A Marathon of Hope!

We finished all but 1 mile of the walk today! It is somewhat bittersweet, but I’m really looking forward to getting home and processing the whole thing. I will definitely write about it here when I do!

I was really hoping that we would be able to get a good nights rest last night, as we really needed it to reach our goal today of 26.2 miles. But Mother Nature had other plans!  It’s the same story that we have told many times before on this trip. We get to sleep and BANG, the bad weather appears!  How crazy is it that we have only seen one horrible weather event during the day since we started this trip? I mean, it has rained, but nothing like we experience at night. It’s weird!  It’s as if the enemy just wants to torment us at night so we will be exhausted while we walk. Well last night it started out just like that. Except this time I prayed that God would give me rest, and He did!  Dad was sitting up half the night, but Marccus and I were able to ignore the wind, hail, rain and thunder.  We slept like babies all through the night! Praise God, because we needed it more than I thought we would.

It isnt that the walk was horrible, or even that it was any more difficult than any other day we have walked on this trip. Because it wasnt. I dedicated todays walk to my Granddad and Christyl, and I really wanted to push myself harder than ever for them. But I didn’t have to push myself as hard as I anticipated. I believe that God honored my intentions and took care of us.  Not that the day was without any distractions at all. There were distractions, but I dont think they bothered me as much as they would have on most days.  I am really thankful that God is keeping me occupied with the walk. I fI were sitting at home chillin this summer, I know that my thoughts would be consumed with my Granddads cancer.  I think about him all the time as it is, but at least on the walk, I there is a lot going on that keeps me from  worrying about it too much. My thoughts and prayers are with you Granddad!

One thing that happened today was that I caught up with Marccus in the number of ticks he has “caught” on this trip. He got a tick the first day we walked, and then another last week. I got both of mine within an hour of starting this morning!!! I couldn’t believe it!  Dad came out and removed them and hopefully it didn’t infect me in any way.  I know I have teased Marccus a lot for taking the brunt of the bad stuff that has happened on this trip. From running from animals, dodging cars, and dealing with insect bites of all kinds to suffering physically with blisters the size of golf balls. But he manned up and has really grown from this experience.  I remember when Marccus got his first tick, he was freaked out because of all of the disease that you can get from them. I really didnt think it was that big of a deal until there was one impaled in my leg! It is definitely a trip to think that such a small thing can cause such big problems!

We did walk longer than any other day on this trip, finally reaching our goal well after dark.  Although we had just walked the exact length of a marathon, we felt as  though we could have ran it!  Dad picked us up and took us to the MAPS center to get cleaned up and have dinner. Kim Johnson, from the NTYM offices blessed us with a home cooked meal!  Believe it or not, this is the first home cooked meal we have had in a month! Seriously!  Four of us have eaten three meals a day for a month, without having even ONE home cooked meal! So we thank you Kim!  You have given us something that no other person on our trip has given us! Oh yeah, and it was REALLY GOOD!  Can you give my Mom the recipe?

(insert descriptive one-liner here!)

You guys should all be so proud of me. I thought of at least 10 one liners to title this blog, but I resisted! Read on and youll get my drift! We got up this morning and got the RV ready to move to Springfield.  This is the last move we will make before leaving for home!  By now you would think we would have the moving process down to a science. And for the most part we do. But just when we think we have seen it all,  we are blindsided by the element of surprise!  If you have a weak stomach, you may want to skip down to the next paragraph!  We pulled out of Messenger around 10 and stopped at the Flying J truck stop to fuel up and empty the waste tank on the RV. Dad gets it all hooked up and opens the valves to empty the tanks, and everything is as expected. About 2 minutes later, the plastic part that connects the waste hose to the RV breaks and sewage starts splashing all over Dads feet! When I say splashing, I really mean it was GUSHING out onto his feet and legs! 

 

OMG! You know the part on Stand By Me, when the fictitious character “Wide Load” cause a full blown barfarama? Yeah, it was like that! Dad starts screaming “oh God no, please God no! This isnt happening right now, God. Please no”!!! LOL. Seriously, I dont think I have ever laughed and gagged at the same time until today! It was nuts. So we got everything cleaned up and Dad went in and washed his legs and shoes with bleach. And we all got back in the truck, looked at eachother, and just busted up in disbelief. “No way that just happened” Dad said. We shook our heads in agreement and headed toward the drop off spot. Pastor Danny called while we were driving to catch up with Dad on the walk. I understand why he cant be here, but I keep expecting to see him show up at the last minute to surprise us. Now Pastor Danny, that isnt meant to make you feel guilty.  It just sounds like something you would do, thats all.

 

Today we carefully measured every mile so tomorrows walk will be the exact distance of a marathon! 26.2 miles!  Dad mapped it and checked it 3 times. He then dropped us off and drove the route to check it again. This is really important to us as we are dedicating tomorrows walk  to my Granddad and Christyl.  So today we needed to walk 19.4 miles today. That will leave 1 mile for the final day on Wednesday. That is basically so we dont just drive to the General Office and walk in. We want to walk there, but we need to walk there when people will be there to receive us. And since we will be walking until after dark tomorrow, we will need to save a mile for that to be possible.  I know, it probably sounds confusing, but there is a method to our madness! 

 

The walk went just as planned today. Dad dropped us off and drove ahead to Springfield to set things up.  He called us ike an hour after he dropped us off to tell us that he is sitting in the NYM office with Chet and Jay!  I was like, why would you call and tell us that! Man I was jealous!  Hes sitting there with my heroes while Im freakin sweatin to death! LOL. It’s all good though, I’ll have my time to kick it with them in Orlando.  Dad told me that there is a meeting the day Im coming in and only the office staff will be there. Chet and Jay will be at a conference. But they said they will take me to lunch and hang out with me at General Council! Yeah, I wish they were going to be there Wednesday, but I understand this was planned before I planned my walk.  It’s all good, we will meet up in Orlando soon enough!  One thing that was awkward, is that we encountered more porn on the roadside today. I called to tell Dad, and he is sitting there with Chet and he told him! Doh, why do I even tell Dad this stuff? How embarrassing!  I dont think it is a coincidence that we are running into this kind of stuff in the final stretch of our journey. Im sure that Satan would do anything to trip us up at this point.  Well, were not falling for it!!!

 

Dad picked us up right on time and took us to the RV. We are parked at an RV spot that was built by a group called “MAPS” They are a group of retired missionaries that RV around in groups, building churches all over the US!  How crazy is that? They told Dad today that they built alot of stuff at Maypearl, the North Texas District Campground. In fact, I will be there a week from today! I thought that was pretty cool. Anyway, the RV park is located at a Teen Challenge / Chi Alpha building. The MAPS people built that too!  I think Im going to have them build my house when Im older!  It feels really good to be here already, but it kindof feels like were cheating by being here in Springfield before we actually finish. Oh well, I cant lie. It feels really good to be honest! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! All of our hard work and determination are getting ready to pay off BIG TIME! I cant wait to walk that final mile on Wednesday and complete the most significant event of my life!  To me, this is right up there with beating cancer. And I don’t use that lightly at all! 

 

Speaking of cancer. Right before I typed this blog, I called Christyl and Granddad to tell them my plans for tomorrows walk. I have never spoken with Christyl on the phone, but i encouraged her by reminding her of how God healed me of cancer and that I am now doing Big Things for Him! I prayed for her and asked God to put a big dream in her heart for after God heals her! I know he will do it! I really have faith that he will! She cried and said she loved me and that she was proud of me. She took her first round of chemo today, and I know that her mind must be racing. But I just prayed for God to give her peace.  Granddad too it a little easier than Christyl. I know that he is proud, but I also know that he wants to remain strong for his family. I respect that. I know it probably seems like were all being over dramatic. We just love you, nd want to see you well again.

 

Just remember this Granddad. Dad and I heard this scripture yesterday, and it reminded me of you and Christyl. “My grace is sufficient for you. For my strength is made perfect in weakness”  I know this chemo is going to make you weak. Trust me, I know. But allow God to make his strength PERFECT through that weakness. I love you guys, and am looking forward to making you proud tomorrow. It’s a marathon in honor of your recovery! And a testament to what God is willing to do with you after he heals you!  He has big plans for all of us, and I am looking forward to seeing what those plans are for you!

 

Missions Service at PCG General Convention

Today was pretty chill. Especially considering that last night we had to sleep in the gym at Messenger College because of a huge storm cell that woke us up at 2am!  Thank God we were right next o the gym and just walked over there, unlike Poteau Ok, where we had to fly across town to seek shelter!  And I also thank God that someone left the door to the gym unlocked yesterday. Or else we would have been sitting there in the RV while the thunder and lightning kept us wide awake.  But that wasnt the case. No, we were laying on the floor in the gym wide awake while the thunder and lightning rocked the campus for over 2 hours!  It was so hot in that gym. We had no way to turn on the air, and even if we did the power kept going out every 5 minutes. Just when we would get comfortable enough to sleep the power would go out, and this horrendous buzzer would sound. Im not kidding, the first couple of times I heard it, I thought it was doomsday!  It was the period buzzer for their basketball games. But it might as well be the code 4 alarm for NORAD!

 

Anyway, we survived and started the day by having breakfast in the truck. Dad went into Walmart and came out with Honeynut Cheerios, Milk, and bananas. We quickly ate while Dad made his way to the drop spot.  It started out quite a bit cooler today than in previous days. It was about 85 when we started and didnt really climb into the 90′s for at least 10 minutes!!! Never fails, as soon as we hit the ground the temp goes up. We really should consider starting earlier in the day. But with only 3 days left of walking, I doubt we will change anything. It wasnt really that bad though as there was a slight breeze blowing.  About an hour after we started we witnissed a hit and run accident right in front of our faces!  An older man was trying to leave a parking lot when a white truck nails him and then speeds off! We saw a police cruiser in the parking lot and Marccus went inside to tell the officer what happened. Within 5 minutes there were 6 cop cars on the scene, and we left.  Poor guys car is really messed up though!

 

So we ended up walking for a little over 15 miles today. That leaves just 45 miles left in this journey!  Im so tempted to just walk 15 hours tomorrow and end it two days early! lol. Really though, at this point, the plan is to walk 20 miles tomorrow, and then 25 miles Tuesday. That will end it a day early! The way I see it, a day early is an extra day to lay in the lake before we leave for camp!  Dad’s going to call the General Office tomorrow to see if they will be ready for us a day early. Honestly, I’m ready for this to be over. Dont get me wrong. Im not complaining, or giving up. It’s just time. I think it has less to do with being on the road a few extra days than it does with having to turn right around and leave again when I get home. But there will be time to rest soon enough. 

 

Tonight we went to the Missions Service at the PCOG General Convention. It was AMAZING! There was a procession of flags representing all of the countries that the PCOG has missionaries in. They waved them around the building and then lined the center isle with them. Then all of the missionaries in attendance walked through them and went up on the platform were they sat throughout the service.  They introduced each one and showed the country they represent and how long they have served in the mission field. It was unreal! I felt like I was seeing my heroes up there! You know how some kids want to be professional athletes, and when they see a pro athlete they get all crazy? Thats how I felt tonight as we honored the people that are doing what I want to do in ministry! 

 

Pastor Naten, the Director of World Missions, gave out a few awards and then brought the house down with an incredible word. “what are you giving yourself to”, was the title of the message. He talked about the importance of prayer above all things. Even reading the word should come second to prayer. He talked about protecting your witness. Bt the thing that impacted me the most, and will go down as one of the greatest challenges I have ever heard, had only about 10% to do with the subject matter.  I say that because every man in the room should already have this grafted in their hearts. That’s where the other 90% comes in. What made this message so powerful, was the company in which it was delivered! A room full of Pastors and Bishops! It was all I could do to contain myself. My Dad on the other hand, must have said at least 10 amens, and c’mons, and bring its!!! 

 

So what did he say that was so powerful? He said that if Jesus were here he would be loving the homosexual and visiting with the prostitutes and so on and so forth. He basically called these men out and in no uncertain terms said that if they were not ministering to these people through loving them, then they were not doing the true work of the LORD. He said “I seem to remember Jesus got a little friendly with a prostitute, didn’t he?” WOW!  My Dad has always taught me that  It’s not about condoning their actions. It’s about earning the right to speak into their lives buy loving them and gaining their trust. We so often forget that it is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict them. Not ours. Anyway, I was really impressed to hear this from a man of God of his stature. Thank you Pastor Naten for reminding me that the great commission comands us to love…everyone!

 

After his message, he invited the missionaries to line the front of the platform to pray for those who needed direction.  I went up and Marccus followed after me. I walked up to an African lady and she immediately grabbed ahold of me and began to pray that God would guide my steps and direct my path! How awesome is that? She was literally praying my hearts cry for this walk!  I feel so honored to have been in the presence of those men and women of the faith!  After the service Dad was talking to a man standing in the lobby. He told him of our walk, and the man immediately wanted to meet us!  He called over an associate of his and told her our story.  She is the editor of the Pentecostal Messenger. She set up an appointment to meet with us tomorrow to interview us for the magazine!  Bishop Scott is leading this denomination in a new direction, and I am excited to have met such a visionary!

 

After visiting with him for a while, we went to Fazolis for dinner. I had never eaten at a Fazolis, but the food was good! And complimentary.  After we ate, we walked over to the hotel and visited with Uncle Gene and Aunt Sharlan for a couple of hours. Seeing him here was one of the highlights of my trip!  He told me that our walk reminded him of a reality show that he watches called “Travel The Road”. It is about two young men that go to remote locations around the world doing missions work! I cant wait to see it when I get back home. Actually, I cant wait to get back home! But I have already mentioned that havent I…LOL”? 

 

After we got back to the RV, we played frisbee (or “Frizbeef” as Dalton calls it). Dalton got a glow in the dark frisbee. So we played tonight at the soccer field at Messenger. It was cool. We ended the night by shooting some hoops in the Gym until about midnight.  What a day!  Now Im going to go update my Facebook status to zzzzzzzz’s!

A Day With Friends and Family!

We slept in today BIG TIME!  Before we went to sleep last night, we decided to make Saturday our day off again.  Today was Youth Day at PCG General Convention, and there was plenty of cool things planned that we were able to choose from to keep us busy. We finally left the RV around 11 and headed into town to grab lunch.  We went to McAlisters and they were more than happy to provide our lunch free of charge. The generosity we have received on this trip is at times overwhelming. You would think after nearly 350 meals donated, that I would somehow feel used to it. But I’m really just as amazed today as I was the first day.  The crazy thing is that it never crossed my mind during the planning of this trip that without the people who have donated food to us, this trip would have never been possible. If we would have had to buy every meal up to today, it would have cost us over $2500!!!  THANK YOU LORD!

 

So we ate our food, got the mandatory to go cup of McAlisters Sweet Tea, and went to meet Uncle Gene and Aunt Sharlan.  They are in town for convention and their flight was delayed so they didn’t get in until around 5am! Sharlan was at Fazzolis with Darla, Aunt Jean and her son Kevin. We visited there for a while and then went over to the hotel to see Uncle Gene. It was soooo good to just sit and talk with him. He is a man of tremendous wisdom, and I literally hang on every word that comes out of his mouth. He told me he was proud of me and that God was pleased with the work I am doing. He then asked if I would allow him to be like a consultant to my future ministry endeavors. Kind of like a board member to provide insight and direction to my ministry. I was so honored! Of course I want his guidance! I cant wait to call him for the first time and take him up on his offer!

 

We left there and went to Joplin Family Worship Center for the National Youth Ministries Rally.  As soon as we walked in the door we ran into a friend of ours from California. Candi was our worship leader at Family Worship Center in banning, Ca. Her parents were voted in as Directors of World Missions so they all had to move to Joplin.  I met her mom and dad there too. Brother Naten talked with me for a while and commended me for doing something great for God.  He said it was rare these days to see young people willing to make such a big sacrifice.  I thanked him, and then Dad introduced me to several other friends from California. Johnny and Linda Ross were there, as were Jan and Gail Lake. These have been friends of our family for as long as I can remember. Dad also introduced me to the PCG General Secretary, Wayman Ming. I have heard many stories about the impact that Wayman has had on my Dad’s life and ministry. Dad credits Wayman for his being involved in ministry today! It was an honor to meet him.

 

The service was really cool with awesome worship. The girl who led worship sounded just like Kim Walker! Right in the middle of her set she sang “He Loves Us” and I was just BLOWN AWAY! What a rad song!  It was a great time of worship, but I was melting like cheese in a toaster!  It was so hot that I had to walk into the lobby and sit because I was feeling light headed. Isn’t that amazing? We can walk in 100 degree heat with 80% humidity, but I couldnt stand to stay in there another minute. And the crazy thing is the service was AWESOME! I was just burning up. After the rally they had “Party on the Lot”, with food games and music. We stood in line for like an hour for food, which was late getting there, but when it arrived, it was McCalisters. Not that that is usually a bad thing, we just didnt feel like eating it twice in a day. Now I know that most of my friends will probably dog me out for that, but keep in mind it was 100 degrees outside as well!  Dang, I should have still ordered a cup of Sweet Tea!

 

So anyway, we left and went to Fuddruckers down the street, and once again were treated to a complimentary meal. I ALWAYS order conservatively when food is being donated to us, but tonight I couldnt help myself. I ordered the ONE POUND Bacon Cheddar Burger! Dad filmed it and when I held it up it was nearly as big as my head! I ate the whole thing!  Im still trying to decide whether or not it was an incredible feat, or incredibly stupid! Our friends from Kansas City, Dalin and Cindy, joined us again and we had a blast visiting with them. I really wish we lived closer to them. They are such real kindhearted people!  Their daughter was there, and they told us how she was born deaf but God had healed her!!! Such an incredible story!  God is a miracle working God! Even though I have experienced that in my own life when I was healed of cancer, I really needed to hear it tonight as my Granddad and Auntie Christyl have been on my mind a great deal lately. 

 

In fact, I have decided that the last day we walk will be dedicated to Granddad and Christyl.  We are going to attempt to break our distance record that day in honor of their fight.  I’d give anything to be with Granddad, but I know that isnt physically possible right now. I know that his prayers have been with me every step of the way, so the least I can do is honor that by pushing myself harder than ever to show him that if a cancer survivor like me can walk 500 miles, that he too will be able to do great things when God heals him!  And Christyl, I know that we have not even met yet. But our family feels as if we have known eachother forever. You are my Aunt Chrissy!  So it is my honor to walk for you!  And although I dont know exactly what you are going through, I do know that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose! 

My New Brother, Norman!

First and foremost I want to say that if I had to turn around and go back home today, this trip would still have been worth everything that God promised me it would be!  Today I led a man to the Lord! His name is Norman, and we met him at Starbucks tonight.  We went to dinner with Dads friend Daylin tonight and afterwards went to Starbucks to hang out. While Dad and his friends were visiting, I noticed a man sitting alone on the patio. I was really having a good time inside, but God spoke to me and led me to go outside and sit with him.  I introduced myself, and he shook my hand and said his name was Norman. It didnt take a genius to tell that he was homeless, but that didnt matter to me.  I spent the next 20 minutes or so trying to get to know him, and after a few minutes he really started to open up. On the inside I was begging God to give me the words to say.  I feel like God has really opened my eyes to the pain people endure because they lack basic shelter and I really wanted the opportunity to speak into this mans life.

 

I dont really remember how we got on the subject, but we started talking about the walk.  he said that he believed in God, but that he was scared of him because he couldnt see him. I shared with him that God hasn’t given us the spirit of fear, and that if Norman would allow God to live in his heart, he wouldnt have to worry about the fact that he couldnt see him because he would always know where he was. He said that sounded good, and I asked him if I could pray with him. I wasn’t sneaky about it at all. I asked him straight up if he was willing to allow God to change him from the inside out. If he was willing to turn from his sins and follow Him. He said yes, and I asked him to repeat the sinners prayer with me. He did, and it was such a beautiful experience. I dont know what I really thought leading someone to the Lord would be like, but it felt like making a friend for life, or better yet, a brother!  Thank you God for your faithfulness and your grace!

 

We were TIRED this morning!  Dad woke me up to go with him to dry the clothes.  The closest laundromat was like 10 miles away, so we called the groundskeeper at Messenger College and he allowed us to use the laundry facilities here.  It hadnt even crossed our minds to ask until now. There is a small student center with a laundry room attached.  And check this out, the machines are only a quarter!!! We kicked back and watched Sports Center while the clothes dried, and basically just vegetated on the couch trying to rest before our walk today. With more family coming into Joplin today, were not trying to break any records. We just want to get out there, hit our 15 mile minimum, and call it a day. And thats what we did. 

 

Mom called us this morning to tell us that she met a top ten heavyweight MMA fighter last night. Apparently, there is an MMA fight in Tyler this weekend and Rico Rodriguez is headlining it. He came into Carinos with a few friends last night and Mom got to sit and talk with him for a while. Of course I m missing all of this (for a very good reason of course)! Anyway, Rico used to fight in the UFC. If you are wondering how good he is, check this out. He made Randy Couture tap to strikes! Now THAT is one bad dude!  Mom told him about my walk and the fact the we trained at the world famous “PIT” when we lived at the beach. He was really impressed with what I was doing. He asked Mom to write down my website and promised to donate to the walk! How awesome is that! 

 

So once again we decided to mix things up a little in our walk. Messenger College (where the RV is parked) is only 6 miles from the Kansas border. So we figured what the heck, lets add another state to our walk. We have now walked through 5 states!  Thats right.  Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas…and then Missouri again! LOL. We hit the border, turned around and walked about 12 miles to a Flying J truck stop. Dad met us there and spoke to the manager, David. He let us shower and then offered us a really good down-home lunch at the restaurant there.  As we always do, we left our server a good tip and she gave it back, plus $10!!! She said she wanted to bless our ministry and said she’d be praying for us. How cool is that?

 

3 interesting thoughts on todays walk. 

 

1. About an hour after we started walking this afternoon, an officer named Baxter stopped us on the highway and asked us what we were doing. We told her about our mission and she said dispatch had received several calls from concerned motorists. She said she didnt know what in the world two pedestrians would be doing walking on the interstate in 100 degree weather, so she came out to find out for herself. She commended us on doing something for others and asked us if we needed water or anything. We thanked her and headed down the road. 

 

2. When we were in the truck stop a trucker asked us what the (bleep) our shirts meant. We told him we were walking 500 miles to raise money for missions, and his response was “and?” We really didnt know what to think so we were like, ok man have a good day. Then he said “thats nothing compared to the crazy (bleeper) thats riding his bike across the country for some Christian (bleep).  He said he had seen him and an ugly (bleepin) RV on a couple of runs in the last month. Said he was going to Florida! I said no way, thats Johny Kelly! The trucker said “figures you crazy (bleeps) would know eachother”. And then he just shook his head and walked away! LOL. For those of you who are not familiar with Johny’s ride, check out his website. www.bikeforthelight.com

 

3. We are praying that something we encountered today was proof of deliverence! Because we found about a mile long stash of porno mags and dvd’s on the side of the highway today. So far we have found an ipod, a tackle box, a phone, a sweet knife, a platinum visa card, several hats, a life jacket, a few bucks in change, a guitar pick etc… But seriously, this was a first! I swear I thought it was a trap! I thought that if I bent down to pick one up, that some reporter was going to jump out of the bushes and take a picture of me. After the photographer jumped out of the bushes in Bentonville, I can just imagine me in my iwillwalk shirt on the front page of the paper, holding the latest issue of “Barely Legal”!  Who in the heck buys a magazine named that anyway? All I know is this, we left them right where they were!

 

 

 

Thank God For Wet Clothes!

It feels good to stay in one place for a while. The RV has been in Joplin for 3 days, and we finally walked into town today. We will walk tomorrow and Saturday, and then take Sunday off.  By then we will be 30-40 miles east of Joplin and Dad will move the RV one last time to Springfield. This is it. Were in the home stretch! And as much as I am ready to be home I am sad that this trip is coming to an end. For the last month, the road has been my life. I just hope to live out the rest of my summer with the same hardcore determination that has kept me on the path to Springfield for the last 425 miles!  I am confident that this walk has changed me in very permanent ways, and I look forward to what the future holds in that regard.

 

The walk went well today. We walked from Neosho to Joplin with ease. We started off walking under overcast skies, but that changed quickly. Within 30 minutes rain began to pour from the skies, and then it disappeared just as quickly as it came. The sun finally broke through the clouds and slowly erased them for the rest of our day.  We were walking a back road, so there wasn’t really any traffic to worry about and we were able to enjoy the walk much without distraction.  Except of course for the junkyard chow that chased us for about 2 blocks!  We named him Chopper. We watched Stand By Me the other night, so the scenario was all too fresh in our minds.  For those of you that have seen it, you understand. If you havent, you are really missing out on a classic. 

 

The country here is beautiful. The terrain is fairly flat so you can see the fields of grain, hay and cattle from far off.  Quite a welcome difference from the mountains and hills we have been walking through the last few days. Thats one thing that we dont really get to enjoy at home, due to the piney woods that surround nearly everything in East Texas. Hey, Im not complaining! I’m just pointing out the fact that open country is beautiful to look at. Especially from our perspective on the ground. Dad called and said he was visiting his cousin Darla, and she had invited us to swim at her hotel when we got to town. We walked into town right at dinner time so we decided to eat first and swim later.  Darla, Mike and the kids joined us for dinner and we really enjoyed sitting and talking with family. The kids watched TV, and we had a great time catching up with one-another. 

 

After we ate, we went back to their hotel to do some laundry and swim. Dalton went to the room with the kids, Dad went to the lobby to work on the website, and Marccus and I headed for the pool. While we were all doing our own thing, we would stop periodically to check the laundry. There was only one washer, and one dryer. Unfortunately we were able to wash 3 loads before the first load was even dry. It was getting really late and Darla and family went to bed. We were trying to figure out what to do and decided to just take the clothes elsewhere to dry. But where do find a place like that at 11pm? Well, Dad had an idea. About a mile from our exit, there is a Loves truck stop. Dad thought they might have a laundry room for the truckers so we headed there. They didnt have laundry, but they did have showers. 

 

We have a shower in the RV, but it is quite small and since we dont light the pilot light often so the water is cold. That normally isnt a bad thing, as a cold shower after a long day of walking is bliss! But it was late, and a roomy, warm shower really sounded good! So Dad talked to the manger and explained what we were doing. He let us shower there for free!  For those of you that are unaware, it costs ten bucks to shower at a truck stop. So this was really a blessing. There was also a Hardee’s conected to the Loves, and they offered to feed us all for free!  The manager of the truck side had gone over there without telling us, and lined up a late night meal for us. And just when we thought we had reached the limit of our blessings today, he then walks over to our table with two cases of water in his arms!   

 

Let me shed a little light on the significance of this. Last week, we bought several cases of water. Today, we used the very last case!  We had reminded eachother to stop and buy more, but had all forgot with all that went on tonight. But God!  God provides for us at the very time we needed it!  He is so good to us, and we are extremely thankful for his favor and direction in our lives!  . We can now add broken clothes dryers to the list of things that we are thankful for on this trip!  As of yesterday, that list also includes bars. See yesterdays blog for the story of how God will intervene on our behalf if His church drops the ball. Even if it means he has to send us into a bar!

A Bar, A Church And A Nightmare!

This morning we headed back toward the Missouri border to walk toward Joplin. Were getting closer everyday to our goal, and it looks like we are going to end right on time! We had the opportunity to speak tonight at a church over the Arkansas border and we knew we would be cutting it close to get there on time. So we came up with an idea that would help save us about 45 minutes and get us there on time. We knew we wanted to walk 15 miles today so we mapped it out and instead of walking from the place we stopped yesterday and heading north, we started 15 miles north of where we stopped and walked south. We covered the exact same road, but walked backwards and Dad didnt have to drive all the way out to pick us up and take us back to the church. Im sure I’ll think of a better way to describe that later, but for now, my brain hurts.

 

We were told that the last place to eat was a pizza place and there really wasnt anything else to eat for 45 minutes. Dad drove ahead of us as we walked and was surprised to find that the pizza place was closed down. There was a sign on the door that said “Coming Soon LifeSpring Church”.  The only other place that served food there was a bar, named Legends. Dad went in and told them what we were doing and they immediately offered to feed us! I really didnt know what to think, but I felt like God was opening the door there for a reason so we accepted. Man am I glad we accepted! These were the kindest people. We sat at a table in the corner while they treated us to an incredible lunch and blessed us in the process.  They let Dalton play XBOX in their office so he didn’t have to sit in the bar, while Dad used their WIFI to update the website and map out the last week of our trip. As we were leaving the owner, Lisa, gave us $50. Then one of their patrons gave us another $50!  And another one put his hand in his pocket and gave us all the money he had. It was $8, but the point is he gave all he had!

 

We all thanked them and were getting ready to leave when a guy came over to our truck and introduced imself as the Pastor of the church that was opening in place of the pizza joint. We told him how great the bar owners were to us and he told us that he had a great relationship with them. The bar owner came out to talk to us some more and they began to tell us about an idea they had to promote the church. The Pastor has agreed to purchase custom shot glasses for the bar. On one side, will be a full color logo for the church with some sort of contact info. The other side would simply read “Give Us A Shot”!  Now I know some people will be offended by that, but I admired them for making the best of what could be seen as an uncomfortable situation. He says he isnt promoting drinking, but rather is trying to reach those that do. The cool thing is that the bar owners are open to it. I think its great.

 

So after lunch we walked some more and then headed to the church to shower and get ready for service. This was a really nice church and the people really seemed cool. It was back over the Arkansas border a ways, but it seemed like it would be worth it. And it was worth it, to some degree. I just have a hard time understanding the way some Pastors think. If you invite someone to speak at your church, please take a moment to consider the big picture. First of all, we have walked ALL DAY to get there on time. Somehow, between dodging big rigs and trying not to sweat to death I was able to study for the message. Not just a message that lives on paper, but a message that I am living EVERYDAY!  A message of SACRIFICE! And to thank me you offer me two pieces of pizza? “Do not take more than two pieces of pizza please”! Listen, Im thankful for the church that does what it can with what resources it has available to them. But this was a BEAUTIFUL big healthy church!

 

Now dont get me wrong, we dont speak at churches for the money. We do not ask for an offering or anything like that. We know (or should I say hope) that they are raising money for Speed The Light as well, so we are on the same page in that regard. We speak at churches to motivate teenagers to dream big for Speed The Light.  But at some point common sense should kick in. Lets suffice it to say it didnt kick in tonight, and we left that church with an empty stomach, and an empty gas tank. Now you might expect an inexperienced youth pastor to drop the ball and do something like that. But this is But that isnt really even the strangest part of tonight. After we were finished speaking the Youth Pastor got up, thanked us, and then resigned!  He even used our journey as an example while he tells his kids that after next week, he will no longer be their Youth Pastor!  What a nightmare!!! Were sitting there after service watching these kids walk up to him and pour their hearts out about how much he means to them. I felt like we were in the Twilight Zone! He came up to us afterward and apologized for doing it on the same night we were here, but said it had to be done as it was being announced to the church on Sunday.  We talked to people for a few more minutes and then he said “well guys, I’ve gotta lock up. Thanks again”! 

 

I’m going to just leave it right there. 

 

Instead of just focussing on our offenses, I want to end this blog on a good note! The bible says offenses will come, but it’s how we deal with those offenses, and what we get out of them that make us who we are! We all got in the truck and Dad had a big smile on his face. His smile turned to a chuckle, and then into all out laughter! I was like, “what’s so funny”? He said there is a scripture in the bible that says “in the face of destruction and famine, thou shall laugh”! Well, that might be a stretch here, but I started laughing too! I couldn’t help it! You know, today we should be sitting here thanking God for the church. But instead, I find myself thanking God for Legends Bar. Thank you lord for showing me that you are in control of it all. Thank you for Lisa and Scott. Thank you Lisa and Scott for your generosity!  The bible says that God uses the foolish things to confound the wise. Lisa and Scott are far from fools. But most Christians would consider approaching a bar to feed two teenage boys on a fundraising walk for missions, to be foolish. And it might be. But after todays experience, I think Im keeping my eyes open for the foolish things!  

 

BTW. Youth Pastor, if you are reading this, please don’t get offended.  Just learn from it and grow from it. Use what you have read here to help you do the right thing next time. When you invite someone to speak to your kids, take into consideration where they are and what they are doing. What are their needs? How can I help them.  Put yourself in their shoes.  We are praying for you, and hope that God opens new doors of ministry for you. Take care.

A River Runs Through It.

Today we got up earlier than we ever had on this trip. We wanted to walk while it was cooler, and also get at least 10 miles in before we went out on the river. We helped Dad hook the RV up and started walking. Dad hung around town and ran some errands while we walked and then picked us up and dropped us off with Pastor Paul before he left to drop the RV off in Joplin. We had an incredible time on the river!  While I have kayaked in the ocean several times when we lived at the beach in California, neither Marccus or I had ever been in a canoe! It was WAY different. Something told me to leave my phone in the church van, and Im glad I did. Marccused tipped us over several times before the day was over!  Really though, we had a blast! I would love to do this again! When we got to the pick up spot, Dad was already there waiting. He thanked the Pastor and started toward Joplin. 

 

Dad had been calling AG churches in Joplin for a week, but unfortunately not one of them offered to help us. In fact, they keep giving him the names and numbers of other AG churches in town. But still, no reply. So he called the Pentecostal Church of God World Headquarters and they were more than happy to help! Dad used to be a minister  with the PCG when we lived in Cali, and a friend of his that was a Pastor out there was now working in Joplin as the World Missions Director.  He said that the PCG General Convention was in town, but that he wanted to meet us before we left. We are going to be based out of joplin for 4 or 5 days so Im looking forward to meeting him while we are there. While we were on our way to Joplin Dad found out that our cousin Darla, and her family are here doing ministry. We stopped and visited with them for about an hour and had a real good visit with them! Her husband Mike is a world champion powerlifter! They travel the country ministering at schools, prisons, churches and every place in between. Mike sets his weights up and does a show with incredible lifts and various other feats of strength. Its cool!

 

We went to CiCis for dinner and the manager, Aaron invited us to eat there everyday while we are in Joplin! What a cool guy! We would take him up on it too, if there wasnt a Carinos here in Joplin as well! I guess we will switch between the two while were here! I love Italian, and we need all the carbs we can get while we walk!  After dinner we decided to call it a night early. We went back to the RV and put on a movie while Dad worked on some computer stuff. The RV is parked right up against the gym at Messenger College. When the movie ended Dad said it sounded like people were playing basketball in the gym. He went out to check it out and he ran into some people that he knew. One of them was a guy named Ray Rodriguez that is actually his cousin by marriage! He is the PCG Central California District Youth Director. He is in town for convention and was playing a pickup game with other DYD’s from around the country. 

 

The other guys name was Daylan. Dad met him when he was traveling as an evangelist when he was 18. They were nearly inseparable for the couple of weeks that Dad was visiting Daylan’s church in Kansas City. I havent heard all of the details yet, but he and Dad have been talking for 2 hours and are still at it!

 

Im going to bed!

Civilization!

We slept in until about 10 today. I dont really know if that was a good idea or not, as I had a headache for most of the day. You know the feeling you get whaen you get TOO MUCH rest? Thats what I felt today. We helped Dad get the RV ready to move tomorrow and then he dropped us off at CiCi’s where we stopped last night. We had only been walking about 30 minutes and I was hungry as I forgot to grab food at the trailer with all of the hustle of getting things together and getting down the road. As we walked, we were passing all of our favorite places from home. Starbucks immediately comes to mind! Up ahead I noticed a McAlisters, and described it’s many wonders to Marccus who had never eaten there. As we passed I saw Dad standing at the front door. He motioned for us to come over and as we walked in the manager told us that lunch was on the house! Thank you Jesus!!! McAlisters SWEET TEA? Really? Ohhh, we were in heaven. We finished our meal and Dad sent us on our way. He made a point to tell us that if we met our daily walking goal today, that he would take us to Starbucks tonight! 

 

From that point on, we were jammin. As we walked through Bentonville we quickly realized that this was the town that Walmart built. There were signs of it EVERYWHERE! Someone told us that the Bentonville airport is even bigger than the airport in the capitol city of Little Rock. We were making our way through town, and I was enjoying the McAlisters sweet tea that I took to go, when a man nearly ambushed us by jumping out of the bushes. He scared us pretty good! Come to find out, he was a photographer from the newspaper and was there to photograph us for a piece in tomorrows Bentonville Daily Record. About an hour later, Dad pulled up with a reporter and we stopped for an interview. He was really cool about our walk, and even got Marccus to open up a little about why he decided to fly out to walk with me. 

 

Marccus is a very private person. He is outgoing and funny, but when it comes to personal maters he doesnt talk much about it. So when the reporter asked him why he decided to do this with me, I was surprised at his answer. He told the reporter that “certain things” have happened in the last few months that convinced him that there was more to life than sitting around watching TV. He has said that in several interviews, but when the reporter pressed him to explain what these “certain things” were he finally answered in detail. He described a life changing experience that came in the form of a rollover accident he and Granddad were in a few months ago. It left Granddad with broken ribs and a punctured lung. Marccus wounds were mostly emotional , while he does still have pain in his back and neck at times. He has never really talked to me about the wreck, but I could tell by the little that he said today that he is working through some things, and that his eyes have been opened in many ways.

 

On our way to the Missouri line we crossed over a river a few times. There were TONS of people playing in it and cooling off. We were very jealous! It was getting hotter by the minute and we were growing tired just as fast. By the time we reached the border, we were just about dead! LOL. Really though, we were through. Dad picked us up and on the way back to dinner he told us that he had been in contact with a local Youth Pastor and that I would be speaking at his church on Wednesday.  While we were driving the phone rang and it was him. He was calling to invite us to go on a canoe trip down the river with his youth group. I was so stoked! Here we had been so frustrated that we couldnt get in, and now we will be on it for 5 hours tomorrow!  WoooHooo!

 

So, we went to Carions for dinner tonight. Thats right, CARINOS! It was cool to eat some familiar food for once. The food was great and the manager comped our meal 100%!  Thanks to Mom for putting in a good word for us! After dinner, Dad made good on his promise to take us to Starbucks! We went to Barnes and Noble and hung out for an hour reading magazines and drinking Venti Vanilla Bean Fraps! What a way to end the day!

 

On My Own… (Kind Of)

It felt weird to walk today. We really wanted to be in Church, but we knew we had to make up for yesterday in a big way.  We had an amazing time with Patsy and Kevin, and it was definitely worth trading days off. But today it was back to the street. The recurring theme of late seems to be HOT! We made our way through the city of Springdale and headed toward Bentonville. Our goal was to walk 20 miles today, but we only made it 18. Not that that is such a bad thing, we just ended up hitting a brick wall that slowed us down. That brick wall, was dinner. I had made the comment to my Dad a few times that I would rather pay for dinner than eat BBQ again on this trip. Now dont get me wrong, I love BBQ. And I most definitely wasn’t trying to disrespect the awesome people who have donated BBQ to us along the way. I was just trying to say that it would be cool if other types of restaurants would be as kind to us as the BBQ spots. 

 

So when dinner time came around I called Dad and asked him what we were having. He replied “I dont know, you tell me”. What do you mean I asked. Thats when I realized he was serious. “You’re on your own, kid”, he said. He told me he wanted me to go into restaurants toward the end of our walk today, and try to get someone to comp our meal.  I really didn’t think it would be that difficult, but Marccus told me that during the few days he spent in the truck with Dad, it was brutal. He said he begged Dad to let him walk even with his blister, so he wouldnt have to get rejected 10 times before finally finding food for us. I never really knew that was how it went down until today. I walked into 5 restaurants and was turned away by all of them, except one. CiCi’s Pizza sat back off of the road in a strip mall. I almost didn’t even go back there, but at the rate I was getting turned down, I really didn’t think I could afford to pass even one.

 

When we walked in we were welcomed by a very friendly lady named Julie. After a quick scan of the place I realized that Julie was the only staff member wearing a red shirt. “You must be the manager” I said, while thinking of the right words to explain what we were doing. She said yes, and asked if she could help us. I said “well, Im glad you asked”! I told her what we were doing and she interrupted me. “Why dont you tell me about it while you eat. You guys look hungry”! She handed us our drink cups and pointed to the buffet line. We stacked our plates with Pizza and sat at a table in the corner. Julie walked over and asked us to explain what the walk was all about. We explained it to her and she immediately transformed into our biggest fan! She got on the computer and phone and spent the next half hour trying to find a place for us to stay. Now she was experiencing the rejection that we had experienced this evening. It seems like once we got into the city, and out of the country, people just have a different mindset. They seem a little suspicious. Julie and I both were finding that out.

 

As we were talking, and eating, Dad and Dalton came in. They went up to the counter to pay and Julie would hear nothing of it. She smiled and motioned for them to go through and they too filled their plates and joined us for dinner. Dad thanked Julie and they began to talk about the experiences we have had on the road. She explained to Dad that she too had difficulties in finding help for us, but that she had called ahead to the CiCi’s Pizza in Joplin and that they had offered to take care of us while we are there. She really wished that she could do more, and as a last act of kindness, offered to have us sleep at her house. That was very thoughtful of her! So generous! We declined though, and thanked her for our newfound friendship! Julie is definitely on our favorites list! Yes, we have a list. What else are you supposed to do when you walk 8-10 hours a day? We have listed all of our experiences from greatest to least favorite. I know, it sound kind of cheesy, but it has kept us sane more than once along this journey!

 

Im really glad that Dad allowed me to experience this today. It is one part of the trip that I guess I really didnt understand. I have a better appreciation for how everything comes together on a daily basis. One last thing about today. While we were walking we had to go through some tall grass. As has been the norm on this trip, Marccus is usually the one that takes the brunt of the problems. Today was no exception. About an hour after walking through the grass he noticed an insect on his leg. You guessed it! It was ANOTHER tick! He has now had 3 ticks while I have not had any! Poor guy. I tormented him for another hour by telling him that he was going to get sick. Dad was doing laundry and couldnt leave and we wouldnt catch up to him for another hour. So heres Marccus, walking along the road with a tick impaled in his leg! By the time we got to Dad he was pretty much white! Dad looked at him and jokingly said “ohhh man this looks pretty bad”! Marccus almost fainted, and no, Im not kidding! Dad had him prop up his leg and took a closer look. He realized that the tick had not even bit marccus. It was just hitching a ride in his leg hair! LOL! Dad brushed it off and stepped on it and Marccus was very relieved.  Dad said “well, since you guys are here, you might as well fold the laundry”! We did and then headed back out on the road.