Welcome to Bike for Haiti By Erik and Abdiel

The idea of this trip began ten years ago on a family road trip. As the sights of the United States passed by me I dreamed of riding my bike across the country. I brought the matter up during our road trip. I remember saying something like “Next time lets do this by bike...” Of course at the time everyone thought I was crazy. Then five years ago on another road trip I discussed my dream with Abdiel, a friend of mine. He thought that a bike trip would be crazy, but also a great experience. Overtime the idea slowly started to develop and take hold.

While this bike trip will be a great learning experience for Abdiel and I we eventually decided to ride for a cause. We not only wanted this adventure to mean something to us, but to serve a purpose for others. This is why we have decided to ride for Partners in Health (PIH), and Haiti. As many of you know it has been about a year since the earthquake devastated Haiti displacing people out of their homes. Even more then a year later people are still living in tented communities. PIH is not only dedicated to continue to help those harmed by the quake, but has existed in Haiti for many years. As a co-founder of PIH, Dr. Paul Farmer has been revolutionizing how medicine is brought to those in need throughout Haiti. The mission statement for PIH states “When a person in Peru, or Siberia, or rural Haiti falls ill, PIH uses all of the means at our disposal to make them well... Whatever it takes. Just as we would do a member of our own family - or we ourselves were – ill.” This means that PIH is very adamant about helping those who fall ill upon their doorstep. (To learn more about what PIH is doing for Haiti visit PIH Stand for Haiti website)

Any donations are greatly appreciated. We hope the links to our blog will help better inform you about PIH and Haiti. A great book to read is “Mountains beyond Mountains” by Tracy Kidder. You can make a one time donation to our cause and give our ride purpose by going to our PIH Fundraiser Page or if you would like to donate an X amount of money per mile we ride that can be done by going to Pledge per Mile. Remember even the smallest contributions help.

* Your donation can: give a years worth of tuberculosis medication for one person that costs about $10-$20 dollars in poor countries such as Haiti. Antiretrovirals for HIV range from $70-$80 per year, per person. *All donations will go to PIH*

Saturday, April 23, 2011

A Stormy Day (Day 25)

Today is the first day we have had an official rest day. It is about time we rest our legs because the fatigue has been building up. When we woke this morning we got up a little late and by the time we started to think things through about the weather and where we would bike we decided it would be best to relax for a day. When we went to breakfast we saw the devastating images of the tornado that ran through the St. Louis area last night. It is awful to see all the damage that has been done and see it happening so close to where we are. Houses once standing have just been flattened. Talking with some locals this morning they say it is rare to see a tornado come through the area we are in. While it can happen it is more likely to happen more north where it is flatter. That is what the locals told us.

Another thought that ran through my mind today is how our whole world is in need! We are raising money to support the need in Haiti, yet there is so much more need then that area. There is need in Japan, Africa, South America and even right here where I am riding, Missouri. I think while it is impossible to heal all the hurt in this world we can still try to do our part in helping others. While it may be the neighbor down the street or medical care for those in Haiti. We all have interests and abilities that can be used to help those in need.

While that was one thought that ran through my mind it felt good to relax. Especially since it thundered and rained today. It looks like as the week goes on the weather will be improving. Within our area though there are flood watches and warnings. Looking at the weather we may pick up two inches of rain tonight. It will be interesting to see what the ride will bring tomorrow. I hope that the roads will be clear of water and not flooded. We will try to stay off the back roads to avoid flooded river crossings like Kentucky. As we get into Kansas it looks like we will have a solid week of sunshine. I hope that the forecast holds true because it will be harder to hide from strong storms while we are in Kansas.
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4 comments:

  1. UnknownApril 24, 2011 at 6:30 AM

    Hi Erik,
    Happy Easter. I'm glad you took a day to rest. You guys are making so much progress. It's hard to believe that it is a little more than 3 weeks since you left. Good luck with the rest of Missouri and Kansas.

    Take care,
    Maria

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  2. AnonymousApril 28, 2011 at 7:55 AM

    Hi,

    Been praying that you can avoid the severe weather and tornados as you continue your journey. Fascinating reading and pictures.

    Hugs and stay safe,

    Kae

    ReplyDelete
  3. Erik DavittApril 29, 2011 at 8:05 PM

    Thanks Mrs Knee! Things have been going well! It rained the whole time we were in Missouri, but now we are in Kansas. I hope there will be better weather. The trip has its ups and downs. It has definitely been a great adventure!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Erik DavittApril 29, 2011 at 8:06 PM

    Thanks Kae! We have gotten a lot of rain but have missed a lot of the severe stuff!

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