Starting and finishing the day with big bridges
June 1, 2023

By Paul Rouse
We left our host church in Charleston, NC – Bethel United Methodist, at 7:45 AM and headed for the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge. The climb of a little more than 200 feet seemed relatively easy as we set out on fresh legs. The views of the Charleston Harbor and downtown were breathtaking. We then rode past stately old homes in Mount Pleasant and the Isle of Palms before heading out into the countryside.
As on some of our previous days, we rode through low-land marshes, across rivers flowing to the Atlantic Ocean and forests. For me, this was an opportunity to enjoy God’s handiwork and to “pray without ceasing”. I prayed for the safety of all our riders and for the success of all the many Fuller Centers around the USA and across the globe.
Our second rest stop was on the Intra-coastal waterway. An alligator lounged nearby, probably waiting for lunch to pass by. After a relaxing lunch stop, I got on my bike and moved on towards our destination for the day — Georgetown, SC. The third rest stop was overrun with mosquitos, so I quickly refilled my water bottle, jumped on my bike and took off. Much of the remaining route was on deserted roads through timber destined to be harvested some day. About the only traffic was logging trucks, although I did encounter a lone black cat. Not a house around, so I don’t know where he came from.
As we rolled into historic Georgetown, we encountered one last challenge. With about a mile to go, another large bridge loomed ahead. It was nothing like the bridge in Charleston, but after pedaling 79 miles, any bridge can be intimidating. But everyone made their way safely over it and on to our host church – First Baptist Church of Georgetown.