PWRDF Story Le Tour De PWRDF Excerpts from the Final Blog Entry, June 30, 2010, by Suzanne

Week of June 29 (Pentecost 3)

Scripture: Matthew 10:40-42 "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple – truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."

PWRDF Story – Le Tour de PWRDF – Excerpts from the final blog entry, June 30, 2010, by Suzanne Rumsey

Editor’s Note: In June 2010 I undertook an 18-day, 1,400 km bike ride on behalf of PWRDF. Dubbed “Le Tour de PWRDF”, my journey began at the General Synod meeting in Halifax, passed through Springhill, Nova Scotia (the site of the 1958 mine disaster that led to the creation of PWRDF), New Brunswick, and Quebec, ending in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, on the island of Montreal where PWRDF was established by General Synod in 1959.

“Today I spent a bit of time looking at the photos I took over the course of Le Tour de PWRDF. So many good memories of people encountered and places visited. And it reminded me of the many things I learned on this journey. Herewith a list of those learnings, some of them sublime others ridiculous, but all good to have learned…

2. It is never impolite to warmly greet one’s hosts and then immediately request a shower, as in, “Hello, it’s very nice to meet you. Could I have a shower? No really, you WANT me to have a shower!”…

8. Canadians are friendly and helpful in BOTH official languages. Whenever I asked for directions I always got “helpful”(!) responses, and when I explained that I spoke only a little French, the person I was speaking with would usually just smile, nod and carry on in rapid-fire Québécois! One piece of advise I received repeatedly was that the prevailing winds blow from west to east, and therefore I was biking in the wrong direction, that is east to west. This I knew before I set out and it was confirmed for me especially between Fredericton and Woodstock (gusts up to 50 km/hr) and between Rivière du Loup and St. Jean Port Joli along the St. Lawrence River (thanks to the young couple who shared leading and drafting that day). The next time I do this I hope General Synod is in Vancouver and my destination is Toronto.

9. Canadian Anglicans are equally friendly and hospitable. I had more good parish and home-cooked meals than I can count, not to mention good, hot showers (see no.2 above) and comfy beds… 13. How does the saying go? “An ounce of prevention is worth…” Hmmm… something good I recall. Well a special word of thanks to the bike shops in Toronto, Halifax, Fredericton, Quebec City, Montreal and Edmonton (Mark Rumsey at Hardcore Bikes, my unofficial official sponsor), who equipped and boxed and shipped and unboxed and tuned and refitted with rear gears, and adjusted “les vitesses” (I learned that’s what gears are called in French), and boxed and shipped Olive again. Please support your local independent bike stores. They are good people…

18. The Primate, Archbishop Fred Hiltz often describes PWRDF as one of the “good news stories” of the Anglican Church of Canada. I learned that indeed it is. And it is good news because Anglicans in parishes large and small across this country support PWRDF and the work of our partners in many creative and meaningful ways. An organization doesn’t get to celebrate its 50th birthday without the steadfast commitment of many, many people, some of whom I had the privilege to meet along the way. And finally…

19. I will never be able to say thank you enough to all those who made this ride possible. You are too many to number and name, but I do hope over the next weeks to – as I promised I would when I stopped riding – do the old-fashioned thing, put pen to paper and send some thank you notes.

A thousand thank yous. I have been so very blessed.”

To read all 19 things Suzanne learned on Le Tour de PWRDF go to: http://pwrdfblog.livejournal.com/2010/06/30/

For Reflection: The passage from Matthew comes at the end of a set of instructions that Jesus gives to his disciples as he is about to send them out. For all he was able to advise them about however, doubtless their journey – like Le Tour de PWRDF or any other journey – was one of discovery, learning, challenges and welcomes. Think of a journey you have been on. Who welcomed you? What challenges did you face? What did you learn from the journey and from those you encountered?

Concluding Prayer:

Pray for Peace (excerpts) Pray to whomever you kneel down to: Jesus nailed to his wooden or plastic cross, his suffering face bent to kiss you, Buddha still under the Bo tree in scorching heat, Adonai, Allah. Raise your arms to Mary that she may lay her palm on our brows, to Shekhina, Queen of Heaven and Earth, to Inanna in her stripped descent…

And if you are riding on a bicycle or a skateboard, in a wheel chair, each revolution of the wheels a prayer as the earth revolves: less harm, less harm, less harm… by Ellen Bass, The Human Line, Copper Canyon Press, 2007 "Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is a Season)", often abbreviated to "Turn! Turn! Turn!" is a song adapted entirely from the Book of Ecclesiastes (with the exception of the last line) and put to music by Pete Seeger in 1959. Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbPl91kTFro