Remember When | AJ

Jul 1, 2019 | 0 comments

I remember the first time I traveled with Andrew Johnson (aka AJ!) to Ghana. He was a young college student with tons of energy and he hit the ground running. All of the older boys in our program immediately gravitated to the cool dude who knew his way around the soccer field. Soccer is the universal love language for most boys in Africa who daily live and breathe the game of football (sport using your foot to kick the ball, duh).

AJ was always easy to spot because he would be the goofy American making everyone laugh. Still to this day the older boys in our program will ask our Development Director, Rachel, about her brother, Andrew, because he made such an impression on them, so much so that they consider him to be a good friend of theirs. What an inspiration he continues to be as they follow his latest adventure devoted to raising education funds on his trusted bike, Ferdinand.

Today, I don’t know how to put into words the gratitude I have for AJ and his vision for Cycle For The Future. Who is this person who willingly is giving up half of his summer to bike 1,800 miles down the West Coast, and also somehow convinced his mom to drive the support car? A person who has a heart the size of Texas and a mom who taught her son how to serve well.

I am humbled and honored by this dynamic duo, and I send my love and support as I wish them unforgettable memories on the road to Tijuana. I have no doubt the amazing Johnson team will finish strong and Ferdinand will remain loyal until the end.

You’re the best, AJ and Ma Beth!


Learn more about AJ and Beth’s journey and their vision to Touch A Life here: Cycle For The Future.



Related Posts

Why? | Denise Schmitt

Why? | Denise Schmitt

I have been volunteering for Touch A Life since 2009. I am usually in the background, working on the finances. How did I get involved way back then? 2008 was a very hard year for me. Work was incredibly stressful and busy – I wasn’t able to take any time off that...

Why? | Sarah Mast

Why? | Sarah Mast

In 2018, I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to the Care Center when the agency I work for partnered with Touch A Life  to assist with marketing efforts. Traveling has always been a passion of mine, so I was thrilled to have the chance to visit Ghana....

Why? | Hunter Lacey

Why? | Hunter Lacey

I first heard of Touch A Life in 2015, the summer I interned here while I was a college student at Pepperdine University. Rachel Brown, our Development Director, and I share Pepperdine as our alma mater, and I stumbled upon her work in an online interview while I was...