Six Weeks and Counting

The great Rift Valley will be a common site for a significant part of
our 600-mile trek through northwest Kenya.

FLIGHTS BOOKED. Our Bike Kenya 2012 team of eight cyclists is now officially booked for flights to Nairobi, Kenya, departing Sunday, May 6 and arriving at NBO on Monday evening, May 7. As one who's job it is to sweat some of these details, I'm relieved to get get this task behind me and airlines booked before airfares go crazy.

TRAINING WELL. All eight of us are taking advantage of incredibly warm weather in the American Midwest to train for the 600-mile ride through Kenya. While we train in America, Bishop Nixon Dingili, our Kenyan team member, is training in Kenya.  Putting time in the saddle now will pay off for the six to eight hours we'll be pedaling each day in Kenya.  Six weeks will pass quickly and we are getting more pumped for the experience every day.

A NEW TEAM MEMBER. We're happy to announce the addition of Dr. Bob Burtch as one of our team members. Bob lives in Batavia, Illinois and is a retired biologist and teacher. Bob has visited Kenya and was a member of the Bike Vietnam 2011 team with me last year.  He's a great source of knowledge and fun and we're glad he will contribute to this effort.

MATCH OUR SWEAT EQUITY. Speaking of contributions...remember that the purpose for which we ride is to raise funds to build a new ICCM school in Kenya. Our team will visit the location during our ride and talk with school students and teachers.

Your contribution of 10c, 25c or $1 per mile of our 600-mile bicycle ride helps make that possibility a reality for them.  Please take time right now to go to the Special Funds donation page at International Child Care Ministries (ICCM) and make a contribution of $60, $150, or $600 (or more or less!) toward this challenge.

FOR KENYAN KIDS EDUCATION. $40,000 is needed to purchase the property and building materials.  The school will be operated under the auspices of ICCM in Kenya (learn about ICCM at www.childcareministries.org).  Children attending the school will be sponsored through ICCM, too.

We hope you will match our sweat with a generous gift for a new ICCM school!

TRACK OUR ADVENTURE.  Please subscribe to this blog ("Track Our Ride") to get new posts via email. Also, please follow us on Twitter @bikekenya2012. We will share photos and stories during the journey in May.

-- John Franklin Hay, Bike Kenya 2012 Team Coordinator