Hey EVERYONE!

I have some time to type up a post on how everything is going! Today we rode 66 miles into Palermo, New York! It was a great ride. I was able to ride with my good friend Leisl and we talked for just about the entire day...taking breaks in feilds of dandelions and eating a lot of snickers!!!! Thank you mom and dad for the AMAZING care package of snickers! i love them!!!!! Tomorrow we are riding into Rochester, New York which will be about 90 miles. This will be are longest ride yet and I am sweep with a girl named Liz Ball. Sweep is where two people ride in the back of the pack and make sure that everyone makes it to the destination safetly. I am excited to learn more about Liz!

This experience has been AMAZING! The other day we had a ten mile climb uphill...IN A MONSOON OF A RAIN and the WIND against us! It was really intense. I made it all the way to the top of that mountain though! and when i got there i did a dance!!!! It felt awesome to complete that mountain. We have had so many experiences like that. I never really had the opportunity in flat saginaw to train for the hills that i have been encountering these days, but i think it's okay. Because now I only have to get myself through these mountains once! And good news...after yesterday we have pretty much made it through our first mountain range! What an incredible feeling. WE BIKED ACROSS THE APPALACHIANS! more specific the ADIRONDACK mountains...

So some of you may have heard through the grape vine that I got in a little spill! That is correct. I did. But...ALL IS GOOD! i am still alive! Don't worry :) I took a day off to fix my bike and get things back in order but i am back on the road again! I can't thank everyone enough for the prayers and support you have given me. God is using them in ways that I could not adequately explain. I have fellowship here...he protected me in the crash...he is changing lives in front of my eyes. I am seeing him everyday in the mountains and scenery. I feel alive!

We have this thing we like to call "DM"...donation magic. It is incredible. Like today...someone really wanted pizza for lunch. He stopped into a local pizza shop and walked out with two huge pizza's for the team after he explained what bike and build was. Seeing how people will just give openly has been eye opening. Everyday...people are giving up time to drive us somewhere to take a shower, to cook us food... It's amazing.

What was really amazing was seeing how all of work was being put into action. We had the opportunity to see a woman tell a family that they are now the owners of a Habitat for Humanity house. Just to see their expressions was enough for me to know that I am in the right place. My team has already raised over 150,000 for low income housing. THAT'S UNBELIEVABLE TO ME. Just 32 kids. And we aren't done yet.

Thanks for checking up on me and seeing how the trip is going! I will try to update as much as possible...which is when I get internet....few and far between! If you are still interested in how things are going, two people every night on my team up date a team blog on how the day is going. If you go to bikeandbuild.org..scroll down to all of the routes and their milages so far and click on NORTHERN ROUTE...find the pencil on the right side...now you are there! :)