Yesterday was a typical day for me on the road with Sea to
Sea. Get up early so Rudy can pack
everything up and get on the road. Sit
around camp until the kitchen volunteers are ready to leave camp. Navigate the route from the back seat. (I can’t sit in the front seat since I cannot
bend my knee.) Arrive at camp. Find a place to park the van and then a place
to “park” my lawn chairs—one for me another one for my leg. Usually I spend my time watching the
activities of setting up camp each day, reading, or just enjoying the sights
and sounds of our new location. The view
here in Coralville includes a small pond with a steel fountain, and ducks. Sorry, no picture to post. I conserve the use of my crutches and it’s
simply too much work to get the camera (and I get tired of asking Rudy to get
things for me, though he has been wonderfully eager to retrieve whatever I
ask).
I had a great time hanging out in Pella with Shelly DR for a
day. I also got to see other friends,
Bruce and Gina J as well as my cousin, Sharon D and Aunt Lois! There was a short, outdoor worship service
Friday evening at Central College. Rudy
wanted to skip it but I convinced him to go.
While there, I enjoyed connecting with my former coaching colleague, Jim
N, and even one of my former basketball players, Lindsey. What fun!
Bruce and Rochelle DB were also there, as well as a few former teaching
colleagues from our years at Pella Christian High School in the mid-90s. It’s always great to see familiar faces on
the route.
I can’t believe we have only four weeks left of this crazy
adventure! I spoke with a couple this
morning in a cute little convertible car in the parking lot of our camping area. They seemed truly interested in what was
going on, even though the gentleman glanced at his watch a few times between
his questions. Eventually I asked if
they would like to make a contribution and when they didn’t jump at the chance,
I quickly followed up with a suggestion to visit our website at
seatosea.org. I think the largest random
donation anyone has received so far is $100.
I’ve become more bold about asking for donations on this trip, but I
still entertain a little mind-game every time I find myself in a
conversation. Rudy stopped to take a few
pictures at an old church yesterday on the route, and discovered a wedding
party getting ready to take pictures. Without
asking, the groomsmen contributed a can of beer before he left! J
I’ve started a blog post several times this week, but then I
stop writing and before you know it, another day has gone by and what I wrote
seems like old news; or we’re out of Internet range and I can’t get it posted
on a timely basis. I hope to get this
posted today yet!
My disappointment of not riding peeked as I rode the familiar
roads of south-central Iowa in a vehicle yesterday instead of on my bike. I am content, though, to be a part of the
adventure, even if it is in a limited capacity.
The people we meet at the stops
are so kind. Yesterday the Sully CRC
church served a fantastic breakfast about 20 miles into the route. “So you’re the one with the broken leg,” someone
greeted me. They assured me of their
prayers and wanted to know if I was related to the Folkerts who live in …
somewhere. I confidently assured them I
am not, since my husband’s father was the only one from his entire family to
immigrate after World War II. I think people
generally want to feel connected to Sea to Sea, even if it means claiming a
long-lost relative’s friend as their acquaintance! I take this to mean that they care not only about
connecting with a person, but also feeling a part of the cause we are riding
for. Sometimes I feel like we are mostly
planting seeds which will grow over time and in ways we can’t even imagine
today.
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