Five days. More than 310 miles. Countless reminders of God’s faithfulness. Step inside an Ends of the Earth Cycling adventure through the eyes of one of our riders.
Sometimes, an adventure begins long before the first mile.
For Paula Greve, a cyclist from Iowa, it began with an unexpected encounter at the Southernmost Point in Key West, Florida.
In 2022, Paula was waiting in line for the iconic photo when she encountered a group of cyclists celebrating the completion of Ends of the Earth Cycling’s 300-mile ride from Fort Myers to Key West.
Our Executive Director, Justin Hanneken, remembers what happened next:
“Upon seeing the completion, Paula—a cyclist herself—contacted her pastor-friend from Iowa, and told him, ‘We are doing this next year!’ He was on board, and the rest was history.”
What began as a chance encounter became part of a much bigger story God was unfolding. In July 2025, Paula joined Ends Cycling for a five-day journey across North Dakota, riding to support Hut of Hope Trust and its ministry to vulnerable youth in Zimbabwe.
Along the way, she documented the challenges, unexpected blessings, moments of laughter, and ways God met her throughout the journey.
We’re sharing excerpts from her firsthand account to offer a glimpse of what happens when adventure, community, and faith come together on an Ends Adventures tour.
The adventure began with 91 miles on the bike and a reminder that this ride was about far more than the distance ahead.
Paula wrote:
“Fantastic 1st day (91 miles cycled) of the North Dakota Bike Ride to benefit Hut of Hope Trust for the youth of Zimbabwe.
We learned yesterday that it is standard practice for orphaned girls to be sold into the sex trade for extra money or goods. Hut of Hope is working to reverse this cultural trend and work to give these girls a chance at a real life!
Our prayer request for today from Hut of Hope was Pursuing Righteousness. That the young people Hut of Hope serves will follow after 2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV) – “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
Those prayer themes would continue to shape Paula’s experience in ways she hadn’t anticipated.
“Well, today should have been a recovery ride, but God had other plans.”
The day’s prayer theme was You Can Do Hard Things, and Paula soon found herself living out those words.
“We started the day praying this for the kids in Zimbabwe, as they fight to stay righteous, and do the hard things of bucking the trends of alcoholism and prostitution that have plagued their parents’ generation. Eventually, I ended up seeing my own challenge today as a hard thing that I could only do through God, who strengthens me.”
The challenge came in the form of relentless winds.
“We suffered through 20 miles of the most brutal winds I’ve ridden in.”
Even drinking and riding became impossible. Only drinking when stopped became necessary as the crosswinds made riding difficult. Paula prayed for the winds to calm, surrendering the outcome to God’s will.
Eventually, after lunch, the winds eased down to 8mph.
“I felt God saying, ‘you can do this for My glory.’ So, I continue to pray for the kids to do the hard things and …. next thing I know, we rolled into New Leipzig, North Dakota, to the warmest welcome of any tour I’ve been on.”
That evening, upwards of 30 people gathered with the cyclists for worship in a town of approximately 200 residents.
For Paula, it was an unforgettable reminder:
“God is a provider, and blesses us when we do the hard things!”
The third day brought 80 miles of cycling, including the Enchanted Highway, a scenic North Dakota roadway known for its enormous, whimsical sculptures.
Paula recalled passing a tin family, a grasshopper, and other unusual creations along the route.
After the previous day’s punishing winds, the difference was remarkable.
“Today felt so much better compared to yesterday. It’s amazing to me how a horrible 40 miles into a 20mph headwind can be worse than 80 miles with still to small tailwinds. Today felt great, and we prayed over the theme Only God Can Take You Through.”
But even as Paula felt stronger and more confident, something else was beginning to stir.
Sometimes the most meaningful part of an adventure isn’t what we accomplish, but what God teaches us when our plans change.
For Paula, that lesson began with a quiet prompting.
“A whisper had actually started the day before, on the Enchanted Highway. I was feeling strong, recovering from the brutal headwinds of Day 2, and confident our group was going to crush the rest of the ride. I truly felt God carrying us forward.
Then, around midday, I sensed something strange.
[It was like God was saying]:
‘I’m carrying you through… to give you rest.’What did that even mean? Was a rest day coming? Was the tour about to shift? I tucked the thought away, trusting He’d make it clear in time.”
That evening, Paula noticed a fellow rider, Brenda, struggling with ankle pain and considering whether she should ride the next day.
Suddenly, the prompting began to make sense.
Paula had spent months training to ride with the faster-paced cycling group. But now she felt God leading her to join the slower-paced “See Train” group instead.
“Could I, would I humble myself? Or would pride keep me clinging to my original plan
I prayed—OK, whined a bit, but I knew God’s will is always better than mine.”
The next morning brought another unexpected change: thunderstorms. The team turned around, waited for the weather to pass, and played Skip-Bo while watching the forecast.
What might have seemed like an interruption became one of Paula’s most meaningful days. She even wrote a poem about it:
“So now I get to the story of day four
and the blessing God had in store.
As we rolled out
On my face was a pout
but then it began to pour
here’s some advice
You won’t have to ask twice
If you ask me, my thought
Usually I won’t be caught
Without an answer and not concise
lightning & thundering what should we do?
If you love to ride, I will boo hoo
a ride in the lightening and rain
For there is no shame
In saying “phew phew”
When the rains did depart
Our van did us cart
To the top a hill,
Ready for a thrill
Our new start
The group God led me to was exactly what I needed:
A team that wasn’t afraid to turn around, wait out the rain, and play Skip-Bo (a card game) as we anxiously watched the weather apps. We felt like kids looking out the window on a Winter morning, hoping for a snow day! A team at a slower pace that let me enjoy conversation and the view—not just the back of a wheel. And, most of all, that deep peace you feel when you know you’re exactly where God wants you.“
And Brenda? She enjoyed a day with the media team while resting her ankle.
Sometimes, slowing down gives us the opportunity to see what we might otherwise miss.
The final day took the cyclists through Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where breathtaking scenery, steep climbs, exhilarating descents, and a few unexpected wildlife encounters awaited.
“We left the church bright and early to tackle 46 miles in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It was packed with lung-burning climbs and scream-worthy descents. I hit 40 mph before feathering the brakes! Bless those disc brakes. Seriously. Hero of the day.”
Before setting out, the team prayed for protection—not only from the park’s wildlife but also from the temptation to push their limits on the descents.
“[We prayed to avoid] the temptation to race down mountains like we’re in the Tour de France. I mean, isn’t it human nature to have a need for speed?
The first climb kicked off almost immediately- just under a mile, 149 feet of gain. My reward? A prairie dog village full of squeaky little cheerleaders popping in and out of holes like furry whack-a-moles.”
After a second, mile-long climb with 160 feet of elevation, they were greeted with their first bison sighting.
Two more climbs—196 feet over a half-mile and 255 feet in the same distance—and then the riders were greeted with construction and had to retrace their steps.
“As we turned around, having only seen one bison, I whispered a prayer:
‘Lord, another bison would be great… a whole herd would be amazing.'”
A few miles later, her fellow cyclists began shouting her name.
“Now, in my defense, I thought they were cheering for me—finally not dead last! Turns out… nope.
They were trying to warn me about the bison standing around the bend.”
And then, a little farther down the road, Paula encountered exactly what she’d hoped for: an entire herd, complete with a calf.
“God didn’t just answer my prayer; He added sprinkles. A herd and a calf. The matriarch was not shy about letting us know we were being watched. She had Big Bison Energy.”
But the wildlife encounters weren’t over.
During the final descent, an antelope appeared near the roadway, stopping just feet from Paula’s bike. It was a frighteningly close encounter that left her deeply thankful for God’s protection.
After completing their final miles, the cyclists gathered for a time of reflection, sharing what each person had meant to the team throughout the journey.
“There were laughs, almost-tears, and enough warmth to melt a Dakota snowbank.”
And, of course, the adventure couldn’t end without a little North Dakota hospitality.
The group celebrated with a Pitchfork Steak Fondue Dinner, complete with cowboy music, followed by the Medora Musical under the stars.
It was a fitting finish to five days of hard work, unexpected blessings, and unforgettable fellowship.
When Paula finally looked back on her North Dakota adventure, the numbers were impressive:
310.50 miles. 12,883 feet of climbing. Five unforgettable days.
But the story was about so much more than miles.
There were challenges that required perseverance, friendships strengthened through shared experiences, opportunities to slow down and listen to God’s direction, and daily reminders of a greater mission reaching all the way to Zimbabwe.
And when Paula asked herself whether she’d do it all again, her answer was unmistakable:
“Would I do it all again? In a pitchforked heartbeat.”
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