We have arrived in Pelham, GA!

Millard Fuller's hanker chief is tied around each of our riders :) 

Your blogger today is the old man of the group.  Today we rode about 57 miles to the little town of Pelham, GA.  You might wonder why we chose this town to stop – several folks in Pelham have expressed an interest in starting up a new Covenant Partner with The Fuller Center for Housing.   So we thought we would interact with them and perhaps share a little of the excitement that is building around our Bike Adventure.  Perhaps a news article or one of the many folks we talk to might be encouraged to add their time and talent, and perhaps even some of their cash to help get this important project off the ground.

One of the most visible persons who helped roll out the welcome mat for us in Pelham is Billy Davis.  Mr Davis is a city commissioner and a dedicated Christian.  It just so happens that I have a personal connection with Billy because, like me, is a retired navy man.  In his case, he was a Master Chief Petty Officer and for those of you who aren’t familiar with military lingo, that’s just as high as you can go as an enlisted man in the Navy.  I learned years ago that the one shipmate you could depend on in every crew was the Master Chief.  And now, this Master Chief has made it clear that he depends on Jesus – just the perfect person to help carry on His work with a new Affiliate Partner of the Fuller Center.

During our trip, We have had the most incredible experience and you’re about to hear about some of the things that have happened from the perspective of one of newest members.

Our group has grown very close as you might imagine but the depth of their affection for each other and the level of dedication and commitment is really hard to describe.   I’m particularly enjoying the fact that most of our group is less than 25 and yet they have already learned the importance of personal commitment.  It’s a spirited group and a funny group . . . just the right kind of personalities to carry on with our mission which is to bring attention to the Fuller Center for Housing and at the same time to raise funds for this wonderful ministry.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Today we celebrated a birthday with our fearless leader, Ryan Iagfigliola.  What a fun time for all of us.  He has done a superb job of arranging the myriad of details associated with all of our travels.  Many happy returns, Ryan.

No mishaps today, and even the oldest of us made it to the destination ready for another long ride tomorrow.  Only two more legs to this journey remain.  Soon we will be departing in many different directions but I’m quite sure that many of us have made life long friends and will stay in touch for many years.

written by: Dave Steere

photos by: Esther Hyejin Chung