Until today I have never ridden 120 miles in one day let alone after four straight days with 300 miles in my legs and with two very challenging climbs the first 60 miles! We climbed through the Ponderosa pines early and I saw an elk, deer, rabbits, a couple pronged horn antelope, a prairie dog, and a big rattle snake.
The second more significant climb caused a terrific ache in my thighs and hamstrings but what joy and satisfaction I felt to summit and reach speeds of 45 to 50 mph on the descent. The scenery was awesome racing down the canyons and along rivers and meadows sprinkled with wild flowers.
The hot sun gave me a sunburn on my face, my hands and shoulders hurt, and my bottom is pretty sore but my spirit is soaring when I think how far I’ve gone and what I’m experiencing. I pulled out my prayer cards to avoid counting down the last 20 miles on my odometer. Praying through my list makes the time go by fast.
I have no time or desire to read the newspaper or watch TV but am finding quality time to talk and listen to Jesus.
Relationships with other riders are developing and we talk, assist each other, and look out for each other during and after rides. The Fruit of the Spirit are practiced by many. Galatians 5:22, 23 says, “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
We climb together again tomorrow!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Day 4, Kah-Nee-Ta, OR to Prineville, OR, 61 miles
Today was another nice ride with beautiful views of snow tipped mountains along our way. We have ended up in the desert town of Prineville. I rode with four others and we were the first in today. By taking turns leading we saved our energy which we will need tomorrow on our longest day yet. We are getting ready for some hard climbs, too. But I got in early enough to find a place to get a massage. That felt great! I also got my laundry done which I needed to do. Then we had our group meeting. Each day the leaders meet with us and give us a topographical map of the next day and go over it with us. We talk about any problems we might have and they give us some good tips on how to handle the ride.
During the meeting one of the leaders told me that a newspaper reporter would like to interview me. He had heard about our group and knew that a few of us were using the ride to raise funds for a cause. Some are riding to raise money for cancer research, abused women, blood donation awareness, etc. He talked to me around 30 minutes asking questions like why was I doing this ride? How did so much money come in? How did we start taking in orphan children?
I don’t feel like I need to be overly aggressive in sharing my faith but when someone asks me about my story I like to tell them something of my faith. I told him that we love the Lord and He is the One who inspires us and that is why we have done this. The grace of God is that powerful. He can do it! We live to give glory to God! We have to give Him the credit for doing it.
As we were finishing he casually mentioned that he probably wouldn’t be using any references I had made to God because his paper had readers that might be antagonistic or offended by that kind of talk. A story like mine could be in the religion section but not on the sports pages where this story was going. They don’t want to lose readers but they would enjoy hearing about the adventure. Why can't they give God any credit at all?
All I could think of was that he was the one asking the questions of me! Why did he want to know what I was doing and how I was doing it if he wasn’t going to be honest in the article about why I was doing all this? I ended up calling him back and asking him not to even include me in his article. He really wanted to tell my story (at least part of it) and finally said he would include some of the points I had made about God being the reason for the things I am doing.
We want our lives to give glory to God and it is discouraging when we run into people who don’t do that and don’t even want us to. I have quoted Ephesians 3:20 for years as what I stand for and believe in. That verse is, “Now glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes.” I want this ride to give God the glory!
During the meeting one of the leaders told me that a newspaper reporter would like to interview me. He had heard about our group and knew that a few of us were using the ride to raise funds for a cause. Some are riding to raise money for cancer research, abused women, blood donation awareness, etc. He talked to me around 30 minutes asking questions like why was I doing this ride? How did so much money come in? How did we start taking in orphan children?
I don’t feel like I need to be overly aggressive in sharing my faith but when someone asks me about my story I like to tell them something of my faith. I told him that we love the Lord and He is the One who inspires us and that is why we have done this. The grace of God is that powerful. He can do it! We live to give glory to God! We have to give Him the credit for doing it.
As we were finishing he casually mentioned that he probably wouldn’t be using any references I had made to God because his paper had readers that might be antagonistic or offended by that kind of talk. A story like mine could be in the religion section but not on the sports pages where this story was going. They don’t want to lose readers but they would enjoy hearing about the adventure. Why can't they give God any credit at all?
All I could think of was that he was the one asking the questions of me! Why did he want to know what I was doing and how I was doing it if he wasn’t going to be honest in the article about why I was doing all this? I ended up calling him back and asking him not to even include me in his article. He really wanted to tell my story (at least part of it) and finally said he would include some of the points I had made about God being the reason for the things I am doing.
We want our lives to give glory to God and it is discouraging when we run into people who don’t do that and don’t even want us to. I have quoted Ephesians 3:20 for years as what I stand for and believe in. That verse is, “Now glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes.” I want this ride to give God the glory!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Day 3, Welches, OR to Kah-Nee-Ta, OR, 66 Miles
Dear Kids at Sankey Samaritan Home in Lucena City, Philippines,
(And to all the other readers, too!)
Magandang araw sa inyong lahat mga anak ko! (Good day to all my many kids!)
Today your Uncle Tom rode from the mountains to the desert. When I started this morning it was only 38 degrees which is very cold for this time of year but it was because we were at a high elevation. We started with lots of warm clothes on then dropped them with our leader in the truck as it gets warmer.
To begin we had a 20 kl. climb with snow around us before heading down to the high desert of Oregon where it was 80 degrees! It can snow 1 meter in a day in the mountains. (Uncle Toto will explain snow to you!) The air is thinner on top of the mountains and many riders suffer from altitude headaches in the evenings after big climbs.
I saw some elk and deer today. When I got to the desert I saw at least 20 wild horses running near the isolated road I was riding on. Our country is beautiful and I enjoy the time with Jesus as I ride along hours at a time praying for each one of you. Because I am riding for you and other Filipino kids my legs don’t seem to get tired even though matanda na ako! (I am old!)
I you want to imagine what it is like to ride a bike so far go and sit on top of a fence post, lean forward for six hours, move your feet in circles, and eat things like raisons, bananas, and a liter or two of Gatorade each hour! Masakit any puit ko! (My butt hurts!)
Remember the verse in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 in your Bible? It talks about discipline and training and sacrificing to prepare yourself to perform your best not only in athletics but in school, music, and most importantly in your Christian life! I began training for this adventure with Jesus in January and six months of practice has at least given me a chance to succeed. You can do the same and are doing it now! Keep listening to Uncle Toto and Ate Bebs and God will make you strong Christians and you can accomplish great things for God.
I love you and am so very proud of you!
Uncle Tom
Keep praying for me because we are going to help lots more Filipino kids after my ride!
(And to all the other readers, too!)
Magandang araw sa inyong lahat mga anak ko! (Good day to all my many kids!)
Today your Uncle Tom rode from the mountains to the desert. When I started this morning it was only 38 degrees which is very cold for this time of year but it was because we were at a high elevation. We started with lots of warm clothes on then dropped them with our leader in the truck as it gets warmer.
To begin we had a 20 kl. climb with snow around us before heading down to the high desert of Oregon where it was 80 degrees! It can snow 1 meter in a day in the mountains. (Uncle Toto will explain snow to you!) The air is thinner on top of the mountains and many riders suffer from altitude headaches in the evenings after big climbs.
I saw some elk and deer today. When I got to the desert I saw at least 20 wild horses running near the isolated road I was riding on. Our country is beautiful and I enjoy the time with Jesus as I ride along hours at a time praying for each one of you. Because I am riding for you and other Filipino kids my legs don’t seem to get tired even though matanda na ako! (I am old!)
I you want to imagine what it is like to ride a bike so far go and sit on top of a fence post, lean forward for six hours, move your feet in circles, and eat things like raisons, bananas, and a liter or two of Gatorade each hour! Masakit any puit ko! (My butt hurts!)
Remember the verse in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 in your Bible? It talks about discipline and training and sacrificing to prepare yourself to perform your best not only in athletics but in school, music, and most importantly in your Christian life! I began training for this adventure with Jesus in January and six months of practice has at least given me a chance to succeed. You can do the same and are doing it now! Keep listening to Uncle Toto and Ate Bebs and God will make you strong Christians and you can accomplish great things for God.
I love you and am so very proud of you!
Uncle Tom
Keep praying for me because we are going to help lots more Filipino kids after my ride!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Day 2, St. Helens, OR to Welches, OR, 75 miles
It was a beautiful ride through orchards, nurseries, and a view of the magnificent 11,239 foot high Mt. Hood which has a base that spreads for 92 miles. The glaciers of Mt Hood had my total attention the last 25 miles!
The last 30 miles today was lots of climbing up to a mountain resort with a great hot tub and pool! My legs are feeling good enough that I am enjoying the incredible beauty of the NW USA and socialize with everyone I meet.
My morning quiet time is a highlight and I continue to request strength, energy, and safety from injuries and crashes. It reminds me of the day to day dependence on Christ we experienced in the Philippines going from province to province and village to village playing basketball all day every day! I am enjoying this wonderful adventure with the Lord and His creation.
I have room for more prayer requests so keep them coming.
Love, Tom
The last 30 miles today was lots of climbing up to a mountain resort with a great hot tub and pool! My legs are feeling good enough that I am enjoying the incredible beauty of the NW USA and socialize with everyone I meet.
My morning quiet time is a highlight and I continue to request strength, energy, and safety from injuries and crashes. It reminds me of the day to day dependence on Christ we experienced in the Philippines going from province to province and village to village playing basketball all day every day! I am enjoying this wonderful adventure with the Lord and His creation.
I have room for more prayer requests so keep them coming.
Love, Tom
Monday, June 16, 2008
Day 1, Astoria, OR to St. Helens, OR, 75 miles
My first day was great! We left Astoria, OR around 7:30 AM and I rolled into my hotel for tonight in St. Helen, OR after 3 ½ hours of riding time after 75 beautiful miles. When we started out this morning it was pretty cool… around 49 degrees! Brr. But I had my cold weather gear on in layers. Every 20 to 30 miles I peeled off another layer!
I felt great even on the two big climbs. One was a five mile climb that was much more fun coming down than going up. I was going 45 miles per hour on the last of the down slope. A guy my size can get up some speed on the down sides of the hills! I felt good tackling the hills today. I felt pumped up!
We had a couple of things happen today that were unusual. Most people are very careful of riders on the road. Some will wave at us or yell something encouraging. But today some guys went by and threw some bottles out of the windows at some of our riders. One guy got hit by one of the bottles and ended up in the ditch. Thankfully, he just had a few bruises. A driver coming along saw it all and called 911. The police came by to check on our group and said they would do what they could to find the bad guys. Turns out the policemen were bikers, too, and were upset about what had happened. Another thing that we heard about was to the most experienced rider with us. He is with America by Bicycle and was riding around 30 feet behind another rider and going 40 miles an hour downhill when that man’s windbreaker jacket, which was tucked into his back shirt pocket, came flying out. It wrapped itself around our leader’s face! Thankfully, he was able to keep control of the bike and peel the jacket off his head, too! There were a couple of flat tires and one guy’s wheel had to have some spokes replaced.
The group in charge of the ride is taking good care of us. We had a couple of stops today where they were able to refill our water bottles, give us snacks to keep up our energy, and check on our bikes. I’m starting to meet some of the other riders. I’ve met two men in the Air Force and one policeman. Jesus happened to come up twice already! In fact, I spent 30 minutes with someone after dinner tonight talking about Jesus.
I prayed through my list of names twice today. I found it was easier on the flat areas to pray because I was too tired going up the hills! I’ll have the list memorized soon.
Today we had Mt. St. Helens in our view with Mt. Hood looming large on the horizon. Tomorrow we get closer to Mt. Hood and spend the night in Welches, Or. Our miles will be about the same.
Thanks for praying. I feel inspired and appreciate your prayers and calls. I can’t get back to everyone but I love the messages!
I felt great even on the two big climbs. One was a five mile climb that was much more fun coming down than going up. I was going 45 miles per hour on the last of the down slope. A guy my size can get up some speed on the down sides of the hills! I felt good tackling the hills today. I felt pumped up!
We had a couple of things happen today that were unusual. Most people are very careful of riders on the road. Some will wave at us or yell something encouraging. But today some guys went by and threw some bottles out of the windows at some of our riders. One guy got hit by one of the bottles and ended up in the ditch. Thankfully, he just had a few bruises. A driver coming along saw it all and called 911. The police came by to check on our group and said they would do what they could to find the bad guys. Turns out the policemen were bikers, too, and were upset about what had happened. Another thing that we heard about was to the most experienced rider with us. He is with America by Bicycle and was riding around 30 feet behind another rider and going 40 miles an hour downhill when that man’s windbreaker jacket, which was tucked into his back shirt pocket, came flying out. It wrapped itself around our leader’s face! Thankfully, he was able to keep control of the bike and peel the jacket off his head, too! There were a couple of flat tires and one guy’s wheel had to have some spokes replaced.
The group in charge of the ride is taking good care of us. We had a couple of stops today where they were able to refill our water bottles, give us snacks to keep up our energy, and check on our bikes. I’m starting to meet some of the other riders. I’ve met two men in the Air Force and one policeman. Jesus happened to come up twice already! In fact, I spent 30 minutes with someone after dinner tonight talking about Jesus.
I prayed through my list of names twice today. I found it was easier on the flat areas to pray because I was too tired going up the hills! I’ll have the list memorized soon.
Today we had Mt. St. Helens in our view with Mt. Hood looming large on the horizon. Tomorrow we get closer to Mt. Hood and spend the night in Welches, Or. Our miles will be about the same.
Thanks for praying. I feel inspired and appreciate your prayers and calls. I can’t get back to everyone but I love the messages!
Day 0, Astoria, OR
Today Tom begins his ride across America! I dropped him off at his hotel yesterday afternoon where he was meeting the rest of the riders and the group leaders. He was excited and maybe a little nervous about the whole thing! But he is ready to go. He has put in lots of hard work getting ready and now it is here.
We flew to California last week to attend a 50th Wedding Anniversary party for Jerry and Arlene Hitchman. Tom also spoke at Westgate Church in San Jose. We had a great time visiting with friends. Tom continued to ride each day he could. One day he tackled the mountains between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz. He said that he was surprised because he hadn’t remembered that ride being easy before. Goes to show you how good his biking is going! He also took one nice ride with the pastor of Westgate, Steve Clifford. We also spent an afternoon in San Francisco with my brother, Don, his wife, Diane, and my two nephews, Konrad and Evan. Tom couldn’t imagine climbing some of those hills on his bike. The mountains of Santa Cruz were easier looking!
Our next stop was at Bob and Peggy Gilder’s in Corvallis, Oregon. Tom took two beautiful rides there and just had a great time. The air was cool and we had beautiful sunny days. The ride there was over rolling hills and alongside stands of huge fir trees. Mt Hood was beautiful!
Then finally on Sunday Al and Andy Egg of Portland drove us to the coast where Tom would be dropped off. We drove to the ocean and saw the famous landmark, Haystack. Then on to Astoria where the Column is. It’s a tall column you can normally walk up a spiral staircase in and see the view of the Columbia River and into the state of Washington from the top. Breathtaking views!
We dropped Tom and all his gear at the hotel in Astoria, said a few tearful farewells (me) and waved goodbye. The next time I see Tom will be when he rides into Rochester, MN! Al and Andy took me back to Portland where I caught an afternoon flight to Oklahoma City. The route we followed back was exactly where Tom will be riding today. It follows the Columbia River all day just about. Parts are quite hilly with lots of trees on both sides of the road. At one point the road opens up and you see Mt. St. Helens just in front of you and just to the side is Mt. Hood, both still snow covered.
Thank you so much for praying for Tom! Pray for the whole group while you are at it, ok? Pray for strength to make each day’s ride, for alertness on the road, for the new friends he will make, and for his safety. He is praying for you. He has around 80 3 x 5 cards hooked together with information about you that he will carry each day so he can be reminded to pray for you and your family.
Karen, for Tom
We flew to California last week to attend a 50th Wedding Anniversary party for Jerry and Arlene Hitchman. Tom also spoke at Westgate Church in San Jose. We had a great time visiting with friends. Tom continued to ride each day he could. One day he tackled the mountains between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz. He said that he was surprised because he hadn’t remembered that ride being easy before. Goes to show you how good his biking is going! He also took one nice ride with the pastor of Westgate, Steve Clifford. We also spent an afternoon in San Francisco with my brother, Don, his wife, Diane, and my two nephews, Konrad and Evan. Tom couldn’t imagine climbing some of those hills on his bike. The mountains of Santa Cruz were easier looking!
Our next stop was at Bob and Peggy Gilder’s in Corvallis, Oregon. Tom took two beautiful rides there and just had a great time. The air was cool and we had beautiful sunny days. The ride there was over rolling hills and alongside stands of huge fir trees. Mt Hood was beautiful!
Then finally on Sunday Al and Andy Egg of Portland drove us to the coast where Tom would be dropped off. We drove to the ocean and saw the famous landmark, Haystack. Then on to Astoria where the Column is. It’s a tall column you can normally walk up a spiral staircase in and see the view of the Columbia River and into the state of Washington from the top. Breathtaking views!
We dropped Tom and all his gear at the hotel in Astoria, said a few tearful farewells (me) and waved goodbye. The next time I see Tom will be when he rides into Rochester, MN! Al and Andy took me back to Portland where I caught an afternoon flight to Oklahoma City. The route we followed back was exactly where Tom will be riding today. It follows the Columbia River all day just about. Parts are quite hilly with lots of trees on both sides of the road. At one point the road opens up and you see Mt. St. Helens just in front of you and just to the side is Mt. Hood, both still snow covered.
Thank you so much for praying for Tom! Pray for the whole group while you are at it, ok? Pray for strength to make each day’s ride, for alertness on the road, for the new friends he will make, and for his safety. He is praying for you. He has around 80 3 x 5 cards hooked together with information about you that he will carry each day so he can be reminded to pray for you and your family.
Karen, for Tom
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