wfn.org | Father, son to bike 10,000 miles for mission

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

March 11, 2002     News media contact: Linda Bloom7(212) 870-38037New York
10-21-71B{094}

By United Methodist News Service

A United Methodist father-son team with a track record in mission work is
taking their passion on the road.

Dirk Van Gorp, 48, and his son Bill, 20, will spend six months cycling
10,000 miles around the United States in an effort to educate others and
raise at least $100,000 for mission projects. They will launch "Mission Bike
10,000" with a 30-mile ride on April 21 and will conclude on Oct. 19.
Adirondack Community Church, a United Methodist congregation in Lake Placid,
N.Y., where the Van Gorps are members, is sponsoring the project.

The idea for the cross-country trip came from Bill, an active outdoorsman
who has made weekend bike trips and has witnessed the dedication of his
parents, Dirk and Carol, to mission work. "I figured I'd talk to my dad to
see what we could work out," he said.

Although Dirk hadn't done much bike touring since his college years, he
remains an avid backpacker and hiker and felt up to the trip. After
formalizing their plans, Bill approached the church, which decided to make
the trip an official mission project.

Bill said he was first inspired "to try to make a difference with my life"
after spending the summers of 1994 through 1996 with his parents in Bosnia,
where Dirk served as head of mission for the United Methodist Committee on
Relief. Bill worked with teams assisting refugees and others affected by the
war. "I really got to see firsthand the devastation that had happened
there," he said.

His mission involvement extended to other projects when his family lived in
Geneva, Switzerland, from 1997-2000, while Dirk served on the World Council
of Churches staff as emergency response officer for Action By Churches
Together (ACT).

The pair is using the trip to support United Methodist mission programs
related to the issues of HIV/AIDS, landmines, environment, youth ministry
and poverty housing. All donations are being processed through Adirondack
Community Church. A few commitments have come for "per mile" pledges as
well.

The Van Gorps decided from the very beginning that 100 percent of all
donations and pledges would go to mission, according to Dirk. He and Bill
have worked part-time in construction to cover an estimated $7,500 in
expenses, which include the two touring bikes and related gear, publicity
costs and on-the-road expenses. 

Through contacts with churches, family and friends, they are setting up
speaking engagements and finding places to bunk for the night. When no host
is available, they plan to camp overnight in a two-man tent.

An organization experienced in cross-country travel called "Adventure
Cycling" has mapped the route for them, averaging 55 miles per day. "Ninety
percent of the roads and the actual route that we're on is part of this
system that they've built," Dirk explained. 

The westbound route takes them through parts of New York, Pennsylvania,
Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California.
The return route veers north to Oregon and Washington and then through
Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Pennsylvania and back to upstate New York. 

The Van Gorps expect to become used to the physical exertions of the trip
after the first two weeks. The other incentive for getting on their bikes
every day, according to Dirk, is the belief that "we will be able to
motivate people in churches and communities to have a better understanding
of human needs and a desire to respond to them."

Using a lightweight laptop, the Van Gorps will keep supporters informed of
their progress via group e-mails several times a week. They also plan to
have weekly updates posted online at www.adkcomchurch.org, the Adirondack
Community Church Web site, where more information about the project is
available. 

# # #

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org