I wish everyone could experience the initial gathering of the FREEDOM TOUR team.
After months of training, preparation, and anticipation we’re finally together in the same place. Some come down the street, some across town, and some travel hundreds of miles. Some are old friends, many meet for the first time. Eighteen team members, a few sponsors, and some key supporters assemble, laugh, and generally try to figure out what this crazy dream is really all about.
First, we eat.
I met Mike Parish several years ago in a men’s bible study. As we stayed in touch I learned that he earns his living as a tech guy but his true passions are 1) serving people and 2) cooking. For the last three years, BIG MIKE’S has prepared a feast of slow smoked brisket, chicken, sausage, and pork for our team dinner.
Mike begins Wednesday evening with his special concoction of hand-made rubs and sauces. Smoking starts Thursday night in the Big Green Egg. He documents the entire process on Facebook, so by the time the BIG MIKE’S crew arrives to set up we’re practically drooling.
Mike is just one example of the huge circle of people who surround our 22 kids and make the FREEDOM TOUR an amazing community. He prepares this incredible meal straight from his heart. I swear you can taste the love in every bite.
After dinner we talk a bit about the mission, about the HOME OF HOPE and the 22 kids at the center of the whole effort. We try to offer a sense of the missionaries, their staff, and their difficult work. It seems important to remember why we’re here.
But this night is about community, and the center of the evening is the Jersey Ceremony. Each team member receives team jerseys and t-shirts, devotions booklet, Hope Stone, and a few other items. We ask each person to introduce herself, say something about background, and talk about why he joined the team.
You might expect surface, nervous stuff. You’d be surprised. These folks sacrificed to be here. Each person brings hopes, dreams, and fears. They’re committed to this thing, and it comes across as each person reveals a bit of the personal journey that brought them here. There’s laughter, sure, and a few tears. But mostly there’s quiet determination to be part of an amazing story.
In about 12 hours we’ll be riding bikes together, beginning to discover what it’s like to move down the road as a team. Tonight we’re coming together, and words can’t really capture the joy.
If this looks like something you’d like to be part of, mark your calendars. FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR 2017 will kick off on Friday, June 16, 2017. There’s a place for you and I’ll make one promise.
It’s gonna be a blast!