Summer Bike Tour 2011

Lewie Briggs

Hey, my name is Lewie Briggs and I am a senior studying economics at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA.

Last year I studied abroad in Uganda and Rwanda studying the genocide and other wars in those areas. Before I went, I got the chance to go to the DRC as a volunteer for American Bible Society and see for myself the devastation and actual evil that is there.

This past winter, I went back to do more research on the trauma in the area and spent a few days in a Congolese refugee camp. There I heard many stories of unfathomable suffering.

I know God has not forgotten about these women in the Congo, and I told them that, but it’s time for us as their brothers and sisters in Christ to show them that we have not forgotten them either.

Marianne Millen

Hi, I’m Marianne Millen and I am a junior at The Pennsylvania State University. I am studying elementary education and I am hoping to someday get a job working for and helping the needy in low-income areas.

When I heard about the bike ride, I was immediately excited to help out in any way that I could. I really hope that God will use me to raise awareness and support for the DRC in my community here at Penn State, as well as to the many people and churches we encounter on this summer bike ride.

I am very excited to see how God is going to move and work through his willing vessels.

Gordon Brown

I am Gordon Brown from Boone, NC. I am a senior building science major at Appalachian State University and will be graduating in May. I’m super excited to be a part of "She’s my Sister" bike tour.

I had the idea in my head of a cross-country ride for a few years now when I was working at camp together with Mark Jacobs and Lewie Briggs one summer. It stuck with me and here I am ready to ride... but it’s not quite for the same intentions. I originally thought we would just go for the sheer adventure and manly feeling of cycling a far distance. Little did I know that this ride would be one that would help to change the hearts and lives of many people!

I cherish the opportunity to ride for the sake of bringing the hope and love of the Gospel to the hurt and neglected. Last summer I traveled to Kenya and worked at a children’s home; I have seen the poverty and felt the pain in my heart for the lost there. For me, this ride is more than sheer adventure. The issue in the DRC is a matter of life or death, something that I have witnessed firsthand!

I am so glad to be a part of this ride, and I am ready and willing to give my time and effort to get the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the hurting in the DRC. I know God will change lives through this project, and I want to be a part of it!

Mark Jacobs

My name is Mark Jacobs, and I am currently a junior studying Business Administration at Furman University.

I found out about this bike fundraising trip through a friendship with Lewie. We had worked for the past two summers at Kids Across America, a Christian summer sports camp for inner city kids. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to spend this summer raising money and awareness for these people suffering in the Congo.

I really believe that the Lord has aligned all things up, in order to make this trip possible and I am eager to see the His will in action.

Bryan Dougan

My name is Bryan Dougan, a senior Sociology major at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA.

This bike ride has been on my radar screen since freshmen year of college, when Lewie wanted to do it. The realities of why we are riding became quite apparent to me through a semester abroad in Uganda in the spring of 2010, seeing those impoverished suffer in mind, body, and spirit. What I discovered last year has only been reinforced and rediscovered, all at the same time, through a more recent trip in January 2011. During this excursion, I got the chance to further uncover the true realities of the problems in the Congo, as well as neighboring countries.

I know in my heart of hearts that these women are the apples of God’s eye, and He is waiting to further show them His love. It is our job as Christians and the Church to remind them of that.

Jon Felker

I have recently heard more about what is currently happening in the Congo; however, I had known a little bit about the situation there when I was part of the Invisible Children Schools for Schools Club in high school. To sum it up, I found out that Joseph Kony and the LRA were kidnapping children and attacking villages throughout Uganda. These attacks left refugees scattered throughout Northern Uganda in tent villages or cities. Then when they had run out of places to hide, the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) went into the Congo and committed similar crimes. Also, the close proximity of Sudan brought more conflict into the region over its resources.

I am riding for this cause for the sole reason of spreading the gospel. Unfortunately, our world will never be without conflict or poverty, but Jesus Christ has promised us a better life in Him that will deliver us from the injustices of our present condition. In the theme of this ride, Matthew 25:40 speaks loudly to me.

Jenna Liew

My name is Jenna Liew, and I am from Easton, PA. Currently, I am a junior broadcasting major/ anthropology minor at Messiah College.

Last year I had the opportunity of a lifetime during the month of January. I went to Ghana, Africa through a study-abroad program. I fell in love with the people, the culture, and the land immediately. I also witnessed with my own eyes the illnesses, poverty, and hardships that plague this country. After returning to the U.S., I felt unsettled returning back to my comfortable, privileged life.

I knew that through this experience, God had opened my heart and mind to the struggles of the people of Africa. When I heard about "She’s my Sister" bike tour, I was so excited to join the cause. After learning about the condition of life for many people in the DRC and reading several testimonies of abused women in the country, I knew right away that I wanted to participate in the bike tour.

Bringing God’s love and healing power to these women is well worth my time, sweat, and energy. "She’s my Sister" bike tour is more than just an amazing cause; it is a small way that I can follow God’s calling to "learn to do right, seek justice, and defend the oppressed" (Isaiah 1:17). I am super pumped to ride this summer!

Shannon Cutlip

My name is Shannon Cutlip. I am a Colorado-based photographer and a passionate follower of Christ.

When I learned of the "She’s My Sister" bike tour, my first reaction was, "There’s no way I could take ten weeks off work to do something like this." But the more I thought and prayed about it, the more I started seeing it was the perfect summer for it. So I am taking a step of faith, quitting my job, and trusting that God will help take care of the details.

I am an avid cyclist. In my opinion, there’s no better way to see the country than on a bicycle. But as psyched as I am for the ride, I am thrilled to have the chance to do something I love that will assist others in desperate need.

The cause that we’re riding for is incredible. I am grateful to have a part in it.

Jess Ahlum

Jess Ahlum is currently a first-year medical student at Temple School of Medicine in Philadelphia. She graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Biology. Besides studying, she enjoys her "sanity" pursuits of horses and art.

With a passion for people and a vision for utilizing her gifts to help those in need, Jess joins the bike tour to help with first aid and travel logistics.

Emily Werkheiser

Emily Werkheiser has been involved in service since she traveled to Montana, where she attended and was later employed at Montana Wilderness School of the Bible.

With a passion for people, wilderness and adventure she has traveled, developing culinary and wilderness skills, as well as experiencing spiritual renewal in herself and others. She is joining the bike tour to help with food and travel logistics.

Josh Wildasin

Josh and Hannah Wildasin serve as the church and advocate point persons for the She’s My Sister Summer Bike Tour 2011. They both graduated from Liberty University in 2004 and 2006, respectively. Josh is a CPA and spent the first five years of his career working for Deloitte, where he performed financial statement audits for public and private organizations. He recently accepted a position with Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and performs operational and financial audits within the internal audit function.

Both Josh and Hannah have a heart for missions. Josh provides leadership for an annual missions trip to West Virginia by mobilizing families in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania to love and serve the Appalachia community. He also traveled numerous times to Guatemala during his college career to work with Hope of Life International, a Christian humanitarian organization serving orphans, the elderly, and the poor. Josh is also interested in microenterprise development and traveled to the Philippines with a team from World Hope International to evaluate business models for entrepreneurs desiring small business loans.

Hannah Wildasin

Josh and Hannah Wildasin serve as the church and advocate point persons for the She’s My Sister Summer Bike Tour 2011. They both graduated from Liberty University in 2004 and 2006, respectively.

Hannah graduated with her master of arts in counseling this past summer from Biblical Seminary. She also worked for the seminary in a fundraising role. She currently writes and designs direct response pieces and serves as managing editor for the seminary’s quarterly newsletter, Biblical on Mission. She also counsels adolescents struggling with substance abuse, addiction, and co-occurring disorders at Mid-Atlantic Rehabilitation Services.

Both Josh and Hannah have a heart for missions. Hannah spent a year in inner city Chicago teaching adult literacy classes, tutoring children, and mentoring young girls in the neighborhood through Mission Year, an organization focused on living out what it means to love God and love people.

Andy Clack

My name is Andy Clack, and I’m a sophomore at Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, AL. I run track at The Hilltop, as we like to call it, and for the time being, I’m studying Spanish and Religion. This could change, but I’d also like to graduate in four years. Although I never thought I’d “formally” study religion in college, God and all the mystery and wonder around him have seized my interest. I can’t imagine anything else I’d like to learn more about.

For awhile, I considered hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine with friends this past February through July/August. This was obviously a pretty big commitment, but the idea of experiencing God in the wilderness and the many people one might meet excited the heck out of me. It was an adventure. Well, it turned out to be too big of a commitment, and almost immediately after this, Lewie contacted me about the She’s My Sister Bike Tour.

We have a similar route-one that winds up the east coast and ends in Maine. We will meet people, grow closer to each other and God, and get the word out about the continuing rape and abuse in the DRC. I think Scripture is clear: we are to help our brothers and sisters who can’t help themselves, and in doing so, model Christ. This bike ride gives us all, and anyone who has a desire to help, the opportunity to do so. It will certainly be an journey akin to that of hiking the Appalachian Trail. However, we will be on wheels, and the aims are different. These women have endured things most of us can hardly fathom. And so to be a part of God’s work and plan for redemption is a privilege.