September-October 1997

Cross-Country for Christ

by Monte Wolverton

Rob Nelson pedals for Christ, in both senses of the word. He is an avid fund-raising cyclist and an avid salesperson for his two favorite Christian organizations, World Vision and Promise Keepers. In July 1996, he braved logging trucks and rain, pedaling 1,400 miles from Los Angeles to Seattle, gaining 50 new sponsors for World Vision in the process. But that wasn't enough. On September 27, he and 3 team mates will begin pedaling their way across the country -- from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. (the site of Promise Keepers "Stand in the Gap: A Sacred Assembly of Men"), raising both funds and awareness for World Vision and Promise Keepers. What kind of a person bikes 1,400 miles -- or better yet 3,000 miles -- for Christ?

Life can be like a bike ride. You may have planned to stay on one road, but you might have to take a detour or two. If you're open to God's possibilities, those detours might develop into a whole new journey-quite different from the one you had planned. Just ask Rob Nelson.

In high school and college, Rob had his life's journey planned. More than anything, he wanted to play pro tennis, and for a while it looked like he was going to be traveling down that road. After earning an English degree from UC Irvine, he became a professional. He traveled the world, even playing at Wimbledon. But after two years, his finances and health were both at a low ebb.

Hanging up his tennis racket, Rob began looking for more conventional employment. A friend suggested the mortgage business. Rob knew nothing about mortgages, but that didn't stop him from finding a job in a mortgage company and learning the business -- eventually starting his own company.

In 1987, Rob met the woman who would accompany him on his life's journey, Debra. She turned Rob's life down an unexpected road. Debra was a Christian -- raised in a family that included four pastors. She invited Rob to a small Bible study sponsored by her church. There, Rob was introduced to Jesus Christ.

Only two years ago, Rob explored another of life's side streets that would lead to a major thoroughfare. A former tennis doubles partner had injured a knee and taken up cycling for therapy.

He suggested cycling to Rob, who jumped into it with his usual enthusiasm, taking up amateur racing.

Before long, Rob was routinely cycling 300 miles per week, using a good part of his time on the road for prayer and quiet time with the Lord.

Then, in July of last year, Rob read an article about a man who ran from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 20 days to raise $12,000 for Hodgkin's disease. He was fascinated by the simplicity and directness of the event. The man simply decided to run to raise funds for a friend who had the disease.

The same week, Rob was moved by a sermon at Saddleback Community Church in Orange County, California, where he is a member. Pastor Rick Warren encouraged the members of his congregation to discover their gifts and boldly use them in Christ's service.

Throughout the next week, Rob thought about the message as he did his daily cycling. "I was thinking: What can I do? Where can I contribute? How can I become involved in something? I looked down at my legs pedaling and I thought: All right! I can ride from point A to point B. There's my venue."

Rob got the idea to cycle up the West Coast to raise funds for one of his favorite Christian charities, World Vision.

Even though Rob owns a mortgage business, he wasn't in an economic position to take 10 days off and finance a fund-raiser. But after prayer and consulting a few friends, Rob quickly received the encouragement and financial support he needed.

Within two days, Rob was being interviewed on a Christian radio station about his fund-raising project -- and it was off the ground.

Rob's ride to Seattle was initially co-sponsored by a Los Angeles area Christian radio station and Knott's Berry Farm. As the project grew, Marriott Hotels offered to donate provisions for the trip, Togo restaurants provided food, Mike's Auto Sales provided a support vehicle, and newspapers and TV stations along the way provided media coverage. Rob's initial concerns had all been taken care of.

"I felt like God's hand, even leading up to the ride, was so affirming," says Rob.

The ride itself turned out to be a test of both endurance and adrenaline, with several near misses. "The route we followed essentially meant riding on the shoulder of a freeway for 1,400 miles," says Rob. "The cars don't really care that there's a cyclist on the freeway. Truckers don't care and busses don't see you. You're more of a speed bump than you are an obstacle to steer around."

A Matter of Life and Death

Rob describes a heart-stopping experience near Crescent City, California, an area with more than its share of logging trucks. While cycling on the shoulder of a busy two-lane highway, Rob caught his front tire on a rock, spilling him on the road in front of a fully loaded redwood logging truck bearing down on him at 50 miles per hour. Rob's feet were clipped into the pedals of his fallen cycle, so he couldn't just get up and run. A miraculous break in oncoming traffic allowed the truck to swerve and avoid Rob.

"That life-and-death scrape showed me that God was protecting me through the ride," says Rob. "Even so, with experiences like these, Satan kind of weaves his way into your thoughts. All along, he was saying: 'Rob, go ahead and quit the ride. You don't want to finish this. You're gonna get killed out here. Get back home to your family.'"

But the positive experiences on the road more than made up for the frightening ones.

"There were a number of times when I thought, I don't want to go any farther. And then I'd meet somebody by God's design, and all of a sudden I was inspired again and pedaling a little faster and a little harder."

"We'd just left Buellton [north of Santa Barbara], and we were encountering really strong headwinds. Another cyclist tucked in beside me, and we got to talking. When we pulled up to a stop sign, he said, 'Rob, I want to sponsor a child.' So right there we spread out the sponsorship packets on the hood of the car. He ended up sponsoring a little boy in Africa -- right on the spot. I think that was a divine appointment.

"Once after another near miss with a logging truck, we were stopped at a roadside deli for

a sandwich. With me dressed out in my biking tights, a 300-pound, 6-foot-6 logging truck driver walks in. He says, 'Are you that biker I almost hit back there?' I was expecting something bad to happen at that point. But he ended up sponsoring a child."

With a wealth of experiences like these behind him, and just seven weeks after his initial idea, Rob found himself pedaling into World Vision headquarters in Seattle.

"Here's a life moment that will rank right up there with the day I met Debra and when we got married, when our children were born and when I accepted Christ," says Rob.

"Rolling into the World Vision parking lot -- dog tired -- 1,400 miles behind me -- in front of me a throng of about 150 people standing out in the rain just yelling and screaming and cheering their heads off because I was able to hit the finish line and able to raise the sponsors -- what a moment!"

What Do You Do for an Encore?

Only a few days after his West Coast trip, someone casually suggested another trip -- this time across the country to the Promise Keepers massive "Stand in the Gap" assembly this October in Washington, D.C. Back on Duffy's radio talk show, Rob mentioned the idea. Within a few days, Promise Keepers and World Vision were on the phone with Rob, and the Washington, D.C., trip was on.

The cross-country bike-a-thon calls for 3,003 miles, 7 1/2 days, 400 miles a day, rain or shine. Rob's goal is to gain at least 1,000 new sponsors for World Vision.

While Promise Keepers and World Vision will be the main supporters, many individuals, businesses and ministries (including Plain Truth Ministries) are offering their support.

Rob is quick to point out that he is only the spearhead for the project -- many Christians have already rallied together to do the work necessary to make the trip happen.

Not only is the distance greater than Rob's first fund-raiser, but the number of participants has also increased. When Rob biked up the West Coast last year, he did it alone (except for a support vehicle). This year, the format will be for Rob and three other cyclists to ride around the clock, each taking a six hour shift.

Rob hopes that the number of riders will increase as he cycles through major metropolitan areas -- cycling with him for one or two days and raising even more funds for World Vision.

The Journey Isn't Over

As it turns out, the Seattle trip was only the first of a four-part series of journeys. In 1998, Rob plans to organize four consecutive rides -- two groups traveling south and west from Maine, and two groups traveling north and east from California. The groups would converge on Florida and Washington state. This plan would allow for travel through parts of the country not covered by this fall's trip.

Next, in 1999, Rob foresees something he calls "The Millennium Ride," although he is not yet sure exactly what it will be. Whatever the specific plans, his overall goal is to raise 2,000 World Vision sponsors by the year 2000.

It seems that God has taken Rob Nelson on a much more exciting journey than he could ever have planned for himself. And clearly, Rob is enjoying the ride.

"There are no words that can describe the emotion you feel when you're doing God's work, and you achieve the goals he sets out for you." 

WORLD VISION World Vision is a nonprofit Christian humanitarian organization committed to serving God by working with the poor and oppressed. The work of World Vision includes long-term community development projects focused especially on the needs of children, emergency relief assisting people affected by conflict or disaster, promotion of justice seeking to change unjust structures, strategic initiatives serving the church, public awareness, and witness to Jesus Christ by life, deed, word and sign, encouraging people to respond to the gospel. In 1996, World Vision employed more than 7,000 workers involved in more than 4,000 projects in more than 100 countries, helping to support about two million children around the world.   PROMISE KEEPERS Promise Keepers is a Christ-centered ministry dedicated to uniting men through vital relationships to become godly influences in their world. Promise Keepers Men's Conferences serve as a catalyst, challenging men to live a life of Christian integrity and equipping them with practical teaching and tools for improved relationships with God, their families, other Christians and their communities. Promise Keepers was founded in 1990 by Bill McCartney (then University of Colorado head football coach) and Dave Wardell. Since then, the growth of conference attendance has been phenomenal. In July 1991, 4,200 men met at the University of Colorado basketball arena. In 1996, more than one million men participated in 22 stadium events. About the same number of events are planned in 1997. The premier Promise Keepers event of 1997 will be "Stand in the Gap," in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Oct. 4. The event, to take place on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the nation's Capitol, will last about six hours -- from noon to sundown. Christian men of all denominations, races and socioeconomic groups will convene to pray and confess personal and collective sin.

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