Cyclists taking part in the “I Will Go Ride” in the lead-up to the 2022 General Conference (GC) Session have made it past the half-way point of their epic 1600km journey from Washington, DC to St Louis, Missouri.
The journey, which began on May 22, has not been without its challenges, including punctures, thunderstorms, hot weather and steep inclines. However the cyclists 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’ve found people to be very receptive to what they have to share.
Speaking today from Maysville, Kentucky, Pastor Michael Worker, said the journey so far has been inspirational. “We’ve just found the American folk so receptive, so welcoming,” said Pastor Worker, general secretary of the Australian Union Conference.
“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 doing. 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 Pastor Glenn Townend, South Queensland Conference president Pastor Brett Townend, SPD senior ministry systems specialist Pastor Russ Willcocks and Brisbane Adventist Rod Hansford. Also on the team are GC associate ministerial secretary Dr Anthony Kent, GC health ministries associate director Dr Torben Berglund, and South East Asia Union Mission publishing and health director Pham Nguyen To Phuong.
The ride has been inspired by pioneer literature evangelists Phillip Reekie and his nephew Frederick, who rode bicycles to share literature in remote parts of Australia from the early 1890s.
The cyclists are due to arrive at St Louis on Sunday (June 5). To follow their travels head to https://www.instagram.com/iwillgoride/.
