The Impossible Made Possible

FCBA somewhere between Rapid City and Roundup, MT. Six years ago I would never have thought I could have and would have cycled so far, that it is virtually impossible. But, the passion everyone on this adventure has for helping others makes the impossible possible.

I am a teacher so I have the summer “off.” That gives me time to work summer school, visit exotic places, or spend up to six weeks pedaling across America, sleeping on the floors of churches, not knowing what is ahead tomorrow, much less 10 miles from now. I have chosen the latter, with no doubt in my mind because the reward is great. The smiles we bring on homeowners’ faces when we lend a helping hand, the love we receive at each of the host churches and the passion that emanates from our hearts within are rewards that are too great to turn down. It is a simple life during which priorities become evident and the goodness of humanity fills my day from the time I wake up (5 a.m.) to the time I lay myself to sleep (10 pm).

Today was the perfect example of why I love being a part of FCBA. We awoke in Helena at the Helena Alliance Church to a couple of the parishioners, who not only served us an outstanding breakfast, but nurtured us with love and prayers before we continued on to Deer Lodge. The morning devotion brought tears of joy to my eyes. Mihai arrived just last night (we missed you, Mihai), Amy (a new rider joined us) and……Melissa announced that we reached our goal of 1 million dollars. I can remember 6 years ago how we were hoping for $15,000. The generosity of people is beyond comprehension. What a great way to start our day’s journey. It certainly regenerates that passion we all have to not just reach our destination, but to give our all in order to help those in need.

I swept with Mark today. I knew the day would be tough, but not as tough as it ended up being. One never knows the adventure that lies ahead and the conditions we have to face. But, that is the essence of this adventure. We leave the worries to God. He will protect us on our way. That is the feeling I experienced today, much of the way. We had expected winds of only 10 mph, but as we ascended the pass, winds got up to near 35 mph. Cycling was tough. One of our riders had a spill. It wasn’t bad, but the difficult part was trying to clip in with a 35 mph wind going against you with traffic and a 6% graded to ascend. Fear sets in, but God steps in and gives a helping hand, giving the rider strength and courage to continue.

Then, later, near the middle of the ride, one of the riders crashed into another rider. This does happen. We all are human. The road rash is well worth the lesson learned and the event then becomes humor. I love this fact about our the FCBA community. We are a tight knit group that works together as a group, cheering each other on, admitting our mistakes, congratulating our accomplishments, and being honest at all times. I believe it is that passion we hold deep within our hearts that keeps us so well bonded together. Nothing will break us apart. That is God’s will.

When we reached Deer Lodge, we were greeted by Teresa at St. Mary’s School. She met us with such a welcoming smile that we felt a part of her family. She has coordinated dinner with Assembly of God and

breakfast with St. John’s Lutheran. What a wonderful welcome!