the bracelet is it's meaning.  The piece of chain around my wrist reminds me of the 27 million people who suffer from the chains of modern day slavery.

Next weekend I will be at the Westlake Car Show riding my bike on the trainer all day.  I'll be meeting lots of people and talking to them about the Just+Hope Campaign.  Today I broke apart the rest of my old chain so that I can hand the pieces out next weekend.  So, if you want a piece of my bike chain, come see me at the car show next Saturday (April, 28).

3095

I normally measure bike rides in miles.

But no, I didn't ride 3095 miles over spring break.

Instead I got to go on a bike ride with my 3 year old nephew, Eli.  We went 3095...feet.

It was a fun adventure.  We followed the green path at the hospital trails and Eli, who is quite the botanist, pointed out all the tulips buds as we rode.

Wussy

I think I may have become a wussy.

I started to notice this when I signed up for this East Coast ride.  Last year on the Pacific Coast I went over 2,200 miles, but this summer I will only go about 850 miles.  It's such a short ride that I feel like a bit of a slacker.

The suspicions that I was becoming a wussy was confirmed last Saturday when I went for an early morning ride.  I knew it would be chilly, but I thought I was tough enough to handle it.  I was wrong.  Within minutes my cold ears were throbbing, my toes were numb, and my frozen fingers ached.  Instead of going on the intended 20 mile ride I cut it short and only went...4 miles.  Yeah, like I said, I'm a wussy.

At least this cold ride reminded me to pack some gloves, ear protections, and warm clothes because it might not be too warm in Nova Scotia.

Gators

You may recall that I had a few flat tires last summer.

Some flats were caused by thumb tacks.

 Others were caused by nails.

And some were just simple pinch flats.














After changing 15+ flat ties last year I decided to get some heavy duty tires for this coming summer.  And by heavy duty I mean the tires have Kevlar in them (yeah, Kevlar, like the stuff they make bullet proof vests out of).  I am please to now introduce you to my new Gatorskins.

The Ostrich

The ostrich gets a bad rep with that whole "head-in-the-sand" thing.  I looked it up on a very reputable source (Wikipedia, of course) and it said that ostriches do NOT hide their heads in the sand.
 I guess that means this picture is not actually true.

The ostrich may not hide his head in the sand, but I've been hiding my head in the sand.  My life is relativity safe and when I hear about oppression and injustice in other parts of the world I ignore it.  I explain it away by saying "that doesn't really happen here," or "there's nothing I can do about it."  But the truth is that those are just excuses that allow me to stick my head in the sand.

 
But I'm going to take my head out of the sand.  I've found that I can no longer ignore these facts.

• 27 MILLION men, women, and children are  currently held as slaves.
• Each year, nearly 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade. 
• There are an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 children, women, and men trafficked across international borders annually.
• Approximately 80 percent of human trafficking victims are women and girls, and up to 50 percent are minors.
• The total market value of illicit human trafficking is estimated to be in excess of $32 billion. 

(International Justice Mission)

It has been interesting to experience peoples reactions when I tell them that I am riding for these issues of injustice this summer.  Last year when I told people I was riding for clean water in Africa everyone was very supportive.  But this year I've felt more resistance when I tell people what I am riding for.  It's not that these people disagree with the mission, it's just that they don't want to hear about it.  They still have their head in the sand and they want to pretend that evil like this does not exist, but it does.

The challenge is to take your head out of the sand.

Expectancy, Not Expectations

Expectations are dangerous things.  The trouble with expectations is that they often lead to disappointment.

Last year I had no expectations for my ride up the Pacific Coast.  Even if I had wanted to, I couldn't have expectations because I had no idea what I'd gotten myself into.  The summer ended up being amazing, remarkable, incredible, wonderful, fabulous, excellent, spectacular, superb...you get the idea.

But now I know what to expect from a bike tour and I feel myself placing expectations on this summer's ride.  I gotta stop that.  Not because expectations are all bad, but because this is going to be a different tour, with different people, on a different coast, with a different mission.  The truth is, other than biking and sleeping on floors, I still don't know what to expect.  This tour is going to be different, and that's a good thing.

At first I was hesitant to do another tour because I knew that it would be different, but I've come to a place now that I am glad for the differences.  Last summer was special - one of a kind - and I want to keep it that way (pardon my moment of being a sentimental fool).  I have no doubt that this summer will also be good, but it will be different.

I'm so looking forward to this summer.  Not with expectations of what must happen, but with expectancy as I eagerly await the adventure that will undoubtedly continue to change and teach me.

She's at it Again!

That is right folks, I'm biking again!

This summer I'll be riding from Nova Scotia, CA to NYC.