The blog for the 2017 Cross-Country Ride.
Written by: Magdalene Kennedy
I sometimes nap in the van as it rumbles along towards the next rest stop. There’s no particular rhythm to its gentle jolts—at best it could be described as white noise. A random assortment of tiny hums and grunts that cradle my drowsy brain.
Written by: Macy Holsinger
Just as we never really know what’s around the next corner while riding, so it is with the Bike Adventure. At any moment, the weather could change, a tire could go flat, or the designated road could be under construction. But the beauty of the Bike Adventure is that instead of things like that wreaking havoc and tearing the team apart, they actually give us a chance to work together and think creatively. Thus those potentially frustrating moments become beautiful exercises in cooperation and teamwork.
This particular team is full of all sorts of talents and skills that frequently come in handy. Several people are computer gurus. One man is a mechanical engineer. We have counselors, nurses, cooks, beekeepers, mothers, fathers, a bike mechanic, and many other skill sets. Together all of these mixed with good attitudes and love for one another are the perfect ingredients of a great community.
And that is what we are: a community of cyclists working together and thinking outside the box for whatever ADVENTURES arise.
Written by: Anne Frey
Originally, I joined the Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure last year simply so I could go on a supported ride that included some mountains, some areas I hadn’t ridden yet.
Then I got into the group working/living/traveling groove and it became more than just riding. Don’t get me wrong—I do love to ride. But on the FCBA there is the added interest of meeting enthusiastic people with similar goals and making progress by repairing or building homes along the way.
Written by: Rebecca Mitchell
First, I must tell you that I wasn’t supposed to write a blog today, but I did want to write about this day no matter how late I stayed up. So it seems God has provided me with the time to write.
Written by: Wes Shattuck
Jesus said we are to take His yoke upon us: “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Taking His yoke meant learning all the rabbi had to teach and then becoming like the rabbi, who invited someone to be His follower, taking on the mantle of the rabbi. Jesus lived simply, without even a bed to call his own: “foxes have dens, …but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” He modeled abandoned reliance on the Heavenly Father for every need and assured us that, when trusting in God, God provides and “more so” (Matthew 6:26-34). And Jesus taught us that it is good, and in fact is His divine order, for us to live in community not in isolation. He designed the family, and the church—a family of families living and working together, putting others ahead of self and working for a greater good.
Written by: Mike Powers
June 8th was quite a day. The group was summiting Carson’s Pass. Karen and I needed to get our bikes looked at in South Lake Tahoe and did not have a way to get there. Another rider, Phil Gash, had volunteered the night before to drive our two bikes and me early in the morning in the hope that the bike shop could work on our bikes before we had to leave the following morning for Fernley, NV.
Written by: Mary Lacksen
The Fuller Center Bike Adventure welcomed me to Salt Lake City as they began week three of their cross-country ride. I am excited and SO grateful, but very intimidated to be jumping in with riders who have over 1,000 miles and the Sierra Nevadas behind them.
Written by: Cheryl Shattuck
Psalm 121:1-2 “I will lift my eyes unto the hills from whence my help comes.”
The call of the psalmist is to lift my gaze unto the hills—for a purpose. Lifting my gaze shifts my posture, looking up instead of just in front of me changes my posture and my awareness.
Written by: Judy Nast
“O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!”
-America the Beautiful
Written by: Mark Murphy
I wasn’t sure what to expect on my inaugural Fuller Center Bike Adventure, but for some reason I knew whatever was going to happen God figured I needed it.
I retired from HP last summer and decided to immediately start working on my “bucket list,” and a bike ride across the country was featured prominently on that list. In the fall I met some guys at a century in Southern Georgia sporting Fuller Center gear and the hook was set! I was really excited about the Fuller Center’s mission because it tied so closely with my previous experiences leading a non-profit that helped homeless working families break the cycle of poverty.
I filled out my paperwork in December and almost overnight it seemed to be time to head to San Francisco.
Thanks for reaching out to us, we’ll be in touch with you soon!
