A triple-amputee, Bob has emitted more strength and courage in the aftermath of his car accident than most people, as he battles his way through the day-to-day mundane that others would not see as a challenge.
But biking across the country, commandeering a specialized, three-wheeled, hand-powered cycle, using only his one hand to propel him over and through various terrain and conditions, he also proves what the words endurance and faith mean as well.
"We've seen all types of weather conditions: snow, hail, thunder and lightning and headwinds," Bob explained. "Some of it we've had to keep riding through." He said that one tour challenge, conquering the Snoqualmie Pass in their home state of Washington, was a 3,000-foot hurdle of mammoth purport ions.
He said that while that number may seem impressive, some of the areas they've accomplished may not have been officially larger, but began much further down, even beginning below sea level.
"It's harder to go up," said Nicole of the mountainous ranges, "but scarier to come down."
Even more scarier were some of the instances the journey led them into. Through Montana they encountered various sizes of rattlesnakes — "Big ones," said Nicole making a wide circle representing the girth of the reptiles with her hands.
"She (his wife Darla) was our early warning system," Bob said. "She was up in front and when we heard her scream we knew there was a snake in the road." He said they also created a new rule of thumb to follow when stopping to rest: don't stop next to long or thick grasses. "You could hear them rattling through the weeds," he said.
Another experience was most frightening for him, when he was up ahead of the group and a pack of wild dogs started chasing him. His specialized cycle, which he warns with a smile, "has three wheels but never call it a tricycle," sits very low to the ground. "I could feel their warm breath on my body," he explained of the experience. He and the family shouted and growled at the animals but their primal instincts told them the chase was on.
At full speed, even though Bob had pepper spray to use in emergency situations, he couldn't use it (with only one hand) and still control the bike, as he would have had to stop to do so. "They snapped at me where they expected my leg to be but I think I confused them," he said of his physical makeup. "They eventually wore down and gave it up."
One other harrowing experience, one that seemed to reinforce their purpose for taking the trip, was one met during a stop at a roadside restaurant. "A woman was sitting with her young child and the baby was choking," Bob explained. "The mother didn't realize it.'
Nicole, trained in using the pediatric version of the Heimlich maneuver administered it, saving the child. "We stopped because there was a rainstorm," Bob said. "We feel God altered our route that day so we could be there."
"We use the bikes as our platform," explained Darla after the family stopped in Bourbon to change a couple tire tubes. "We enjoy biking and have traveled with the ministry all over the country. We want to encourage people to have hope in Christ and the courage within themselves to take the next step or to go one more mile in spite of our challenges."
She said that as their oldest child is one year away from graduating college with a nursing degree, this was the "last big family trip" they would have the time to take together and they wanted to make it remarkable and memorable. "We thought, 'what a way to spend a summer,'" she laughed. "And I like going through the small towns, seeing the architecture and meeting the people."
Even young Grant agreed, though he'll be celebrating his 16th birthday on the road. "It's pretty fun out here," he said. "I like the change of the scenery. You could be in a hailstorm one day and the next it’s sunny."
Nicole added that the experience is one she considered to be "an adventure of a lifetime." "Since we're not just taking main routes, we go through some of the small towns," she said. "We're able to experience that small town attitude and its interesting just seeing how diversified we are, even on our own country."
"I love the scenery of the plains and the farming communities," Bob explained. "Small towns are the fiber of our country, the stitches that keep the country from unraveling."
Throughout their adventure, the Mortimer's have been followed by Bob's sister Jeanne Oesch who took the summer off to follow and sometimes precede them on their journey as a one-woman support team. She drives a motor home often accompanied by the Mortimer's youngest, Charla (who isn't allowed to travel on bike while on the busier highways).
Jeanne sometimes leads the way to secure lodging for the family, assistance with warm meals or the use of a shower from congregations that have allowed them to speak, sharing their story and message at the churches and with other generous individuals along the way. Most recently, last Sunday, the forum he's shared his message of hope and courage with was the Mennonite College in Goshen.
"I'm licensed through the Church of God," Bob explained. "But in all religions it’s the same message, the same God." The pre planned ministry schedule encourages the family to meet the deadlines of their appearances, traveling 40 to 60 miles per day.
"The further we ride the more down time we have," said Bob. The time is usually spent mapping the next leg of their tour's route, answering e-mails and updating their blog. The family has an online site,
www.hcjourney.org that tells about their adventure and Bob has one that focuses more on his personal trials and ministry at
www.bobmortimer.org .
When their journey is over, the family will have traveled from Gig Harbor, Washington (leaving May 17) to New York. Their final destination is to reach the Statue of Liberty on September 11.
Said Darla, "We've met some great people along the way, some that we've been an encouragement to and some that have been an encouragement to us. America is full of wonderful people. It's really been rewarding." Agreed Nicole, "If you are going to have one last trip, this would be the one to go out on."
