JONI: A lot of people go the extra mile when it comes to ministry, but there are some people who go a couple of thousand miles. I'm thinking of Scott Terpstra and what he did to help us share the love of Jesus with disabled people around the world through the gifts of wheelchairs and Bibles. Hi, Scott, how are you doing?
SCOTT: I’m fine today, Joni. How are you?
JONI: Great, and Scott, tell us, what exactly did you do?
SCOTT: I bicycled from San Francisco to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The tradition is you dip your rear wheel in the Pacific and your front wheel in the Atlantic, so I was fortunate and blessed enough to be able to make it the whole way.
JONI: Okay, so you bicycled nearly 4,000 miles across the country, but what does that have to do with Wheels for the World?
SCOTT: Well, you know when I signed up for this, the company that I actually did it with said, “Would you like to do it for a charity?” And they said, “Pick yours,” and I picked you folks because I was just so excited about the chance that as I’m sitting there grinding my way across the country I know that the money that I was able to raise was going for a great cause.
JONI: And how much money was that?
SCOTT: It was a little over $7,000.
JONI: Wow! That is fantastic, Scott. And how long did it take you to bicycle (I cannot imagine this) all the way across the country?
SCOTT: It took me seven and a half weeks.
JONI: That’s 50 some odd days. Now what did it feel like when you dipped your toe when you arrived at the Atlantic Ocean and where was that, by the way – what part of the Atlantic?
SCOTT: It’s in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I wasn’t even aware Portsmouth has about 20 miles of coastline so we actually had to go to a public beach and there were 25 people all dressed up in these red, white, and blue Viking shirts and they wondered who are all these guys running their bicycles into the ocean.
JONI: Oh, that’s great! Well, you obviously have a huge commitment to the outreach of Wheels for the World – 52 days on your bicycle raising over $7,000. Scott, any chance we can get you on a Wheels for the World team?
SCOTT: I think I would like to do that some day.
JONI: That would be fantastic because you know you are part of the team already. I mean, anybody who makes that kind of effort, going the second mile to raise those kinds of funds to help us get wheelchairs and Bibles overseas, you have a direct connection with all those children with disabilities who receive those wheelchairs, so we have to get you on a team, okay?
SCOTT: All right!
JONI: Well, Scott, this was a huge thing that you did. How did you get inspired, who did it?
SCOTT: Well, a really good friend of mine, a fellow by the name of Dan. Every time I see Dan he inspires me because about eight or nine years ago he went to the emergency room thinking he had the flu. Woke up a couple of months later and was missing both of his legs and his voice was very bad, as well. I have never met anyone in my entire life though that is never down, always has a smile because he is just thankful to the Lord that he is alive and just lives every day that way. He is such an inspiration and he volunteers for Wheels for the World and has been just a huge part of what you folks do and so, he inspired me.
JONI: He inspires me, too. I know Dan and his wife Melinda well and he has been on Wheels for the World teams and he collects wheelchairs and I’m just so glad that he motivated and inspired you, Scott. That’s fantastic.
Friend, Matthew 5 says that, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Right, Scott?
SCOTT: Two miles, I guess I did go a little over two!
JONI: Well, I'm just grateful for you pedaling almost 4,000 miles to make certain that many more people with disabilities around the world had a chance to hear the Gospel of Christ! And some of those disabled people are receiving wheelchairs even as I speak as our Wheels for the World teams minister this week in China and India! Well, Scott, thank you so much, and, if you ever get back on that bicycle, all of us at Wheels for the World might get a few folks signing up with you. How about it?
SCOTT: That would be great. Thank you, Joni.
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