Recovery Ride 2012 – Day Five: camaraderie

Whitecourt Church sent us off with full bellies and prayers! I climbed on the bike of one of their congregants. I admit I was more than nervous with travelling down the highway open to the elements, bugs and hefty semi-trucks! As Freedom Biker Church is creating a two-hour documentary, a helicopter followed us for a short season, to take aerial videos. What an experience to have a copter hovering and swooping over our heads as we sped forward in synergy and perfect formation. One body moving together.

At Hilton, as we prepared to motor on to Valemont, an RCMP vehicle rolled into the gas station curious to see what our caravan was up to. We stood silently by, riveted in prayer asking God for His favour. As it turns out, the officer was a Christian – go figure. I switched bikes and travelled on the back of Chuck’s bike for the scenic ride to Valemont, while Andria followed prayerfully behind in our NightShift truck. My nervousness settled a bit as we careened down mountain passes through magnificent Jasper. I had only one concern during this part of the ride…my derrière! Biking is not a pastime for wimps 🙂 We stopped at the most pristine lake to drink in the beauty of God’s masterpiece. The riders,  blessed with NightShift shirts, proudly poised for this picture: I caught one sitting on a rock gazing out over the lake and couldn’t resist intruding on his moment of solitude with my camera. Circles of ripples flowed out across the lake from where he rested. It reminded me of one of Mother Theresa’s quotes, “I can’t change the world alone, but I can toss a stone across the waters to create ripples of change” (my paraphrase). One ripple at a time. One soul at a time. Minutes before kick-stands up, a dear lady approached us with a $20 donation to the ministry. She had heard of NightShift and wanted to support our programs to those in need. A random donation in the middle of nowhere: may God bless her and increase her gift one-thousand fold! The last leg of the drive from the lake to Valemont was indescribable. As I rested on the back of Chuck’s bike, I was completely captivated by the beauty around me. The snow-capped mountain ranges, the scent of pine and pure clean air was intoxicating and engaged all of my senses. And to think me, who was frightened to cross the Rockies (did I mentioned that before?), was now winding my way down mountain passes oblivious to my former fears! Isn’t there a lesson here somewhere about stepping out of my comfort zone? God has so much more for us if we’re just willing to trust Him and take the step. If I had given in to my fear, I would have missed one of the most incredible experiences of my life. A little bit unnerving, then…Surreal. Restful. Peaceful. Need I say more? As I let my mind wander randomly, I envisioned a pearl white Harley! Once again, I’m amending my bike order…Papa, can you hear me? 🙂

A peaceful evening of church in the woods of Valemont.

MaryAnne Connor (Mac) The 2012 Recovery Ride is – in the words of the Freedom Biker Church of Surrey – truly a “road trip of a lifetime”. In support of the Care Village, we are happy to accept donations to provide that safe haven in Fort St John. The Care Village will be a refuge for anyone seeking recovery from the cycle of addiction or substance abuse, or just in need of temporary respite, away from the struggles of everyday life. If you’d like to follow the journey live, join us on Twitter or Facebook for status updates and images of this wonderful journey.