An important post

Dear friends,

Grace and peace to you!  As many of you know, I am participating in this year's Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa - hereafter referred to, as all Iowans do, as RAGBRAI.  This year's route is a 452-mile, week-long trek from Glenwood, in southwestern Iowa, all the way across the state to Davenport.  It promises to be a great week!

Many of you probably do not know, however, that I will be participating in the fall in a Christian Peacemaking Team that is headed to Colombia for two weeks.  My experiences abroad - particularly my time in West Africa and Latin America - have given me a deep appreciation both of God's desire that those of us who bear the name of Christ in this world work for peace, and of the lack of peace that defines life in much of the world.  Over the past few years, I have tried to use my voice and public witness to draw attention to the intersection between our nation's foreign policy and the perpetuation of violence in other parts of the world.  This has not always made me popular, but I feel that it would be unfaithful to God's call in our lives to "work for peace and justice in all the world" to keep silent about that which I've seen and heard.  

In March, I was blessed to participate in the biennial Congress on Urban Ministry, where I heard Shane Claiborne speak about, among other things, his experience serving as part of a Christian Peacemaking Team that visited Iraq.  I was deeply moved by his testimony, and felt moved to consider prayerfully how I might also deepen my commitment to the work of peacemaking.  The opportunity has arisen for me to serve for two weeks on a Christian Peacemaking Team in Colombia; during my time there, I will meet with church and human rights campaign leaders who have been working to address to the various forms of violence which have engulfed the nation since 1964.  My time will be spent in Bogota, Barrancabermeja, and a currently to-be-determined location in the countryside.  

As part of my participation in this delegation, I have been asked to engage in fundraising, both as a means of defraying CPT's costs and of raising awareness about the Colombian conflict.  I will be raising $2,100.00; this is a substantial sum of money, but certainly not beyond reach!  

And this is where RAGBRAI comes in.  I am dedicating my RAGBRAI ride to raising money to support my time in Colombia.  Your help is vital, and here's how you can give it!

-PRAY.  This is probably the most fundamental piece; please pray for me as I prepare for two very intense weeks in Colombia, for the peace and safety of the Colombian people, and for our delegation's safety.

-DONATE A SET AMOUNT.  You can decide a set dollar amount to help me on my way.  Just remember, $2,100 seems like a lot, but all it takes is 21 people giving $100, 42 giving $50, 84 giving $25, or 210 giving $10 to make that happen.  Every penny you give makes a difference!

-DONATE BY MILEAGE.  Since RAGBRAI is going to my main fundraiser, you can donate a set amount for every mile I ride.  The total ride is 452 miles, so a $1/mile donation would be $452, 50 cents/mile would be $226, 25 cents/mile would be $113, 10 cents/mile would be $45.20, and 5 cents/mile would be $27.60.  

-GET THE WORD OUT.  You have my permission to share my story and fundraising goal with anyone and everyone who you'd care to share it with!  The more people who hear about what I'm up to does a great deal to raise awareness about the over-40 year long conflict in Colombia, and hey, if it nets me an extra donation...I will take it.

In return for your support, I'll provide:

-BLOGGING.  I will dedicate space in my blog (believablebaker.blogspot.com) for reflection upon the experience

-PERSONALIZED REPORTS.  For individuals who are able to contribute financially, I would be happy to meet in person, skype, or via e-mail and give you a more personalized account of my time in Colombia.

-PRESENTATIONS.  For congregations or groups who contribute financially, I would be very happy to put together a presentation about my experiences in Colombia; I'm very open to what form this presentation could take!

Thank you for taking the time to read this and to consider supporting me.  Even if you are not able to provide financial support, your prayers are very welcome and appreciated!

Peace,

Kevin Baker