Down hill

Day After: Amazing Grace

All of the GREAT Riders went back to their former lives, today, as if things were like they used to be. But things had really changed. Today the Riders began "Life After the GREAT Ride." And, to those who welcomed them back it was as if things could return to normal. But, all of the sameness in the "as if" was not the same. It may have seemed the same but for the riders (and perhaps the rest of the team) things had changed. We had dreamed a dream. We had believed it - even in our unbelief. And, it had been achieved. What is better is none of us had achieved it on our own. We walked into work today among people who may have thought we achieved a physical goal. The thing we could never explain to them was that it involved far more than merely the physical and it was achieved by the God of the universe.

The direction the unfurled flag is waving will always seem to have significance. The width of the shoulder will be worthy of note. The surface of the pavement is important. The slope of the road matters now. Things have changed.

The spirit of discouragement of a friend has become more important. The condition of the things that impact the lives of those you are with are worthy of note. How your choices impact friends and family seems more important. Things have changed.

The idea that something significant can be accomplished in small increments has become real. Commitment to a live with an outward focus seems possible and important. Memories that are being placed in the minds of our children and grandchildren challenge us to higher, nobler actions and choices. Things have changed.

The GREAT Ride Day After . . . life is sweeter, hope is stronger and grace is more amazing than ever.

Day Nine - the Red River!

The threefold description of the day that was present as we stepped out of the motel room was "cool, calm and clear." As beautiful as it was, it only got better. By the end of the day it was no longer "calm." There as a decent wind from the SOUTH! We had a tailwind.Our plan was to start riding by 8:00a. The riders began arriving shortly after 7:00a. Everyone was pumped and excited. The kids were running around playing so hard that they were sweating before we paused for the pre-departure prayer. We had four support vans and everyone was on radio (walkie talkie) - Beth, Linda, Marilyn and Melissa. As we rolled out of the Motel 6 in Denton, we felt like it was simply a Sunday family outing - which I guess it really was. The course was to be slightly over 40 miles. All the riders were healthy, except for a couple of sore ankles, knees and lots of sore muscles. Most of the radio chatter was the support drivers positioning themselves to be as helpful as they could. A couple of miles north of the Motel 6 our old friend, Hwy 77, showed up and joined I-35. Our day was mostly spent on the access road.

First Rest Stop was 10 miles north. To get there we had to go through Sanger, Texas. Approaching Sanger was one of the few stretches requiring us to use a road other than the access road. It turned out to be an absolutely picturesque, quiet country road with trees that formed a canopy over the road. It crossed the railroad track that the access road refused to cross. It forded the river that made to access road double back. It was a brave little road that had been there a long time and grown beautiful with its years. As it brought us into town it introduced us to "Sanger" the yellow lab. Darrell Crow was right behind me and warned, by radio, that a dog was chasing me. I looked over my right shoulder and there was "Sanger" running beside and just behind me. He wasn't barking, just running. He really wasn't even chasing - just running. So, I thought I'd see how far and fast he'd run. I accelerated my pace to over 20 mph and Sanger stayed with me. I kept going and kept trying to go faster. At one point I know I read 25 mph on my computer and Sanger was right there with me. I decided I might not outrun him, but certainly I could out last him. Eventually I did - after about a mile. By then he had dropped back and then began running with Darrell. When we took our Rest Stop break in Sanger we were joined by our new found friend. The kids loved him.

We left Sanger the town and Sanger the dog behind for an 11 mile ride to the next Rest Stop. Even with this full sized key board I don't have the words to describe the beauty and challenge of the day's second ride. It literally issued a personal challenge to me to ride it as fast as could. I am not a sprinter, but the hills and sunshine and joy of the event pushed me. Then, I saw Crow in my rearview mirror and realized he was coming after me. I told him, as he arrived at the Rest Stop a few second behind me, that I had proven, once and for all, that - given a quarter mile head start - I can arrive first.

The next Rest Stop was on the north side of Gainesville. Our SAGs guided us through in expert style. About mid-town was where I had the only flat of the day. My spares were in Melissa's van so she doubled back as I removed the punctured tube. We were back on the road in no time. This Rest Stop was the LAST! We all donned our GREAT Ride T-shirts and agreed to ride as a group to the finish. We had one major event to accomplish, however, before the finish. The Plemons and Hinojosa kids had brought their bikes so as to ride with us. We found an appropriate level stretch that lead to an appropriate hill. All the kids - Joshua Hinojosa, Caleb Hinojosa, Cal Plemons, Cameryn Plemons and Cannon Plemons - officially became GREAT Riders at the top of the hill. And, it happened to be the hill we had been looking for for nine days. It was the LAST hill [Mike].

The water was cold and the mud was deep, but we dismounted our bikes and stood in the waters of the Red River. No one was more amazed than the riders themselves. Five riders started and five riders finished. The finish line was at the bottom of a steep downhill stretch that made a hard turn to the left as it went under the Red River bridge. We came blazing down completely unable to comprehend the moment - probably because it wasn't just a moment. It was a nine day excursion across Texas. It was the GREAT Ride. It was a never to be forgotten shared memory for friends, family and strangers we met along the way. It will change the lives of some people in Sri Lanka. It has changed our lives. We have jointly, personally seen and felt the hand of God - as He reached down to scoop the fog away because we asked - as He blew a renewed spirit of joy into our discouraged hearts because we asked - as he pushed gently on our backs with His tailwind because we asked. It was a great ride in the great state of Texas provided by a great God. May He be the one, as we speak of and remember these events, who gets the glory.

Hector asked me "what next?" Hmmm.

Day Eight Elation

After the stress and struggles of Day Seven, we were all pretty high at the end of the ride just to have arrived in Alvarado. But that joy was not to compare with what we experienced with the completion of Day Eight. Can you believe - DAY EIGHT!!!

The beauty of the morning weather had no peer on this trip unless it was the beauty of the afternoon weather. The whole day was simply gorgeous! There was a slight head wind but nothing that could be considered challenging, after Days One and Two.

All our equipment was running well. Hector had a flat in the morning, but that was all the bike trouble. Darrell Plemons did the main flat changing work.

We had two SAG vehicles all day - Melissa and Linda. They roles were very important for our passage through Fort Worth. We began about 20 miles south of the FtW loop and headed north. The SAGs took turns riding ahead and behind. They used their radios well and kept us aware of turns and snags. It was GREAT, worthy of the GREAT Ride.

As we approached the loop we almost took an unmapped entrance onto I-35. There were many turns to negotiate, but the Lord saw us safely through them all. We rode the wrong way on the interstate access road for a mile deliberately. We had long shouldless bridges to cross. But there were no incidents.

Mike had been working for days to keep the FtW Star Telegram informed about the trip. About the time Hector had his flat their photographer caught up with us and we posed for pictures.

When we were arriving at our lunch break we were thrilled by the greeting that had been set up by Beth Plemons. I wasn't able to count them, but we had more than ten cheering greeters on the side of the road with banners and signs. We were all amazed and moved. Then, when we arrived in Denton there were more. The whole ride team was so encouraged and uplifted - elation!

All have confessed disbelief that we have actually been able to arrive at the eve of Finish Line Day with five riders. We all see this as a monumental event in our lives.

All have dispersed for the night, each going to his own home, except Darrell Crow and me. We are in the motel room (provided at the last moment by God) with the bikes. Marilyn has joined us and will drive support to the finish line. All things are in place for a spectacular finish tomorrow. See you at the Red River.



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Five GREAT Riders in Fort Worth!

The GREAT bike riders arrived in downtown Fort Worth this morning! This was quite exciting for them as you can imagine! They have clocked more than 500 miles. AMAZING GRACE has been their song each night during their devotions and HE has been amazing, indeed. Just one more short day tomorrow and they will be at the RED RIVER! 

And don't forget that this is a fund-raiser for BREAD for a Hungry World. Bikes for kids and adults in Samagama Village in Sri Lanka. Go to breadforahungryworld.org to read all about this village and the people there who lost their homes and family members during the tsunami. 

Day 5 with policeman

Back to day 5 for a photo. This is the Rosebud cop - he made a
donation to BREAD when he heard what the guys were doing.

Day Seven Separation

Day Seven Separation

Today's title comes from the fact that we experienced separation from each other for the first time since this saga began. Linda Bell took Darrell Plemons from us to a bike shop while the rest of us rode to lunch. But the story of his temporary separation is a great story of God's answer to prayers.

Darrell had been having difficulty with his bike since yesterday. The problems continued as we pedaled into the fog this morning. The more we pedaled, the worse his bike got and the thicker the fog became. Everyone was becoming frustrated, discouraged and testy. Finally, at our Rest Stop north of Waco, we stopped everything for a time of prayer. We asked God to lift our spirits, fix Darrell's bike and lift the fog. Soon Melissa Hinojosa arrived, the fog lifted and we realized we could send Darrell in one van to a bike shop while Melissa drove SAG for us. After lunch Darrell rejoined us with a bike able to finish the day, the fog was gone and we all felt better. True, he wouldn't correct all the issues with his bike until later in the evening, but the Lord certainly answered our roadside prayer.

I've been asked to post these estimates for tomorow. Please remember these are just rough estimates.

ETA List:
I-35@I-20 9:55a
@I-30 10:15a
Sylvannia@121 10:40a
Loop 820@Beach 11:30a
Riverside@Basswood 11:50a
Hwy 170@Hwy 376 1:10p
Hwy 377@ I-35E 3:30p

This weekend is TMS weekend. So we are hurting for a room in Denton along I-35. If anyone can help please call Marilyn or Beth tomorrow as early as possible.

Pray for mine and Darrell's left ankles. They are both very swollen and painful.

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Day Six Surprises

Day Six Surprises

The motel had a great restaurant and we loaded up on food. We've taking this calorie loading thing pretty seriously. I think we may all be gaining weight. Anyway, we ate and got on the road by daylight - about 7:20a. We had luxury of two SAG vans since Linda was now with us and Marilyn hadn't left us yet. Marilyn escorted us out of town while Linda did some shopping. I had found a route, on my iPhone, to get us back to 77 well north of town. It worked great. We hit 77 and started north. The wind  from the north had resumed and would be with us all day. The road surface was good to great and the hills began to appear after  some flat stretches.

The whole group was on good spirits. Plemons and I were, and still are, nursing bad left ankles. Orherwise, everyone is in good health. Mike Bell seemed to struggle the most as the day wore on. But we all arrived in Robinson together.

The surprises today came in the live radio interview. Becky Booker, whom we had met at the motel yesterday, said she would interview us on her  radio program. We called the number at the appointed time. I was elected to do the calling. We called during our second break. As I answered Becky's questions on the phone, the others listened to the interview on the other van's radio. The interview lasted about 10 or 12 minutes. We had given her a GREAT Ride brochure, so she was pretty well prepared with good questions. She made an appeal to her listening audience for money. We were surprised and elated.

Another surprise came in Rosebud. We stopped at the DQ, as usual. This time, however, we were told we could order but we'd have to eat outside. The whole diningroom had standing water on the floor. Also, we got to help move tables outside while we waited for our orders. But, because we were so helpful, we got free ice cream. So that worked pretty good.

Then, the final surprise came also in Rosebud. We stopped at the Shell station for rest room needs - since the DQ was out of commission. There we were approached by the Rosebud Police- probably THE Rosebud policeman. He wanted to know what we were up to when he saw all the bikes. As he sat there in his policeman's car asking question, chewing on his cigar, we explained our cause to him. We gave him a brochure. Eventually, he warmed up to the idea and donated $4 to the cause. We took the money, a quick picture and left Rosebud, a town full of surprises.

Another event of note was Marilyn's departure. She left at the last breaktime to go see her mom who is being visited by her sister. She'll be back on Sunday.

The Robinson folks have received us warmly. David and Denice Hunter are keeping three of us. The other three are staying with the Hewitts.

Day Six is History and it's almost impossible to believe. God is good.

-Ron

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Dairy Queen

The team loves DQ! This is 10th DQ visited since begining. This one is
in Rosebud!

Mike and Linda waiting for lunch.

Day Five Fog

Subject: Day Five Fog

The good thing about the presence of fog is that it is an indication that there is no wind. From our motel rooms, the highway out front was barely visible. The fog looked as though it was there to stay. So we went to breakfast at the motel restaurant knowing we'd probably finish eating well before we would be able to ride.

As we walked out of the restaurant, Peirre was loaded and leaving - headed for San Antonio. Only 100 miles he figured. God knows how to keep you humble. We watched him ride off into the fog.

Mike and I drove the van thru town so we could find the best way thru and check out the fog at the same time. We did both and decided it was time to go. So we geared up and got on the road about an hour late at 8:20a. We knew we had a short day since Sid Allen was going to meet us at Warda. We felt that the windless day, after the fog lifted, would make the 40 mile day a day of rest. We would pass through Scheulenburg and LaGrange before reaching Warda. Then we would load the bikes in Sid's truck and he would transport us to Rockdale.

The reason for the lift from Sid was because Linda and Marilyn had brought us yet another voice saying "don't ride the Warda to Rockdale portion of Hwy 77." Sid, while we were in Refugio, had called me asking if he could help. When I described the need for the lift on Wednesday, he accepted the job. He brought the truck of Rapha  International - a ministry for which both he and Marilyn serve as board members.

Anyway, back to the "day of rest" 40 miles. We kept getting further and further behind. Darrell Plemons and I were both suffering pretty bad with a sore left ankle. Darrell Crow broke a wheel spoke. The road had changed from the glass smooth surface of the day before to a grinding gravel topped  shoulder that was beating us down. But, we kept making slow progress.

At Scheulenburg, we learned that Sid had already arrived in Warda and was waiting there. I suggested we have him just come down and load us up from our current position. It was Darrell Plemons who stood for the idea of riding on. So we mounted up and rode.

The next obstacle was the said-to-be dangerous hair pinned descent into La Grange. Sid had joined up with us so he, Darrell Crow and I drove that portion to check it out. We decided the team would ride - ride we did. It turned out to be the thrill of the whole trip. We came down that quarter mile stretch that has a posted speed limit of 20 mph, in speeds in excess of 30 mph. Hector confessed to screaming like a little girl on a Six Flags ride. There was some talk of going up and doing it again. That was quickly abandoned.

We had lunch in La Grange. We decided it was best to go ahead and load the bikes in the Rapha truck and SAG on to Rockdale. At the motel, in Rockdale, we unloaded the bikes and gear, said our thanks and good-byes to Sid and begin being busy taking care of things that needed attention. Linda Bell was waiting  for us in Rockdale, having gotten Brigitte safely home. She and Marilyn took everyone's dirty clothes to a near by laundry mat. Linda will SAG for us tomorrow. Marilyn will leave after lunc temporarily, to go visit her mom. On we met a lady at the Kountry Inn In Rockdale who Will interview on her radio show - 98.5 out of Rocksale! Today.

Day Five begin in a fog and ended with a clear feeling of having passed the halfway point only by the help of God. And there was nothing foggy about His presence and protective provision.

Oh, Marilyn asked me to tell you to take the time to read some of the great   comments.

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