Every Mile Is a Gift

“The Lord Himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.” — Psalm 121:5 (NLT)

What an incredible night’s sleep we had at Silas’s house in Tok! As a Bunk-A-Biker host, he definitely earns five stars from us. Not only did he prepare a delicious dinner the night before—which is never expected of a Bunk-A-Biker host—but he also made us breakfast before we hit the road.

Hospitality is one of the greatest ways we can reflect the love of Christ, and Silas and his family did just that. We spent the evening watching his YouTube videos (you can find him at @ak.klr650) and talking about motorcycles, travel, YouTube, raising kids, and life in general. It felt less like meeting someone for the first time and more like reconnecting with an old friend. Isn’t that one of the beautiful things about the family of God? We may come from different places, but our hearts connect in ways only the Lord can orchestrate.

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” — Hebrews 13:2

Before leaving, Silas’s eight-year-old son graciously snapped a group photo for us. We hugged goodbye, thanked them once again for their incredible kindness, and pointed our motorcycles toward the Canadian border along the Alaska Highway.

It was one of those picture-perfect riding days. The temperature hovered in the upper 60s, the sun shined brightly overhead, and only a few wispy clouds drifted across the blue sky. Every mile reminded us that God’s creation never ceases to declare His glory.

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship.” — Psalm 19:1

Our first fuel stop was Northway Village, where God had another divine appointment waiting.

We met Lorraine, a local Alaska Native woman in her early seventies. She had retired as a secretary from the local school district and now volunteers at the Native Center beside the gas station. Every June she helps organize a Native Cultural Camp for the children in the community.

As Melvin handed her one of our Gospel tracts, the conversation quickly became much deeper than either of us expected. Lorraine shared that her daughter was scheduled for a CT scan that very day as she continued her battle with cancer.

Without hesitation, the three of us joined hands right there beside the gas pumps.

In the middle of a small village…
In the middle of a motorcycle trip…
In the middle of everyday life…

God gave us another opportunity to pray.

We prayed for healing, peace, strength, and comfort. We asked the Great Physician to surround Lorraine’s daughter with His presence and to carry the entire family through this difficult season.

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them… And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.” — James 5:14-15

We continue to pray for Lorraine, her daughter, and the entire Northway community. Sometimes the greatest purpose of a journey isn’t reaching the destination—it’s stopping long enough to love someone along the way.

As we continued riding, the scenery began to change once again. The mountains were still breathtaking, covered in vibrant shades of green, but they were different than those we had become accustomed to. They weren’t towering giants draped in snow. Instead, they rolled gently across the landscape, reminding me that God’s beauty comes in countless forms.

The smooth pavement eventually gave way to frost heaves caused by the permafrost beneath the road. Before long we crossed into the Yukon… but still had another twenty miles before reaching Canadian Customs.

Immediately the pavement disappeared.

Loose gravel stretched out before us, and because it hadn’t rained in quite some time, every passing vehicle created enormous clouds of dust. It felt like riding through a haze of powdered dirt. Mile after mile the road alternated between pavement and gravel before finally leading us to the border crossing.

Melvin rolled up first.

“How long are you staying?”

“Maybe two days.”

“Where are you headed?”

“To catch the ferry in Haines.”

Then it was my turn.

The customs officer smiled and asked, “Are you with him?”

“Yes,” I laughed. “That’s my husband.”

He asked where we were going, and I gave him our entire itinerary.

“We’re staying at Discovery Yukon Lodge tonight. Tomorrow we’ll stay near Kathleen Lake, and then we’ll head to Haines for the ferry.”

He grinned and said, “You must have done all the planning.”

I laughed and replied, “Yes! He usually doesn’t know where we’re going until I put it into his phone each morning.”

The officer laughed, Melvin laughed through our helmet communicators, and I couldn’t help but laugh too.

After wishing us safe travels, I simply replied, “Thank you. God bless.”

He smiled.

Sometimes even the smallest interactions leave behind a little light.

The next challenge awaited us—another thirty miles of gravel.

Oddly enough, something had changed in me.

The dirt roads that once intimidated me no longer seemed impossible. Somewhere along this journey, God had quietly replaced fear with confidence. I had ridden enough gravel roads through the Yukon that I finally trusted both my motorcycle and myself.

As long as the gravel wasn’t too deep or soft, I knew we could handle it.

We settled into a comfortable pace of about 35 to 40 mph, and before long we had conquered every mile.

It reminded me how often God grows us little by little.

The obstacles don’t always become easier.

Sometimes we become stronger because He has been faithfully preparing us all along.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” — 2 Timothy 1:7

Our next stop was Beaver Creek for fuel.

There we met several adventure riders and spent a few minutes talking motorcycles before another gentleman pulled up in an older SUV. He and Melvin began discussing the vintage gas pumps, and before long Melvin was handing him one of our “What Would Jesus Ride?” Gospel tracts.

The man smiled and shared that when he was younger he had bicycled over ten thousand miles.

What an amazing accomplishment!

It’s incredible how motorcycles, bicycles, and travel seem to open doors for conversations that often lead to something much more meaningful.

By late afternoon we arrived at Discovery Yukon Lodge in Koidern.

The young woman at the front desk warmly welcomed us before we wandered through the gift shop. What immediately caught our attention was the incredible wildlife display. Wolves, bison, mountain goats, owls, and many other animals were beautifully preserved throughout the lodge.

Curious, I asked if someone had hunted all of them.

She explained they had actually been confiscated by Wildlife Enforcement after being illegally poached.

It was certainly one of the most unique campground lodges we’ve ever visited.

Of course, Melvin spotted the ice cream first, so naturally we each enjoyed a scoop before checking into our cabin.

When I asked if there were any nearby restaurants, she smiled and said, “Not out here.”

We were, after all, deep in the Yukon wilderness.

Then she added, “Since you’re staying in one of our cabins, we offer dinner delivery.”

What a blessing!

We ordered chicken pesto lasagna with vegetables for five o’clock, and she promised it would be delivered right to our cabin.

Our little cabin couldn’t have been more perfect.

Twin beds sat on opposite walls. There was a small table, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, and even a full bathroom. Outside, a deck overlooked the mountains.

After weeks of camping, it felt like such a wonderful gift.

Then I looked at Melvin and asked, “Do you hear that?”

He paused.

“No.”

“Exactly,” I smiled. “No barking dogs.”

We both burst into laughter.

After unpacking only what we needed for the night, I plugged in batteries and camera equipment while catching up on the blog. Melvin relaxed with a fresh cup of coffee, and I stepped outside onto the deck to soak in the warm evening air.

The mountains stood silently before us.

The leaves rustled gently in the breeze.

Everything around us seemed to whisper the goodness of God.

Right at 5:00 p.m., our dinner arrived in a woven basket alongside two bottles of cold water.

We carried everything out onto the deck and shared one of the most peaceful meals of our journey.

No traffic.

No hurry.

No distractions.

Just mountains, quiet conversation, and grateful hearts.

As we sat there, we reflected on all God had done over these past forty-three days.

It’s bittersweet knowing we’re now beginning the journey home. With every mile, Alaska slowly slips farther into our mirrors, yet our hearts are overflowing with gratitude.

We’re thankful for every friend we’ve met.

Every stranger who became family.

Every conversation.

Every prayer.

Every mountain pass.

Every gravel road.

Every breakdown.

Every answered prayer.

Every bump, every fall, every lesson.

Through it all, God’s hand has faithfully carried us.

Looking back, we can clearly see that none of this journey has been about simply riding motorcycles to Alaska.

It’s been about watching God write a story far greater than we could have planned ourselves.

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” — Psalm 126:3

As we begin the long ride home, we don’t know everything that still lies ahead.

But one thing we know with absolute certainty…

The same God who brought us this far will faithfully lead us every mile home.

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 1:6

Be sure to watch our next YouTube video @wrightsonamission