WOH in Coeur d’Alene, ID

The Rev. Pat Bell, Tina Marie Bell, and Robert Peterson, might not have ridden 1000 miles in Iowa, but they sure did in Idaho, raising over five thousand dollars for Waters of Hope. The riders set off with the goal of completing the 1000 miles in the month of May. Along the way they endured many of the challenges that the riders in Iowa faced, including below average temperatures for the time of year. Members of St. Luke’s Coeur d’Alene, located in the Diocese of Spokane, supported the three cycling pilgrims as they raised awareness and money for clean water. Their efforts were incredibly successful, and the message has been well received. (more…)

What’s Next?

Now that the first Waters of Hope ride is behind us, I can finally sit down and write my final thoughts and reflections on the amazingly successful and spirit-filled ride around Iowa spreading the Gospel of clean water and environmental sustainability. (more…)

Day 10 Reflections

We all arrived safely in Iowa City and we were greeted warmly by the people of Iowa City, family, and friends. After the dinner and after packing things up the mood was a mixture between excitement, fatigue, sorrow, and joy. It dawned on me that the Journey that was Waters of Hope is much important than the destination. We all learned new things about ourselves and our world and I expect the lessons of this trip will continue to affect all of the riders for a long time.
For now let me sign off with just a few short remarks. First of all, thank you. Most importantly, thank you to the people of Swaziland and the Sudan who we are seeking to help. Thank you for your spirit, your love, and your ministry in the world. And thank you for allowing Waters of Hope to help. Thank you to The Rev. Joe Chambers and the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri.
Peace,
Mitch

Day 9 recap- May 9

Dubuque to Davenport

Today’s ride brought us in and out of the Mississippi valley and through some eastern Iowa country side. Even though it (more…)

The Chlorinator

Day 8 recap- May 8

Today was really fun coming into Dubuque.  The terrain changed and our next few days will be a lot of hills and less wind.

We stopped by the Field of Dreams on our way today…it seemed fitting that our ride, filled with hopes and dreams, should stop and pay homage to a great American symbol.

It was windy and hard, but the days have gotten easier as the ride is on its last few days.

Day 7 recap - May 7

Today’s route brought us from Mason City to Waterloo.

Day 7 photos: Click Here!!!

KWWL also covered the story, so go to www.kwwl.com to check it out!

It’s been a whole week since we all arrived in Keokuk to begin our journey around Iowa together to raise awareness and hope for the need for clean water. As many of the riders would agree, a rhythm has set in and we have become well versed in riding for Waters of Hope. The daily routine has consisted of waking in a foreign place, eating a breakfast prepared by strangers, riding long and hilly and windy roads, stopping for lunch in small towns along the way, ignoring the aches and pains, getting a little turned around (what day is it?), being welcomed with open arms by our host church, praying together with great thanksgiving, eating wonderfully prepared meals, and being welcomed into warm and comfortable homes to rest for the next day’s ride. It’s been a long road with mostly great weather and tail winds, but with a few days of winter-like conditions and direct headwinds strong enough to stop a train. Unfortunately, tomorrow’s forecast is calling for 10-15 mph winds out of the NE, shifting to ENE by late afternoon, which makes our easterly route of ~100 miles feel more like 130. We’ll make it there, of course, and I’m sure we’ll remember the effort.

Day 6 recap - May 6

Day 6 photos Click here!!

Day 6 brought us from Spirit Lake to Mason City, for a total distance of 128 miles. As you can see in the pictures, the weather started out wet and a little cold. By mid-day, it was hot and very windy with gusts reaching at least 30 mph. Luckily the winds were from the south and our primary direction was east. It was also very hot today. It was about 80 degrees and we were burning under the sun, so a few of us took a nice little swim in Crystal Lake, which was certainly frozen last month. It was very cold, but felt very nice!

Mason City brought another great welcome and the spirit of Waters of Hope is soaring. Our ride is fun, and our goal of making clean water available to more people in this world is why we continue to ride. It only takes a little to make a huge difference.

Peace,
Joe and Mitch

Day 5 Recap- May 5

Day 5 brought another great ride with great weather and great wind! We rode from just outside Sioux City to Spirit Lake, IA. Through fields and pastures and wind farms to the beautiful lakes surrounding the city of Spirit Lake, we rode with high hopes and with good spirits.

We were featured in last night’s 10pm news in Sioux City. Video from the newscast can be found on their websitee. Just look in their video section at www.kmeg14.com.

 

This morning’s breakfast was hosted by the St. Paul’s Indian Mission where (more…)

Day 4 Recap- May 4

VIDEO IS HERE!!! We have some clips of us along the road and will have more clips to come. Expect to see a video about the water cleaning Chlorinator very soon!

For more photos up to day 4: Click here!!

Our ride today was from Council Bluffs to Sioux City, IA. It was mostly flat with a nice tailwind for the first half, and a fairly strong crosswind and headwind towards the end, but it was a beautiful day for riding.

We head off to Spirit Lake tomorrow and we expect good weather for our trip!

Good night and God Bless!

Joe and Mitch

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