Yesterday was the first day we embarked on our ride without knowing where we would spend the night. We had over 100 miles to the next city, and Google wasn’t showing any options in between. It was also Labor Day, meaning our chances of finding a room or campsite (if any in fact existed) were even slimmer.

We decided to strike out for Clearmont, the biggest-looking town on the route and home to a convenience store and church. I’d heard from several other cyclists that some churches allow tourers to use their facilities and camp or even stay in the church. The Clearmont Community Church Facebook page mentioned that the church was available for “refuge and respite,” and listed the pastor’s cell phone number. It was enough for us to go on.

We arrived around one to a ghost town. The parking lots along the main road were empty, the store closed. A sign on the store referred us to a group of cabins for rent next door; the sign on the cabins referred us to the store.

With the help of one bar of cell service we made our way to the church, chased by a small but persistent dog. It was a new-looking building, back on a quiet residential street across from the school. Self-consciously, we mounted the steps and pushed open the door, finding it unlocked. Small towns. The church seemed empty, but a small post-it on the office door urged us to call Pastor Shane if needed. So we did.

The call went to voicemail, so I left a slightly rambling message explaining our situation. I assumed he was having a family cookout in honor of the holiday, and I didn’t want to get my hopes up for a response. If nothing else we could sleep in the front lobby, I supposed. I sent him a Facebook message for good measure.

Just one granola bar later I got a call from a young-sounding Pastor Shane. Of course we could stay in the church- there were showers, a kitchen, and cots available just for this purpose. He’d be over in a few minutes to show us around. Success!

A few minutes later a well-used sedan pulled up, bearing a friendly bearded guy and a young blond teenager- Pastor Shane and his daughter Sidney. Shane apologized for his disheveled appearance; a new fire had started outside a neighboring town and he had been helping to fight the blaze. Sidney and her mom had spent the long weekend feeding firefighters in the area.

We chatted with them as we got the grand tour. Shane told us how he’d been working to make the church a community resource since he’d come in a few years ago. Being in a small town, it was important to Shane that everyone in the community feel a sense of ownership in the church, even if they didn’t attend on Sundays. Part of that was offering the church as a place to stay for people in need of shelter. He’d already hosted 13 other bikers this summer!

They left us to settle in and headed home themselves to clean up. It was funny to be alone in the church, sitting at the long communal tables just the two of us. It was a quiet evening, interrupted only by a couple of ladies who came in looking for their bible study group, only to realize it had been cancelled for the holiday. They didn’t seem the least bit surprised to see us there, and chatted away as if we were a regular fixture of the scene. We spread out our maps, strategizing the next few days over a welcome mug of tea (for me anyway), then headed to bed to prepare for the long ride tomorrow.

Just as we were leaving, Pastor Shane came in to begin his day. We paused in the anteroom as he asked if he could pray for us. We all closed our eyes as he spoke, asking God to watch over us on our journey, asking for our safety and well-being, and for us to “see what they want to see.” My dad thanked him, shaking his hand with a heartfelt smile, and we headed out into the day.

I’m not a believer in intercessionary prayer, but I am always honored when people who do believe exercise their faith on my behalf. I do wholeheartedly believe in the power of positive action, and Pastor Shane and his family are a beautiful demonstration of walking the walk- selflessly offering their time, resources, and hearts to their community and beyond.