Every tour is unique.
Maybe you think after 8 years it’s just rinse and repeat. When you bring a group of people together with different backgrounds, riding abilities, and expectations it’s never same-old-same-old. Toss in the stay-at-home model and the uncertainties created by COVID-19 and you’ve got “unique.”
It’s a bike tour, so first thought is it would be all about riding bikes. Turns out the cycling is an excuse for the real content.
Relationships. Conversations. Encounters. Stories. Memories. Tours are created from these. You can’t plan them or repeat them. All you can do is create a space for them to happen, and get out of the way.
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We took shelter in a tunnel from a thunderstorm. Sheets of driving rain, and we began to wonder if we’d ever escape. We sent John into the downpour to see if riding to our lunch stop made sense.
Like the dove returning to Noah’s Ark, John returned with a green branch in his mouth. He discovered dry land (and lunch) beyond the flood, and hope was restored.
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We’ve all become familiar with ZOOM. In the world of social distancing it’s the new form of community, so we decided to invite some amazing friends of the FREEDOM TOUR to talk to the team via ZOOM. Turns out this “accommodation” was an absolute hit.
We heard from Jon Barratt (CEO of Project Rescue), Paul Hurkman (Executive Director of Venture), Dick Foth (wise friend and pastor), and Jerry Schemmel (winner of Race Across America 2015). These friends generously shared about the work to rescue and restore trafficking victims, biblical justice, biblical freedom, and finding God after trauma.
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We wondered how the team would deal with masks and distancing when we weren’t riding bikes. Turns out that sitting outdoors in a big circle is a pretty good “alternative.”
Turns out we don’t need a special room or set-up. A few chairs, a couple of folding tables, and portable grills create the perfect environment for breaking barriers and creating discussion.
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Jesus didn’t change. Through all the craziness, we remember that the truly important stuff remains.
So we gathered each morning beneath beautiful blue Colorado skies to remind ourselves that we were part of a story bigger than ourselves. We remember that Jesus cares for the kids at the HOME OF HOPE, He holds them, and us, securely in His hands.
Every tour is unique.