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!
