A Grandfather and a Mission

I suppose this adventure truly began in May, serving with the Mennonite Disaster Service. While I was there, I received an email from Christian Service Brigade about their Pedaling for a Purpose initiative. It didn’t seem to be gaining much momentum at the time, so I decided to join in.

I believe the Lord put it on my heart to pedal from my home in Plymouth, Michigan, to my dad’s house in Germfask, Michigan—about 430 miles—in just five days. But I didn’t want it to be a solo journey. I wanted this to be an adventure to share with my granddaughter Lexus, so I invited her to join me on my tandem bike.

June 12 at 7 AM, Lexus and I set off. A good friend and missionary, Ted Szymczak, joined us for the first 55 miles of our adventure. It quickly became clear that this wasn’t a one-grandchild kind of trip, so we invited my second granddaughter, Ashlyn, to join us after the first day.

My wife, Debbie, brought Ashlyn to us and the next morning she and I rode over 85 miles together. On the third day, Lexus rejoined me, but a pedal malfunction resulted in a minor ankle sprain. Ashlyn, despite having pedaled 85 miles the day before, graciously climbed back on the bike to help finish out the day.

By the fourth day, Lexus was back in action. This time, we started a granddaughter rotation which proved to be a much more effective (and sustainable) way to make progress without wearing them out.

Day five was tough. We were sore and tired but determined to finish strong. We completed our final stretch in 4½ hours!

Throughout the trip, we met so many fantastic people along the way that made it a great adventure. Some offered donations, while others shared their stories and encouragement. One special moment came when we met Sue (pictured with us below) on the trail. We were exhausted and worn out, but she showed up with four nutrition bars that gave Ashlyn and me the energy to keep going. To top that off, Sue followed our journey on Facebook—and even donated to Christian Service Brigade.

God truly is good.

Thank you for giving us a chance to have this wonderful adventure together.

With gratitude,

Gary Livermore
Lexus Penning
Ashlyn Livermore
Assisted by: Joe and Roxanne Livermore
Supported by: God, our family, and our church family