
By Randi Topps
We made it to Illinois! This is a special place to me because I grew up in Illinois and developed my love for cycling in the corn fields of Dekalb, where I went to college (NIU).
We saved a turtle today, rode 106 miles as the heat index hit 108! This is a feat I could not imagine doing alone. Our morning devotion quoted C.S. Lewis regarding pride and self. Acknowledging that we alone do not have the power to accomplish great things, but that It is the greater power of God and our faith that can pull us through difficult times or difficult tasks. I certainly had to pull together some faith for today’s ride!
We have been blessed by many churches who either welcome us to stay for the night or feed us, or both! The West Salem Trinity United Methodist Church is housing us tonight and their members pulled together and gave us enough Culver’s gift cards to feed us all!
Today a man from Mt Vernon, IL saw the Fuller Center Bike Adventure on the internet and noticed we were coning to his town. So he bought us ice cream and snacks and headed over to one of our rest stops to give them to us. Another man saw the snack table and started asking questions. Then he made a donation. I am amazed by the good will and support our ride has generated as well as the appreciation we have received for our participation in Fuller Center build projects.