We climbed the Mahoosuc Mountains in Maine. The White Mountains in New Hampshire. The Green Mountains in Vermont. The Adirondack Mountains in New York. Thus far there has been a great deal of huffing, puffing, and straining for oxygen, followed of course by the exhilaration of the long downhills. Through all the ups and downs of the road thus far, five things stand out for me: the loveliness of creation; our coming together as a team of riders; the pleasure of eating and going to bed after the rigor, vigor and heat of the day, and finally, the constant reflection on the perfect beauty of our Catholic School children in Belize 3,500 miles away and the rightness of this loving labor.
Our students enjoy their summer break these days, a break from overheated classrooms, shortage of school supplies, crumbling infrastructure, and much more. What a dream it is, the sweetest dream in my life right now, to imagine children returning to schools with solid buildings; classrooms with ceilings that insulate, fans that cool; lunch rooms that offer nutritious meals; desks with books and pens and paper aplenty; schoolrooms free of termites, bats, mold, and frustration; teachers and principals who can afford to dream rather than struggle to get by.
This project, the goal of this Lighthouse Ride, is the greatest, the highest mountain to climb, and this dream is why I pedal. So we keep climbing….