Are you really with Wycliffe?

The beauty of wearing the Wycliffe biking jersey while I'm riding the DALMAC is that it generates so many conversations and comments. I had many people come up to me today asking me if I'm really with Wycliffe. It's so much fun and so satisfying to tell them about the 20 years we spent in Suriname doing translation and about the recruitment work we've done in west Michigan since then. Inevitably, the conversation goes something like this:
"Are you really with Wycliffe?"
"Yes, I am. Linda and I have been with the organization for 32 years."
"Oh wow! Do you know so-and-so? They served in..."
"Actually, yes. I met them many years ago at a conference in such-and-such place."
"Cool. So are you biking for Wycliffe?"
"Well, sort of but not exactly, however, we hope to be biking more for Wycliffe in the future."
"Hey, great. Our church supports so-and-so with Wycliffe. Do you know them?"
And the conversation continues for a few minutes and within minutes I have a small audience wanting to know more about the wonderful and powerful work of God through Bible Translation. Thanks for praying for me during these four days.
After driving the bus yesterday, it was a pleasure to get back on my trusty steed and bike the 77 miles to Houghton Lake. It's been a good experience biking with almost total strangers but God keeps bringing interesting people into my life who are developing a heart for God and His precious Word. Tomorrow we bike the 70 miles to Gaylord (pronounced "gay-lerd", I'm told by locals) and Sunday to the Bridge at Mackinaw City that joins the upper and lower peninsulas of the Wolverine State.