13 friends in Christ... having each answered a call from God to live out the call to love our neighbors as ourselves. We each gave sacrificially to do something we knew we couldn't do on our own. It was quite the summer...
Here are a whole bunch of photos from the days leading up to the arrival. Pennsylvania was gorgeous and so tough to bike through. Some of the best biking we've had the entire trip, but the hardest as well. 7,000 feet of climbing one day (more than any day in the Cascades or Rockies). We went through some big Appalachian mountains. Oh, and Gettysburg and Philly were pretty awesome!
Biking into Manhattan was quite the experience. I loved it... I really did. City biking is crazy at times, but can be quite fun. You just have to be hyper vigilant. Its certainly a more draining day than some, with all the sensory overload, but its some good biking too.
So, we biked from the George Washington Bridge down through Manhattan... along Central Park and to the World Trade Center area... along the point of the city where we could see the Statue of Liberty, etc. From there, we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge which was very beautiful, a great view of the city. We ended at Rockaway Beach, in Queens, along the ocean. Celebrations in the ocean of course.
This summer was an amazing experience and one I'll always remember. I learned a lot about myself, about living with others day in and day out, about loving God and loving others, about learning to let others be in control, about accepting challenging experiences because they'll bring growth, about doing something for someone else... and so much more.
Seeing the country was so cool too... it was a very intimate look at this great country (you feel every bump in the road!). Staying in 40+ different cities across the US showed a lot about communities and that there are churches all over that do things slightly different but all have a heart for Christ and others. So many people opened their doors and hearts to us... and that was a blessing.
So, now its over and tomorrow we go our separate ways. Its pretty crazy. 8 weeks with the same people and you get to know them pretty well. It will be strange without them. We will all try our best to bring the things we learned to where we live.
That's about it for this post. The final blog post from this tour. Thank you again to all those who supported me... ask me more about the trip sometime...
Many more photos, from biking into NY, the celebration, and some from sightseeing as well...
LOVE YOU ALL! THANKS AGAIN FOR THE SUPPORT! IN CHRIST, ROB
