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Less than a month!!
First, I’d like to recognize Nick Dobrinska and Jordan Maternowski for joining team UW. I’d also like to announce our pit-crew captain, Ms. Stephanie Dunbar. It’s a tremendous joy and blessing to share the enthusiasm with such phenomenal men and women.
Please continue to keep all the riders in your prayers! As you are all aware, winter training in Illinois and Wisconsin is not the most ideal; however, it’s God’s outpouring grace and mercy that allows us to sustain.
Please also pray for a greater unified front within the Pro-life movement. The devil thrives on disunity! That said, pray that we may overcome our differences and recognize that we are in this together to promote a greater respect for life and the dignity of the human person.
To respect life is not just a matter of killing the innocence. That’s where it starts! So, yes, this is our greatest feat to overcome; however, ask yourself: How can I better respect life and the dignity of the human person? It’s through our actions, and in the day-to-day, that we can work together to transform our culture, the Culture of Death. And, it doesn’t end there… As St. José Maria Escriva said, “action is worth nothing without prayer: prayer grows in value with sacrifice.”
I’d like to thank you for your contributions and challenge you to continue offering up prayers and sacrifices for a greater respect to life and the transformation of our culture!
I must admit, I’m very impressed w/ the time and effort Mike has invested in B4B. And, I’d also like to thank John Paul and Stephen for their work. Further North, we’re fighting very similar conditions, but trekking along and making due. It’s been an adjustment to the schedule, working to set aside the necessary time for training, but it’s worth it (for the babies!) If you were to ask me: “Where are you at right now in your training?” Well… I’d say: “the mentalityis getting there the physicality is a working progress…”
That said, as we continue preparing for this endeavor, I encourage you, above all else, to pray. Prayer is essential! In prayer, reflect on these questions…
- What can I do? It is important to recognize: the Liturgical season. It’s no coincide that our endeavor occurs during the season of Lent. Why is that? Well, Lent is a great time to draw closer to Christ’s passion. (fasting, prayer, and alms giving) And what do I mean by that, well… we can rest assured in knowing that God’s greater Glory will triumph over any and all evil. That said, as His faithful stewards (Soldiers for Christ) it is our duty to unite ourselves to His suffering and recognize His grace poured out in/through us. Keep in mind, “grace builds on nature.” – St. Thomas Aquinas. God will work with what we give Him. That said, if we truly believe that we can transform the “Culture of Death,” let’s start working to transform the culture. It starts here, it starts now. How? I’m sure you have heard this before, but it’s always important to refer back to… ”Some give by going, others go by giving.” We’re all in this together. Let us unite for His greater Glory through our prayers, efforts, encouragement and support!
- Why am I doing it? It’s always important to refer back to the intention. We’re doing this to raise awareness, promote hope and unity, and encourage our fellow brothers and sisters working directly in Satan’s line of fire.
- Is it worth? Absolute. It’s worth every penny and/or ounce of sweat. Use the gifts God has given you for His greater glory. If you want to see your light shine, turn it on. If you want to make a difference, take action. We are His instruments. Trust in His will, follow His way, prepare for the battle and know that the journey is difficult.
I’ll keep working on our (UW) end to prepare for this endeavor. I encourage you all, as well.
Mary – Queen of Victory (Pray for us!), Sister Mary Joseph (Pray for us!), St. Michael – the Archangel (Pray for us!), St. Sebastian (Pray for us!), All our guardian angels (Pray for us!)
Hello family, friends and all faithful supporters,
As Mike stated, It’s hard to believe it’s almost been a year, but great to know that B4B 2010 is rapidly approaching. Both Mike and I are equally enthused and preparing our respective teams for the endeavor.
As I was sitting in Mass yesterday, I was struck by the first reading from Jeremiah…
Jer 1:4-5, 17-19
“The word of the LORD came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you…But do you gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you. Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them; for it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land: against Judah’s kings and princes, against its priests and people. They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.”
Amen! Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the battle is on! Gird your loins, stand up and protect the dignity of Life. As faithful Christians, we are called to Holiness. We called to strengthen one anothers sword and be faithful stewards to His will. As Jeremiah exclaims: “They will fight against you but not prevail over you.” Rest assured that God is with us, now and always. You’ve heard it said, time and time again…We are many parts, but we’re all one body. Let’s come together, as a unified front, and work to protect the dignity of the human person. The time is Now! I look forward to the months ahead, as we prepare to trek out this Spring. Know that you are all in my prayers and thank you for all that you do. Let’s continue to pray for a greater respect to life and a transformation of our culture. Mary-Queen of Victory (pray for us!)
“It is finished!”
Daily mileage = 85 avg; Total mileage = 636!
Thank you, Thank you. We appreciate all the prayers and support along the way. It’s been real.
During the Ride: This morning we started out in the tundra of Dekalb. One word: “FREEZING!” This morning temperature was 28 degrees. Constant reminder: “FOR THE BABIES!” More specifically; “FOR THE KINGDOM!” Constant prayers were offered up for a greater respect to life, an appreciation for all family/friends, and shaefer (he was only wearing shorts!)
I’d like to thank Eric and Giorgio for helping us trek onward to Chicago. I’d also like to encourage all those in Aurora (and across the nation) to keep fighting the good fight (PRAY FOR AN END TO THE CULTURE OF DEATH!).
Life lesson learned today: Don’t ask Chicago-ians for directions, they’ll get you lost. All jokes aside, life lesson: When mapping out a week long bike trek, don’t rely on google maps (or add 36ish miles, if it’s a 600 mile trek).
In all seriousness, this spring break most certainly been a tremendous blessing. Bravo to Mike and John Paul for all their work and efforts. I also owe a special thanks to all the family/friends that put up w/ us along the journey and to our car co-pilot, Stacy Hague. Special thanks to my family for all their love and support!
Mike and I will provide you all w/ final video footage, as well as a final count of the earnings (…soon and very soon). God is good; all the time!
God Bless -J
St. Michael -pray for us, St. Christopher -pray for us, St. Sebastian -pray for us, Mary, Queen of Victory -pray for us
–There’s still time to donate to our cause! Click on the donate button on the side bar and make a donation to help me reach my goal of $10,000!–
–We also still have Biking for Babies T-shirts in stock. Please get one and wear it around!–
Day 5 down, only one more day to go. So far we’ve put in 550 miles. Today a guy passed us outside of Peoria and gave us $20 when we told him about what we were doing. Other highlights included a new single day high of 127 miles, a generous tailwind, and some big hills that were pretty fun to ride up and down. Father Brownsey made us a great breakfast at Bradley this morning to send us on our way. Lunch was in Ottawa where we had a radio interview with the local radio station. The people at the Newman center at NIU made us a great dinner of lasagna. Keep praying for us!
Day 5 = success!! Thank you for all of your prayers and support. Big day tomorrow!
First and foremost, I wanted to correct our daily mileage from yesterday. I started our odomoter after we got out of the C-U area. With that, our daily mileage came out to 122 miles (Urbana – Peoria). My apologies for the error.
Now, I’d like to fill you all in on today’s endeavor. Today was a good reliever. The ride was long, but smooth. Daily mileage = 127 miles & Total mileage = 550. It was quite humorous. We hit the 500 mile mark before lunch.
During the Ride: We hit a bit of a tailwind/crosswind, which helped out. To end out, we averaged out approx. 17/18 miles per hour.
After the Ride: We were greeted by some stellar students and admin at NIU newman center. Mike and I also had the privilege of meeting up with my older sister, Katie. In addition, we had a surprise visit from members my extended family. It was quite the blessing to see the Balzer’s. It has been far far too long! I’d like to give a shout out to thank the Balzer’s (from Rockford) for coming out and meeting us at the Newman center.
Now, it’s time to gear up and prepare for tomorrow’s grand finale. We’ll be meeting in Aurora at the abortion clinic. For now, we are planning to pray a rosary. We’d love for anyone and everyone to join us. If that does not work, we’ll be finishing up in Chicago (Grant Millenium Park). The final time is TBD. Call Stacy Hague, Katie Becker or John Paul Deddens for updates. Our hope is that someone will have internet access to check the website for any inquiries.
Keep Rockin’! Fight the good fight and we’ll continue to Ride to win.
God bless -J
Hello everyone! Another successful and blessed day. Thank you for all of your continued prayers and support. Mike and I really appreciate it. It is truly amazing to see God’s work being done w/ the accomplishments thus far.
Today’s ride was rough! We faced a pretty brutal headwind for a large portion of our trek.
THE RIDE: After a delayed departure, we rolled into ISU around 2 pm. There we were greeted by some solid FOCUS missionaries, as well some stellar students from ISU. We also had the privilege of seeing the Brock Perkes. (making a surprise visit from Decatur) After a wonderful lunch, we continued on the difficult journey and finally rolled into Bradley at 6:15ish pm.
AFTER THE RIDE: At Bradley we were greeted by family (Uncle John and my cousin Megan), as well as Jared from the Catholic Post, Fr. Brownsey, some more stellar FOCUS missionaries, and some solid Bradley students. After a delicious meal, I had the opportunity to visit with my Godmother. It was great blessing to see her! Please pray for her (specifically for strength and healing). We finished out the day celebrating the Feast of the Annunciation w/ Fr. Brownsey presiding. All and all, in was an action-packed and fun-filled day.
Total miles for the day = 114 miles. Total mileage = 424 miles. We will be venturing on to Dekalb tomorrow. Mike (navigator and weatherman) informed me that we’ll be looking at a little tailwind for a portion of our ride. (Very exciting!) Please continue to pray for the success of our efforts, as well as pray for a greater respect for LIFE!
St. Sebastian -pray for us, St. Christopher -pray for us, St. Michael -pray for us, Mary, Queen of Victory -pray for us
God bless! -J
Praise and Thanks be to God. Another successful day!
Today was a great day for riding. We had our ups and downs. We started off our morning w/ a flat (not to point fingers, but it wasn’t me…) Fortunately, Mr. Brummer came to the rescue. After our bumpy start, we trekked into Effingham for two interviews and had the privilege of celebrating mass w/ the Brummer’s. After our goodbyes, it was off to the races.
Mike and I booked it to Charleston in no time at all (48 miles) and had lunch at EIU Newman Center w/ Fr. Titus, as well as staff and students. We were much appreciative for their warm welcome! After our wonderful meal (lunch break…Mike fell asleep!) we ventured home to Champaign-Urbana. In total, we biked 97 miles (today) and 307 miles (3 days).
DURING THE RIDE: On the way to Charleston, Mike and I fought some headwind for about 25 miles. This provide Mike and I a great opportunity to offer up our Rosary. Thereafter, during the trek from Charleston to Champaign, the “Big Guy” was looking out for us and gave a little tailwind. Mike and I were sure to take full advantage of this blessing. For a good hour we averaged out approximately 25 miles. It was quite exhilarating!
AFTER THE RIDE: Living Alternatives invited us for dinner. It was a feast! It was awesome to hear all the stories and accounts of lives saved! We also had the opportunity to meet with some of the adopted children/families and we’re given a tour of the building by the director, Greta Henry. Their work and efforts is truly amazing. Greta shared that our contributions will be going to help build a maternity home alongside the building.
As always, we appreciate your prayers and support. We continue to ask that you pray for a strengthening to the commitment of family, the end to the culture of death, and a greater respect for life from conception to natural death.
Tomorrow is our off day. We’re looking to go to noon mass and pray outside planned parenthood. Looking forward to our rest day!
God bless! -J
Thanks be to God, another successful day. We’re are now 1/3 of the way complete. (210 miles down!)
It has been a great ride so far. The first day was filled with rolling hills and today was filled with cross winds.
Day One: We finished out at about 93 miles and had a great warm welcome from the Shaefer’s. We also had the pleasure of going to mass and received a blessing from Mike’s priest, Fr. Mark. Mike’s parents were very hospitable and the food was fantastic! I also had the opportunity to visit with my extended family. (Uncle Joe, Aunt Kris and kids!) It was quite the treat!
Day Two: Today, we finished out at 210 miles. Mr. Frank Brummer and his wonderful daughter Ms. Anne Marie Brummer, as well as Ms. Stacy Hague graced us with their presence. Mr. Brummer was our “saving grace” meeting us at about 66 miles and riding us into (leading the way, against the wind) Mulberry Grove for lunch. After cleaning up, we went to mass at Sacred Heart (in Effingham). Now, we’re getting ready and looking forward to some Brummer-style homecooking.
Mike and I greatly appreciate all of your prayers and all of your support. St. Sebastian -Pray for us, St. Christopher -Pray for us, St. Michael -Pray for us, Mary, Queen of Victory -Pray for us!!
We are quickly approaching the big day! I hope you all are getting excited. I have had some pretty intense workouts this week. Monday afternoon I rode 75 miles (17-18 MPH) and today I rode 25 miles (20-21 MPH). I’m getting pretty pumped! One more exam to go (tomorrow) and then it’s “biking for babies” time!
First and foremost, I wanted to clear up some confusion. We are currently working on updating the route. Obviously, we will not be taking any inter-states or crazy-busy highways. So, we’ll look to get that out to all of you shortly. Secondly, we’ll be sending out a schedule of events, including: ETA and evening plans.
For now, I’ll give you all a rough schedule of our typical day:
Each morning, we will begin w/ prayer @ 7:45 AM and hit the road shortly after around 8:00 AM. Our goal is to ride approximately 16-17 MPH. The mileage for each day varies (85-125 miles). Therefore, the ETA will change. Again, we’ll send out a more explicit itinerary very soon.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. (RMS 12:12)
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