By The Time You Read These Words…

… I’ll likely be at least a few miles down the road on Day 1 of the IJM Freedom Tour.

I’m excited to get going, but I’m also more than a little fearful. I don’t know how it’s going to go. I’ve never tackled anything this difficult. In the words of one local, when we told him about our route: “You’re not going up hills. You’re going over MOUNTAINS!”

Thanks for the encouragement.Our team includes people with amazing stories. With permission, I want you to meet a few of them during the week.

Seventeen-year-old Kathy told us about her dad’s slow, excruciating death from cancer a few years ago. Then she described the incredible gift he left, a gift that inspired her to be part of our team.

A few weeks prior to his death, he wrote her a letter. He wanted to pass along some wisdom and guidance, a way for them to remain connected as she moved through seasons in her life.

You can imagine that his letter is her most prized possession. It’s a legacy, something to which she’ll return as she encounters trials and joys. I imagine her reading her dad’s words again at different ages, seeing them through fresh eyes as she grows, matures, and experiences.

Obviously she didn’t share the entire letter with us, but she told us one piece of wisdom that’s already impacted her. He urged his daughter to “help people.”

That’s a pretty open-ended instruction, but Kathy took it to heart. She started praying, asking God for direction, and she found that her heart was touched by the issue of human trafficking.

So she started a series of small initiatives to raise money and create awareness. And when she heard about a bike tour to benefit the work of IJM, she responded.

She’s never cycled seriously, but she trained and raised support. And now she’s heading off on a 500-mile journey, committed to following her dad’s guidance.

She’s riding to help people.

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