Start/End: Emmetsburg/Storm Lake, IAMileage: 59.5+Weather: during the ride,warm and quite windyToday we were awakened by the sounds of thunder and rain. We woke up and got our bags packed, but we knew that we would have delay due to the storms, so many of us went back to bed until the storms passed. This was a nice sleep in, but sometimes getting out of sync with the schedule is tough. When the rain and thunderstorms finally subsided, we got rolling around 9:30 AM. We are so thankful to Bethany Lutheran Church for not only letting us stay the night, but also hang out in the morning and wait for the weather to pass.Today, our ride was dedicated to one of the wonderful women that participated in our portraits project the previous evening. She fought esophageal cancer and 3 years ago today, she was deemed to be cancer free. This is very exciting and we are happy for her victory over cancer, and hope that we see other success stories like this. Cases like this are why we do what we do.Getting back on the road was nice, knowing that it would be a shorter day, even if we left late. Before long, we began to notice the strong winds on the road, which slowed us down, but we fought through it. We went through the rolling hills of Iowa, passing through small towns, like Mallard, IA, a town which claim to be a town of "friendly ducks". As the day pressed on, the sun continued to get stronger and hotter, and the winds did not let up. We were delighted to stop for lunch, though, at a house along the route that generously allowed us to have our typical lunch on their front yard, even brining out picnic blankets. It was great to sit in the shade and enjoy the company of new friends.When we finally rolled into Storm Lake, we were greeted by the pastor who showed us where we would be staying. He generously brought many of us to a local water park which was just so much fun. There were diving boards and slides, and it was refreshing to be in the cool water. Afterwards, we returned to the church where we were generously provided pizza and ice cream for dinner and dessert. It was a great way to wrap up the day. We have played ping pong, fooseball and pool, just having an overall great time. Before we know it, it will be time to hit the hay and be back to it in the morning! Tomorrow will be our last full day in Iowa....the mountains are getting closer!-LAH