Greetings from Taiwan:

"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?'  'Yes, Lord,' he said, 'you know that I love you.'   Jesus said, 'Feed my lambs.'”  (Jn 21:15)  Between our Lord's Resurrection and Ascension, Peter returned to his fishing boat.  In fact, several of the disciples joined Peter, and they fished all night, catching nothing.  In the morning, through the mist, when Jesus told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, they were unable to haul in the haul of fish!  Only then did they realize the person on the shore was Jesus!  What a difference WITH or WITHOUT Jesus makes!  Later, the question Jesus asks Peter, three times, while they are sitting around the fire finishing  breakfast; is also a question we would do well to answer.  As we await our Savior's return, what consumes our time, and where are our energies focused?  And, are we doing it WITH or WITHOUT Jesus?

Gloritrek is now only forty days from launch!  We are so blessed to have many, many churches and individuals across the US who have partnered with us in Gloritrek!  However, we still have a long list of locations (mostly in the west), where no churches or individuals have signed on to host Gloritrek.  Would you pray with us for the following locations, that doors might open to receive us?  If you know someone in one of these location, would you contact them for us, and ask them to look at our web-site/video and consider allowing us to share our Gloritrek message with them?  All they need do is fill out the "Host Us" form on our web-site, and we will be in touch with them.  Thank you for praying for Gloritrek!

Los Angeles, CA

San Bernardino, CA

Palm Desert, CA

Blythe, CA

Salome, AZ

Wickenburg, AZ

Payson, AZ

Show Low, AZ

Holbrook, AZ

Gallop, NM

Grants, NM

Albuquerque, NM (Sunday, June 2)

Moriarty, NM

Santa Rosa, NM

Tucumcari, NM

Vega, TX

Amarillo, TX (Sunday, June 9)

Pampa, TX

Elk City, OK

Weatherford, OK

Stroud, OK

Vinita, OK

Joplin, MO

Springfield, MO

Lebanon, MO

Rolla, MO

White Hall, IL

Lincoln, IL

Salem, IN

Louisville, KY (Sunday, July 7)

Carrolton, KY

Florence, KY

Mason, OH

Columbus/Worthington, OH

Millersburg, OH

Grove City, PA

DuBois, PA

State College, PA

Bloomsburg, PA

Stroudsburg, PA

Last Lord's Day morning, Easter Sunday, our Come Christian Church entered to worship through the tomb!  Two new families were in attendance, as well as a couple new individuals.  Please pray that the sight of the empty tomb and the message that "Jesus is Risen!" will make a lasting impression! (Our April newsletter will have pictures!) 

Sports & English Camp '13, our 8th annual, was filled in just a few hours this past week, with more than 150 teenagers registered to attend, July 8th - 13th!  Please pray for Dean Chad, the faculty and teenagers who will attend (most do not know Jesus yet)!

We enjoyed a few days of family time at the beach this past week, during Spring Break.  Noah and I biked more than 300 KM, but it still felt like the lull before the storm.  We are thankful for days of rest and being together with family and friends!

These are busy days as we prepare the Come church for our absence this summer, and for our disengagement in the summer of 2014.  Thank you for your prayers! There is much more we could share, but we'll save some for the newsletter.  Your partnership with us in the Gospel -- what a difference you make!    

All for God's Glory Among the Nations,

David & Brenda Atkin

datkin@teamexpansion.org  / gloritrek@gmail.com

www.gloritrek.com

Gloritrek Friends:

(This posting requires a nearly immediate response!)

Greetings from Taiwan!

I just wanted to let you in on a once in a lifetime opportunity!  Thanks to a connection Jon Ralls has made with a bike clothing manufacturer (and there really are only a few who make the real-deal stuff), we have the opportunity to create our own Gloritrek kits (bike clothes).  And, because we've got this awesome co-worker with mad graphic design skills, Chad Edwards, we've got a really cool bike jersey!  It would be completely wrong of me NOT to offer YOU an opportunity to get your own Gloritrek jersey!

If you want a bike jersey, at $65 USD or $2000 NTD (New Taiwan Dollars), NOW would be the time to reply to this e-mail!  I know that sounds really expensive, but if you haven't priced top of the line jerseys lately, and not the kind you would buy at Dick's, then you'll know this is a really good deal.  Sizes range from XS to 4XL.  But, these tend to run smaller than US sizes.  So, I normally wear a L, but in these I need a size bigger, a XL.  And, if you don't want skin tight, you can go 2 sizes bigger!

Gloritrek cycling caps are also available!  Embroidered with the logo on gray, with yellow side panels (Team Expansion on one side and Psalm 96:3 on the other in a blue print).  Those are $15, or $500 NTD.  They are being made in CA!

Gloritrek T-shirts, in gray and navy blue, will be available later, at about $12.  Made in Joplin! Thanks Biaka!

Gloritrek wristbands, like our "Jesus Loves You" bands, will be available in several colors at about $3 per band.

Of course, any money Gloritrek makes will go to Team Expansion and the trek toward unreached peoples.  However, to make money we'd need to charge more for the item than it actually costs, and in the case of the bike jerseys/hats -- we're not!

In the US you can send a check right away to our amazing forwarding agent, Kathy, and put "Gloritrek jersey" in the memo line.  If you are in Taiwan -- just hand me cash, and I'll get you a receipt.  

Team Expansion

℅ Kathy Murrell

PO Box 51

Bement, IL  61813

217-678-8258

I will place the order next week, March 18th, because they take nearly a month to get done.  Sorry, no orders after that for the bike jersey!  When we receive the shipment of jerseys, we'll make sure you receive yours ASAP, if I have your mailing address! :-)

Sorry, but you only have until the weekend to let me know on the bike jerseys, and the rest will be on the Gloritrek web-site soon.  LASTLY, please pray for Brenda's family, as we just received news that her Uncle Bob passed away.  There are times when it's tough being a missionary, and today is one of those days...

All for God's Glory Among the Nations,

David & Noah Atkin

datkin@teamexpansion.org  / gloritrek@gmail.com

It has been a while since we posted an update about Gloritrek.  So, here are a few things we're working on.

First, and most pressing, is getting dates scheduled along our route.  Even with Emily and several other people assisting, not to mention a mission organization, this is proving to be a challenge.  On any given day we receive e-mails that are an encouragement, and others that discourage.

Kevin & Cindy Grindstaff (the couple on the right in the picture), from Malvern, OH; have been a great encouragement to us!  Is it that I've known them longer than I've known Brenda?  Or, is it that they've been here to Taiwan and seen what we do first-hand?  Or, is it that their daughter is leaving for the mission field soon?  Kevin & Cindy have accepted the challenge of coordinating our last week of Gloritrek from NE Ohio to NYC.  They even drove our proposed bike route, taking note of churches  along the way!  I wrote Cindy recently, and said,

"I believe I could write a book based on the varied responses from churches -- some are amazingly encouraging, and others are much less.  "Sorry, the timing of your visit isn't convenient!"  As if there really would be a convenient time between programs and sermon series to talk about unreached nations.  I wonder if it speaks to the overall health of the church, or more to the known/unknown factor.  That is, we tend to not trust those whom we don't know.  With Gloritrek, this is something we've had to get over real fast -- trusting in people and churches we've never met!  Do we always look with suspicion on strangers, even Christian strangers?  To me, that's really sad!  Perhaps that's why we see the admonition in Hebrews to "entertain strangers."  To be sure, we're not angels; but we do have a unique message which we believe comes from the Lord (BTW, "angel" does literally mean "messenger").  Truly, if it wasn't for the belief that God is sending Noah and me, we wouldn't be doing Gloritrek. After all, I've never put much stalk in visions, so why start now?  Except, like Jonah to Nineveh, our God has a message we're compelled to share; and if we turn our backs and run away not only will we forfeit the opportunity to see God do amazing things among the nations, but we'll continually be looking over our shoulders for some big, old fish to swallow us whole!  Sorry to ramble, Cindy!  Thanks much!  You are a real blessing to us!  Wish I could bottle your spirit and sprinkle droplets on churches from coast to coast, we'd already be set.  Kind of like Lucy's bottle of healing ointment in the "Lion, Witch and Wardrobe."  :-)

Second, we are getting ready to print Gloritrek t-shirts and wristbands!  Chad Edwards, another great encouragement to us, has done a fantastic job on our designs for Gloritrek.  We'll be posting examples on the site soon, with instructions on how to purchase.  We are praying you like them and buy them!  Remember, any money given goes to Team Expansion and the mission of reaching the unreached nations! 

Third, training is going well for Noah and I.  We've done some longer rides, including 60 milers.  We'll be doing another long ride over Easter break.  Just last week, on the 60 miler, I had to dodge traffic twice, with one near miss involving a bus!  Yikes!  Oh, how we need your prayers for safety!

What am I asking the Lord for, more than anything else right now, "Peace!"  "Don't be anxious about anything...!" says Philippians.  I have a long way to go in that department!  :-)  Thank you for praying!

Yesterday afternoon we were invited to speak in MCA's high school chapel service about Gloritrek.  It was a privilege to share with about 300 students and faculty about the pilgrimage Noah and I have been on for several years now as we prepare for Gloritrek.  We even had one of the bikes up on stage with us!  Many students were familiar with some of our story, especially the connection with Dr. Zhang and Discovery Channel.  I shared about Philip (Acts 8); who, in the midst of a great work in Samaria, was called by the Lord to go into the desert.  He did not know why he was called, but his act of obedience led to the Ethiopian official's acceptance of Christ, and the Gospel being carried to the continent of Africa!

We may not know exactly why God has called us to Gloritrek, and even to desert highways, but Noah and I are confident that, like Philip, God has a purpose and a plan.  What will God do with Gloritrek?  Who will we meet?  What decisions will be made?  Will people groups be adopted?  Will Christians step forward to boldly take the Gospel to those who have not yet heard?  Only God knows, and like Philip, we're okay with that!

We're excited to share about our NYC Gloritrek event, made possible through a connection by Mr. Schmidt, Noah's 7th grade teacher.  Lord willing, on August 4th, we'll be in the heart of China Town, speaking to a Chinese Church!  How cool is that!  Only about 40 more Gloritrek events to arrange!  :-)

Noah's Hot Wheels

Matthew Wang, our Gloritrek bike artist, has done an amazing job on the wheels, in both English and Chinese! These wheels will tell people why we ride!

Gloritrek Prep Pictures!

Training for Gloritrek really began during the summer of 2012.  Noah and Dave ran a couple 5K's.

Noah, with classmate Jonathan, & David participate in a 25.75 KM triathlon!

 You wanted to see it!  Here is what my friend, Dr. Chen's chin work accomplished!  Why?  So my helmet will actually stay on my head!

A 113 KM (half Ironman) in Taitung, Taiwan

No, nothing to do with Gloritrek, but it was Noah's first par.  Norton Knoll's, #4 a par 5, Oakland, IL.

Matthew Wang is our paint guy for the Gloritrek bikes, which will soon be ready to photograph!  (No, the bike frame he is holding is not ours.)

Frames, Chin & Web-site

This has been a big week for Gloritrek.  The bike frames are nearly finished at the paint shop.  Soon I will be delivering them to the SRAM factory for final assembly.  My friend, Dr. Chen, took the stitches out of my chin.  Though my chin is still sore, I was able to shave, which makes my wife very happy!  And, Allen Messimer, one of our Team Expansion co-workers here in Taichung, is helping me update the Gloritrek web-site.  Soon, you'll notice new additions to the web-site:  the calendar, maps, 10 ten-minute topics, etc.  I'm always amazed by how the Lord provides......