Pastor Richard Sams, who has taken church groups to Israel, led morning devotion and gave each rider a copy of the book “One Friday In Jerusalem.” Another first – one of the church members, Judy, rode with us as we left at 7am. None of us will ever forget the kindness and fellowship of Calhoun Baptist.

Thursday was a short riding day for us, 54 miles, so that we could arrive in Evansville by noon because the wonderful Diane Bies had a full day’s activities planned for us.

It’s hard to say what we liked best. The pool we jumped into with bike clothes still on, actual beds and couches to sleep on, or the homemade spaghetti dinner. Guests included the fabulous Collette, who will sag with us out west for 3 weeks, and Diane’s crazy biker friends Bill and Steve.

Another friend, Pat, arranged us a (free) visit to Evansville’s LST-325, the last fully operational WWII Landing Ship Tank. Those giant ships shown in movies letting troops and tanks off at Normandy Beach. Riding a bike 100 miles in the heat is nothing compared to what those men endured. Day after day. All to help strangers they had never met. While it has become fashionable to diss our great country, never forget who broke down the walls and freed the prisoners at Dachau, Mauthausen, and so many of those hellholes. Americans.