Written by: Joel Derksen
We’ve hit the halfway point of our incredible journey, and what an adventure it’s been. 5 wonderful
weeks down, and 5 more exciting weeks to come! I’ve had the privilege of leading this ride as we’ve
been making our way across the country, and I can’t say enough what a blessing it’s been to serve the
Bike Adventure in this capacity.
Over the course of the first half of the ride together, I’ve watched this team go from being total
strangers, to a group of friends, to a tight-knit family. With each mile covered on the road, with each
state line we’ve crossed, and with each church that has opened their doors to us, I’ve grown more and more
grateful for each person here and the gift that they are to the team. This is a group that supports each
other, full of individuals willing to go the extra mile (literally) to help out their fellow rider. Whether it’s
stopping on the road to help fix a flat, picking up the chores that need to get done, or finding ways to
encourage one another when we’re ready to turn back, I’ve seen each member of this team step up and
make it happen.
This incredible level of support has been felt not only from within our own group, but also from each of
the church hosts we’ve interacted with along the way. We’ve received no end of deep-reaching
hospitality from countless churches on our route, with warm welcomes, friendly faces, and vast
amounts of food. After having grown accustomed to the FCBA experience, I almost find myself starting
to take this for granted, as this is what we experience day in and day out. But when I think about the
incredible effort each church goes to in order to make our stay as welcome as it is, it really is
mind-blowing to think about how deeply we’re being served each day.
But above and beyond the support we see from each other and from our hosts, we could never do this
without the support we receive from each of you, our family and friends. It means the world to know
that there are so many people thinking and praying for us, and following along on our journey every step of
the way. And not only do we value your emotional support, but we’re also deeply grateful for the many
generous donations that have been made towards our goal of ending poverty housing. This is what
makes this ride have such an impact, and this is what allows the Fuller Center to transform the lives of
countless families across our country and around the world. We’ve already raised an incredible
$316,890, and we’re getting closer and closer to our lofty goal of $400,000. We’re confident that we’ll
get there, but we still need your help. If you’re interested in helping us end poverty housing, you can use
this link to donate to any of our riders, giving us the tailwinds we need to push us the extra mile as we continue on
the second half our journey.
