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- <p>For as conflicted as I was only 2 days ago, making it to Mitchell more than made up for any misgivings I
- had.</p>
- <p>Mitchell is a small town in central OR. Population around 130. It contains Pastor Pat. Pastor Pat is
- one of the kindest people I have ever met. He has a bigger heart than I can fathom.</p>
- <p>Pat runs a hostel specifically for bicyclists because Mitchell is on the route of a big race, the
- <a href="https://transambikerace.com/">TABR</a>. He does it out of the generosity of his heart, having converted a doomed church in a small town
- into a refuge for travelers while taking care of the citizens of his town with more compassion than I have
- seen in anyone. This hostel, the "Spoke'n 4 Hostel" has everything a traveling cyclist could ever want: food,
- repair tools, Amish-handcrafted beds and nun-sewn quilts, two pianos, books and other materials, a straight razor
- shave, massage tools, etc, etc, etc. And it's in exchange for a suggested donation. Just a box in a corner,
- an invitation to pay what makes sense. I was so moved by the positive spirits here that I had to stay for
- another day. I had time to run chores with Pastor Pat around town and hear his unique perspective on the
- world. This was one of the most inspiring stops of my journey.</p>
- <p>From my journal:</p>
- <blockquote>I usually like people who just ride bikes. I usually dislike people who just talk about bikes.
- People who do both can easily go either way.</blockquote>
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