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!
