Donald Miller and the Ride:Well Team Bike America

June 7th, Los Angeles

Today we went down to the beach to take pictures in the ocean. We did this so we didn’t have to do it Monday morning. So basically it was a mock-start and photo-shoot. When we release the photos it will look like we started the ride, but we didn’t. I just want anybody reading this and anybody who sees those pictures to know that those pictures are a lie. We won’t start till Monday.

Anyway, we did take that training ride down the coast. We rode from Santa Monica to Rodondo Beach where we had lunch, then turned around and came back. We followed a bike path along the beach all the way which was a great introduction to all things Los Angeles. We saw a helicopter, a hang-glider, girls, a ferris wheel, ships, girls, volleyball players, street musicians, girls, a spaceship, Kobe Bryant walking down the street with Brittany Spears on his shoulders, and the dog that played Beathoven in the movie Beethoven.

The beach path was packed with people so it made for a fairly slow ride. We kept yelling at people to move over because we were trying to build wells in Africa and most people moved. I didn’t know that doing social justice work gave you so much personal power, but it does. Try it, you will see.

When we got back to the church we are staying at, we went down to the YMCA and took showers. I showered in a public shower that reminded me of Jr. High. I might not sleep tonight. After showers, we ate on the Santa Monica peer at a Mexican Restaurant. The church that is hosting us is called Elements and they paid for everything, which wasn’t cheap. It’s a tiny church and so we are very thankful for the sacrifice they are making on our behalf. Their kindness and hospitality has been remarkable and the place feels like home.

Tomorrow we will split up into two groups and speak at a couple churches about what we are doing. I will be going back to Ecclesia, a church I spoke at a retreat for only a couple weeks ago. I am excited to see them again. Then we have a barbecue and then a meet and greet and then back home where we will go to sleep early as we pedal out around 5 A.M the next day for our first official ride toward the Atlantic.

I think we all feel like we’ve waited forever to get here and now we feel like we are waiting again. I don’t think there is a person in this group that isn’t ready to hit the road. But this time has been important. We are all sleeping on the floor of a church and living together and getting to know each other. We’ve all figured out that we like each other…One girl came into our group only today, after our ride, and her name is Autumn…She seems really cool but it’s honestly too early to say whether we like her or not.

More later. Good night!