BICYCLISTS WADE THROUGH FLOODWATERS, CARP TO COMPLETE MISSION RIDE

Rev. John Rice, left, and Jan Gieselmann. At the Starkenburg Shrine, the Rev. John Rice and Jan Gieselmann prayed and lit candles for the New McKendree congregation.

The last report on the bicycling duo from New McKendree Methodist Church appeared in the Around Town section last week. Their 250-mile bike ride began June 5.

The Rev. John Rice, pastor of the New McKendree Methodist Church, and parishioner Jan Gieselmann organized a 250-mile bike ride as a private time for reflection and as a spiritual journey.

Rice and Gieselmann are serious bicyclists. Gieselmann also runs marathons.

During the trip, the two of them averaged between 35 and 40 miles a day.

They began with a big breakfast, and about an hour after, began their daily cycling ride, ending at about 3:30 each afternoon.

Their intent was not to ride a race, but to allow time to pray and meditate along the way for the concerns that had been entrusted to them by members of the congregation.

They also allowed time to stop and talk to people and commune with nature.

Rice told of a bright spot along the way when "a doe and her fawn rode alongside us for about a mile and a half."

The trip was organized in a spontaneous manner, and the congregation responded in a supportive way by sponsoring the duo by the mile. Rice called on Gieselmann, a Stephen Minister, to go with him on the trip.

As a Stephen Minister, Gieselmann is well suited, due to his background in psychology as well as having received 50 class hours from the church to serve in this capacity.

Gieselmann said, "I'm a Christian counselor and friend."

They returned June 11.

Thirty-five miles on the Katy Trail were inaccessible from flooding on the Missouri River, with the pair covering 215 miles and raising $5,456.51 for four of the church's mission projects. The projects the money will go to are youth ministry, shalom house -- a home for women without homes, campus ministries -- which includes maintaining the Wesley House -- and creative ministries, which encompasses a wide variety of United Methodist work.

A real highlight was stopping at the Starkenburg Shrine, a Catholic Church where the bicyclists lit candles and prayed. It was Gieselmann's first time at the shrine.

For most of the trip they dodged rain and had to deal with the heat for only the last day.

Prayer, Advil, Ibuprofen and Gatorade were helpful along the way for the two, and cell phones were used to phone home at night. They spent the nights in hotels, bed and breakfasts, and with friends.

Another journey is scheduled for today. It is the second Katy Trail Bike Camp, open to the congregation.

Rice and his wife, Kathleen, will lead the group, as well as the Revs. Dean Wilson of St. Louis and Bruce Baxter of O'Fallon, and Carmen Smith, a respiratory therapist and active member of New McKendree.

Bicyclists tour state

* After riding all day, from Clinton, the Rev. John Rice and Jan Gieselmann spent the first night in Sedalia.

* Their second night was spent in Boonville.

The area between McBaine and Portland was underwater up to their knees, and the two bicyclists waded through carp-infested water, that had carp up to 30 inches long. The walk through water lasted for about half a mile before they saw dry land ahead. They were only able to travel on dry trail for another seven miles.

Again, they met with flooding west of Rocheport. They had to get off the trail and onto the highway for four miles, then they rode another 12 miles, where they were told it was bad all the way to Jefferson City.

* The third and fourth nights were spent in Columbia where they waited a day for the floodwaters to recede. It just didn't happen.

* Then Rice and Gieselmann drove to Hermann, where they spent the fifth night. From Hermann east, the road was clear. They left their vehicle there.

* The last night was spent in Augusta and from there, they completed the trip, ending in St. Charles.