a couple years ago i walked across nicaragua with some friends to raise money to help open a feeding center for kids in a refugee camp.
on our way home after the trip i said, “well guys, whats next?” not really thinking anything would be next, but a year later I was talking to a friend and I asked him if he would want to bike the Pan American Highway with me. It runs from Alaska to Argentina. Without hesitation, he said he would love to do that.
so the story began. we started talking about things and decided we would leave in june of 2008 with another friend who would be graduating then. the othe friend backed out from the whole trip, but wants to be involved a little bit.
we will be leaving in june, for alaska, where we will then start biking to argentina. it’s going to take about 555 days or so. we will go through 15 countries and hopefully meet a lot of people.
in the last year or so as we have been planning and talking about things, my life has been transformed and I see things in a different light than i used to. God has been gracious to me and given me talents and abilities and i need to use them. i need to use them to show the hurting and suffering but also the joy that abounds in this world.
i have come to realize that we, mankind are all a lot closer to each other than we think and are dependent upon one another. we all have gifts that we need to use and together we can accomplish a lot more than we can on our own.
my goal with the trip is to find people that inspire me, bless me and question me. i want to be a light in a dark world and i want to connect with people. i know that on my own i can’t do much, but with the help of other people and with God on my side, I can move mountains.
the bike trip is more than a trek from alaska to argentina. the destination isn’t really argentina. the destination is christ. Jesus told the disciples to go, to take their staffs and go out into the world. in essence we will be taking our bikes and going. Only God know where it will really lead and what will happen 2 miles into the trip.
i want people to come with us, whether it be for a day or a week or 6 months or the entire journey. i feel like we are creating an opportunity for people to join where they can bring to the table whatever talents and abilities they have and use them in different ways. i will be using my photography, reilly will be writing. perhaps a videographer will come and shoot with/for us. maybe you will come and drive a support vehicle or ride a bike with us.
we want to be in community with people and learn from each other and work together to do good in the world.
this trip is a lot bigger than i am and there is so much more that needs to be done, that i will never think about. that is why i tell people, to get them excited perhaps about what God is doing and hopefully have them see that they can get involved with us, or with someone else.
hopefully that gives you a little glimpse into what we will be doing when we leave charlottesville come june 1, 2008. i’d love to hear your thoughts about it.