Starting Point

Clear, blue skies in historic Edenton, NC at the waterfront the day before my departure. Oregon looks a long way from here, but this is a beautiful place to begin.

Pictures from the waterfront:

And the historic Roanoke River Lighthouse:

Getting Ready

Today is Pedaling Eve and no one is snuggled, warm in their beds.  There is so much to do when one is taking a three-month journey on a bicycle - going down the list that keeps growing, finding out that not everything is working, wondering if everything will fit in the car - whew, it's exhausting.  

The dining room is the staging area for food.  

The den for camping.  

The bedroom for clothing and miscellaneous stuff.  And Denise wants to leave the house tidy, oh my!  

I have some apprehension as we begin.  Today I finished making copies of the maps I will be using throughout the journey, and there were a lot of them.  To cross the entire country seems so intimidating at this moment.  I have to keep reminding myself that thousands of others have done this, and that I am entirely capable.  I need to just enjoy each day . . .  

I'm also aware of what a gift it is to be able to take a whole summer off in order to do this.  How fortunate I am to have this freedom!  This awareness makes me all the more distressed at the thought of those who are trapped in modern day slavery.  Human trafficking is a 132 billion dollar enterprise in the US, alone.  How can such evil take place right under our noses, in this "land of the free"?  

I hope you will consider a donation if you have not already done so, and become informed about the problem.  Join me in my efforts to Stop Human Trafficking.  

Maybe I'll see you out on the road.  

UMW Mission Walk

On May 17, 2014, the United Methodist Women of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Hickory, NC, sponsored a Mission Walk to raise money for, and awareness of, the problem of Human Trafficking.  Many thanks for their support.

Some photos from the Mission Walk:

The support of the United Methodist Women is crucial to the success of my cause, and my journey:

4000 miles of closeness in our tent:

Human Trafficking

A man claiming to be Abubakar Shekau, leader of a militant Islamist group, issued a statement this past week that he plans to sell the school girls that his band of abducted recently in Nigeria.  Whether sold, or kept in bondage, the fate of these girls is a nightmare which is likely to result in sexual slavery to those who hold them in chains. 

According the U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2010, the number of adults and children currently in forced labor, bonded labor and forced prostitution is 12.3 million. Worldwide, 1.8 per 1,000 persons is a victim of human trafficking, increasing to 3 persons per 1,000 in Asia and the Pacific. Sixty-two countries have yet to convict a trafficker under the U.N. Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, and 104 countries have yet to establish laws or regulations regarding human trafficking. (Fact Sheet)

Did you know that the Super Bowl is the highest money-making weekend of the year for those who profit from human trafficking?  As football fans descend on host cities, many of them will also be going online on their computers, or making phone calls, to place an order - an order for a human being.  An order for a child made in God’s image.  They may order someone Caucasian, or African, or Asian, or Hispanic.  They may choose any gender and almost any age, most likely very young.  And they will pay for it with cash or a credit card.  And I was naïve enough to think that slavery ended with the Civil War.  No, those who profit from slavery have just become more sophisticated about how they ply their trade.

And lest we think this is a problem for Third World nations or big cities, only, my sister recently told me about an incident in a small town in western North Carolina last month.  Modern day slavery is happening right under our noses.

This summer I will be riding a bicycle across the United States.  I treasure the freedom I have to take on such an adventure, and I ache for those who have been denied their freedom to flourish, to do meaningful work, to have the leisure to play.  Even more, my heart breaks for those who are oppressed and forced into demeaning sexual exploitation.  So, as I ride I will be hoping to raise awareness and funds to help put a stop to human trafficking, or at least to put a pinch in this criminal economy which is second only to trafficking in drugs. 

To read a bit more and to donate, click here --- Pedaling to Stop Traffic. 

Pedaling to Stop Traffic

Mark Andrews, Pastor at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Hickory, NC  will be traveling across the country by bicycle this summer, from North Carolina to Oregon.  This blog will be updated frequently with news from the road.  

While his primary purpose in this trip is personal renewal, he is also hoping to raise money to support United Methodist Women’s efforts to stop human trafficking.  Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery and the second largest criminal industry after drug trade.  According to the U.S. State Department, the number of adults and children currently in forced labor, bonded labor and forced prostitution is 12.3 million.  Mark appreciates any support you can give.  Your gift will help United Methodist Women provide training in human trafficking prevention, intervention, victim protection and prosecution of traffickers.

The trip will cover roughly 4000 miles and Mark has set a goal of raising $10 per mile – that’s $40,000 if you do the math.  Thanks for the help!

If you’d like to help, click here  

But this is a people robbed and plundered, all of them are trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become a prey with no one to rescue, a spoil with no one to say, “Restore!” Who among you will give heed to this, who will attend and listen for the time to come?
—Isaiah 42:22-23 (NRSV)