Imagine No Malaria Update: Day Twelve: June 27 “O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain; For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.” i.imgur/wSYCE4R.jpg This hymn has been running through my mind since our first day of biking across the Midwest. What an incredibly beautiful country we have, and what a privilege to travel the United States in a way that allows us to truly experience God’s handiwork. Today Rob, Wayne and I rode eighty-six miles from Mendon to Adrian in Michigan. It was a serene day with long stretches of contemplation as I embraced the gorgeous farmland and thanked God for all those who made it possible for us to travel this journey. Our lightest moment was riding through the town of Colon, which calls itself the Magic Capital of the World. I’ve been to both Paradise and Hell in Michigan but never Colon. Wait a minute. Am I due for a colonoscopy? I wonder if the designation of Magic Capital is meant to avoid focusing attention on the name of the town itself. Rob alerted me to the “infamous” intersection of Colon Road and Butz Road, which we passed riding out of town. i.imgur/5Axhp4s.jpg This morning, as I was taking a break, two young men in a pick-up truck stopped and asked what we were doing. They saw the sag car behind me and said, “That’s not an easy job, you know.” “You’re right,” I said. “What they are doing is far more challenging and important than me riding my bike.” “Where’d you come from? “We rode from Brandon, South Dakota and will be finishing up tomorrow in Port Clinton, Ohio.” “How far do you ride in a day?” “About eighty miles. We’re riding as a fundraiser for the elimination of malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa.” “We had a classmate in school who was from Africa. When she graduated, she went back to see her family in Africa, and she got malaria. The doctors tried everything they could, but she died. She never made it back to the U.S. What you are doing is really important and really cool. Be safe out there!” “Thank you and God bless you both.” i.imgur/Cj6ccvB.jpg Jim Chase, Zach Frid and Molly Turner have been invaluable support persons on our ride. Jim, the lay leader at First UMC in Three Rivers, has driven Molly’s Volvo the entire time and brings up the rear. Zach, a student at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo and part of the WMU Wesley Foundation, has been our primary navigator and drives Rob’s van in front of the riders. When Molly joined us for the second week, she became the lead driver, allowing Zach to focus solely on navigation, which he has done with great skill and cheerfulness. We pulled into First UMC in Adrian at 5 p.m. and spent wonderful time with newly retired pastor Gary and Barbara Dawes. One more day. Continue to pray for safety. Rob was attacked by a pit bull this afternoon. Fortunately, the dog bit Rob’s bike pedal instead of his foot. Thanks be to God. Laurie Haller
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 03:04:54 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015