Experiencing the Beauty of God's Nature

by Molly Fulghum

The Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure is always an adventure. This week we left Missoula, MT en route to Lewiston, ID – First stop: Superior, Montana. Montana has stunningly beautiful landscape – rocky mountains with stately fur and pines, lush valleys with breathtaking rivers – and we get to experience it all by bicycle, truly out in nature’s beauty.

Nine others and I joined the group Saturday in Missoula and found a wonderful family of strong cyclists and support crew who all welcomed us with open arms. I am still relatively new to cycling and not what you would consider a "strong" cyclist. Several others who joined in Atlantic City, NJ and along the way were also new to cycling. They have developed incredible strength and skills and they are very willing to help new cyclists in any way needed. This was essential yesterday because the route, while not the longest for the FCBA, was the longest ride for me and included climbs I don’t usually see in my area of Georgia. Because of their help, rather than feeling the destination was not possible to reach, they provided encouragement and shared their knowledge and skills which helped get me to the end. When the day was done, I felt a great sense of accomplishment and joy in completing all the miles.

This reminds me of what the Fuller Center does – they help people by encouraging them, showing them the destination can be reached, and in the end, new homeowners and those with homes in need of repair have a sense of real accomplishment. They are working on their homes and paying for their homes with reasonable payment terms – a challenge that may have seemed impossible becomes possible, and a reality.

This journey is about helping others by raising money and awareness for the Fuller Center for Housing and the quest to end poverty housing. We are all helped along the way by each other, by the churches and companies who provide us with a place to sleep, hot showers and often times our meals. They open their homes and their hearts to us and also provide great fellowship and lasting friendships.

A big thank you to the churches of picturesque Superior MT: Superior United Methodist Church for the wonderful home cooked dinner Monday night and hot breakfast Tuesday morning; Superior Community Church for providing us with a place to sleep. Special thanks to Paul and Mary Skoglund for coming over Monday night and making wonderful fruit smoothies. Feeding 37 hungry cyclists and support crew is no small feat!

Tonight we are sleeping at Kellogg High School where several of us will sleep outside under the stars. As we are again out experiencing the beauty of God’s nature, we will say a special prayer of thanksgiving for those who have helped us on this journey and the real reason for the journey, which is to help others and end poverty housing.