Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Haswell, CO to Tribune, KS


The Good news is...we've made it to Kansas. The bad news is...we're in Kansas. I do not understand WHY Dorothy ever wanted to get back to Kansas...for what? Stay in Oz! We had another good day distance-wise (80 miles) but the cross-wind here is horrible. God is good however and we had a great breakfast in Eads, CO while we read more Scripture. We then stopped for an afternoon nap at the Sheridan Lake Bible Church. We rolled in to Tribune, KS at 8:00 pm and are crashing at the First Baptist church led by Mark Randolph. We will begin the Gospel of Matthew tomorrow! Keep praying for God's favor on our journey.

Pueblo, CO to Haswell, CO

Yesterday, (June 29) Another wonderful day seeking and serving the Lord! A church member named Ray came to get us this morning and took us out for breakfast wtih his buddies. Afterwards we went back to the pastor's house and read several chapters from Scripture. We departed Pueblo at noon headed east...and even though we had a headwind we were able to log 95 miles. We then crashed in a small park in Haswell, CO.

This morning we woke and rode 21 miles to Eads, CO where we stopped for a wonderful breakfast at the K & M Ranch House diner. From here we have 42 miles to the Kansas line and 58 miles to the next town.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Westcliffe, CO to Pueblo, CO

We had a good night of sleep at the Baptist church in Westcliffe. We read Proverbs 28 and several chapters of Deuteronomy. We had a 55 mile trek to Pueblo and the end of the Western Express Route. As we were biking through Pueblo we happened upon First Southern Baptist church and youth paster Jeremy Smith. After discussing details for the evening Jeremy suggested attending a Colorado Sky Sox (AAA) game in Colorado Springs. So we took a rode trip to see the game stopping at Golden Corral on the way. We did this specifically for Kevin's 21st birthday. Tonight we will crash with Jeremy and try to plan our next segment. We will close the day in prayer. We are having a great time! Love you all.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Salida, CO to Westcliffe, CO

The Hall family at First Baptist in Salida are awesome!! They went out of their way to host us. This morning we were treated to a fantastic breakfast at a local dinner. We went back for 9:00 worship and after the service we were able to chat with many folks who prayed for our trip. We had lunch with the Hall's and chatted until 3:00 pm when we said our goodbyes and saddled up for Westcliffe. We had a very unfriendly greeting as we left town...a nasty 10-20 mph headwind... the entire way! We were also shocked with the difficult elevation (another 1,500 ft up). But God is faithful and we arrived a the First Baptist Church in Westcliffe just past 8:00. The staff was gone but they left the door to their children's ministry building unlocked for us. We hope to get a good night's rest before another 1,200 ft climb tomorrow. The good news is...were through the mountains! We will enjoy a 4,000 ft descent into Pueblo. Pray for us!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Gunnison, CO to Salida, CO

After our moonlit ride we crashed in the Post Office in Gunnison however we were woken by a "morning janitor" at 4:00am. We hurried out of the P.O. and fell asleep under a pavillion in a park and were re-awoken at 7:00am by a park worker. However this guy told us there is a free all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast in the park at 7:30!! What a deal! We sat at the park, read Scriptures and prayed. We departed at 12:00 noon towards our biggest challenge yet...Monarch Pass [11,312 ft] some 40 miles out. We made the ascent by 6:00pm and absolutely flew down the other side into Saliva by 7:30, another 25 miles away. We had tried to make church contact ahead of time to no avail so when we arrived there was no place at the inn. We simply rode around town and passed by several churches with no luck. At 10:00 we rode by the First Baptist Church in Salida and noticed lights still on in the parsonage. So I knocked at the door and was greeted by the pastor George Hill and his son Tyler. These folks are simply the best people in town! They invited us to crash with them. How cool. We will worship with them tomorrow morning. Isn't God good!! All the time.

Montrose, CO to Gunnison, CO

After 90 miles yesterday it was good to get some needed rest at First Baptist in Montrose. We woke late (8:30 am) and read Proverbs 25. We visisted a local coffee shop while we waited for Cascade Bike Shop to open. Jeff purchased new tires and a new chain. We departed Montrose at about noon. We had two significant climbs today but we pushed through. In face we keep going all the way to Gunnison (67 miles). The highlight was biking the last 1-1/2 hours in the dark along the Blue Mesa Reservoir for 25 miles. God indeed carried us through. We finished the day in the Word and with prayer. Thank you all for your support. God bless.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Rico, CO to Montrose, CO

(June 24) We had a wonderful day! We had a wonderful day! We enjoyed great fellowship with Andy and Chez this morning at the Mine Shaft Inn in Rico. We departed Rico at 10:00 this morning after prayer and Scripture. We had God's blessing today for sure because we were able to ride 90 miles, through summits of 10,222 feet at Lizard Head Pass and another over 9,500 feet. We were able to make it to Montrose where pastor Ron Holtz invited us to crash at First Baptist. Like always, we ended the day in the Bible, finishing Numbers and progressing through the Psalms. We love you all!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Dolores, CO to Rico, CO

We had a wonderful stay with the Olsen's at the First Baptist Church in Dolores. Rachel made us a wonderful breakfast this morning. We prayed together and left Dolores at 10:30. We were riding well up a gradual incline hoping to clear Lizard Head Pass at 10,500 ft today and cruise down the other side. But God had other plans. We stopped in Rico, CO planning on lunch and reading Scripture. We stopped at the Mine Shaft Inn in town and while we were there the manager (Ches) offered us a free room if we would establish the motel on Facebook and Twitter. Wow, what a deal! So we are reading the Bible, uploading pictures and relaxing in a Victorian motel built in 1880...how cool is that? Tomorrow we will finish our climb and cruise down toward Montrose, Co. Please pray for us!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Blanding, UT to Dolores, CO


We hit two milestones today. First, we crossed from Utah into Colorado. Second, we finished our third map. We had a great night of sleep at the Sunset Motel in Blanding. We woke for coffee and the Word of God. Kevin ate a whole box of Cocoa Pebbles cereal for breakfast. We had a brisk ride (21 miles) to Monticello, UT where we had lunch. Then we cruised into Colorado. The picture at the right was taken about 2:30 pm. For discussion today we talked about how to raise a family using insights from Proverbs 22. Please pray we find blessings and peace throughout the Rocky Mountain state of Colorado.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Hite Recreational to Blanding, UT

Biking at night under the moonlight and many star was a real treat. We were able to climb 20 miles before we took a "nap" along the side of the road. We woke and began to bike again and as the sun began to climb in the eastern sky the mountains around us were awesome. We were making good time until about 1:30 pm when the tempature rose to 100 and the hills became . BUT, by God's grace, we were able to endure and arrived safely in Blanding around 3:00 pm. We are having difficulty finding a place to crash tonight but it gives us time to read the Bible and Pray. Hey...only 50 miles to Colorado! Pray for us.

Hanksville, UT to Hite Recreation Area

[From June 20] After a good night sleep we read Scripture over coffee and breakfast at the diner outside our campsite. Then we were off towards Blanding, UT. However Blanding is 125 miles of barren, yet breathtakeningly beautiful scenery. We were fortunate to find the small general store open at the Hite Recreational Area in Glen Canyon National Parkm about 55 miles out. By the time we arrived it was over 100 degrees. Since we had 75 more miles to go to reach Blanding, we slept early and bike at night to avoid the intense heat. We need to depend on God's grace to get us through...

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Grover [Single Tree Campground] to Hanksville, UT

We made it to Hanksville, UT this afternoon and we've decided to stay tonight here because we have a long and barren stretch ahead of us tomorrow and Monday. We are well and in good rhythm with the Lord. We can't wait for a hot shower and good rest tonight. We will continue in the book of Numbers and Psalms tonight. God continues to teach us about Himself through the nation of Israel the same way he intended back in their day. Continue to pray for us daily. We are encouraged by your support. God bless...

Calf Creek Campground to Single Tree Campground

Yesterday, June 18, we climbed most of the day til we reached the summit of 9,600 feet. By the time we began our descent it was dusk, the perfect time to see deer. We saw 56 deer within an hour. We rolled into a National Park 12 miles west of Torrey, UT. We read from the book of Numbers, prayed and crashed. This morning we woke and biked to Torrey for a BIG breakfast. After Scripture and prayer we are headed towards Hanksville and through Capital Reef National Park. Please continue to pray for us.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Cannonville, UT to Calf Creek Campground

Yesterday (June 17th) we woke up inside the Cannonville Post Office/Town Hall early and had to wait for the mini-mart down the block to open. We read Scripture and ate toasted PBJ's for breakfast. We were on the road at 9:30. The Scenery along the way was breathtaking. We made it to Escalante, UT for lunch and minor bike adjustments. We continued down the road until we reached Calf Creek National Park. We rode into these beautiful campgrounds nestled in the canynon and the place was full. As we approached the end, two guys with a Boy Scout troop from Salt Lake City invited us to crash with them. We ate chili and chips for dinner. When we woke this morning Jeff helped the troop pack their stuff while Kevin hiked back into the canyon to see the waterfall. Though we only biked 50 miles, we had a glorious day. God is teaching us about his character and his nature. It is difficult to get phone reception out here so be patient with us. Chao.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Panguitch, UT to Cannonville, UT

Last night we crashed at the Baptist church in Panguitch, however it was outside, not inside. We had good sleep under a beautiful starry night. We woke and read Scripture at a nearby mini-mart. We spent a good hour discussing the dietary and purity laws found in Leviticus. We had a short 25 mile ride to Bryce Canyon. However Jeff's chain broke 1/2 of the way there. But it was repaired, thank God, and we made it to Ruby's Inn just outside the park. The picture at the right was taken around 4:00 this afternoon. What an awesome sight! We will read more and pray together before crashing. Continue to pray for us and for what God is teaching us.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Cedar City, UT to Panguitch, UT

Another amazing day. We had a wonderful breakfast with the Miller family this morning. We left Cedar City around 9:30 today for an extreme climb. Take a look at this picture...wow. This is Cedar Breaks National Park, at 10,330 feet. After spending some time in the park we made our descent. We hope we can crash at another church tonight because the climb has sapped our energy. We will continue in Lev and Psalms. Thanks for your prayer support!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Milford, UT to Cedar City, UT

We woke to the stillness found in rural Utah. We read Proverbs 14 and reflected on the wisdom contained in these verses. After packing and eating a varity of food...anything we could get our hands on...pastor Richard came to the church for coffee and prayer before we left. We departed around 9:30 am for a 56 miles over one pass into Cedar City. The picture today comes just 10 miles out of Milford. We arrived at the Frist Baptist Church of Cedar City at 4:30. We unloaded our bags and visited the local bike shop to have my rear wheel trued. Now we're back at the church eating awesome lasagna and garlic bread. Pastor Scott and Rebecca Miller are great hosts. Tonight we'll read Scripture and crash early because we have a 4,000 ft climb tomorrow morning. PLEASE PRAY FOR US. We love you all.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Baker, NV to Milford, UT

We woke this morning at 5:00 am thinking we'd beat the postal worker then it dawned on me...today is Sunday...the Post Office is closed. We did however need to begin early today because we had an 84 mile ride to Milford, UT. Today's picture was taken just 6 miles into our trek. we had another very difficult day riding in wind and rain up three summits. God again was faithful as we rolled into town shortly after 6:00 pm. We stopped at the one-and-only grocery story for FOOD. Less than 5 mintues after we left the store we ran into the Mountain View Baptist Church. I called paster Richard and he welcomed our stay at the church. We are ending the day with good food and the Word of God. We are in Leviticus now. Please continue to pray for us.

Ely, NV to Baker, NV

Yesterday (June 12), We had a wonderful breakfast with Pastor Cyle and his wife Debbie before we set out of Ely. We only had 64 miles to Baker, but we got a late start and had horrible wind and rain for much of the day. However, we did manage to roll into Baker, NV around dusk. The picture of the day is from a quaint little cafe where we ate dinner. We were even given second helpings of our pasta dish by the sweetheart staff! We crashed inside the US Post Office station for the night. We read five Psalms and fell asleep. God is good...all the time. Another grueling day of travel today.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Eureka, NV to Ely, NV

God is great...even when the weather isn't.

Yesterday we had a very long day riding into a strong, cold head wind for 80 miles with light rain. To make matters worse, we had to climb four significant inclines. The picture shows the last summit 7,600 feet. We began the day the the E-Z stop in Eurkea where Becky, the store clerk, treated us to breakfast, drinks, and snacks for the day. Thanks Becky! While at the E-Z Stop we continued to read Scripture and pray. We are on the road by 9:00 and pushed on through our most difficult day, making it to Ely, NV by 7:30 pm. We are beat. We pulled into a quick mart and I used the phone book to contact the Baptist church in town. Paster Cyle welcomed us but said, since the church has no showers or beds, he'll put us up at a local motel for the night. God once again is taking care of us.



Today we will attempt an 84 mile trek to Baker, NV. Pray we fair better than yesterday. We love you all!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Austin, NV to Eureka, NV

We had a great night of fellowship and prayer at the Austin Baptist Church. This morning Pastor Charlie took us to breakfast at a local dinner. We had green chili omelets, hash browns and sourdough toast...out standing. Thanks Charlie Today we continue on "The Loneliest Road in America" to Eureka. Still in Exodus and Psalms. God is good to us and He is teaching us to trust in Him. We had a great tailwind to push us along.
Arrived in Eureka at 3:30 and found a place to crash tonight...at the aquatic center. Its warm in here and will be 34 deg tonight. God Bless...

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Middlegate Station to Austin, NV

Last night we rolled into Middlegate Station around 7:30. It was like we travelled back in time. They had one pub and general store plus a "motel" that had rooms in two trailers. We when inside and read Scripture and chatted with the folks. A guy came in and played a bunch of songs with his guitar. I spoke with this guy until closing. Turns out he was the caretaker of the joint so he come over to me and says, "Hey, you guys can stay in the hotel rooms tonight.. no charge." Again, God uses regular people to bless other in life. God be praised.

The picture on the right is actually from the town we biked to today, Austin, NV. We ate here before arriving at the local Baptist church. The folks here had a Bible Study presentation from Focus on the Family at 6:00, so we attended. Afterward we made chocolate chip cookies and had coffee. God is Good...! Continue to pray for us!!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Fallon, NV to Middlegate Station

We woke this morning at 6:30, early considering we rode until 8:30 pm last night. We spent the morning at the Methodist Church hanging out with some staff. After a lunch of Nilla Wafers and strawberry frosting we packed up and continued on. Our goal is only 50 miles but, as you can see from the picture, it is altogether barren! There exists nothing higher than our waist. We had a good talk about Christ-centered relationships along the way. We are past the 10 Commandment in Exodus. Tonight we will read more in the Psalms. Love and prayer to you all.

Fallon, NV

Yesterday, June 7th was another God-blessed day. We began our day in the snow-covered California Sierra's with prayer and Scripture and ended the day 115 miles later in the hot and dry town of Fallon, Nevada. God took care of us down the mountainside and through the Nevada plains with sunshine and a nice tailwind. We arrived in Fallon at 8:30 pm and were graciously hosted by Epworth United Methodist Church. Since we are now entering a very long stretch of road called "The Loneliest Highway in America," we are waiting until the afternoon to get to Middlegate, NV today to avoid the sun, then bike to Austin tomorrow. We intend leaving Austin in the mid-afternoon and bike more at night to avoid the heat. Our trip is going extremely well. Continue to pray for God's guidence, direction and wisdom as we draw closer to Him and with each other.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Kirkwood, CA to Fallon, NV

The Sierra Mountains are absolutely wonderful...but I'm glad they are behind us...we're in Nevada! Last night we rode into Kirkwood, CA as it was getting dark. We had hot tea and read through Pslam 20 at a rustic pub in the middle of bear country. Then we rode 1/2 mile further under the starry-starry night to a gorged spillway (Caples Lake) where we camped. We camped at 7,500 feet so there was snow all around us. We finished our climb to Carson Pass this morning and coasted down the hill into Nevada. With the wind at our back we'll put in a long day of riding, praying and discipleship. God bless you all.

Omo Ranch to Kirkwood, CA

Yesterday (June 6th) We are still climbing, but the Sierra's are beautiful! We started the day finishing Genesis and at breakfast we began Exodus. God continues to favor us. The weather is hot yet there is snow on the ground! Please pray that we get over Carson Pass tomorrow morning. From now on our journey will be very rural. Very difficult to get phone connection out here so be patient with us. Pray for us.....

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Climbing from Placerville, CA

We had an absolute great time feeding the needy folks this morning at Green Valley Community Church. The members there reflect the message of the gospel. They took wonderful care of us. At 10:00 we continued on our way, stopping briefly at the Placerville Bike Shop for some needed bike tune-up where Bob and Andrew really helped. Then we began our difficult climb towards Carson Pass. This photo is where we stopped for a short while for a Bible reading and a snack. God continues to bless us with great weather and even better people. We stopped briefly at a roadside winery. The folks there were great. Please pray as we apporach 8,900 ft because there will be snow. We love you all.

In Placerville, CA

We actually had a terrific day travelling to Placerville. Tomorrow we climb ALL DAY. Tonight we have the pleasure of staying at Green Valley Community Church. The church is having a wonderful "Dinner Theater' program and they had plenty of food left over...so we had a wonderful dinner! Tonight we will finish Genesis and continue in Proverbs and Psalms. We are also digging into what characteristics are necessary as a follower of Christ. Today 68 miles, tommorrow...?

Friday, June 4, 2010

Davis, CA to Placerville, CA

We began today in God's Word...Still in Genesis. We left Davis, biked through Sacramento and Folsom along a wonderful path. We jumped into a freezing river to cool off and read more Scripture. Our goal today is to reach Placerville, CA 71 miles yesterday and about the same today. Keep praying for us, especially now, because we start going up, up, up...

San Fransisco, CA to Davis, CA

Yesterday we took the ferry across the bay. Here we are waiting for the ferry. We then biked through beautiful orchards and vinyards, arriving in Davis, where we stayed in a park. Today, we will journey through Sacramento and begin climbing into higher elevations. We have read through Gen 25 and continue in Proverbs. God is showing us how to work together and to trust in Him.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

At the Golden Gate Bridge

So it took us 13 hours to get to SF... We arrived at 12:30 am after a 9-hour nightmare in Minnesota. We were able to each eat a 10 piece Chicken Selects around 9:30. Our bikes were the last items brought to the baggage claim area. We finished assembling our bikes at 3:30 am and decided to leave for the Golden Gate Bridge. We biked for 2.5 hours before dawn...through Golden Gate state park all the way across the bridge. We biked along the north coast of the city, including UP and DOWN the famous Lombard Street. We read Gen 1-5 and Psalm 1-2 at breakfast. We are staying in the city tonight to get much needed rest.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Milwaukee, WI to San Fransisco, CA

Our trip began well from Milwaukee, however we only got to Minnesota where our connecting flight was delayed SIX HOURS! We will arrive in SF after 10:00 pm, assemble our bikes, and then bike 15 miles north to our hotel. This is NOT the way we planned it, but if this is the worst thing that happens to us, we'll be okay. Keep praying....