Ness City, Kansas!

Date: 7/09/06
Mileage: 82

Funds Raised:

$9,383.87 for Kupenda
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!

$8,135.00 for ADA
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!

So, last night was very exciting! As we were thinking about setting up our tent in the park in Leoti, Kansas we saw a huge storm on the horizon heading our way!! As the winds picked up we knew it would be a bad idea to even try to get the tent up and going. There was a hospital across the street and earlier we hung out in the lobby to charge our cellphones and use the computer for a bit. We decided that it might be a good idea to go and ask the ladies in the hospital if we could spend the night there. Somehow the told us yes! But if someone wanted to use the waiting room that we would have to leave.

When I was just about asleep I heard someone crying and I saw ambulance lights flash by! The nurse rushed in and told us we had to go. We felt bad that we were in the way of some emergency so we packed up and got out ASAP. We got out of there and looked around in the park for a place to sleep. We found the perfect place! There were 4 picnic tables stationed under an awning in the middle of the park. We got out our sleeping bags and went to bed right then and there. All night a huge storm raged but we were completely dry and safe under the awning! In the morning everyone agreed it was one of our best nights of sleep yet on this trip. It was so much better than sleeping in the tent that leaks and getting all wet :)

When we woke up we packed up our things and headed out. The wind was not nearly as strong as yesterday. It was very strange though. Yesterday the wind was always in our face. Today the wind was constantly switching directions but since it was not very strong it didn't matter much.

We stopped half way to Ness City at around 1:00 to watch the World Cup Championship game!!!! It was between Italy and France!! Naturally we were all rooting for France because that is where PhillyK and AndyK were born! Unfortunately France lost in shootouts :(

When we arrived in Ness City it was the same as the night before. Major storm on the horizon and no place to go. It was even worse becasue we talked to some people that told us that when the rain comes the park will flood so it might be really bad to sleep there. We rode our bikes around and we found a Church. We went in and met a girl named Michelle. We asked her if we could stay the night in the Church and she took us down the street to talk to the preacher.

We knocked on the preacher's door and his wife answered. She told us that we should sleep in their basement!!! We were sooo happy!! It is amazing that these two people who have never met us are giving us a place to stay! We are soo grateful. I can hear the turrential down pour of water outside. It is nice to be in here where it is dry.

-Pattt