In 1997, I did something that changed my life forever. Actually, GOD did something that changed my life forever, as I traveled by mountain bike through northwestern Russia as a missionary with our "adopted daughter", Jeannette and a wonderful "old" lady named Dorothy. (Dorothy passed away in 2002 from cancer.) It was, even today, an incredible journey. Here is the story:

B.I.K.E.Russia! For Hans Erdman, Jeannette B. and Dorothy R. it was a trip that would take them to the very limits of their physical and mental endurance. They came to Karelia in northwestern Russia from  Minnesota, not as tourists or adventurers, but as missionaries, challenging the untamed backcountry of northwestern Russia for the glory of God. On mountain bikes and on foot they would travel over 350 kilometers of roads, trails, mud and swamps to bring the word of God's love to a people cut off from the Lord by 70 years of communist rule. The name of the mission was B.I.K.E.Russia!; "Bicycling Into Karelia for Evangelism." A team of five Americans and seven Russians, who pushed beyond physical pain and discomfort, to fulfill a vision that the Lord had given to Hans almost two years earlier. Riding mountain bikes, they went "from village to village preaching the Gospel and healing the sick" (Luke 9:6) All five of the Americans involved had connections to Minnesota: Hans Erdman, an avid mountain biker, and, from 1995 to 2000, was the lead ranger of the Anoka County Park Rangers bicycle patrol. Dorothy R. also an zealous bicyclist, who was then age 73, and had already biked across the U.S. twice, across China, through the Austrian Alps since retiring in 1987! Dorothy was a graduate of the Lay Ministry Training Center-International (LMTC) located in St. Paul. Jeannette B., was a marathon runner, recreational cyclist and registered nurse, also a graduate of LMTC, and Steve May, a resident American missionary in city of Petrozavodsk and his 16 year-old son Caleb, who served in Russia under the call from Northwoods Mission to Petrozavodsk, based in Northome, Minnesota. Steve had also attended LMTC before coming to Russia. 

  Two native Russian interpreters who were also strong Christians joined the American missionaries. Allek B. of St. Petersburg was the lead interpreter, and also led worship sessions and ministered to children and teenagers. Andrei C. was on an internship from the St. Petersburg Christian University, who fulfilled part of his school requirements by being a member of BIKERussia. The remaining Russians consisted of guides from the Petrozavodsk Bicycle Travel Club and the bike unit of the Petrozavodsk Militia. (police) Supporting the team in Petrozavodsk were the remaining members of Steve’s family, Anne and their children Rueben, Rachel and RuthAnne; Tanya P., a teacher, interpreter, missionary working for the Minnesota-based East European Missions Network (EEMN), and also a graduate of LMTC. Their hosts were Lt. Col. Nikoly R. of the Petrozavodsk Militia (police, now retired) and his wife Lena, and the members of the Bicycle Club. Petrozavodsk was chosen as the base for the trip for several reasons, including the presence of the Steve and Tanya. It was also home of the only police bicycle unit in Russia, which was trained and equipped through the efforts of the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA) of which Hans was also a member. Through the support of Pioneer Cycling and Fitness in Blaine, MN, and Trek Bicycles in Waterloo, Wisconsin, the team was able to purchase six good Trek 850 mountain bikes at a substantial discount, as well as other equipment that was needed. Four of the bikes would be donated to the militia after the trip, and two would remain with the Christian Training Center where the Steve and Anne worked. The local police union donated a supply of bicycle parts that would be turned over to the militia after the trip was completed. 

 On July 16, the team assembled at Hans’ church, having spent the previous two evenings packing bikes, camping gear and personal belongings to meet international travel requirements. Seven bags, and the six boxes carrying the bicycles were loaded up for the first leg of the trip, flying to Amsterdam and then on to St. Petersburg. Ten minutes after the plane lifted off, then entire airport was plunged into a two-hour long blackout, due to an electrical malfunction. The BIKERussia team's plane was one of the last to make it out before the power went off. In St. Petersburg, all of the bags and boxes made it into the baggage claim area without any problems, and with their visas showing that they had been invited by the Interior Ministry (State Police) in Karelia, they went through customs without any problems. (You have to be invited by a person or organization within Russia to get an entry visa.)

The mission was divided into two bike trips, with a break in between. One goal of the first trip was to visit the abandoned monastery at Lake Yashezyero, 95 km away, and the tiny village across from it, where two elderly people were the only remaining inhabitants. The first night was spent at a beautiful beach campsite on the shore of Lake Onega, near the village Derivanio. Karelia is far enough north that it never gets really dark in July. Fortunately, however, the cyclists were so tired each night that they slept soundly despite the continual light. Tuesday would prove to be one of the two most demanding days of the trip, traveling 59 km through very difficult terrain. After riding on pavement for 25 km, the road turned south, and all but disappeared. Heavy logging in the area had reduced the road to a horrendous collection of ruts, bumps, holes and soft sand that made for arduous travel. The biggest challenge came in the last mile before reaching Yashezyero, where the road (such as it was) vanished into a quagmire of mud. Team members had to dismount and push their loaded bicycles through mud up to their shins. The monastery was another 300 meters down the trail, and that trail was covered with water. Leaving their bikes behind, Hans, Steve, Jeannette and Caleb (Dorothy stayed at camp) waded in to become the first Americans to ever visit the Yashezyero monastery, which had been abandoned in the 1930s.

After dinner, the team decided to leave their bikes, and hike the mile and a half to the tiny village of Yashezyero. When they entered the clearing where the village had been, they found one old log house standing among the ruins of a half-dozen others, smoke lazily rising from it's chimney. The only other thing the team saw was an old army tank, sitting amidst the ruins. They approached the occupied house, and an elderly man came out, and started talking with Allek and Steve. (Steve and Caleb spoke very good Russian.) As they shared who they were, and why they were there, he started to open up. He was a wounded combat veteran of the Great Patriotic War (World War II) and had fought the Germans at Leningrad. (St. Petersburg). His name was Anatoly, and he told them "I know that you really believe (in God) because you came here from America." Then, when he found out that he, his wife and Dorothy were all the same age, he went and got his wife, excited that this "Babushka" (Grandmother) from the US would ride a bicycle to come visit them! The wife asked the team to pray for them, for the village, and for their deteriorating health, and Andrei gave them each a New Testament.Day three was the most strenuous of the trip. The roads were better, but each of the Americans (except Steve) were suffering from the effects of the hard ride and hot, dry weather. Due to the swampy conditions the previous night, they had not been able to filter enough water to fill their bottles, and it was probably the hottest day of the trip. The long, east/west road offered little in the way of shade and protection from the sun. Hans, Jeannette, Dorothy and Caleb felt the effects of the heat, and “hit the wall” or “bonked” at almost the same time. Fortunately, Steve and the guides were able to find a “radik” (spring) and the team was able to rest and recover. The group almost didn't stop in the village of Puhtka. When they reached the other end of town, Volodi P., (“Big Dog” the lead guide) asked what the missionaries wanted to do, and Hans replied that they needed to go back into the town. Tired and sore, but anxious to do some sort of ministry, and also needing vegetables for the night's dinner, they headed back into the store in town, not knowing that the Holy Spirit would be with them in power. In the village, Allek bought candy and soda in the town store, and asked where they could buy fresh potatoes and onions. Outside, she started talking to some children, who listened to her and ran to get some their friends. Soon she had a large crowd of young children gathered around her, and was telling them stories about Jesus Christ. When she finished, she led about 15 children in a prayer to ask Christ into their hearts. Some of the adults, curious about what was going on, also started to listen, and Dorothy, assisted by Andrei began to talk to and witness to them. When Allek was done, Steve, Jeannette and Caleb joined Allek and Andrei in taking the kids for rides on the back of their bikes. What Hans thought would only take an hour or so, ended up lasting more than four hours. Volodi even sent one of the guides and the militia officers to see what was going on. In addition to bike rides, each child and interested adult was given a copy of the New Testament in Russian, to keep as their own. The team found out that there was no church in the town, and there had been no worship services there in years. The adults asked for someone to come back, and minister to their community, or help start a church. As the team reloaded their bikes for the long, thankfully downhill ride back to Derivanio, two little girls approached Allek and shyly handed her a large bouquet of wildflowers, which she placed on top of the bags on her bike, tears glistening in her eyes.After a couple of days off, the team headed out of Petrozavodsk on the second bike trip, which Hans, Steve and the guides had decided would be only 75 km in length. Led by guide Boris Z., the team headed north and east of the city on roads that changed from paved to gravel, then from gravel to packed sand, then went up a very long hill. More than 5 km later, the team finally reached the top, and enjoyed a short but exhilarating ride down to the tiny village of Berezyoi Mosme (Birch Bridges). The "radik" in Berezyoi Mosme is well known to the members of the bike club for it's pure, cold water. So while the guides prepared lunch, the team walked into the village to talk to people and fill water bottles depleted by the long climb in the warm sun. They gave away a couple of New Testaments and filled their bottles, but more importantly, they were asked to hold a worship service in the village on their way back to Petrozavodsk on Saturday.

The next village, about 10 km away, was Yalguba. Here the team found a place to camp in a farmer’s field on the shore of an inlet of Lake Onega. The family that farmed the land was glad to let the group camp there, and after some of the team had helped them with bringing in hay, they asked the them to conduct a worship service on Friday night in the town's "cultural hall." They willingly agreed. The ride to the next village, Suisar, was only 10 kilometers long. Once again the team set up camp and ate the usual lunch of soup and tea. After the meal everyone rode back into the village to see if they could find people to talk to. As before Allek started conversing with young children, and most of the village's kids flocked to hear her. The others stood by, speaking with adults, answering questions, and helping Allek with music. After a long talk with Allek, two teenaged girls invited the team to come speak at a youth meeting they have every night. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to reach the young people of the village, so Hans agreed. It was decided that the youth would be best ministered to by the team members closest to their own age, so Allek, Andrei and Caleb went into the "youth meeting." Later they said that there were about a dozen teens at the meeting, which they have each night to alleviate the boredom of small town living. The team members sang songs and witnessed to the group late into the evening.

The ride back to Yalguba was brief, and mostly downhill. Camping in the same field as before, the team quickly set up camp, rested, and then started to prepare for the worship service. Forty-nine people and three dogs attended the service in Yalguba, listened to the music, watched the skits and heard the testimonies and the message, but when it was over, all but a handful just left. One woman, who is a believer, shared her heart with Dorothy and Allek. She told them that her greatest fear was that God could never bless Yalguba, because there was so much sin in the village. The missionaries shared and prayed with the woman, and promised to continue to pray for the village. Saturday, they rode the short distance to Berezyoi Mosme in an hour, and went into town to meet with people. A woman came up and started asking about what they had planned. Her grandfather was the village's founder. One of the first things he had done in establishing the village was to build an Orthodox church, which had served the village from it's founding until 1948, when the communist government had burned it to the ground. Her family had erected a cross at the site of the old structure, and she invited them to hold the worship service there. The team enthusiastically agreed. They walked up to the high point of the village, and into the woods, where a ten foot tall cross had been placed next to the foundation of the community's one-time spiritual center, In a woodland cathedral they led the first worship service held in Berezyoi Mosme in almost 50 years. All six of the village's permanent residents took part. They sang along with Allek and Caleb. They watched the skits and listened intently to the testimonies, and then to the message. After the message, the villagers prayed with the Americans. Under the canopy of trees, by the foundation of a church long ago destroyed by the very hand of Satan, the Holy Spirit brought together the people of Berezyoi Mosme, and the team of American and Russian missionaries God had sent there, and He blessed them all. 

They rode the rest of the way back to Petrozavodsk without major incident. Andrei tacoed a wheel in some soft sand, but Boris, who is an excellent bike mechanic, quickly repaired it. Before they knew it, they were back at Steve’s apartment. The expedition that was BIKERussia was over. The team only needed to clean up the bikes and pack the gear that would be going home with them. Sunday evening, Hans presented four bikes to Nikoly for the Petrozavodsk Militia, and then gave the other two to Steve M. and the Christian Training Center. There were 16 people at the Petrozavodsk train station to see the team off . New and old friends, including militia officers and the guides, and even a reporter from Radio Karelia, who interviewed Hans and Boris about the trip, showed up at the station. After a few days touring St. Petersburg they flew back to Minnesota.  

B.I.K.E.Russia! The first week had been an adventure of the body; pushing to their limits and beyond. Going where no American had ever gone before in Yahezsara. The agony of hard falls and dehydration, of late nights and early mornings. Dealing with horrible roads, shin-deep mud, and water up to their hips. Experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit working in Puhtka. The second week had been an adventure of the spirit. Reaching out to the children and teens of Suisar, ministering to and sharing with the people of Yalguba, and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit while worshiping in Berezyoi Mosme. For three missionaries from Minnesota, BIKERussia was an adventure, unlike anything any of them had ever done before. Americans and Russians, pushing beyond physical pain and discomfort, to fulfill a vision. On mountain bikes and on foot they traveled 354 kilometers to bring a message of hope and love to the people of this northwestern corner of Russia; the Word of God for Karelia.

In 2007, ten years after our expedition, a group of Christian Russian cyclists departed from Varel, Germany in the west, and rode on bicycles, 9,120 miles and 3 1/2 months to Vladivostok, on the eastern Russian coast. Their stated goal: "Four teams of young Russian evangelists have embarked on a transcontinental bicycle journey … across Western Europe … and then vast Russia … over 9,000 miles … preaching the Gospel all along the way!" We salute them. We support them and we prayed for them. Their mission was, by all accounts, a success.

The Gospel is, indeed...

Proceeding on...

The Two Wheeled Explorer