Cyclists Finish Ride and Raise More than $60,00 for Ministry

Last week, Mark Deckinga from Kokomo, Ind. realized a dream that was two years in the making.

In 2013, he registered and trained for a cross-country, Sea to Sea cycling event to raise money to fight poverty. When the tour began, however, he had an accident on the very first day of the ride and broke his leg. He had to withdraw.

Last week, Deckinga joined 26 other cyclists on a six-day, 580-kilometer ride and finally completed his journey.

Deckinga and the other participants endured rain, wind, and lots of hills but also witnessed the love of Christ being extended to them by host communities, developed friendships with each other and raised more than $60,470 for World Renew, Partners Worldwide, International Justice Mission, and several community programs.

“One day, it rained for about 45 minutes of my ride,” said World Renew staff member, Stephanie Sackett, who participated in this year’s ride.

“When the rain stopped, I had to take off my shoes and wring the water out of my socks. While it was raining on me, I thought about people I have seen over the years in Africa and Asia getting from place to place on foot or on bike in the rain ...

“It is good to pedal a mile or 12 on someone else’s figurative bike so that you can better understand and identify with the conditions in which they live and admire them for the effort that goes into each day.”

On another day, the cyclists broke camp and cycled the first stretch on an empty stomach before stopping for breakfast at a local church.

According to Terry Barnes, the tour coordinator, this was “a simple way to empathize with those all around the world who are experiencing hunger.”

The ride had some important highlights that made these challenges worth it.

For example, during the ride, the cyclists were assisted by a crew of dedicated volunteers who helped set up camp, prepare meals, fix flat tires, and provide assistance to riders along the route. They also received love from the communities they cycled through.

“One of the awesome things we experienced on Sea to Sea was receiving the hospitality from so many churches in Ontario,” Sackett explained. “On Canada Day volunteers drove us to their homes to let us take showers. Churches volunteered to feed us. We ate a lot of homemade pie.”

During their evening meal with host churches, the cyclists also heard presentations about work being done in that community to help break the cycle of poverty.

“We were challenged and blessed by these evening presentations,” said Barnes. “What especially stood out was the impact being made especially for women and children by the many groups that are fighting poverty.”

The ride itself was also beautiful and memorable, taking cyclists past stunning scenery on the lakeshores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie as well as by the Welland Canal and Niagara Falls.

“But the best part was knowing that we were raising money to support the cause of ending poverty,” said Sackett.

It is these blessings that brought Deckinga back to the ride after his disastrous fall in 2013.

They are also the reason that fellow cyclist, George Vanderkuur from Pickering, Ontario, has participated in every Sea to Sea ride since 2003.

“We are so grateful for God’s protection and blessing. We had a great time, made new friends, overcame obstacles, raised awareness for the challenges of poverty, raised funds for ministry, and learned about a number of great ministries serving locally,” Barnes concluded.

Sea to Sea 2015 is not over. On July 29, more than 40 cyclists from five provinces and five states will begin their 10-day Sea to Sea ride through the Rocky Mountains.

Please keep them and the tour volunteers and organizers in your prayers.

While Deckinga’s ride was incident free, there were four other cyclists during the Sea to Sea East ride who fell. One rider separated his shoulder and another suffered a fractured shoulder.

Like Deckinga in 2013, both had to withdraw from the tour. Please pray for their recovery and for safety as the next 42 cyclists take to the roads.

The Sea to Sea West riders have raised $129,000 so far, which combined with the East ride comes to $189,000. They have a goal of raising a total of $300,000 for ministry.

Please prayerfully consider supporting one of these riders by clicking on the links at the end of this article.