Introductory Post
In 2005 the Canadian side of the Christian Reformed Church turned 100 years old. A Sea to Sea bike tour which crossed Canada from Vancouver to Halifax was organized as part of that celebration. 96 cyclists went the distance (10 weeks), with another 62 cycling a 3 or 4 week section.
I was mildly interested in that tour when it was in the planning stages, but never gave much thought to cycling in it or cycling period. That point of view changed when we attended the first celebration service and visited the camp site in Abbotsford, BC. What an amazing sight to behold! At that point though, my participation would be in terms of prayer support and following along by way of the internet and the Pumped! daily devotional book.
When the 2008 tour was announced in March, 2007, as a part of the Christian Reformed Church North America's (CRCNA) 150th anniversary celebration, I knew I'd be in. I originally planned on registering for the last two sections (5-6 weeks) of the tour, but most of the people I spoke to about it encouraged me to "do the whole thing". So, as things developed and time went on, I decided to go for it.
I will be cycling with a lot of people whom I don't know as of now, and a few people I do know. There are two other cyclists registered from our church, Fred Meyerink and Wiebo Maarhuis. As well, some of our son Trevor's friends that he met at the King's University College are signed up as well. I will do my best to keep them in line.
My fundraising goal of at least $10,000 is underway. The money is going to a very good cause, namely poverty relief via the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC), Christian Reformed World Missions (CRWM), Partners Worldwide, and a fund to be administered by the CRC solely for relief work.
Since May, 2007, I have cycled just over 1,300 km (800 miles). The tour will take us almost 5 times further, but in just 9 weeks. Not a walk in the park, but a challenging adventure that I am looking forward to.
The tour is about 8 months away now, but much preparation needs to be done, at work, home, on the bike, and fundraising. You can find out more about the tour and the cause by clicking on the Sea to Sea link on the right sidebar. The web site there is really neat. Should you wish to contribute to my fundraising efforts scroll down the list of cyclists, and there I'll be. I can also be emailed at randydewolde@hotmail.com. Thanks a lot, Randy.
