Day 4 Lewiston, ID to Missoula, MT

morning view

Today was a beautiful day of riding. We rode along the Snake River the entire way. Very flat roads with trees. I was so happy to see some shade for the first time in 4 days. Good thing too because it was well over 100 degrees today. I saw a thermometer that said 98 degrees in the shade. I was hydrated like King Neptune so I didn’t get dehydrated but man it was warm. Because it is so dry it does cool off quickly at night and that helps.

I spent some time looking at my maps of Montana and North Dakota and we are going to make some changes to the route. Today we are going to go to Helena. From there we will follow Highway 12 to Miles City Montana. We will then hook into I-94 through North Dakota. This will take us through Dickinson, Bismarck, and into Fargo.

big hill
I'm thirsty!

A family with five children- they are all illiterate. This is the family of little Hang. She is 11 years old. Her oldest brother is 12 years old and the two younger sisters are 10 and 8, and the youngest brother is 7. Her parents collect garbage and the children also help every day. Hang said she would like to go to school and collect garbage too.

A few years ago they had built a little shack with leaves and wooden poles in a part of garbage dump, now the garbage company has taken back that "land". They had to tear down their house and be "house keepers" in another house at the dump so that they have sone shelter. Imagine yourself living in a garbage dump - in someone else's "home" in the dump - a house literally made out of garbage from walls, roof to the floor.

Her parents know that education can help their children improve their living condition, but they can not provide for their children because they have a daily struggle just to find food. Her father has tuberculosis, one of her younger sister is also sick. They are in debt because now two people cannot work - of about 800,000 VND ( about $50). For many persons, $50 can be spent in one trip to the local store. But for Hang's family, it would be a treasure considering the family does not earn more than $ 1 a day. Hang lives in total misery - noone can go to the doctor, work or school.

To help provide scholarships for girls like Hang please visit www.catalystfoundation.org to donate today. One scholarship provides for her school expenses and food for her family.