Written by: Bill Black, Blue Ride
I’m a 63 year old newbie. This is my first Fuller Center ride. I’m basically a weekend biker and my typical ride is about 20 miles. I joined this ride at the encouragement of my friend, Peter Asmuth. He did part of the cross country summer ride last year and is doing the full ride this year. He knew I had the time to do it and he’s a very persuadable guy.
So, I started in Peoria and will ride to the end in Washington, DC, my home town.
Yesterday, we arrived at the Integris Community Church in Albany, Indiana. The pastor was there to greet us and, as usual, the community was generous with their time…..and their showers.
Blue Orange Team Gathering for Morning Devotional at Integris Community Church in Albany, Indiana
We did confront a crisis upon arrival when we discovered that the support trailer had a flat tire. Albany is a very small town. And while there was a gas station across from the church, the repair shop was closed.
Having only been with the team for 6 days, I have already seen that the bikers and the support team are in nonstop problem solving mode. Our group is a community of nomads, moving across the country, always relying on the kindness of strangers. And there are always problems to fix. The flat tire was just one more problem.
As we were gathering the next morning for our prayer at 6 am, Tom noticed that the mechanic at the gas station across the street was arriving for work. Tom and Dave raced over to ask for help, which he cheerfully provided. Problem solved!
Tom and Dave Return with the Repaired Tire
The best part of this day’s ride is that we were entering the home state of our “fearless leader,” Macy. What a welcome we got in Ohio. The first rest stop over the border from Indiana was the home of her grandfather, Leroy. In addition to the usual rest stop fare, we had some fresh-picked tomatoes that were beyond delicious.
L to R Mike, Kelly, Tom and Bill surround Macy’s Grandfather, Leroy, her cousin, Jennifer.
At the next reset stop, the rest of Macy’s family convened to welcome her. We all got to join the party.
Kristen and Lauren at Macy’s Family Welcome
After two 100 mile days, we arrived at the Southgate Baptist Church in Springfield, Ohio. Tomorrow is a build day, so those places where our bodies touch the bike will have time to heal.
