Our Dear Friends and Family,
The warm weather in Colorado continues to hold as Anna and Nick run across the state. This past month’s running has been increasingly difficult as the elevation continues to rise. After passing Canon City, the elevation began to take a toll on the mileage that Anna and Nick have been running. Though the mileage has dropped to somewhere between 13-17 miles a day, the state of Colorado is steadily being conquered. This past month’s running brought them to the highest point of elevation for the project reaching a height of 11,312 feet in Monarch Pass. This monument in the run did not come easily. They ran up winding, steep roads through rain, sleet, and snow until finally reaching the dreaded pass. Once at the top, they celebrated with fudge and steaming hot coffee.
There have been many great surprises during this project that have come in all forms. A great surprise came on Anna’s birthday when Nick and Megan planned out a full day of excitement. Each new surprise required Anna to wear a blindfold. Another was when Jeanne Hoduski surprised the team on Anna’s birthday. She drove all the way out to Colorado Springs and spent the day with the team. She brought presents and a homemade cake to complete the wonderful day. Many blessings on the trip have come in many unexpected ways. One was meeting a man named Will at McDonalds. The team began talking and eventually explained the project to him. He ended up being a supporter of pro-life and even donated twenty dollars to the cause. Another blessing was during one particularly difficult run. Nick and Anna stopped in at a local grocery store, but did not have enough money with them to buy food. A waitress named Paula bought them ice cream and a hamburger and told them to say that “Grandma” had bought it for them.
Other blessings came in the shape of several free campsites (which means not having to sleep in the van). One of these nights, Megan, Anna, and Nick climbed out on a massive boulder in the middle of the Arkansas River. The sun had already set, and the team was surrounded by the deep walls of a canyon. Slowly, the stars began to appear as Nick built a fire and the team read A Tale of Two Cities out loud while drinking Intelligentsia Coffee (a gift from JT Maier, Jr.). A few days later, Megan found another free campsite right by the Arkansas River. The team enjoyed a hidden campsite that was nestled between a thicket of trees and the rushing river. One exceptional place the team got to stay in was a vacation rental that was owned by Seth and Aimee Withrow. Colorado has also been a great state for kind churches and speaking engagements. Anna spoke in Calvary Church (Pastor McDonald), First Baptist Church (Pastor Jones) and their women’s Sunday school, a pregnancy center breakfast (GiGi Bechthold and the Knights of Columbus), and Victory Church (Pastor Welch). The peoples’ reception of the project has been amazing. The kindness of these different congregations has been overwhelming. Peoples’ encouragement has ranged from words, to hospitality, to financial gifts, to even doing our laundry for us.
Overall, the heights of Colorado have been topped with wonderful people.