Category Archives: 2017 East Coast

Blog for the 2017 East Coast Ride.

A Community You Can’t Quantify

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56 churches. 26 states and the District of Columbia. 81 days. These are a few of my statistics for this summer with FCBA. The one thing I can’t count, though, is the number of times the people on this trip have brought me joy and made me feel loved.

Not only have I been away from my family for the longest time so far in my life (seven weeks) but two weeks into the East Coast trip I got news that my grandpa passed away. Though it wasn’t entirely unexpected, it wasn’t easy to hear, especially knowing that I was over 2,000 miles from home. But, if I had to be away from home, there is no other group of people I would rather be with than my Fuller Center family. Nicole hugged and cuddled with me, Lindsey and Bri took me on a late night drive and many others showed me compassion and care. Fortunately, my grandpa’s memorial was planned for after my return home but many assured me that family comes first and if I needed to leave my role as a support and media intern, it would be no problem. Continue reading→

A Week of Firsts

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Written by: Penny Goodwin

There are many firsts for me this week. First, I have never done a long distance ride, which for me is six days back to back. Second, I have only biked 65 miles, one time. Therefore this is a real challenge for me. I was blessed on my ride today to ride with my husband Mark, and friends Larry and Gary. The Bible says “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.  (Ecclesiastes 4:9). When one of us or another struggled whether it was not having the legs for today or a flat tire. We were a Team. The FCBA Team. I have felt welcome into this “Family” from the day that I arrived. We have many backgrounds, many different denominations, but yet we are “One”. One Family working for one purpose. I have heard many say that it is not about the biking. Biking is just a side effect of the #1 purpose. That purpose: Being the hands and feet of Jesus, by reaching out to those less fortunate. I have four more days to finish this week.  I have been truly blessed and my life has been greatly enriched by this experience. May God Bless each and every one of my new FCBA Family. 

The Harvest

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Written by: Mark Goodwin

This is my first Fuller Center ride. I joined the East Coast ride at Cary, NC. I am just starting my third week. It has been filled with many great experiences in the last few days.

I have always been taught to believe that we sow seeds and don’t always get to see the harvest. Today I experienced the harvest. Lindsey, one of our faster riders was several miles ahead of Ruth and I. Lindsey met Frank, a man that had lost some money. Lindsey shared with him about the Fuller Center Bike Adventure and our mission. They parted ways. I failed to mention that Frank was also cycling. He was heading north and ran into Ruth and I a little while later. As we met him he asked to talk with us. We stopped to visit. He shared his story about meeting Lindsey and as he rode along he wished he had given Lindsey the found money for the Fuller Center. When he saw Ruth and I, he had a chance to makeup for his missed opportunity and we got to harvest the seed that Lindsey sowed. God’s hand was blessed many people in a short period of time.

This past weekend we stopped in Orlando, FL to assist with the Fuller Center’s local Covenant Partner led by AJ and Karen. They have been making Helen’s house handicap accessible, and other improvements to the home. On Saturday we went to Helen’s to meet her and paint her house. Our bike adventure team, AJ’s team, friends of Helen’s and her church family worked together to paint her house and feed the team. All this was accomplished in one day. AJ and his team still have a lot of work to do but we all got to fulfill a woman’s need.

These are just a few reasons that I joined the Fuller Center Bike Adventure. Looking for the things that God wants to show ME and US.

Riding along the East coast

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Written by: Jennifer Wells

On Friday we rode our bicycles from Ormond Beach, FL to Orlando, FL.  We traveled about 68 miles taking in the nature and beauty along the way. Unlike the day before we didn’t see much of the ocean.  However, we saw a variety of dogs, lizards, birds and bugs!  In fact, I saw red head storks along the road!  They were very cool looking, calmly standing along the road just taking life in without a worry.
Upon arriving in downtown Orlando I was amused by the red brick streets. I was a bit surprised to find that downtown Orlando had some of these kinds of streets.  Brick streets always remind me of the “old days” and some of my travels through Kansas where I saw brick streets for the first time.  That was many years ago. Every one of the bikers made it to the First United Methodist church in Orlando before 1pm. We ask God for his guidance each day and to help us arrive to our new destination safely. God answered our prayers and we have been able to enjoy our weekend together.  Thank you LORD!

A Variety of Hiccups

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Written by: Ky Griffin

Today there was a lot to Oyee about, a strong tail wind, beautifully paved roads, dips in the Atlantic, all in our miles from Atlantic Beach to Ormond Beach. There were also a few hiccups. Some were serious– like a rider with a medical issue. And some were more cosmetic – Tom chipped his FCBA fingernail polish. Fortunately the large issue is currently being taken care of with medical and moral support. A group of riders have gone to visit her in hopes of borrowing the bed and television for a bit. The rest of us are kicked back gearing up for our segment to Orlando – Disney here we come! I mean I’m really excited to be building a home Saturday… But, seriously, we are coming together building a playlist of Disney tracks for our ride tomorrow, and everyone seems particularly animated. Key West and key-lime pie here we come, Oyee!

Switching Crews

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Written by: Ruth Waite

When I signed up for the Fuller Center Bike Adventure, I signed up for the Cross Country Trip and for the last two segments of the East Coast Ride.  They crossed paths in Savannah, GA when the Cross Country Ride came to an end.  I thought, “I’ve never been to Key West!  I’ll just turn the corner and go with them!”  As the end of the cross-country trip neared, I started to wonder if I had made a mistake.  There was, of course, the extra two weeks of sleeping on the floor, an extra two weeks of cycling, an extra two weeks with a wardrobe made up of orange t-shirts and cycling clothes, and an extra two weeks of using a camp towel.  The rest of the crew was starting to think about sleeping in real beds, using real towels, and taking time over the morning coffee and paper.  They were looking forward to being reunited with family, friends, and pets.

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Pedaling to Perspective

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Written by: Connor Ciment

On the Bike Adventure, I find that constant motion and planning easily fills my entire attention span. In my tunnel vision of ‘what do I need to do next’, I often find myself mixing today’s shower notes with tomorrow’s, and forgetting what town we slept in last night. The yesterdays and tomorrows run together, and it’s all I can do to just pedal. The day into Savannah gave me an opportunity to put down the day-to-day hustle, and breathe in perspective on this great Adventure.

Grace Will Lead Me Home

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Written by: Dan Sheridan

Today’s journey proved that sometimes you need to go a little bit backward in order to move forward. The Atlantic Coast curves sharply west here, so a journey south involves going west. We actually ended up a few miles north of our start in Charleston.

Alice Caldwell

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Written by: Alice Little Caldwell

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Unfortunately, the fourth day of Week 3 of the East Coast ride started off with a rainy delay. We were hoping to get into town early. Our church in Charleston, South Carolina is in the heart of the city, right off King Street–the main artery to shopping, restaurants, and the Charleston Harbor and Waterfront Park.Continue reading→