As of May 31, the cyclists taking part in the ‘I Will Go Ride’ in the lead-up to the 2022 General Conference (GC) Session have covered about 60 percent of their epic journey from Washington, D.C., to St Louis, Missouri.
The journey, which began on May 22, has not been without its challenges, including flat tires, thunderstorms, hot weather, and steep inclines. The cyclists say, however, that they have been buoyed by positive encounters and faith-sharing experiences along the way.
Throughout the ride, the cyclists are taking time to stop, chat with people, and hand out copies of The Great Controversy and Your Bible and You. So far, they have found people to be very receptive to what they have to share.
Speaking on May 31 from Maysville, Kentucky, Michael Worker said the journey so far has been inspirational. “We’ve just found the American folk so receptive, so welcoming,” Worker, general secretary of the Australian Union Conference, said.
“Yesterday morning, as we were just about to leave our hotel, I met another [man named] Michael. He was a retired military man and a Christian. We shared with him what we were doing, and he was just exuberant and overjoyed to receive The Great Controversy and Your Bible and You and to hear about what we were up to. Before he would let us go, he insisted that he would pray for us.
“So many people are just wishing us well, wanting to pray for us, and just to bless us as we go about sharing the gospel with people throughout the small towns, little villages, and communities.”
More than half the cyclists on the “I Will Go Ride” are from the South Pacific Division (SPD), including SPD president Glenn Townend, South Queensland Conference president Brett Townend, SPD senior ministry systems specialist Russ Willcocks, and Brisbane Adventist church member Rod Hansford. Also on the team are GC associate ministerial secretary Anthony Kent, GC health ministries associate director Torben Bergland, and South East Asia Union Mission publishing and health director Pham Nguyen To Phuong.
The ride was inspired by pioneer literature evangelists Phillip Reekie and his nephew Frederick, who rode bicycles to share literature in remote parts of Australia in the 1890s.
The cyclists are due to arrive in St Louis on Sunday, June 5. Follow their travels on Instagram here.
The original version of this story was posted by Adventist Record.
