The day before I was to go into surgery, I received a notice from a Facebook friend – my name was tagged in a video. Alex and Shannon were just “kids” when we first met them. Shannon was one of the cherished teens in our youth group, and as all kids do at one point or another, she grew up. She developed into a beautiful young lady with a sweet soprano voice that she used for the glory of God. We went on mission trips together and she sang in the worship team. When she met Alex Vazquez we were all a bit skeptical. Alex is funny, smart, talented (an extraordinary tenor), and an overall great guy, but we thought no one could live up to our hopes of an appropriate match for our sweet little Shannon. In spite of all our coaching (just kidding) they tied the knot. Not only were we pleasantly surprised, but Alex quickly exceeded our expectations. Good onya Shannon!
I remember the day Alex shared his dream of becoming a firefighter with the whole congregation, how he had never pursued it previously because he didn’t think he was good enough. Now he was seizing his opportunity, and he was going for it. With prayer support and encouragement, he met his dream and went on to become a firefighter. He is also a phenomenal photographer, a terrific husband and father, a solid man of God (he was just in Guatemala on a short-term mission a few days after the event) and, as it turns out, a champion bicycle rider.
Battle Bike rode by Alex in the 24-Hour of Booty
Alex was preparing to ride in the 24-Hours of Booty, an official LIVESTRONG sponsored charity event, on July 26-27 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He rides with team Camden, a group honoring the son of a fellow firefighter, a young warrior who lost his battle to leukemia before his first birthday. You can read Camden’s story here:
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Alex shared in his video — prepared for me by shared by many — that he was riding his battle bike in my honor. Many names of cancer victims are placed down the seat tube of the bike, and mine sat prominently on the crossbar. His video brought tears to my eyes, and touched the hearts of many of my friends as well. I was humbled by his truly heartfelt appreciation for the friendship we have shared over the years. I was also pleased and honored to learn that riding on the opposite side of the crossbar was the name of Chris Potter, a friend who was battling breast cancer, this time for the third time. She inspired me to maintain a positive attitude throughout the course. We have the same middle name. We were destined to ride together. Alex is our champion.
Team Camden. The honor bikes led the survivor lap. About two weeks before the ride, Alex broke three ribs, yet still he rode. He’s a trooper!!
Friends Community Church in Orlando holds a special place in our hearts. It is the first church we planted as a young family, and it continues to succeed today. The church took on this project at the bequest of Alex, who saw his friend struggling on a borrowed bike. The church subsequently raised funds to purchase three new bikes, and it continues to support the cause of fundraising for cancer. Even the local newspaper found it worthy of reporting. Team Camden met their mileage goals and raised over $36,000 this year! Way to go! Alex and Shannon, I want to publicly thank you for your ongoing friendship, and for your commitment to kicking cancer’s butt!
Here’s my takeaway. If a little baby can leave such a legacy, I can only imagine what the rest of us can do.
À la prochaine (Until next time) …