12.17-22.2009 - Winter Bike Trip '09

This year's WBT would begin at Seminole-Collier State Park just south of Naples, FL. Jen, Nathan, Gavin, Ben and I loaded up Friday afternoon and began the journey to Bradenton to eat dinner with Kristina and her family. After dinner Kristina would join us for the trip to SCSP. We endured some wet weather along the way but the rains ceased by the time we arrived at the Park. This made setting up camp much easier. After setting up we closed the day in prayer before settling in for the night.

DAY 1
After a good nights rest we woke up at 7am for breakfast. Oatmeal, bagels and juice yummy! We finished breakfast, broke down camp, packed up, took a picture, prayed and then began to pedal to Punta Gorda. Right after exiting the park we stopped in a store to load up on fluids. After that we got going for real.


The first stretch of road was scenic but we were riding into a headwind. This was to be the story of the day. We left the scenic road behind as we entered Naples. From there to Ft. Meyers the roads were busy but we either had a bike lane or sidewalk. We met Jen and the boys in a CVS parking lot for lunch. We were hungry! Thank the Lord for lunch meat and chips and granola bars. We needed more water for our water bottles so we did some shopping at CVS.

After lunch we began the journey to Ft. Meyers, our next point of reference. Along the way we stopped at New Day Christian Church in Ft. Meyers to take a picture at the sign. Good friend and cyclist Scott Cain is the pastor and NDCC has been a good friend of UFCCH. We also stopped to see where the New Mission Systems Inc. office was located and where my good friend Matt Hickman lives. Matt serves with NMSI in the area of recruitment. Unfortunately Matt was en route to TN for Christmas so we didn't get to see him.

After crossing the bridge leaving Ft. Meyers the ride became a bit more scenic. From that point on we rode into the wind and into the night. About 2 miles before camp we stopped for some fluids and a brief rest, the ride into the wind had been long and taxing. How exciting it was to start back pedaling see Sweetbay, we knew the road to camp was just beyond the store. We made our turn and found the campground. We rode to the back and found Jen and the boys. Camp was set up and dinner was ready! Perfect timing. Dinner never tasted so good. After dinner was a hot shower, the Proverb for the day and sleep time. It was a tough but good first day of riding. Riding mileage for day 1 was 75.

DAY 2
I think we slept even better the second night of camping. I am sure the ride the day before helped with that. We woke a bit earlier because the day's ride would be longer. Breakfast once again was great and breaking down camp was a bit quicker.

Today we would be riding Kristina to her house in Bradenton (Lakewood Ranch) and then heading on to Fort Cooper State Park. The early part of the ride was nice and calm. We rode by the airport in Punta Gorda then on to Nocatee where we would meet Jen and the boys. We snacked some and refilled our water bottles. After Nocatee we rode up 17 to Arcadia. There we would head west on 70. It seemed that no matter the direction we rode we were riding into the wind. We were out in the country so at least the scenery was nice. At one point we needed a break from the wind so we pulled off the road and layed down for a bit. One motorist stopped to check on us, we assured him we were fine. Right after he stopped Jen and boys stopped. All the riding into the wind made me hungry so it was time for another snack. After snacking it was time to head to Lakewood Ranch. We thought we could wait to eat lunch at Kristina's house but that was not too be. By Myaaka River we were ready to eat. There was a nice park so it was perfect. A great lunch and nice bathroom make for a great stop.

After lunch the wind let up some so we were praising God. Our bike lane disappeared from time to time so that was annoying. I have a great mirror so I kept a close eye on the approaching vehicles. Just before Lakewood Ranch we got our bike lane back and a much better road. It wasn't long before we were dropping Kristina off at her house. We visited with her mom and dad for a bit before we set out for Ft. Cooper SP. As we biked north on Lorraine Rd. I received a call from Todd Dawson, a great brother in Christ and avid cyclist. He had seen the UFCCH van on his way home so he called. I told him where Ben and I were so he headed our way. It was great to stop and visit with Todd and his daughter for a few minutes. We couldn't visit long because we had 40 more miles to go to get to FCSP.

Ft. Cooper SP never happened due to a problem with Google maps. The road the map said to take really didn't exist. Therefore we rode east for awhile to catch a road that would take us northwest to roads that would take us east and north to FCSP. By the time we reached Parrish it was dark and cold. At that point we were at 90 miles for the day so I told Jen to meet us there. Since it was the night of the Survivor Finale Celeste (my wife) encouraged us to find two hotel rooms so we all could be warm, take a warm shower and watch Survivor. At first I fought the suggestion but then by Parrish it seemed like a great idea. Jen found us a great place to stay in Ruskin. We hit the McDonald's drive through on the way to the hotel. Vanilla iced coffee and Wraps! After a warm shower Ben and I watched a great final episode of Survivor. When it went off at 11pm so did the tv and we fell asleep quickly. A great end to another great day of riding.

DAY 3
We awoke to great weather and no wind. The hotel had a continental breakfast so we enjoyed some yogurt, bagels, juice.... After packing the van we left Ruskin and headed to Inverness. We turned north on 301 and encountered road construction. This would last till Riverview. In Riverview we turned off of 301 on to Riverview Dr. and then on to Providence. Providence was a mixture of bike lane riding and sidewalk riding. This was a a more direct route to joining back up with 301 which would then take us to Zephyrhills.

In Zephyrhills we took a break at McDonalds. Once again, I was in need a an iced coffee and a McChicken. I seemed to stay hungry on this trip which is much different than the Go The Distance trip across the country. After checking some e-mail we talked with Jen. She and the boys were able to visit some relatives then head north of Zephyrhills to BBQ restaurant near the start of the Withlacoochee Trail. We finished our business and biked the 6.8 miles to the restaurant. There Ben and I split a BBQ sandwich. After food and pictures we set off for Inverness via the Trail. It was great! No traffic just good riding and good conversation. That made the final 28 miles pass by. During the ride Jen called and said she and the boys had a fun time finding the campsite at Ft. Cooper State Park. She gave us the most direct route to where she was so we wouldn't bike all around the Park trying to locate her. Just before the Park we saw a bike shop just off the Trail in Floral City. We met the owners outside the shop. They were about to ride home but they insisted on opening up for us to take a look. The shop was very nice and Ben saw a trailer that he might purchase for our upcoming May ride from Cedar City, UT to San Francisco to Los Angeles. We had a good look at the shop and chat with the owners then set off for our campsite. It was dusk and getting cold so it was great to see the tents set up. Today's ride was 86 miles.

We got a good fire going and cooked up hamburgers and Asian stir fry. Delicious! After dinner it was time for Smores, a campfire tradition. Yummy as always. We cleaned up from dinner and read our Proverb for the night. We also shared in communion since the day before had been a bit crazy. After that, our final night of sleep out in the wild.

DAY 4
The temperature had dropped into the 30's during the night so that made it hard to get out of our sleeping bags. Once I did get out of my sleeping bag and go outside it actually felt warmer outside the tent. After breakfast we broke down camp and packed everything up for a final time. We packed so that Jen and boys could get back early and unload their stuff easy.

Ben and I still had more of the Trail to ride so the start of our riding time was pleasant. We both realized within the first 2 miles that we had too many clothes on so fortunately we saw Jen and the boys at a crossroad just north of the Park. We flagged her down so we could throw some clothes in the van. Ahhh, much better. We started back on the Trail, we would take it to Dunnellon. We got to the end of the Trail and cut through a neighborhood to get to 41 north. Jen called and said she was at a park just before the bridge. We met up with her and enjoyed some lunch. We also unloaded a few more clothes, it had warmed up nicely. I told Jen that we were good from that point on so they could head back to the Campus House.

41 north in Citrus County is not very good when it comes to a bike lane. We either had no bike lane, very little or alot. Mostly none or alittle. Once we entered the County that Williston is in we had great road and a great bike lane PTL! The final day's ride was only going to be 68 miles but I could feel myself struggling just outside of Williston. I was low on energy and my legs hurt. I think Ben was feeling it as well. I knew Williston had a McDonalds so I stayed motivated. I got an iced coffee and something to eat. I felt better for the final 18 miles. The ride from Williston to Gainesville was great. Very scenic. Cows and horses. Once we hit Gainesville we hit traffic. Just before crossing under I 75 we stopped at the Kangaroo station for a bathroom break. From there it was a quick 5 mile ride to the Campus House. Upon our arrival we thanked the Lord for the safe trip and great journey.

This year's WBT was challenging but great. THANKS to Jen and the boys for being such an awesome Support Team. Thanks to Kristina for joining Ben and I for two days. Thanks to Ben for "going the distance" once again. I know this journey was good preparation for the ride to come in May.

Tentative plans for the 2010 WBT have us riding from East Point, GA back to Gainesville.
Needless to say there are many miles to ride before then so we will see how things go.

May 2010 be an amazing year of serving the Lord and cycling! bg

TEAM

Recently on September 5th, Kristina Anderson, Ben Anderson and I competed in a Sprint Triathlon. We are a Co-ed Relay Team.

I usually compete as an individual but this year I decided to put together a Team to compete in The Great Floridian Ironman Distance Triathlon in Clermont, FL.

Both Kristina and Ben thought and prayed about this undertaking because it was going to take commitment. Kristina will swim 2.4 miles, I will bike 112 miles and Ben will run 26.2 miles. The commitment is both to training and to the team.

We began training and then I found out that there was a Sprint Triathlon in Crystal River on the day of the Gators first football game which wasn't going to be till 7pm. I knew we could do the race and be back in Gainesville in plenty of time to enjoy the pre-game festivities as well as the game. I mentioned the race to Kristina and Ben and they agreed that it would be a good practice day for our Team.

The day before the race finally arrived. We were all excited. We were leaving at 5pm. About 4pm or shortly thereafter Ben sent me a text message saying he hurt his back working out. I thought Ben was trying to pull a joke on me. I sent him a text message back. His next text explained exactly how it happened. It was no joke. My teammate was hurting. We all began to pray that Ben would be healed up and ready to go by morning.

I picked Ben up first. He was moving slow. We picked Kristina up next. Oh, I forgot to mention that Courtney Smith was with us. We were heading to her house to spend the night. She decided to ride along and surprise her parents.

We got to Courtney's house and relaxed before dinner. Ben took another dose of ibuprofen. Our prayer was that he would be healed up in the night so he could run the 5K the next day. After dinner we visited a bit then decided it was time to get to bed because 5:30am would come early.

It did come early! I felt good; ready to go. I checked on Ben. Not good news. He was going to be a spectator and I now was going to do the 15 mile bike and 5K run. Not a big deal because I have been competing in some Sprints this season. I was just sad for Ben. He had been training and his training was going good. He would now encourage us as we competed, heal up and then resume training for Clermont.

We had a good race. Kristina did great in the swim and my run was better than my bike. All in all it was a great Team day and the Team did great to encourage each other and pull for each other. I am proud (in a good Biblical way) of my Teammates and thankful to God that they both are amazing Spiritual Teammates.

Here at the U.F. Christian Campus House we are not only a Family but a Team. We love each other, encourage each other and help each other as family members. As Spiritual Teammates we pray together, work together, serve together and reach out together so that the UFCCH Team is strengthened and that the world around us is impacted for Christ. This is a great challenge in a challenging place. If you are a follower of Christ please pray for Team CCH as we minister here in Gainesville and pray for our Relay Team as we prepare to race and share in Clermont late in October.

We are pressing on!

bg

08.31.09 - Off and Running!

Classes started last week which means our life just got super crazy! We are excited about all the new students that we have met on campus while playing Ultimate or Kickball. It has been cool to have them join us at UFCCH for Sunday Night Live or a Family Group. http://www.ufcch.com/

Family Groups (gender based) begin this week. Right now there are 3 Girls Groups scheduled to meet and 2 Guys Groups. We are continuing to look for students to host an on campus prayer group.

Today I met with some guys from Operation Transformation. They shared with me The 40 Day Campus Revolution. It challenges students to not only read the word of God and pray for 40 days but also to live it out. It gives them different options each day that will allow them to live out their faith on campus. I am asking our new Freshman if they would like to serve as a test group for this project. The 40 Day Campus Revolution college edition is just being relaunched.

Please remember us in prayer as we begin this semester and begin to make more and more of an impact for Christ on our campus.

Thanks,

bob g.

National Student Conference - Evansville, IN - 8.1-5.09

This was the year that UFCCH was going to return to the NSC in Evansville. It is an amazing college conference filled with great teaching, worship and fellowship. Ben Anderson and I were the only two that could go this year but that was fine. UFCCH was back!

Ben and I like to make our journeys a challenge so we didn't leave out of Gainesville for Sanford till 11:30pm. Actually, Ben didn't get off work till then so we didn't have a choice. The drive was fine but we both were tired. It was great to get to our hotel and grab about four hours of sleep before we were to catch the shuttle to the airport. Did I say shuttle? The 6:15am shuttle never arrived so we jumped back into the van and headed to the airport. We parked, checked in, made it through security and to our gate.

The flight to Owensboro, KY was good and quick. The airport in Owensboro was small so it was crowded. We called the rental car company and then waited on the shuttle. This one actually did arrive and took us to our car. Before departing Owensboro we needed some iced coffee so we gave McDonald's some more business. The drive up to Evansville seemed to go buy fast PTL! We knew we were early so we went to Wal Mart to pick up some things we needed for the week. We also took some time to check out the outdoor store Gander. When we finally got clued into the fact that we were now in Central time and way early for registration we decided to go to Golden Corral for lunch. We ate, returned to USI (University of Southern Indiana) and then crashed on some couches near Registration. 2pm central time finally arrived and so did Big Dog Tim Hudson. We checked in immediately so we could get the keys to our dorm room. We found our dorm and our room and settled in. After settling we decided that a good nap was in order before dinner. What a great sleep! We grabbed some dinner and then went to the opening session. There we got to meet some awesome folks from all over and bask in a great time of worship. After worship we were introduced to Shane Wood who would share evening messages with us. Shane was right on with his first message. After the session Ben and I visited with Shane a bit and then had prayer with him. Since he had three more messages to share with us we wanted to cover him in prayer. The first day and night were great; now it was time to get some more sleep!

Summer 3 Day Bike Ride 07.15-17.2009, UFCCH Alumni & Sebastian CC

I anticipated this ride for quite a bit. I missed being off the bike most of May and then it was hit and miss all throughout June. What I didn't anticipate were the difficulties that would challenge me each and every day.

Day one to Apopka was a day of getting use to Zach's bike. He let me borrow it for the trip. Half way through the day I realized I should have changed out the saddle. As the heat set in the cuts from my recent bike wreck began to sting as sweat poured into them. In the wreck I also hurt my hands so it was hard to grip any one way for very long. I was constantly changing my grip position throughout the day.

I stopped in The Villages for lunch at McDonald's. While there I was glad to run into Dustin. He was with a friend and decided to lunch at McDonald's as well. It was great to visit with them.

I got rolling again and didn't stop again till I arrived in Leesburg. There I got to visit with Ronnie Allegro. Ronnie was a student at UF and at CCH a few years back. He also likes to ride from time to time. It was great to see Ronnie and take a break from the heat. He blessed me with a cold water bottle.

I had talked with my brother David off and on throughout the day. His plan was to meet me in Eustis and ride with me to Apopka. I knew the distance I had to cover to get to Eustis and how long it would take so I visited with Ronnie for about a half hour. It was great to see him again. I am looking forward to a return trip to Leesburg so we can go for a ride.

I got to Eustis a bit late because the heat was getting me and I was running out of fluids. David and I met in the middle of Eustis and we rode to the closest McDonald's for a snack and an iced coffee. I also refilled my camelbak. From there to my mom's house we rode well. The McDonald's break did wonders. Once we got to mom's house we cleaned up and headed to Sonny's! I had hoped for that but never mentioned it so when mom suggested it I was super excited. We had a great dinner and visit. I knew the night would call for ibuprofen and lots of rest because the next day's ride to Okeechobee was going to be tough.

UFCCH AFRICA Mission Trip - 05.05-29.2009

The journey to Mozambique was amazing. It was the culmination of 8 months of raising funds and preparing as a team. I know I speak for the team when I say we were not disappointed. The journey there was long and included an overnight stay in Johannesburg. We got to our hotel by taxi since we could not track down the hotel shuttle. After settling and and having a nice dinner at the hotel we prayed our way into the night.

The morning came early and we were back to the airport to catch our flight to Beira. It was nice that this was a short flight. In Beira we would be meeting Jacob and Jaynie Michael, missionaries with Good News for Africa. They would be hosting us and leading us in ministry for the next three weeks. We arrived and as did our luggage PTL. The lady in charge didn't want to let one bag (filled with yarn) pass through Customs because we didn't have the receipt. Another group was having a similar problem so there was a lot of waiting around. Didn't really matter though because we were still waiting for them to do all the paperwork for the Tourist Visa that we purchased. Jacob came to the Customs office and talked with one of the ladies (the main one was still working on the other group). They seemed resolute in having both of us pay a tax on what we had brought in. The first group stayed in discussion with her and explained that all the supplies were for the people in Mozambique. After awhile she let them go and left the room. We asked the girl we were talking what to do and she said we should go on. I was thanking the Lord for getting us over this little hurdle. After all that was finished with the man in the Travel Visa office came out with all of our Passports and our receipt. Now that all this was done we could meet casually with Jacob and Jaynie and begin to load up all of our luggage and team.

It was an interesting start to our three weeks in Mozambique; I was sure that more was to come. I will write about that tomorrow.

The trip to Chimoio didn't start right away because we had to wait on Dale's flight to arrive. Dale would help translate for us. We knew he wouldn't be in for a bit so we went into Beira for lunch. After ordering we went for a walk on the beach. We knew that we had plenty of time because it takes time for the orders to come out of the kitchen. We had a good time walking on the beach and taking pictures. We returned to the restaurant and waited a bit more time. This allowed for good conversation with Jacob and Jaynie. Lunch finally arrived and it was great.

Dave finally arrived later that day PTL. We then began the two hour drive to Chimoio in the Landrover. It was a good ride but it was even better to arrive at the house. It's always fun to arrive at a new place. See the town, neighborhood and house. The dogs greeted us upon our arrival. They were so excited. We unloaded everything off the Landrover and got settled in. By this time it was time to go to bed. We we so happy to finally be there.

UFCCH Costa Rica Mission Trip - 03.07-14. 2009

The Costa Rica Mission Trip was an amazing journey. God once again assembled a great team. There were a total of 13 of us who wanted to do more on spring break than hit the beach. We wanted to serve and work and share. That we did!

After a long day of travel from Gainesville to Orlando to Panama City, Panama to San Jose, Costa Rica to 6:8 Ministries in Alajuelita, CR we were tired! We arrived at the mission house, unloaded, had something to eat, had orientation with Spencer and the 6:8 Staff and then hit the sack! It was a great but tiring day one.

The next morning after breakfast we went to church at CCA. The fellowship, worship and message were good. They had the message interpreted for us so that helped greatly. We returned to the mission for lunch and then spent the afternoon prayer walking in different areas around Alajuelita. We visited with many families and lifted them up to God in prayer. It was a great way to meet people, learn our way around and bring our week to come in to focus.

Each night after dinner we had a time of worship and a message by Duke. We looked forward to this time each day because it encouraged us, challenged us, fed us and kept us focused. After worship we would then have group time. In group time we debriefed about the message, the day, situations.... We also took time to affirm each other and pray for each other.

Monday morning came and the work/ministry began. The rest of the week, except for Tuesday, we were teaching English in schools, sharing and serving at a Feeding Center, building walls for a burned down house, serving empanadas and kool-aid in the park.... One day we had gender specific ministry to do so the girls went to a Women's Ministry Center and the guys went to do some work for a local man that Spencer and 6:8 had been ministering to.
The girls loved their time with the ladies! They shared, sang, danced and spent time in the Word. God touched each one's heart. The guys enjoyed getting to know Luis more and helping him with the entrance to his house. They really liked using POWER TOOLS! Luis is confined to a wheelchair and likes to get outside some. The entrance of his house is being renovated so he can come outside and sit in the shade. There were many other bits of ministry that occurred throughout the week in a small group format. It was exciting to see God working and in through each one on the team.

Our free day was Tuesday. We spent the morning climbing the mountain. What's special about this mountain and this climb is that there are 3 crosses along the way. Each one is different and special. The whole group made it to all 3 crosses and enjoyed "the view from the top". After lunch we went to the markets in downtown San Jose. What a change. It was good though. We found some cool stuff, coffee and ice cream.

The whole week was amazing and I praise God for each team member as well as Spencer, his family and the 6:8 Ministries family. The final closed out with the viewing of the video from the week that Molly had made for us. You can see that by clicking on the link below.

God bless! bob g. & the cch cr mission team

To see more of our journey click on this... http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=032067c66a527a0d87b1

Overnight Ride - 02/28-03/01/2009, St. Augustine Beach, FL

SATURDAY
It was finally here! I had been looking forward to the Overnight Bike Ride with Shawn, Matt and his dad.

We all arrived on time, loaded the van up, prayed over our journey and set out.

Jen and Gavin (Support Crew) went to McDonalds after seeing us off. The ride out of town was good except for some road work being done. We stopped for some fluids and a snack in Orange Heights. It was a nice first stop to access how everyone was doing.

We finished up and began the journey to lunch on the river in Palatka. The ride through Melrose to Putnam Hall was uneventful. Between Putnam Hall and Palatka we had some ups and downs (hills). They were a good terrain change. It flattened out before Palatka so all we had to do was cruise through town to the river. There we met Jen and Gavin. We prayed and picnicked by the water. What a beautiful spot.

Lunch was great. Even better was knowing that we were just over 30 miles away from our campsite. We rode over the St. Johns River and then stopped to reload our fluids. From there it was a quick ride to Anastasia Island State Park thanks to a great tailwind. Everyone did great. Today's ride was 81 miles!

SUNDAY
I love camping at Anastasia Island State Park! Our site was great and having the opportunity to go to the beach just minutes away was fantastic.

After a great night of sleep we got up to dry but windy and overcast weather. We ate breakfast, shared in the Word and Communion, took down camp and began to pedal back to Gainesville.

Shortly after leaving the park it began to rain. With the rain and the wind it became really cold. We were biking into a strong headwind so we were working hard. Just before getting to 95 the rain started to come down hard so we pulled into a Kangaroo station to get out of the rain and get something hot to drink. We also summoned Jen to come back our way so we could get some things out of the van.

We waited for 30 minutes or more then decided to get back at it. The rain had let up alot but just after a mile or so of riding the rain stopped. It was still windy but PTL the cold rain had ceased. We fought our way to Green Cove Springs where we enjoyed Starbucks and lunch out of the van. The low light of the stretch before GCS was crossing over the Shands Bridge. The 30-40 mile an hour headwind made it very, very difficult. The traffic, including big redneck trucks, didn't help one bit. PTL we made it!

Starbucks and lunch were great. It was really great that a Family Dollar store was across the street. I need some cheap gloves and a beanie to keep me warm the rest of the way. We fought the wind to Camp Blanding and then on into Starke. We decided, before Starke, that that would be our stopping point. There was no need to fight the wind all the way to Gainesville. We could do that another day. Our average speed for the day was 11 miles per hour and our total mileage for the day was 60. We met Jen and Gavin at CVS. We loaded up on some food and fluids then we loaded up our bikes in the van and headed home.

It was a great two day ride though day two was quite challenging. I was glad we all experienced day two because that is the reality of long distance biking. Some days are easy and great while other days are hard and frustrating. If you can enjoy the bad with the good you can enjoy life on the road.