{"id":2326,"date":"2008-08-20T20:38:32","date_gmt":"2008-08-20T20:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/?p=2326"},"modified":"2010-12-22T12:22:13","modified_gmt":"2010-12-22T17:22:13","slug":"6525","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2008\/08\/20\/6525\/","title":{"rendered":"NPU Cyclists Complete Fund-Raising Cross-Country Trek"},"content":{"rendered":"

QUINCY, MA (August 20, 2008) \u2013 On Sunday, six young adults parked their bikes with the front wheels standing in the Atlantic Ocean and then jumped in to the water to celebrate the completion of their cross-country journey. It had taken nearly three months to complete, and they had raised thousands of dollars for ministry. To view a YouTube video of the group concluding their trip, see Cyclists.<\/a>
\n
\n\"\"\u201cIt didn\u2019t feel like it was really happening until we were all in the water,\u201d said Dylan Maysick, of Grand Rapids, Michigan.<\/p>\n

The cyclists, all of whom attend or recently graduated from North Park University,<\/a> started their trek on May 24 in Redwood City, California, with the rear wheels of their bikes immersed in the Pacific Ocean (see earlier story<\/a> on their preparations). Along the way, they stopped at Evangelical Covenant churches to discuss issues of social justice as well as raise funds for two ministries\u2014ACIRFA Bikes<\/a> and Spark Ventures,<\/a> both of which serve the poor in Zambia.<\/p>\n

North Park sponsored the trip and paid the students\u2019 expenses.<\/p>\n

In addition to Maysick, riders were Marcus Simmons of Longview, Texas; Matt Enquist, of Libertyville, Illinois; Eric Landin of Jamestown, New York; Andrea Buchanan of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Emily Johnson of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Landin, Buchanan, Johnson, and Enquist come from Evangelical Covenant churches.<\/p>\n

They spent their last night at Covenant Congregational Church in Quincy, which had helped the riders finish in style. Members formed an 11-car motorcade, and other spectators lined parts of the route with signs congratulating the riders.<\/p>\n

People participating in a walk to benefit breast cancer research saw the church\u2019s signs and applauded. The cyclists made one last unexpected five-minute stop when they were surprised to find 20 residents of a local nursing home sitting on the front yard and cheering them on.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cIt was so wonderful,\u201d said Johnson.<\/p>\n

The discussions with church members, as well as encounters with others along the way, made the greatest impression on the students, they said. \u201cI think people really want to be involved with things that are important,\u201d said Buchanan. \u201cThat was really encouraging to me. I was struck by that.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also gained a deeper appreciation for the kindness of strangers that they frequently experienced. On the blog<\/a> maintained by the cyclists throughout their trip, Enquist wrote of a time that a storm was approaching and they had no place to stay.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we rolled into New Raymer, CO, we were riding around town looking for a place to pitch some tents when a woman in a beat up old El Camino pulled up next to us and offered us a place to stay in the local 4H barn,\u201d he wrote. \u201cShe flagged us over to the car with a Budweiser can in her hand hanging out of the car. We slept well indoors that night, listening to the rain crashing on the roof above us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The riders admitted that few of them had experience cycling long distances. \u201cI was not a cyclist at all; I was a runner,\u201d said Simmons.<\/p>\n

The difference between the two activities became quickly and painfully apparent. After the first day, Simmons blogged, \u201cIT WAS HARD! IT HURT! I WANTED TO CRY!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The group endured mountains, rain, heat, and mechanical malfunctions. Simmons was even attacked by a gray squirrel and birds on separate occasions. To see more photos of their trip, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n

But the only question as to whether they would finish came in Colorado when Johnson lost control of her bike on some gravel and suffered injuries that caused her to miss several days of riding with the rest of the team. The team to decide to continue, however.<\/p>\n

The riders said they learned to live more simply as they traveled with few possessions. Simmons plans to give away some of his things when he returns to school. \u201cI feel like they were a huge part of my identity. I don\u2019t have to worry about those things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is such a blessing knowing that college-aged kids are joining us in the battle to defeat the mind-set of poverty and bring the gospel from the pulpit of a bicycle,\u201d said Vaughn Spethmann, co-founder of ACIRFA and member of Clairemont Covenant Church in San Diego, California. \u201cIt is amazing how God can unite us across a continent and across the globe to help those in need. We thank all the NPU students for letting the world know about how God is moving in Zambia through ACIRFA.\u201d<\/p>\n

The amount of money raised won\u2019t be known for several weeks, but \u201cIt\u2019s in the thousands,\u201d said Rich Johnson, director of University Ministries at North Park and trip advisor.<\/p>\n

Johnson, who also is the co-founder of Sparks Ventures, praised the students. \u201cPeople can feel overwhelmed and not know how to respond to issues,\u201d he said. \u201cThey did something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Report This Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

QUINCY, MA (August 20, 2008) \u2013 On Sunday, six young adults parked their bikes with the front wheels standing in the Atlantic Ocean and then jumped in to the water to celebrate the completion of their cross-country journey. It had taken nearly three months to complete, and they had raised thousands of dollars for ministry. 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