by Katie Wanek, 2021 missionary (support crew on Eastern Route)
“Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure.” These are the words on the back of the 2021 Biking for Babies t-shirts. It has been one month since returning from the National Ride and as I reflect on my experience, I have found this quote by Saint Pope John Paul II to be the perfect way to describe what life is like when we say ‘yes’ to Christ.
In our lives, we can do a lot of fun and exciting things. We can go on trips, do volunteer work, and gather with friends and family in community. This is all good and well. However, if that is all that we do, there really is no point to what we are doing. It is when we fully and wholeheartedly commit ourselves to Jesus and His mission for us that our lives will be transformed. The fun and excitement that we experience will have a purpose that is greater than ourselves and we will find ourselves having the best adventure we could imagine. This sums up what the National Ride experience is like.
Being a Biking for Babies missionary is an experience that requires love, sacrifice, dedication, and commitment. It is something that has purpose and allows us to give glory to God. It requires that we focus on others; the women in unplanned pregnancies, their babies, and the pregnancy resource centers that serve them. It requires that we “go all in” and give ourselves completely to Christ and the mission He has called us to.
Through each moment of the National Ride week, including the discomforts and difficult times, I am able to look back upon the week and see it as a wonderful adventure that is only possible because it is a mission given to us by Christ that we complete for Him by relying on Him.
Looking back on the National Ride, I am filled with joy at all of the big and small moments of the week. From running out of gas in one of the support crew vehicles in the middle of a busy intersection, to driving on a closed road undergoing construction and getting stuck in the mud, there was never a dull moment. We laughed, we cried, and we laughed so hard that we cried. We were inspired and moved by the encounters we had along the way, the stories we heard, the generosity of our evening hosts, and by the revelation of the beauty of life.
Of all of the crazy, exciting, and unexpected moments of the National Ride, the best adventure was being able to be a part of and witness a group of 15 other amazing young adults on the Eastern Route (50 missionaries across all four routes) offer themselves totally and completely for mothers, fathers, and babies, and ultimately, for Christ. Even in the difficult moments of suffering and discomfort, each of the missionaries were filled with joy; the joy that comes only from saying ‘yes’ to Jesus.
The greatest adventures we can ever have are when we choose to walk with Jesus and accept His invitation to live out the mission He calls us to. The 2021 Biking for Babies National Ride has been one of the greatest adventures I have ever had. And unless you have experienced the National Ride, it is quite difficult to describe. Therefore if you want to be able to understand the National Ride experience, I will leave you to continue to ponder those words from Saint John Paul II at the beginning of this post. Life with Christ truly is a wonderful adventure!
