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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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Blessings & Challenges


The guys spoke after the Masses Saturday night and Sunday morning and received just over $600 in donations for SPO. Fortified and encouraged by the love, generosity, and support they had recieved at Corpus Christi in Newcastle, the guys set off for South Dakota. Their travels through the Black Hills took them by Jewel Cave, Crazy Horse Monument and Mt. Rushmore. I think most know what Mt. Rushmore is all about, but if not, here's a picture. I'm always amazed when I see a picture of this monument and it's surreal when you see it in person.
The guys passed through the Southern end of the Black Hills and spent a short night in Rapid City, SD. Awakening early, the guys set out on their biggest day so far - 130 miles to Faith, SD. This day would end up challenging their strength and faith. After a short ride on Interstate 90 with the big rigs, the guys started down some obscure roadways as they cut across to Route 34. It turns out that about 40 miles was paved and the last 8 miles was grated dirt and gravel but they made it through and pounded on. They made it to the junction of 34 & 73, where they turned North to Faith, and Daniel began to wonder how they would make their destination 30 miles away and it was 7pm and the sun was beginning to set. They had already travelled 101 miles and were pretty worn out so they decided to pray & hitch hike. It wasn't too long after a few "Jesus, I Trust in You" prayers that a man in a pickup truck stopped at the gas station. The guys asked him if they could pack into the back of his truck, and after gaining permission from his fiancee, he told them to load their bikes in back and climb in. He took them all the way to Faith where they had arrangements to stay at St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
The guys had previously contacted Fr. Marcin about spending the night in Faith. He had graciously agreed even though he would be out of the country visiting his home town in Poland. He had given the guys specific instructions on where he left a key for them as well as pizzas and soda - just what they needed after one of their biggest days.
Yesterday, Tues., 7/28, the guys woke after a good night rest and decided to scale back their riding plans. Daniel called me early in the morning to see if I could find a Catholic church in Eagle Butte, SD, which is in the middle of the Cheyenne Indian Reservation; he had no access to the internet and kids today don't know how to use phone directories or Directory Assistance. A quick Google search found All Saints Catholic Church and Daniel made a call and was welcomed to spend the night. So, after a lazy morning, the guys pushed out from Faith on the Cheyenne Indian Reservation and made it to All Saints in about 3 hours of riding - probably their shortest day riding so far.
However, David's pedal has broken which made it a bit more difficult. He will have to ride maybe the next 170 miles with a broken pedal before they get to a town with a bike shop. It will be interesting to learn how they "jerry-rig" the pedal. Today, they head to Gettysburg, about 60 miles away.
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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!