Arvid and crew will leave Riverbend at 5am heading to Oakville to participate in a bike parade and church picnic with Newton Community Fellowship followed by an evening banquet in Winnipeg. It will be a busy day cycling 200+ km to get to these events.

Today is Arvid’s only planned day off from cycling as he and our family and the crew spent a lovely afternoon and an evening program at Riverbend Colony. Riverbend is building a house with all proceeds going to MCF. Ndondo Mulli prayed a prayer of blessing upon this project.

On Friday Arvid cycled 195 km to the Acadia Hutterite Colony, 50 km east of Brandon. They were joined by his family, including 11 grandkids. Ndondo Mully and Faith, an MCF beneficiary landed in Winnipeg at 2pm. Thanks to Paul Boge, they arrived at Acadia in time for a fabulous evening of food, fellowship and and program. Thank you, Acadia Colony! Pictures to follow shortly.

Arvid is almost in Manitoba as of Thursday night. He completed 311km on Thursday!

This will be our last crew crew post as others will assume this task.

We just crossed over the Saskatchewan border into Manitoba. We are heading to the Acadia Colony near Carberry.

“Crossing Over” for people of faith from this life to the next has profound implications.

Several years ago several of us had the privilege of transporting the Mully Children across Canada.

The driving days were very long and often uncomfortable yet not one complaint not even a “when do we get there?.

So I asked one 16 year old boy:

“Why no complaints?”

His response: “Because when you have nothing and somebody gives you something”

In this case food, water and an education was given.

Mully rescued this boy and his baby sister alone huddled in a mud hut. Their very lives were in peril!

He told me, ” I am studying to become a Doctor and I want to help others as I’ve been helped.”

This exchange had a a deep impact on me. Especially when I complain about my old cell phone or my internet speed.

Arvid is right in the middle of the prairies, having biked 386km on day 6. Here he comes, Manitoba!

There is nothing like a great truck “truck driv’n ” song to get a person up to pace in the morning.

Willie Nelson’s song is this mornings choice: “On the road Again… making music with my friends…going to places I’ve never been…”

I’ve never been to Chamberlain Saskatchewan but this is where we spent last night, in trucker’s rest area. Close to a hundred trucks… engines running many on the road before Arvid!

Quite a day yesterday! Wrong turns, flat tires, brake repairs, bone-rattling pavement and leg cramping.

Also some very funny moments when I dumped 20 gals of raw sewage on myself!

Despite all this Arvid road 384ks

Had a flat in the ‘Toon”,

Get back to you soon.

I have tried calling you guys a few times this morning. Could you please tell arvid that the visas have been granted. I have to leave for work. (Text from Ruth Loewen this morning)

Arvid and Ruth have been concerned that the visas for our guests from Kenya, as of yesterday, had not been granted! Yesterday Charles told Arvid…

“We have prayed this morning and God has a couple of hours to answer our requests”

Four Am comes early! Sleep deprivation reins. Our main man is struggling to even get one eye open.

I comment that, “We’re beside a cow pasture and we have four bars!

A voice responds ” And cows don’t even drink beer!”

Humour is a good indicator of how everyone is feeling!

Arvid hit the road at 4:45 this morning and he is eastern bound!

Arvid is through Edmonton and into the Prairies! He has his sights set on Winnipeg, where he’ll see his grandsons and interact at several events at supportive Hutterite colonies, then arrive for the MCF banquet in Winnipeg.

On day 5 he completed 391km, including 588m of gain and 761m of descent. Let the prairies commence!

A Canadian country singer, Corb Lund, wrote a very humorous song about cows:

“Everything is better with some cows around…”

We parked for the evening beside a cow pasture just east of Maidstone Saskatchewan.

Arvid completed an amazing 400 K’s today and now he eating BB chicken from Sobeys.

Plan is to be back on the road before 5:00 am.

It’s in vogue in social media to post pictures of food!

Posted is Arvid’s lunch!

From the Roadside Cafe just east of Vegreville Alberta

Recipe available on Grandpas Can.

The Slick Stick is a mechanical device invented by Jodi Friesen, (Avid’s Daughter)

The purpose of the “Slick Stick) is to pass food and electronic devices to a cyclist from a moving vehicle.

Operational guidelines:

– This is not a toy! (It looks like a grandchild’s plastic lacrosse stick)

-Don’t try this at home!

-Use certified operators only!

– Field tested by top endurance athletes!

– Don’t accept cheap imitations!

– Order now from Grandpas Can.com