This is a continuation of How My Maiden Cycling Adventure Unfolded. For the next one week I will be sharing what happened during my maiden 500 KM bike ride to raise funds for my work with boys in juvenile prison.
As I walked to the sitting room, I reflected on my phone call with Nyawira. Having her on our Half Way Cycle team was a huge blessing right from the beginning. She wasn’t fazed by the worrying concerns I had shared with her.
As I walked to the sitting room, I reflected on my phone call with Nyawira. Having her on our Half Way Cycle team was a huge blessing right from the beginning. She wasn’t fazed by the worrying concerns I had shared with her.
She added that the challenges were just adding to the thrill. We have been praying for the event and trusting God for a breakthrough, she added. It was now time to simply put our trust in Him and go with the flow.
The moment I stepped into the sitting room and sat besides Cynthia, I sensed a heaviness in the atmosphere. Cynthia had made and served us breakfast. But it seemed the appetite Earnest, Craig, Kevin and I had hinged on what I was going to say.
I whispered a silent pray asking God for wisdom.
“Guys,” I said. “Thank you so much for the sacrifice you have put into this. Well, we can have our breakfast as I continue talking,” I added when I discovered everyone had set their cups on the table.
All eyes were on me and the piece of paper that was shaking in my right hand. I had scribbled lots of things on it as I had crossed the things I was going to do without and the people who had pulled out of the ride.
“A lot is going on right now and things are not working out the way I had anticipated,” I went on. “Please take these bikes for servicing and prepare for our first 500 KM bike ride from Nairobi to Migori!”
“Let’s dig in before the breakfast gets cold!” Cynthia reminded us.
“To the timid and hesitating everything is impossible because it seems so.”– Sir Walter Scott
The Eve of Our Maiden Cycling Adventure
December 11, 2018
I went back to Bomata Printers to finish the car branding. It was an exercise that begun the day before. Bob had graciously offered to support us with 500 promotional fliers, a banner and brand the 3 support cars we were going to use.
By this time, we were only left with one car while our support team had dwindled to one person: Cynthia. It was still painful thinking about the things that weren’t working. But I was thankful that God was solving most of them.
Loice Abwao arranged for accommodation and meals during our stop overs in Naivasha, Nakuru and Kericho. Leah Otieno had offered to accommodate us in Kisumu Town while Peter Okinyi had opened his house in Migori Town.
A few months before, Cycloville Kenya donated cycling jerseys and helmets in support of our Half Way Cycle event. And just days before this, Bryan Tabs donated cycling jerseys and rain jackets. On way from the car branding I was going to pick an extra bike and cash sponsorship from Green Cycle Shop.
More surprises of the day
While I was sitting inside Bomata Printers waiting for the car to get branded, the City Council askaris clamped my car. I discovered this 3 hours after it actually happened. I went in search of a City Council employee. It is a search that took me 10 long minutes.
When I finally found the officials who had clamped my car, they told me to prepare a fine. However, Bob took care of it and I was able to leave with the car when the branding was done.
When I arrived at the Green Cycle Shop, I discovered Patrick had an offer that was too sweet to refuse. In addition to the spare bike, money for water melons, bike repair kit he offered to give me a bike carrier.
“Take this bike carrier with you so you can carry your bikes when the ride is over,” Patrick said.
“But I don’t have any more money left,” I explained.
“What about I give it to you for the cash support I was going to support you with?” he asked. “This will serve you beyond this cycling event,” he added.
And just like that, I got a bike carrier that proved to be very helpful during our cycling event. Every piece of the puzzle was falling in place as God kept taking care of our every need. I drove off from the Green Cycle Shop looking forward to helping Cynthia with making our last dinner before our maiden cycling adventure.
Craig is MIA, and so is Earnest
Before each of us left the house, we had agreed to help Cynthia with a number of things. I was to come from branding the car and go to the supermarket to buy supplies. Earnest was to take care of our shop as Cynthia went home to start preparing dinner.
It turns out that Earnest had gone to Umoja on their way from picking the bikes while Craig did not turn up. This forced Elisha to push my bike while riding his at the same time.
I wasn’t able to go to the supermarket and instead came back to the shop to relieve Cynthia. Because Craig didn’t have a phone, we were not able to know where he was. However, he came back just in time for dinner. Our cycling team was complete. All we had to do was wait for our kick off the following morning at CITAM Woodley…
This is how my maiden cycling adventure unfolded continues tomorrow…
Have a vision. It is the ability to see the invisible. If you can see the invisible, you can achieve the impossible.– Shiv Khera
