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March HeartBeat

the ads in Road Rider magazine in the midseventies for the Christian Motorcyclists Association , but had no interest in what I figured was another mail-order club with a cheesy membership card to carry in my wallet . Just being honest . To me , it seemed everyone and their uncle tried to start a cycling organization in those days . Fast forward to the Spring of 1989 when I attended a California Superbike School at the newly opened Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka , Kansas . While there , I happened to check out Victor Rowell ’ s “ Spirit Warrior ” trike in the parking lot . A beautiful and uniquely constructed machine , but what really caught my eye was the attached flyer for an upcoming Christian Motorcyclists Association event that weekend . Hmmm , maybe there was more to CMA than I imagined .

On my first day back at work , a

van passed me on the interstate , and it had a CMA license plate frame on the back . OK , Lord , are you trying to tell me something ? This sparked a concentrated search of all local bike shop bulletin boards until I found an old flyer with a CMA logo . I called the number and was referred to another person who was a member of the Second Mile Riders , Council Bluffs , Iowa . Attending the next chapter meeting , the first couple we connected with , Dan and Jan Bates , were the owners of the van . You know , God goes through a lot of trouble to get us to where He wants us to be . It is true , He is always working . Jane and I became members 30601 and 30602 on December 16 , 1989 . We fellowshipped and served with a great bunch of friends in the local chapter and held several offices . In 1990 , we made a trip to National Headquarters in Hatfield , Arkansas , two-up on a 500cc sport bike towing a homemade cargo trailer to attend the 15th Anniversary National Rally . Even before the existence of Iron Mountain , it was

an eye-opener ! To catch the real vision of CMA , you must make the pilgrimage to CMA Headquarters . Leaving Omaha , Nebraska , in the fall of 1992 , we packed up our fifth-wheel trailer , sold the house and everything that wouldn ’ t fit in the trailer , and headed for the road . It didn ’ t take me long to decide , after 21 years of wrestling semis around the Midwest , that I really wasn ’ t enjoying dragging the RV down the road . We found a place to land and rented an RV lot near Waco , Texas . In April 1993 , we packed up the old Goldwing and TravLite camper and headed east . I don ’ t have space to tell that whole once-in-a-lifetime adventure , but we saw fantastic sights , visited family and a few CMA folks , covered tons of miles , and attended several CMA and secular rallies . We would camp somewhere for a night or a week , depending on how it went . After having been all over the east and up the coast from Virginia to Maine and back across the north to Iowa in almost six months , Jane had a God moment .

“ The Lord told me that we need to go to the Kansas rally ,” she said