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We were married on June 18th surrounded by all our friends and family. We live in Oklahoma and love it. It is beginning to feel more and more like home. I love the trees, our church and the people! Everyone has made us feel so welcome and a part of this community. We both have great jobs, that we love going to every day! Life is good, God is good!!

Thursday, May 31, 2012

A ride of faith

Faith - Confidence or trust in a person or thing.

Faith is what has been my 'challenge' word this year. I thought it was going to be 'gratefulness' but over and over again this year I have been challenged in the area of faith. Faith is defined as "believing in the unseen." The unseen in my past has included many different events such as graduating college, career after college, countless harmful relationships, a teaching job when I wasn't looking, a job for my persevering husband,  making it to the end of several rough days in Prek... the list could go on and on and on and those are just a few from the last 6 years. In each and every one of these instances the Lord has provided abundantly. He has blessed me beyond my wildest imagination... and yet after all that I still have doubts. I still doubt that we will be ok... That has lead me tho this next step.

Andrew works a few hours a week with On the Rock Ministries  and every year they go on a bike trip to a different state in the US. This year is the 20th anniversary of this trip and so they are holding NOTHING back. (more on that later)

A few months ago it was assumed that my love and I would go on the Bike Trip together, him as a rider and me as part of the support staff. Well, Andrew recently got a new job at Conoco Phillips (an answer to prayer and more proof that the Lord is taking care of us) and thus he can't go. However, I was asked if I could join the trip as a rider. I quickly declined... but then felt like God had other plans. The night I declined I didn't sleep well and all I kept hearing in my head was "have faith"...

The next Sunday I confirmed my commitment after asking someone who works at The Rock a LONG and quite ridiculous list of questions and still being full of doubt and fear...

We leave on Friday June 1, at 6:00 am! We will leave Bartlesville and head to California! From there we will make our way back... partly on bike. We will ONLY be biking 275 of the total miles back. Yes, thats right, I Heather Schumacher will be riding a bike (like the kind with petals) 275 miles between California and Oklahoma. I haven't been told everything about this journey. I believe that is why I am so stressed about it. However, everyday I remind myself... "have faith!" The lord will provide. We are taking about 40 people, half of which will be teenagers between 6th and 12th grade. It has been a LONG time since I have worked or interacted with youth! I am a little nervous about that... "... have faith!" I don't know where we will be sleeping, some times in a hotel, sometimes at churches ... "have faith!"  I don't know what we will be eating ... "have faith!"  I don't know when or if there will be bathrooms or showers... "have faith!!!" 

I have done a few things to to prepare for this trip here is the short list

  • gave up Dr. Pepper (I might have had the total of one 20 oz in the past 2 months) 
  • 4 practice rides
  • bought a new bike :) Finally I have my birthday present (picture later!) 
  • bought shorts, teeshirts, socks, bike shorts (saving my life!), make up bag, ribbons, helmet, gloves, bag, bug spray, nail polish, water bottle, sleeping bag, mascara, water bottle cage, granola bars, journal, extra strength Advil, sun screen, book for my Kindle (not yet but will be purchases tomorrow) and gummy worms...  I'm sure there are more things, I'm sure my husband could name a few more things. 
  • caught up on my sleep... uh yeah... that will happen after the trip
  • learned how to load up my bike
  • countless other things... mostly prayed, panicked and packed! 
I am freaking out... mostly internally. I have not had a signature 'Heather Melt Down' yet. I have a feeling it will happen the 2nd night on the trip.

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We just got back home from the 'load up dinner'!
We leave tomorrow. In less than 10 hours I"ll be on a bus heading West! WOW!

Here is a rough schedule of our trip:

Day One:
Leaving  The Rock at 6:00am!
Staying at a church in Gallup New Mexico

Day Two:
Leave Gallup NM and driving to
Garden Grove CA where we will stay at a church.

Day Three:
DISNEYLAND all day!!
Staying at a church there.

Day Four:
25 mile bike ride - Boardwalk Bike Trail
Swim and Tour Santa Monica Pier
Lunch/Dinner/Touring -- Hollywood  Hollywood Tour in Double Decker Bus
Staying at Church in Barstow CA

Day Five:
20 Mile ride in Mojave Desert, CA
Staying at Hualapai Lodge on Indian Reservation

Day Six:
15 Mile ride
See the Grand Canyon from top and bottom!
Staying at church in Flagstaff, AZ

Day Seven:
Slide Rock State Park
Staying at El Rancho Hotel, Gallop NM
(Apparently famous people in the 60's stayed here... rooms are only $49 a night!!)

Day Eight:
42 mile ride
Blue Hole, Santa Ros
Rout 66 Motel, Tucamcari (This might be the famous hotel...)

Day Nine:
40 mile ride
Groom TX Cross 
Cadillac Ranch
The Famous BIG TEXAN 72oz. Steak House
Wonderland Park 
Staying at Trinity Fellowship

Day Ten:
55 mile ride
Visit Museum in Elk City
Dinner at Pop's Soda Ranch 660 Rout 66
Back to Rock around 12:30 am!!


Thats all I know. I was told we will start most days at 5:30 am and then be done at the earliest midnight. That means that on good days we will get 5 hours of sleep. If you know me ... yeah... you know how I'll be by day 3 of that little sleep.
I am excited about the change this trip will bring in me. I am sure my heart will change a good deal as I am broken physically, mentally and emotionally! I am curious about the lessons God will teach me on this trip. I will be journaling daily... hopefully clearly documenting my feelings and experiences. This will definitely be a life changing trip.

Please please please pray for me as I do this... I'm mostly terrified with a little excited in there from time to time.
The week after I get back I'll come up with some snazzy way to sum up this trip... might take a couple posts.

Before I go... here is a picture of the sweet wheels my handsome husband bought me for this ride... and my birthday!! 

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