It's been two weeks since I got back to Americus, GA. I am looking for a month or more of rest but I am looking forward to my next missionary bike tour, which will be my 17th. My next trip will take me to the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington state) and back with jaunts through Northwest Colorado, Northern Utah, and Southern Idaho. I haven't decided whether this will be a coast to coast trip, which would be my 15th.

I haven't done much since being back but rest. I haven't ventured very far from the condo except for three trips into town. Most of my time has been on the internet working on this website. The complete overhaul of the website is basically over. I do have to rewrite some stuff like Stories from the Road from the early years and possibly trying to rewrite some missing Trip Updates. These pages might have been written over by accident possibly during the transfer of the website from the YahooGeoCities server to the server I am using now. I will try and do this before I head out.

All the work has made a difference. The website has won fifteen awards already this year mostly for design and content. Since 2000, I've posted 285 awards from 41 countries around the world. The last award is the "Humanitarian Service Excellence Award" from Surflocal USA. This award is pretty specialsince the award functions as a gateway to humanitarian projects and services and humane society type organizations worldwide. Normally, the organization has to have 501(c)3 status and/ or listed and registered on Give.org. Since my ministry is "Faith Based" and I do not ask for donations, I do not have 501(c)3 status or really considered as a non-profit organization.

The first award was given out on March 25, 2005. The have only been 25 winners so far. I have some really big and well known organizations as fellow winners of the award. Here's a short list of some of the winners: Builders Beyond Borders, Freedom From Hunger; German Red Cross; Heartbeat International; Humanitarian Service Project; Rotary Club of Amarillo, Texas: Rotary Club of Cheyenne, Wyoming: Rotary International; Safari Club International Foundation; The One Campaign; and World Vision. I am really honored to be included in list since I am a solo - one person organization and I am self-taught with regards to HTML and website design.

Normally, I don't keep or post laudations given with the award but I am going to keep this one and post it here. Here is the award graphic and the laudation.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your website has been reviewed and we are proud to award you the "Surflocal Humanitarian Service Award" for your work on your project, as well as your outstanding website. Our Web Award is for Non-Profit, Humanitarian Projects and Services that bring about a "Better World".

THANKS SO MUCH for your submission! Laudation: Excellent Site, wonderful cause...Keep on Keeping on...We especially connected with your passion of protecting children..."what you have done for the least of these little ones, you have also done for me"- GREAT JOB!

Before heading out, I've got to do some work on "Alice" my recumbent. I need to get new pads for my front and rear disc brakes. Also, I need to get a new rear wheel. I've got two broken spokes on it. I'm making the decision on whether it would be more cost effective to have the wheel relaced with new spokes or buy a new rear wheel. A new rear wheel would cost around $100 or more. What I've got to do is to find some way to raise money for these repairs.

Well, this is all I think I need to write now. The next update should be posted between January 21st and January 28th.