Bank 2 Bush
WHAT A JOURNEY
The Lord put it on my heart in 2021 to give Him my all. A fire for the Lord has grown in me since and I am excited for the journey that lies ahead.
WHAT A JOURNEY
Healed Knee Testimony
This story started on the 11th of May. It began because of a bit of stupidity. At the halfway point of a 100km ride, my knee started to feel a little sore. At first, it was a light pain in my left knee. We were having fun, racing, and dicing, which isn’t the best for a sensitive knee. By the end of the ride, it was pretty sore, but I pushed on and rode an extra 15km to get a distance PB. Hence, the stupidity. When I got home and got off the bike, my knee was so sore that I couldn’t put weight on it.
I immediately dealt with it spiritually. I prayed for it on the bike and stood in faith. I declared the Word, I pleaded the Blood, and used every spiritual response that I knew. But I didn’t apply wisdom. I continued as if nothing had happened, and it slowly got better. I decided not to ride during the week. The following Saturday, I got on the bike again. I went on a long ride, but luckily it was only to Shell and back (about 40km). By the time we got to Shell, I was in intense pain. Khayzek suggested I ride back with the slower group, the “blueberries,” which I did. This was when I reached a low point.
I had a conversation with the Lord. “Lord, I’m cycling because You asked me to. I’ve been training consistently. I’ve been faithful, and now this knee is trying to steal everything that has happened up until now.” Another issue was that I started overcompensating with my other knee, which resulted in pain in both knees. At this point, I spoke to my parents about it. They (with great wisdom) suggested that I deal with the problem. So, I went to a physio, applied heat therapy, and so on. From a natural point of view, there was no way I would be able to ride Banks to Bush. But the Lord was faithful.
I experienced tremendous improvement in my knee that week. But the circumstances were still very real. The Saturday before B2B, I did a short ride (about 15km), and I still experienced pain in my knee. B2B was in just two days! I held fast to my confession: “I will ride B2B pain-free, injury-free, incident-free.”
Monday,
May 20, 2024, B2B Day 1
It was a very chaotic morning. I was unprepared and scrambling to get everything ready and get on the bike. When we finally got going, I was all riled up. I was late, my windbreaker’s zipper had broken, my handlebars were loosened to go on the trailer, and I didn’t know how to fasten them. I had to go to the bathroom, and I couldn’t find my sunscreen or nutrition. There were many factors involved. Once we started riding, someone tried to make small talk, but I just needed a moment. Then something unexpected happened.
About 5km into the ride, we had to cross a little bridge with thin ditches. My thought process was, “It’s not that wide; my tire will neve—” Bam!
I hit the ditch and went down hard. I was in shock because it hit me so unexpectedly. I sat on the ground for a minute or two. I lost my cool when everyone, on separate occasions, asked how I was feeling. I explained to Elrika that my front wheel had gone into the ditch, and I hit my handlebars with my hips, cushioning my fall with my wrists and knee. Matt came up to me and asked if I was okay. I answered him a bit cheekily.
Then, I rode to the front of the group. Pastor John came up to me, held me, and comforted me. I was very close to crying. Fear tried to grip me about my knee, but I knew I had to stay in faith. As the ride continued, everything calmed down. I could feel my knee the rest of the day, but I wasn’t in pain. It was an opportunity to rise in faith, and I thank the Lord for the victory.
When we finally got to Elandskloof, I was in pretty good shape. Aside from the fall, I think it was one of my easiest 100km rides. I was so focused on everything else that I just did it. But this was where my faith was greatly challenged. I struggled to climb the only four steps at Elandskloof. I was in pain. I spoke to Matt that evening and asked if, in pain, I could maybe get off at some point on the ride. Elrika also strapped my knee. At the end of the day, I had a sense of victory, as if we had already won the battle of day 1. Even though it looked like my faith wasn’t working, I know it was.
Tuesday,
May 21, 2024, B2B Day 2
My knee felt much better in the morning. The only pain was from the strapping pulling out my leg hair every time I bent my leg (jy wil mos nie jou bene skeer nie). My knees were fine for most of the ride until we hit the tar, 60km into the ride. That’s when I experienced intense pain. My mind was racing: Do I apply wisdom? Do I push through? Am I being soft? Am I injuring myself? I asked the Lord to tell me if I needed to get off, and He answered that He wasn’t going to tell me to get off. He would confirm the decision I made. This was very strange to me, as I had never experienced this before. So, I got off at the 70km point. I had mixed feelings about it, but the Lord comforted me. I realized that even though I got off, that didn’t change my faith. Even though the circumstances didn’t align with my confession, it was still subject to change.
At the 100km mark, I climbed back on. A group had gotten off at 85km to skip the intense climbing, but I got on with them again at the 100km water point. At first, I wasn’t sure what to do. But then Jacinta prayed for peace about the right decision, and I had peace about it. The last 30km was downhill, and even though it would put pressure on my knees (because I would be standing), I had confidence in my faith.
When we arrived at Mankele, the knee pain was gone. Both of my knees were functioning perfectly. Occasionally, my knees twitched a bit, but that was the only symptom I experienced for the rest of the trip. What encouraged me was the other people who came into agreement with me and encouraged me in my faith. I praise the Lord for His healing, faithfulness, and my blood-bought family.
The Lord revealed to me on B2B that we must not be discouraged by obstacles.
It’s amazing how the Lord uses natural things to give me insight into spiritual truths. When a mountain is between you and your destination, you have two options:
Option 1: Get discouraged by the size of the hill, approach it with the wrong mindset, possibly fail, and ultimately have a miserable experience.
Option 2: Acknowledge the mountain, be encouraged by it, see it as an opportunity to overcome, tackle it little by little, and enjoy the journey.
On days 3 and 4, we had intense climbs, but because I went into it with the right spirit, I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. As Christians, we must learn to enjoy the journey. The Apostle Paul said that we must “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim 6:12). There will be obstacles and challenges along the way, but it is a good fight. And if we approach it with joy, we approach it with strength. As Nehemiah 8:10 says, “For the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
There were definitely days when the ride felt tough, and it was easy to get discouraged by all the obstacles in front of me. But in those moments, it wasn’t just my own strength that kept me going—it was the support and encouragement from everyone around me. Whether it was pushing through the climbs together, sharing a laugh after a rough patch, or just knowing that we were all in it together, the sense of camaraderie really made the experience something special.
Healed Knee Testimony
This story started on the 11th of May. It began because of a bit of stupidity. At the halfway point of a 100km ride, my knee started to feel a little sore. At first, it was a light pain in my left knee. We were having fun, racing, and dicing, which isn’t the best for a sensitive knee. By the end of the ride, it was pretty sore, but I pushed on and rode an extra 15km to get a distance PB. Hence, the stupidity. When I got home and got off the bike, my knee was so sore that I couldn’t put weight on it.
I immediately dealt with it spiritually. I prayed for it on the bike and stood in faith. I declared the Word, I pleaded the Blood, and used every spiritual response that I knew. But I didn’t apply wisdom. I continued as if nothing had happened, and it slowly got better. I decided not to ride during the week. The following Saturday, I got on the bike again. I went on a long ride, but luckily it was only to Shell and back (about 40km). By the time we got to Shell, I was in intense pain. Khayzek suggested I ride back with the slower group, the “blueberries,” which I did. This was when I reached a low point.
I had a conversation with the Lord. “Lord, I’m cycling because You asked me to. I’ve been training consistently. I’ve been faithful, and now this knee is trying to steal everything that has happened up until now.” Another issue was that I started overcompensating with my other knee, which resulted in pain in both knees. At this point, I spoke to my parents about it. They (with great wisdom) suggested that I deal with the problem. So, I went to a physio, applied heat therapy, and so on. From a natural point of view, there was no way I would be able to ride Banks to Bush. But the Lord was faithful.
I experienced tremendous improvement in my knee that week. But the circumstances were still very real. The Saturday before B2B, I did a short ride (about 15km), and I still experienced pain in my knee. B2B was in just two days! I held fast to my confession: “I will ride B2B pain-free, injury-free, incident-free.”
Monday,
May 20, 2024, B2B Day 1
It was a very chaotic morning. I was unprepared and scrambling to get everything ready and get on the bike. When we finally got going, I was all riled up. I was late, my windbreaker’s zipper had broken, my handlebars were loosened to go on the trailer, and I didn’t know how to fasten them. I had to go to the bathroom, and I couldn’t find my sunscreen or nutrition. There were many factors involved. Once we started riding, someone tried to make small talk, but I just needed a moment. Then something unexpected happened.
About 5km into the ride, we had to cross a little bridge with thin ditches. My thought process was, “It’s not that wide; my tire will neve—” Bam!
I hit the ditch and went down hard. I was in shock because it hit me so unexpectedly. I sat on the ground for a minute or two. I lost my cool when everyone, on separate occasions, asked how I was feeling. I explained to Elrika that my front wheel had gone into the ditch, and I hit my handlebars with my hips, cushioning my fall with my wrists and knee. Matt came up to me and asked if I was okay. I answered him a bit cheekily.
Then, I rode to the front of the group. Pastor John came up to me, held me, and comforted me. I was very close to crying. Fear tried to grip me about my knee, but I knew I had to stay in faith. As the ride continued, everything calmed down. I could feel my knee the rest of the day, but I wasn’t in pain. It was an opportunity to rise in faith, and I thank the Lord for the victory.
When we finally got to Elandskloof, I was in pretty good shape. Aside from the fall, I think it was one of my easiest 100km rides. I was so focused on everything else that I just did it. But this was where my faith was greatly challenged. I struggled to climb the only four steps at Elandskloof. I was in pain. I spoke to Matt that evening and asked if, in pain, I could maybe get off at some point on the ride. Elrika also strapped my knee. At the end of the day, I had a sense of victory, as if we had already won the battle of day 1. Even though it looked like my faith wasn’t working, I know it was.
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, B2B Day 2
My knee felt much better in the morning. The only pain was from the strapping pulling out my leg hair every time I bent my leg (jy wil mos nie jou bene skeer nie). My knees were fine for most of the ride until we hit the tar, 60km into the ride. That’s when I experienced intense pain. My mind was racing: Do I apply wisdom? Do I push through? Am I being soft? Am I injuring myself? I asked the Lord to tell me if I needed to get off, and He answered that He wasn’t going to tell me to get off. He would confirm the decision I made. This was very strange to me, as I had never experienced this before. So, I got off at the 70km point. I had mixed feelings about it, but the Lord comforted me. I realized that even though I got off, that didn’t change my faith. Even though the circumstances didn’t align with my confession, it was still subject to change.
At the 100km mark, I climbed back on. A group had gotten off at 85km to skip the intense climbing, but I got on with them again at the 100km water point. At first, I wasn’t sure what to do. But then Jacinta prayed for peace about the right decision, and I had peace about it. The last 30km was downhill, and even though it would put pressure on my knees (because I would be standing), I had confidence in my faith.
When we arrived at Mankele, the knee pain was gone. Both of my knees were functioning perfectly. Occasionally, my knees twitched a bit, but that was the only symptom I experienced for the rest of the trip. What encouraged me was the other people who came into agreement with me and encouraged me in my faith. I praise the Lord for His healing, faithfulness, and my blood-bought family.
The Lord revealed to me on B2B that we must not be discouraged by obstacles.
It’s amazing how the Lord uses natural things to give me insight into spiritual truths. When a mountain is between you and your destination, you have two options:
Option 1: Get discouraged by the size of the hill, approach it with the wrong mindset, possibly fail, and ultimately have a miserable experience.
Option 2: Acknowledge the mountain, be encouraged by it, see it as an opportunity to overcome, tackle it little by little, and enjoy the journey.
On days 3 and 4, we had intense climbs, but because I went into it with the right spirit, I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. As Christians, we must learn to enjoy the journey. The Apostle Paul said that we must “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim 6:12). There will be obstacles and challenges along the way, but it is a good fight. And if we approach it with joy, we approach it with strength. As Nehemiah 8:10 says, “For the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
There were definitely days when the ride felt tough, and it was easy to get discouraged by all the obstacles in front of me. But in those moments, it wasn’t just my own strength that kept me going—it was the support and encouragement from everyone around me. Whether it was pushing through the climbs together, sharing a laugh after a rough patch, or just knowing that we were all in it together, the sense of camaraderie really made the experience something special.
Looking back, what really stands out aren’t the personal milestones or the physical grind of the ride, but the moments with the people who were there with me. It was the little acts of kindness, the prayers when things got tough, and the jokes that kept us going even when we were exhausted. We weren’t just cycling—we were in it together, supporting each other through the tough spots and celebrating the victories as a group. Those are the moments that really made the journey memorable.
In the end, it wasn’t the distance covered or the challenges overcome that made Banks 2 Bush so special—it was the people. The encouragement, the shared faith, and the genuine care we had for each other were the true highlights of the ride. It’s these connections, these shared experiences, that I’ll carry with me long after the ride itself fades into memory.
Memorable Moments with Precious People
Marshmello Appreciation
We had this little ceremony each night where we would open a pack of marshmallows and then anyone could nominate anyone for something they appreciated that day. This was a very wholesome experience and cultivated a sense of gratitude throughout the trip.
Chatting with Gian
Day 1 – Elandskloof dorms
We were both in bed early basically only us in the dorm. His bed was across the room (quite far). We just chatted for quite some time. It was had a good time. Speaking about the day and what was to come in the rest of the week.
Marilie and Stefan
Day 3 – around the campfire at Merry Pebbles
I have spent some time with Marilie on the orientation trip, such a precious person. But I was so blessed to see her and Sephan (her husband) together. They complete each other beautifully and were a lot of fun. The more time you spend with the people around you the more you realize how valuable they are.
Sharing a Tent
Day 3 – Camping at Merry Pebbles
I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. But when Tannie Liesl told me, Zani was with me I said, “Shame, poor guy.” Zani said, “Ja Luke.’ I replied, “Ja definitely Luke (not me).” I’m a bit messy, I snore, talk, and occasionally walk in my sleep. At 10 pm whisper mode started, and we were both in the tent. We lay in our beds and had some good conversations. Nothing life-altering or huge moments. Just speaking about some challenges and encouraging each other. I am thankful to the Lord for him.
Sitting by the Fire
Day 4 – Mulberrylane
This was day four of the trip and everyone was a little tired. I wanted to go to bed but I came back to the fireplace because I did not want the night to end. So Mia, Yatter, and Tom were there for a while, and we sat in the camp chairs with our feet by the fire. Sitting there very toasty, with the fire baking our feat. We sat there sitting hot chocolate.
Sharing with my Brothers
Day 4 – Mulberrylane
It has been quite a while since all three of us had to share a room. There was a double bed and a single bed. Kahyzek (my older brother) and I (the middle brother) both said to each other, “I don’t mind sharing the double bed with Yatteer (our younger brother).” We laughed for a moment when we realized that we both subconsciously decided that Yatter would be on the double bed. When all of us were finally in bed, Yatteer made a funny comment about a situation in the tent set up next to us. This kickstarted the 30-1 hour giggles. When I told Tom about it the next morning, he was like, “No… we heard you.” It was such fun to be with the familiar.
Tom teaches me how to scrum
Day 5 – Swadini campgrounds
I don’t have any rugby background. I think I have played touch rugby 4 times in my life and that’s about it. So when conversations about rugby launch off with a lot of passion… It’s all Greek to me. But he was so eager to teach me that I was game. When Jesus said that we are to become all things to all men, my interpretation is that sometimes you must be interested in others’ lives and be willing to listen even though it doesn’t really interest you or mean something significant to you.
Podcast with Keanu
Day 5 – Swadini around the smokey campfire
This was the last night and everyone was very sleep-deprived and a tad hysterical. Keanu, Jess, Matt J, Keanan, and some others were in a very animated display discussing simple topics. Some were forehead sizes, spreads-on-breads, etc. You had to start by introducing yourself without laughing which was a lot of effort for some people. But it was hilarious and we were almost on the floor laughing. A very enjoyable light moment.
Car ride back with Natasha
Day 6 – Bus ride back
The bus ride back felt like an eternity. Driving at 80km/h over a very bumpy mountain pass allowed the fruit of patience to come out. After the Dulstroom stop me and Natasha chatted all the way back to Witbank. The road goes a lot faster when you are speaking to someone. Wow, she is such an interesting person. There is a lot that I can learn from her. After the trip, I was dubbed het Natachi.
