Daily Prayer for Tour de CROSS

May the Lord Jesus Christ be with You.
That He may Defend You.
Within you, that He may Sustain You.
Before You that He may Lead You.
Behind You that He may Protect You.
Above You that He may Bless You.
In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
(St. Augustine)

This is where we are going!


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Monday, June 29, 2009

Departure from Denver

We've had quite the vacation at the Conrad home in the Denver area, but alas, it is time to get back on the road, because we have a destination and a deadline. Throughout the first three weeks of the tour, the Lord has been so gracious in the ways he has blessed us. Everywhere we go, there are people ready and willing to help us. If we need a place to stay, we find a Roger and Carol Fornoff in Pine, or a Lynn and Martha in Red Mesa, or a Kevin and Linda Ketterer in Cortez, or a gracious camp site manager near Durango. We've also found Bob and Joellen Winter near Montrose, and a newfound friend Trevor, who let us stay at the ranch where he works in Deckers, and finally, this kind family we are with now, Peter and Amy Conrad, who have given us warm beds, great meals, and a fun time in Denver. If we can't find a place to stay, the Lord gives us a perfect spot to camp, and sometimes even friendly campers to give us some food and good company. But the blessings don't stop there: we also want to thank God for you, our friends and family, who are praying for us every day, because we know that without your prayers, this could not happen. A big thank you to Christina, for the delicious chocolate that was waiting for us here in Denver, and a huge thank you to Focus Cyclery in Phoenix, who sent us a big care package to get us through the next leg of the trip. Anyone else who has helped us in any way, thank you, and we thank God for you.

With a plethora of spare tubes and a bag full of Bonk Breaker bars (compliments of Focus Cyclery), we are about to head out from Denver, going towards Yellowstone National Park. In the next couple of days we will go over Trail Ridge pass, which goes over 12,000 feet in elevation. As you can imagine, we still need your prayers, more than ever, to get us through the challenges ahead of us. We are looking forward to seeing what is in store for us, and we thank God every day for giving us the opportunity to serve Him. Thank you once again for your prayers and support, and God bless you.

-One of us

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The Load Down:

Welcome! We are David Edwards and Daniel Tansill. In Tour de CROSS (Christians Riding Over Several States), we will be riding from Tempe, AZ to St. Paul, MN, covering nearly 3,000 miles over a span of 60 days. Our mission for the trip is threefold: to be an example of God’s love, to promote Saint Paul’s Outreach (SPO), and to raise money for the continued growth of SPO at Arizona State University. We hope to gain your support for the mission that SPO has on college campuses across the country and especially here at ASU.

Saint Paul’s Outreach is an organization founded in St. Paul, MN in 1985, with the mission of “engaging young adults in a life of Christian discipleship.” SPO has grown in size and has spread to many other parts of the country, the newest location being here in Tempe, where it is supported by Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church. SPO focuses on bringing people to Christ through Christian community and discipleship formation.

Within our first year we have established a men’s and women’s household near campus as well as instituted weekly outreach nights, praise and worship, formation groups, “Fan Into Flame” retreats, and other events to promote community. We can see the power of the Holy Spirit working through SPO and changing the lives of many students. As we ride across the country, we will be staying at approximately 40 different Catholic churches, where we will promote SPO and be an example of God’s love to all we encounter. Working together as a community, we can make an impact in the lives of countless college students.

There is a faith crisis in college as students’ morals are challenged and bombarded with negative influences, and the evidence is clear as thousands of students are losing their faith in God. We believe that the college years are the most important time of formation in a young adult’s life and that now is a crucial time to reach them. Our fundraising goal is to cover the expenses of the trip and raise $30,000 to establish more households, outreach events, retreats, and to support the continued growth of SPO.

To make a financial donation to support our trip and further the growth of SPO please click the DONATE button at the top right-hand corner of this blog. All donations are tax deductible and you can receive a tax receipt within 2 weeks, upon request. If you would prefer to write a check, you can see the details for that in the corner beneath the donate button. Along with the financial support, we also need your prayers as we strive to follow God's calling in our lives.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to learn more about the trip or Saint Paul’s Outreach, offer us any advice, or just let us know that you'll be praying for us. If you have a Twitter, jump on and follow us at http://twitter.com/tourdecross. Thank you so much for your love and support. God bless you!