Yahoo! 100 miles for Jesus.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

The ministries represented were the Mexico Orphanage Children’s Home and Ride 2 Recovery.

I want to personally thank all that contributed to the Mexico Children’s Home. There was more than $1000 raised. God is faithful and will use the 5 loaves and 2 fish and multiply the love offerings for His purposes His way.  People from 15-75 years old gave various amounts from $10.00 to $100. Your sacrifices are not in vain. I am used to whitewater rafting to raise funds and using the proceeds to send on to the Children’s Home. That is more comfortable since I am giving value to the donor, however now God was stretching me and asking me to step up and ask others to contribute to a cause.

I know there are so many needs. As Jesus said “the poor you will have with you always”.  Even in our own lives many are feeling the pressure of tight finances, yet you were still able to share a few dollars here and there. I know some of you donated for me and my journey, and I thank you for that as well.

Vann Schaffner (Ride-2-Recovery) rode this as preparation training for his 500 mile ride on 9-11-11 in Washington DC. It was remarkable to hear the stories he shared as we got to know each other on the ride. He said one of his favorite stories is of one vet that lost his sight and another that lost his legs. Ride 2 Recovery made a custom tandem bike so they could both ride. Is that cool or what? One sees and one powers. Kind of like the church is called to be.  Getting to know Vann on the ride was a blessing in itself.   He has raised over $2900 for his ministry.

Some have already asked about next year.

Many people just wanted to see how it went this year and said they would be ready for next year.   Perhaps it will be sponsored. That means lots of support. We will need to pay for the use of the trail and water and logistic support. If that happens we will charge an entry fee to cover those costs. Get a T-shirt, drawings, give aways….etc. The key is, people riding for what the Lord has laid on their heart…which is really His ministry, for His heart. For the Heart of Jesus.

Please leave your comments.  Interested people and prayer will shape what happens.

Victory is not an open door. It is a God focused direction with lots of sweat. 1 Cor 9:24-27

May God give you all a victorious journey.

Steve Kagarice

as I ride in a SECOND NON-SPONSORED

100 Mile Bike Challenge

Where: Harrison to Kellogg to Plumber and back to Harrison on the beautiful Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes

Why: For the personal challenge. To minister to each other. To Raise funds for the Mexico Children’s Home.

For information contact Steve Kagarice 509 993~9026

Perhaps next year, if there is enough interest and God is pleased, it may be sponsored and more organized.

So, what’s behind the ride?

Personal goal

Raise funds for minsitries.

Provide a venue for others to support THEIR ministry (OK, God’s ministry)

What if we all supported the ministry of our passion? Wouldn’t it be fantastic to support each other and find out what other ministries were doing? We could share resources and people we know that could help each other. The networking could ignite new passions for serving. Even those that had no ministry to support could find something God was perhaps directing them to through others passions. Wow.

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes

Starting at Harrison and celebrating at Harrison.

Ride perhaps the most beautiful bike trail in the USA. I’m a bit partial. I’ve been there.

Some ride fast

Some do the trail rrreeeeal slooow. ME

Some ride together helping each other

Priorities change when we are touched with the reality of real people in real hurt. Sure we can’t help them all, but the ones we can help sure are thankful.  The little girl that was wandering alone in the high mountains of Mexico at 40# in a tattered summer dress and scared to talk or see people at 7 years old now is 70# and in her second year of school with a big smile on her face.  Is that worth it? Yes and Yes. That’s why I raft and ride for The Heart of Jesus.  His heart for the orphans of Mexico.

Nestled in the high desert of central Mexico at 8000 ft., is the Sierra Assistance Mission’s – Children’s Home.  Ten years ago Josephina (now the director) was going to a Christmas dinner when an auto accident claimed all in her family including her two children. She alone was left. Her mother died 2 days later and her father 3 weeks after that. Her father left her with a sawmill that burned to the ground 2 weeks after that. To say she is familiar with hard times is an understatement from our perspective. She started taking care of a couple of children in her home. It soon grew to be the Children’s Home with around 30 children at a time in care. It is far more than just care. It is life training in the real life of Jesus. The older children function more like adults with responsibility and accountability.  The older girls go to one town and hold church services for the people there, while the boys go to a different town. Oh yes, THEY built the church also. Read some of the stories below. Each one, changed by the love of Jesus.

Lydia: 7-8 years old at the time, was found foraging on her own by villagers. Mother’s new boyfriend didn’t want children so she was abandoned to the grandparents who had died. She was stealing to support herself and nobody knew her language. Now at the Children’s Home she is going to school and loved.

Crystal (9) was sexually abused by the mothers boyfriend. Crystal’s little brother was left in an oven to be killed by the boyfriend. He went to prison. The brother and Crystal are now at the Children’s Home. Crystal is very outgoing and has a wonderful personality. She is somewhat still scarred. She won’t even look near any truck that looks like the boyfriend’s truck.

Everett (13) and Elizabeth (12) were some of the first children when the home was opened. They had been abandoned. After they had been nurtured in Jesus, and the care of Josephina, the unthinkable happened. Their mother showed up, and demanded them back.  Now she wanted to put Everett to work for her and Elizabeth to prostitution. They were now profitable economic units to her.  However she had a surprise she was not expecting. Elizabeth refused to do prostitution because “Jesus wouldn’t want it”. In a huff the mother returned the children to the Children’s Home and said “you’ve ruined them”. God had His hand on them. Children are sold for $100 all the time.

Alvaro (9), Rosalea (6), and Caesar (4) were referred to the home by public officials that said they were in a bad situation. The problem was getting to them. It was a 3 hour trip over dry creek beds and rugged roads, only to go door to door in the village they were supposed to be in, just to find them. They got a tip from one of the homes and soon pulled up at the place they were staying. Grandpa (90 years old) was their caregiver. He was failing in health and was overjoyed for someone to take them. He knew he could not take care of them anymore. Alvaro on hearing the news that he got to go to the home, jumped over the side of the bed of the truck and just grinned. “I get to go”. It was 40 degree weather in the high mountains but Rosalea only had on a thin tattered cotton dress. One of the kids from the home was in the truck and took off his jacket and gave it to her, while one of the other kids in the truck shared his jacket with the one that gave his away. That’s what kind of children they have become.

One of the church building crews.

Building the Children’s Home form lumber cut from local timber. No hardware store here. Gravel and sand from the riverbed hand shoveled and mixed after hours on the gravel roads to get to the material.

How did we get involved?

Some home groups focus on themselves. Not this one. Duane Anderson knew a pastor in Mexico that could use help building a church.  The Home group decided they would take on the task.  Next year they went down and built another, and another.  Meanwhile Duane, an Orthopedic surgeon, went to Ethiopia to develop a Hospital there. Now they run a growing hospital in Ethiopia but the Mexico Mission goes on.

What happened in Mexico?

First it was a pastors home, then a church, and another, another church…then the Children’s Home.  Lives that went to give, were changed forever.  Some construction people used their talents and build, others supported the team, while others sent resources.   We have been raising funds from our White Water Rafting in summers to build and support this effort.  This was once a drug culture town where even local outsiders would not survive if they went in. This was changed by the love of Jesus to heal a land where joy and hope abound.

What is your legacy of change?

1)Ask God to show you what your purpose is and start your own ministry (well, really it needs to be His)

2) Give 10% of your time using your professional skills helping those that can’t return the favor.

3) Sponsor a raft trip of 6 or more to fund a child

4) Sponsor the August 27 – 100 Mile Bike Challenge (pick an amount per mile)

Contact for information:

Steve Kagarice 509 993-9026

Jim Kenas (208) 664-8820

His purpose on this ride is to raise support for Veterans that have been injured physically by loosing limbs or emotionally wounded. The Ride 2 Recovery raises money to custom fit bikes to veterans that have physical damage from serving to protect our rights.  They may get a recumbent bike to use their arms or a special prosthesis and bike to be able to bike and conquer their physical and emotional challenge in getting on with life.

http://ride2recovery.com/

Anyone interested in RIDING solo or as a tag team… or

Anyone interested in DONATING ministry support at $x.00/mile…

Contact: Vann Schaffner http://www.ride2recovery.com/r2r-sponsor-a-rider.html

Come join in the celebration of ministry at 7:00 pm at the Harrison park on the day of the ride.

Dead ended, despairing, …hopeless.

Good Samaritan Rehab is a faith based drug and alcohol rehabilitation program based in Coeur’dAlene, ID

Seeking answers

They address the core issues of life failure that lead to the substance abuse in the first place. There is an intensive 30 day and 90 day program that is followed up with transition mentoring. The goal is not just behavior training in stopping substance abuse. It is far better and far more effective. It is in fact a relationship with Jesus Christ that gives purpose and identity as to why they were created, what they were created for, and how to avail themselves of The Power that is greater than ourselves. As they discover the life that flows from that relationship with Jesus, that is where the journey gets exciting. They in turn find hope, purpose, and power.

Chains of bondage are broken

I'm FREE!

Once a life is truly changed they can’t help but to minister to others on their journey.

http://goodsamaritanrehabilitation.org/

Anyone interested in RIDING solo or as a tag team… or

Anyone interested in DONATING ministry support at $x.00/mile…

Contact:

Come join in the celebration of ministry at 7:00 pm at the Harrison park on the day of the ride.

Microlending Ethiopia

USA business leaders can volunteer their time to train groups of these businesses in productive business practices.  A great vacation with significant purpose. Their products can be sold locally in their community, however there is development underway to be able to supply marketing so their products can be sold on their support website in the USA and other more affluent markets.

Change many lives with small gifts/loans.

Contact: To come as the Lord opens doors