| The long way home |
 The long way home Rob Lilwall’s epic 35,000 mile cycle ride from Siberia to LondonHave you ever longed to make an epic journey – to test yourself and learn more about the world? In 2004 geography teacher Rob Lilwall bought a one-way ticket to Siberia, equipped only with a bike and a healthy dose of fear. His goal was to cycle the long way home. Bored with his teaching life in central London, Rob decided to pack his panniers and take his bike, a ten-year-old steel framed mountain bike called Alanis, for an adventure. Three and half years later, and 35,000 miles, he made it home. Within days of setting off, the temperature had dropped to -40°C. The closest Rob had been to a Siberian winter was  a weekend camping in Scotland; his fitness training a weekly game of badminton. He bought his survival gear on eBay; even his tent was second hand. But he did survive the frozen wastelands of Siberia, a robbery at gunpoint, the jungles Papua New Guinea, an Australian cyclone, and Afghanistan’s war-torn Hindu Kush. He raised £23,000 for a Christian children’s charity, filmed his experiences for a six- part National Geographic series to be screened this year and perhaps most significantly, in Hong Kong he met Christine. After what can only be described as ‘a lengthy long distance relationship’, she became Mrs Lilwall last September. And let’s not forget the 157 punctures! Now living back in the UK, Rob writes and lectures worldwide about his experiences and his book, ‘Cycling Home from Siberia’*, tells his gripping story of life on the road. You’ll shiver with him, pedal with him, laugh with him, and will him on, all the way home. Rob took no satellite phone or GPS system with him, but relied on maps, local knowledge and God. As a Christian, Rob knew that he was not undertaking this mammoth trip alone. God was his constant guide and his Bible stowed with his belongings for easy access. When asked ‘Did my faith influence my decision to go travelling?’ he replies ‘Not explicitly, though I think my faith has given me more courage to do things even if they scare me, to live a less conventional life, and it has also given me a passion to live more fully and engage with the world and with people (without necessarily agreeing with the many of the world’s priorities). ‘I had hopes that during the journey I would grow up as a person and as a Christian. In a way I saw it as like a pilgrimage on which, through encountering real dangers, severe adventure and extraordinary people, I might be stretched in good ways as I headed home.’ ‘I was always interested in God when I was growing up, and often wondered to myself (and asked God) if he was really real. Gradually, in my mid-to-late teens, I resolved that I was going to really try and live my life as a Christian, and to try and seek God’s help as life unfolded.’ At university his relationship with God grew as he attended a vibrant church and made Christian friends. ‘As the years passed, my faith deepened though I often faltered and failed… However, in spite of all this, my faith in the Christian God, who cared for me through all life’s turmoil, and who loved the whole world, became a central and defining aspect of my thoughts, aspirations and motives.’ Though some friends accompanied him on brief legs of his journey, most of the trip was one man and his bike. ‘I found strength from reading the Bible, especially when I was feeling very frightened or vulnerable. It is an amazing book, but much of it I still find hard to understand. I was often looked after and hosted by wonderful people from other faiths. Through long, interesting conversations with them, I learnt to respect and understand their faiths. At the same time though, I think we both agreed that, whilst we were able to respect each other and be friends, the differences in our beliefs about God were very important. So although my respect for other faiths increased, I did not start to go down the road of saying “well all religions are basically the same in the end, and the differences do not really matter.” I think there are vital differences, though this does not mean we can’t be friends.’ His journey took Rob from Russia to Japan, South Korea, China, the Philippines, across Australia, South Asia and the Middle East. He spent his life savings, all £8,000. He was welcomed into homes in every country; shared shacks, floors and hotel rooms though he often relied on his trusty tent to provide shelter. For those planning such a trip in China the average cost of a hotel room was just £1.50 per night! On a rainy day in October 2007, Rob cycled over Westminster Bridge to meet his parents. As he turned into his own street a little later, he said to himself ‘Well, that’s the end of that. Lord, thank you’. Rob had achieved his goal and learnt a lot about himself.  ‘I needed love and help and forgiveness – from God and from other people. Sometimes people say God is a crutch. I used to disagree. The idea made me feel weak and needy. Now I agree. I do need God to make it through life, and to help me to be the kind of person I want to be… And I want to keep asking God to help me see what is really important in life, and what “success” looks like to him.’ Perhaps your challenge in life is much closer to home. If you want to know the love, help and forgiveness that comes from faith in Jesus Christ, you can use this prayer. Dear God, I confess that I have sinned in thought, word and deed. I want to turn from my sin. I believe that Christ died for me and rose from the dead. Please forgive me and take control of my life. I want to serve you as best I can. Thank you for hearing this prayer. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen. If you have said this prayer, you might want to let the person who gave you this paper know or tell a Christian friend or get in touch with a church or Christian minister. For further information visit www.cyclinghomefromsiberia.com * Book published by Hodder & Stoughton |
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