November 6, 2026
Dear Friends and Family,
THANK YOU so much for your part in making this year’s Biking for Congo Challenge 2026 by far the biggest and best ride since my brother and I created Brothers Biking for Congo in 2016! Last year, we finally reached our fundraising goal of $50,000. This year, that mark has been “crushed,” with $71,000+ received so far and still coming in!!
Mary Lynn and I have incredibly generous donors who have so far given $8,275 between the two of us. Mary Lynn reached her goal of 50 kms on about six rides, all during the second half of October. I was sitting at around 354 miles biked for the month when the last day of the ride dawned on October 31.
For various reasons, I had all but given up hope of riding my age in miles on a single day during the month when last Saturday turned out to be a perfect day for riding, with temperatures climbing from the low 60s F to the mid-70s, light winds, mostly cloud cover, and some periods of very light rain. After knocking off a healthy 43 miles by late morning, I stopped back at the house for a brief rest and a stack of Mary Lynn’s blueberry pancakes. Re-energized, I set out again around 1 p.m. to give it a try and returned home around 3:45 p.m., having pedaled 74 miles total, surpassing the number of my years by one! That marked the eighth year in a row that, on one given day, I was blessed to bike my age in years. My goal of biking 500 kms in October turned out to be 690 kms, or 428 miles.
But far and away the greatest news is that these financial resources will bolster the medical and health care capacity of our Covenant Church-sponsored hospitals and clinics in the northwest region of D.R. Congo, Africa.
Mostly in Eastern Congo, there have been 10,000+ confirmed cases of Ebola, with 5,000+ fatalities. Only a small handful of cases have been reported on the fringes of our Congo Covenant region. We PRAY that remains the case, but these funds will help assure that. Clean water sources are always the first step toward good health, so funds will also be used toward that end!
Perhaps the only attached picture that needs any explanation is of David & Laurie Dahms and me getting ready for a quick 17-mile ride. Rev. Dave is an ordained Covenant pastor and Dr. Laurie, an M.D., and together they have served for 30+ years in Alaska, where they still live. Originally from Kansas City, where we met 40 years ago, they are avid tandem-bike riders and were down in the Lower 48 for some fall biking in the Hill Country of Central Texas.
Again, MERCI MINGI — thanks so much for your support, both prayerfully and financially!
Dennis & Mary Lynn Carlson
Denton, TX
