Oof! We’re nearing the home straight. Last week saw us complete 126miles on Monday, then 108, 103, 110, 108, and 110, bringing the total up to 2,501 miles so far in twenty four cycling days. Six to go, and I can’t wait to be back to Lizzie and the children. I honestly can’t believe I’m still in it, so am absolutely delighted that the knees have held firm and that nothing too serious has gone wrong to jeopardize the whole trip (apart from, of course, Geoff’s gutting exit. Keep lifting him up, he’s had more tests and still feels rough).
So today was a full rest day. Our bodies are telling us new areas of aches and pains that we couldn’t afford to know about during the relentless week days, but now we’re taking a little break, they’re piping up with various complaints!
Last night we decided to go and visit Brownesville Assemblies of God church. I’d heard about it years ago. It’s where the Pensacola Revival took place. From 1998 to 2005, they had 5,500 people show up just about every night, as people got healed of blindness, cancer, etc, and so people came from all over the world to witness and be a part of it. They had approximately two and a half million visitors from all over the USA as well as overseas during that time. As we were in Pensacola, I thought it’d be a shame not to check it out.
We immediately went into the wrong building on the campus where the kids work was taking place, and a strapping big African American guy called Robert quickly intercepted this gang of six suspect men, ascertained that we were actually kosher, and pointed us to the main auditorium, a 2,500-seater. He was a real character, and went to the head honcho to tell him about us, so it meant we got introduced to everyone in the service. Afterwards we chatted more, and heard how by 2pm each day during those earlier years, people would camp out in a line that stretched around the block to make sure they got into the evening meeting. I was glad we went, although I fell asleep during the sermon, but then again I am so tired that I would have fallen asleep during just about anything, except another of those deep tissue massages like we had in Austin!
Then it was back to the hotel, where I cracked on with emails, GLO business, logistical stuff, and then we went to the cinema to see ‘The Hunger Games’, followed by an Italian meal, and now hopefully an early night. Thanks to all of you for your ongoing support, words of encouragement, money in the pot, comments on the blog, please keep them all coming, and then I’ll leave you in peace a week from now. Big love to you all, goodnight from me.