Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1496243
Northeast BSHDFC Midwinter Gathering in East Greenbush, New York Bob Foss/ National Director East At our BSHDFC retreat in Alton Bay, NH last fall, a few of us were bemoaning the fact that winter was coming soon, and in the Northeast, that means many of us are about to put our bikes away for an extended period of time. Because there are no bike events, we don't get together as much as we do during the warmer months. Those present decided we needed to plan a mid-winter weekend where we could get together to visit and connect. What we thought would be six or eight people gathering in a hotel at a central location turned out to be a much larger gathering. Thirty-three sheep from nine states was certainly a nice surprise! Those who attended came from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and even California! Attendees arrived throughout the afternoon and evening with many of them deciding to grab dinner together in smaller groups at nearby establishments. The hotel breakfast area became the gathering and dining spot for much of the weekend, with many meeting for the first time or catching up over a meal. God provided just enough space for us to hold meetings in the hotel conference room Saturday morning and evening, which started off with our Northeast Regional Director, Marve Ohlson and his wife Lisa. The two blessed us by sharing their testimony about what God has done in their lives. Afterwards, we spent some time reviewing calendars for all the states represented and planning for multiple spring and summer bike blessings, various events at dealerships and other venues. After lunch, most of the group chose to visit either Spitzie's HD in Albany or Brunswick HD in Troy, but a few made a stop at both to visit with and encourage their staff. Some even investigated the new bikes! Attendees were encouraged to interact with people they might not have seen in the past or might not know as well, and we saw lots of that over the weekend. After stuffing ourselves full of dinner at various local eateries, we challenged our International President Lazaro Alba to keep us awake, which he did with a special word of encouragement and exhortation about not forgetting that our focus should be to bring Christ to those we serve, instead of mere busy- ness. We ended the day with an extended time of group prayer for the BSHDFC ministry, each other and the upcoming riding season. Overall, we had a very encouraging time reconnecting with our brothers and sisters during the long, cold northeast winter. Everyone wants to do this again next year! a Building Unity Tom (Revelator) Atwell, Rocky Mountain RD March 11th will go down as the most epic patch-ins that I've ever been a part of. This event was put on by the Exodus chapter in Arizona. Evan, the chapter president, did a great job starting us off with a reminder to "Stay the Course," and "Engage." Exodus welcomed Gary "Biscuits" Croll, Bobby "Opie" Oplinger, and Brian "Squirrel" Mackey to their flock. All of their mentors took some time sharing the ways in which each mentee was special. And "Frenchy" got a few words in as well when he presented each new member with gifts. All three men are a great asset to our ministry. The patch-in was held at the American Legion, Post 97 in San Tan Valley, AZ. The post graciously offered us their building and the Legion Riders (who Exodus ministers to) even cooked all the burgers and hotdogs for the group. Another one of their members volunteered his time to do all the photography for the event. The Legion Riders loved having this event in their house and were just ecstatic to see the large group of bikers that showed up. They even stayed after the event and helped clean up. The coolest thing about the event was who came out to celebrate with us. We were graced by the presence of 22 bikes from So. Cal. Amongst those who rode over was our International President, Laz Alba, and our International Vice President, Greyson Adams. We had every Arizona Area Contact in the house, as well as members from every Arizona chapter. We also had other Christian organizations show their support in welcoming the new members: The Ascendants M/C, Broken Chains J/C, and CMA who rode all the way from Yuma, AZ. This unity is so important in our world. How will the world tell us apart from all the other M/Cs and R/Cs. This event was visible evidence to the world that what we share cannot be duplicated outside of our faith. John 13:34-35 Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so also you MUST love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." a