Simplify

He wouldn't let the newspaper print his story because they were going to make it all about him and he wanted it to be all about God. He might be a little irritated at me for telling you but...I just gotta tell you about this guy. He inspires me

His name is Jeff Holley and I would guess he is forty-ish. He has been a business man for the past twenty years and has done very well for himself. Just a year or two ago, he found himself living on the west side of Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The west side is where the "haves" live. The east side is where the "have-less" live. He and his wife and four kids lived in a $400,000 home. They had a big screen TV and all the good things that go with success. He was a Christian, went to church, was active in the community and coached a young girls' basketball team. Life was good then one of his basketball players, age 10, got Leukemia. She fought hard and went through a period of remission...then it revisited and a bone marrow transplanted was needed.

Jeff and his oldest daughter Kayla went to visit their young friend and brought her a team jersey and a basketball. As they were leaving, the cancer stricken young girl said, "You know, Coach Jeff, I win either way." He looked at quizzically. "If this bone marrow treatment works, I get to stay here with you and Kayla and if it doesn't I get to go and be with Jesus. Either way I win."

Jeff's life took a turn that day. He told God he wanted that kind of child-like faith. Jeff started working with some of the less fortunate kids in the area and would bring them to his home. They would look around and say "Wow! You're rich!" What he had taken for granted was treasure to them! He listened to some of the stories the kids told about their life. He couldn't believe it. Sex abuse, domestic violence, parents in prison, drugs, alcohol...could this be happening in Bartlesville?

Each night after work, Jeff would return to his nice home and have a good meal. Each night he would think about these kids who had nothing to eat and no one to care for them. He was feeling the nudge of the Holy Spirit and finally he told his wife Marci, " I'm selling everything!" She looked at him with a look that said "What took you so long?" and said "Okay."

Together they started Vision Onward which is a non-profit created with the purpose of igniting a passion of unity among the churches in Bartlesville. The idea is to bring them together in action to serve their community. But Jeff didn't just talk the talk. He really did sell everything! He moved his family into a fixer-upper on the east side of town and he bought vans to pick up kids and bring them to church functions. He started after school activities and even put a couple of brothers in the Lord on his payroll to help him in his vision.

Jeff told me "if we really wanted to love our neighbor as our self, we'd see to it that he lives as well as we do." I had never heard it put that way before. I was convicted! Jeff is not a theologian or a philosopher...this man is a disciple of Jesus Christ.

He was making a healthy living and could have stored up a bundle for his family but he decided to invest. No he didn't invest in Wall Street for his family's sake. He invested in the one stock that always multiplies and never loses its value...Love. He did it for Christ's sake and for the sake of his community. If you're looking for a man to look up to or a cause to support, consider Vision Onward .

OOOOOOklahoma!

We made it to state number two...only about ten more to go!

God continues to show Himself every single day. Robert & Tyler stopped me to see what I was up to..these are a couple of nice guys who are in their early twenties, with pierced tongues, earrings and tattoos. Not my style, but a couple of God's children expressing themselves in a fashion this sixty-three year old doesn't understand but God whispered..."You don't have to understand them, Nick, just love them."

A little later down the road, a car stopped and out jumped a couple of friends from Kansas City; Randy & Elizabeth Davenport. They travel the country doing prison ministry. With Randy's music and Elizabeth's preaching they make a powerful team for the Lord. Take the time to check them out.

Next, we get a call from our good friends Don & Pat Knepp and they are only an hour away! Wow! How great it is to see folks from home on the road. They graciously treated us to a night in a hotel...how sweet!

The next day, we met Jeff Holley & Jeff Berg. By now we'd walked through Dewey and into Bartlesville. These guys do youth ministry in both towns. They work with the churches to make sure none of the kids fall through the cracks. When you think of middle America, you think wholesome and safe but unfortunately, drugs and alcohol have left their mark on families here too. Parents on coke or in prison leave many kids without direction and that's where these two come in.

They embraced our ministry and invited us to speak to a group of young men Wednesday afternoon. We talked with these guys for over an hour and half. Telling stories, answering questions and asking some. It was great! That night there was an after "the pole" event.

Meet me at the pole is a youth movement that encircles the world. Each September junior high and high school students gather around the flag pole to pray in the early morning. The youth ministers in Dewey & Bartlesville worked together to put on an evening event as well. Over 500 students attended. There was food, music, a clean comic, more music and Lucy and I were asked to address the crowd for a few minutes. These guys trusted God enough to allow us to speak without knowing what in the world we were going to say...that, my friends, is faith!

After the event, we got to speak to a number of young people one on one. Let me tell you this, if there is one thing people need in America...it's encouragement! They couldn't get enough of us telling them that their dreams were awesome, they were smart and that God loved them... And...it's all true! It felt so good, Lucy and I could have stayed their all night!

The next morning I was walking by the American Baptist School and a young man named Michael waved at me from across the street. I crossed over to say hello and he said, "You guys did good last night." This coming from a teenager is a huge compliment! A moment later a lovely young girl (perhaps his sister) named Addie came out and we talked for awhile before they had to go to class. That day, I can't tell you how many cars passed us honking their horns and waving. We had only spoken for five or ten minutes but God touched lives and it felt good.

Water, Water Everywhere…Sort Of

Life on the road grows more interesting every day.

We have two water tanks. One is to hold fresh water for showering, drinking and washing pots and pans. After the water is used, it is contained until we get to a place where we can dump it out and fill up with fresh water. This used water is referred to as gray water in the RV world. Some of the water is diverted into a secondary water tank used to prime the pump to flush the toilet. This used water, after being used, is delicately referred to as black water.

Sunday, we filled up our tanks with water, went to church and after service was over we came out to find we had no water in our secondary tank to use for bathroom duties. I looked under the RV and it looked like it was raining. The secondary tank was doing its impression of a sieve.

Oh what to do, what to do! But of course…head for Wal-Mart, the place of great bargains and all night bathroom facilities. Lord, help us think through this dilemma.

We decided to “improvise” as best we could, get a good nights sleep, walk in the morning and look at the tank to see if we could apply some LocTite to the leaks as soon as the sun came out and everything dried out.

Monday morning was a beautiful day for walking; cool, overcast and the sky was bursting with the magnificence of God. We walked about four and a half miles and it started to thunder and rain…then it cleared. Walked about three miles and it really poured! There was a little town just a few miles ahead of us and so we drove in to see if there was any chance of getting some water inside our RV instead of just all over it. The rain was on and off. We stopped at the Christian Church of Caney and met a very helpful woman named Darlene. She told us where the outside faucet was and, in between showers, we filled up our the primary tank.

Now the way our system is currently working, we can carry water and take a shower but can’t transfer it t the secondary tank to use the bathroom facilities. Looks like there may be porta-potti in our future!

Right now it is storming like crazy outside and we have water everywhere…sort of.

Click!

Did 12.6 miles on Saturday, my best so far plus Lucy and I got to talk to a variety of different people.

There were these guys that had Hooters on their plates. One fellow informed me that he only talked to God when he was p_ssed off. Now when you meet folks with this kind of attitude who stand there looking at you with their arms folded, there's not much you can say that they will listen to. I find it best to smile, be friendly and encourage them to investigate Jesus Christ for themselves. I believe that with the mere mention of His name, the Holy Spirit goes to work on that person's heart.

I believe each person has a combination lock on their heart and every combination is different. Seven clicks to the right, three clicks to the left, nine clicks back to the right and...Pop! The heart opens up. I also believe that the name of Jesus Christ is a click. People always ask how many people I've led to the Lord. Truth is I don't know. I'm just a little ol' safe cracker on the road. You see it doesn't matter to me if I'm the first click, a middle click or the last click, the heart doesn't open until all the clicks have been hit. That's why it's so important that you and I publicly acknowledge the name of Jesus Christ.

Don't worry about the reaction you get from people. Folded arms and cold stares are just defense mechanisms that say "I'm afraid but I don't want you to know." The Holy Spirit of God uses all of us to bless all of us. As God's people, we don't have to convince everyone to believe as we do. The Bible didn't say "Go and convince." It said go and tell (Mark 16:15). Just get in the habit of sharing the name of Jesus Christ and the next time you do, if you listen real carefully, you'll hear it...click!

Ready To Go Forward...Again

Yesterday we cut out the molded carpet, completely emptied our tanks and we treated the infected areas with bleach, water & a bit of liquid soap. We turned the generator on, put the fans on to circulate the air and spent the night in a motel. The next step was to call our prayer group at Southwest Community Church in Olathe for a little supernatural support.

This morning, we took the RV to the mechanic as soon as they opened their doors. The owner was a bit gruff at first. We may have talked to him before coffee. At first, he said he couldn't help us but then he said to bring it back in an hour or so and he'd have one of his guys look at it. Around 9:15am I was getting ready to re-visit the mechanic when Lucy received a phone call from one of our prayer partners. Arnold was down the street! He had driven two hours to check on us and see how he could help. This guy doesn't just pray; he acts!

It felt good to have Arnold here. He is an electrical engineer and can translate mechanic-ese for me. The fellows at the Car Shoppe pulled the cruise control unit and pronounced it dead. They couldn't repair it or replace it...but...they did have another idea. As I understand it, the speedometer line is connected to the cruise control unit which is connected to the transmission. They suggested we do a daring cruise control bypass.

The cruise control was removed and bagged (as a keepsake I suppose) and the line from the speedometer was connected to the transmission. The next step was to see if the patient would register speed and miles traveled. With a nervous flutter of the heart, I turned the ignition key, put the Yellow Submarine in gear and gently drove down the road. Twenty...twenty-five ...thirty... thirty-five...woo-HOO! We''ve got speed indication! Now did it also measure mileage?...six-tenths...seven-tenths...we've got contact, Houston! I've never been so happy watching a speedometer!

The next project was to get some one inch screws and fix the panel that we had duct taped yesterday. That done, we re-treated the carpet and decided to monitor the smell to make sure we had things handled. We filled our tanks with fresh water and tomorrow we begin the walk again. Instead of driving back to the rest area, we plan to begin from where we are right now...Independence, KS. It doesn't matter if the miles we walk are in a line, as long as they total 3300 when we are finished.

We're ready to go forward...again! Tulsa, here we come!

Patience in Tribulation

The RV is beginning to take over our life. It seems like everyday something goes awry. Now we understand that everyone has setbacks with their home, vehicle or job but our RV is a condensed combination of all three!

Recently we've had a "mystery" leak in two spots in the RV. We've been wet vacuuming for the past few days but the smell got to be a bit much last night. Actually it was horrible. We called Gary Johnson, a Good Sam director for this region to inquire about an RV repair shop nearby. We had the good fortunate to meet him on the road in Chanute a few days ago. The closest shop was forty miles away in Columbus.

On the way over, one of the panels between the back tire came undone. Lucy spotted it in her rear view mirror. We duct taped it together until we got to the shop. When we got there at 8:30am they told us they were backed up with work for two weeks. He called another shop but they were busy for the next two weeks too. Sometimes, we think the repair guys see our unit and figure it's a problem to work on and to get parts for....understandable but frustrating at times.

On the drive back, our speedometer stopped functioning. At first, I didn't have the heart to tell Lucy but after a few minutes of digesting the situation. I let her know. She just looked at me and sighed. When we got back, we dumped our tanks and decided to to tear up the carpet and padding and see if we could spot a leak and remove any mold or mildew that might be forming. A gentleman told us to treat the area with bleach, water and a little soap. We put the fans on the areas as well to dry them out. We're staying at a motel tonight and we'll go to the mechanic's the first thing in the morning to attack the speedometer issue.

In the meantime, we called our prayer warriors at Southwest Community Church and asked them to pray for protection, provision and good health.

Romans 12:12....Rejoice in hope...be patient in tribulation ...pray

Passing It On

This day reminded us of every single person who has helped us through these journeys.

We always wanted to repay you and couldn't. Today we got a chance take some of the love you poured into us and pass it on.

Been a little bummed that we’re not walking more miles than we are. Today we were determined to do better. Got off to an early start; we were off and walking at 6:45am. It was a beautiful morning; cool and overcast. “God, if you can keep like this all day, I can walk 100 miles….welll, maybe 13.”

I was a mile and half into my journey when I spotted a vehicle on the side of the road. Couldn’t tell if it was a truck, van or car but the hood was up and the passenger side door was wide open. As I got closer, a gray haired Mexican man with a cowboy nodded to me and a younger fellow came out from around the back of the car. If he was surprised at my attire, he didn’t show it. I glanced at their plates and noticed they were from Michoacan (state southwest of Mexico City). Niko, his son Edwardo and his parents were headed to Iowa to attend his sister’s wedding. Niko speaks a little English since he works at the American Embassy but I speak no Spanish so I called in the calvary…Lucy! Yesterday we had no coverage from AT & T so it was amazing our cell phones worked.

I love to watch Lucy interpret. Many people can speak two languages but Lucy does both of hers with love. She has the gift of making everyone feel at ease. She found out that they had a fuel pump problem and that he could fix it if they had the part. We offered to take them back to Chanute and get the part.

Since Lucy was the only bilingual person she had to go with Niko & I to town and that left no one in the car that could speak English. We knew people would be stopping to see if they could help because that’s what Americans do. We also suspected they might encounter a state trooper or two, so we left them one of our ministry postcards and told them to have the officer call us if there were any questions.

About fifteen minutes later, the state police called Lucy and she explained the situation. The officer said, “Well I was just checking to see if they were all right. I didn’t know they were with you.” Lucy said she started to laugh and then just thanked him and said “God bless you.” He thanked her very much and she said he sounded like no one had ever told him that before.

On the way back, we met our 13^th police officer of our journey but this time it was because I was in a hurry to get Niko back to his family. I did a California roll through a Kansas stop sign. Doesn’t work. The officer came up and said, “I thought you were suppose to be walking.” He graciously gave me a warning and a brief lecture. He was right. I was wrong. What else can I say.

It took another sixteen mile trip back to Chanute to get a tool (and yes, I made sure I made a complete stop at every stop sign). Lucy assured Niko that we would not leave them until we were sure they were up and running. Let me tell you, where they broke down didn’t even have any cows around let alone people. Between the time it took to run back and forth, get the old part out and put the new part in, it was 5:30 in the evening. Lucy & I remained with our friends all day until Niko got the van running. Lucy suggested we could follow them for a bit to make sure they were alright but Niko assure her they would be fine. Finally it was time to say goodbye…we prayed with them, hugged, smiled and bid them farewell. Dios los bendiga, amigos!

I'm a Walker, Not a Caulker!

The last couple of storms made us aware of some leaks we didn't know we had. In the past, I've not been much of a handy man but I guess I better learn to be!

Hoping that the roof sealant holds out the next storm while vacuuming out the water from the last downpour.

I thought I was going to miss the gym but the climbing and the bending over keeps the body flexible. I keep telling myself, pain is just weakness leaving the body!

As I live longer, I get wiser, healthier, younger and stronger! Caleb is my hero...just as strong at 80 as he was at 40...woo-HOO!

Repent ... A New Beginning Is At Hand!

It's funny the things you think about walking down the road. In between enjoying the multicolored mists of morning and talking to people as they stop to inquire as to "what the heck are you up to?" there is a span of time when your mind takes a walk of it's own.

The other day in Osawatomie, we passed a fellow holding a sign that said. "Repent the end is near!" Now I didn't think much about it until yesterday's walk. I always thought that "the end is near" phrase was from the Bible and I thought it referred to the end of the world. I pictured John the Baptist shouting at the Pharisees. When I stopped to take a break, I asked Lucy about it. Who coined the phrase and what did it mean? Her understanding was similar to my own.

As I resumed my walking I wondered about "the end"...hmm...the end of what I thought. Why did we assume it was the end of the world. Maybe it meant that the end of the law was near and the beginning of grace and love had come. And didn't Jesus make a comment that was similar to John's? It bothered me and when our walking day was over, Lucy told me that the phrase in the Bible that both John & Jesus used was "Repent the kingdom of God is near."

Wellll...that puts a whole new spin on things. Repent (turn around or you're gonna miss it). You don't have o tremble in fear; you can jump for joy. There's a whole new life waiting for you in Christ. A new beginning is at hand!

It's All About People

It's funny the expectations you have. When you say you're going to do a 3300 mile walk for Christ, the emphasis is always on the miles walk and the time it will take you.

Our first journey took thirteen months...and thirteen pairs of shoes. Our second journey took eighteen months; fourteen walking and a four month break for closed campgrounds (forgot about winter in Iowa).

Sometimes we miss the for Christ part of the walk. For Christ means it's all about people. Every day I start out wanting to walk 15 miles. I'll be happy if we get at least 12 but lately it seems we're having a hard time breaking into double digits. We're not talking to a lot of people but we're spending time with people; time talking and time listening.

My morning started off with Mona. She stopped right on the road to see if I was okay. I wish she would have pulled over because as she drove away I saw she was crying. Was there something wrong? Did God touch her heart? I prayed for her all day...hope you will too.

Later on I ran across Travis from Holton, KS (about 2 hours north). Today is his 5th wedding anniversary (No...he wasn't married five times). He told me about his wife Jean and their sons, Danner Jo & Sterrit. Travis was the kind of guy that you just liked when you met him. He was building bridges and his dog, Box Car was with him. We got a chance to pray together and I walked away thanking for letting me meet Travis. He just brightened my day.

Some road construction was going on and I stopped to thank some of the workers for checking in on Lucy. Made sure they all had one of our postcards. It has a collage of pictures of us on the front and Jesus is Calling Your Name on the back. It'll give them something to talk about over the dinner table tonight. I can hear it now..."Marge, you'll never guess what I saw today. I got to to tell ya about this itty bitty guy dressed like Moses."

Coming through town Cindy flagged me down. "I want to hear your testimony." "Let me hear yours first," I replied. Cindy has had a tough life. Death has taken many of her family and all in a very short period of time. Darkness has taken it's toll but when I stopped to talk with her she was holding on to a twisted wooden cross. "He's the only one that gets me through," she said.

We talked for quite a while and when she left me, she drove up the road and spoke with Lucyah. Later in day we found a place to hook up to electricity and we've been doing "office stuff" for several hours. Just a few minutes ago, someone knocked at the door and right now Lucy is sitting on a park bench listening and talking.

This journey that we're on is not about miles or time...its all about people.

One step forward...sort of

Spent a couple hours this morning trying to get someone to tell us what is amiss with the generator. It has a new battery but it seems like it's not holding a charge. Might be a short in the system or an alternator gone bad or .... who knows what. It is suppose to recharge itself any time we are hooked up to a 30 or 50 amp outlet or when it is plugged into the RV and running. We were hooked up to 30 amps the last two nights.

For those of you who have never had to rely on a generator...a generator is our alternate form of power. When we're not plugged in to electric or driving down the road, it's the generator that keeps the lights on, the AC functioning and, most importantly, the refrigerator running. Having a generator work properly makes your life on the road so much more enjoyable.

The first guy we went to didn't have time for the next three days to look at it but he did jiggle a wire and the darn thing started! Lucy and I just looked at each. Our eyes glazed over, our blood pressure rose and we felt like there was a big neon arrow pointing at us saying "Dumb-itos!"

The mechanic did say the battery wasn't recharging and suggested we get the battery fully charged. He sent us down the street. Steve tested our battery and it was recharging fine. Of course it was! We just looked at each other and shook our heads. Don't worry. Be happy....and breathe!

Lucy and I decided to let it run for awhile and allow it to charge up. By now it was about 10:30am and we decided to walk a bit since it was an overcast day...I walked two miles when it started to rain.

Up to this point, this has been the hardest trip to get started we've ever had....it's still raining and we're hoping to get a window of wet less weather in the morning. Now amidst all these little annoying incidents, we can be thankful that God provided us with a place to hook up to electricity the last two evenings, neither mechanic charged us a nickel and last night our good friends Don & Pat came to visit.

Got to remember to glance on problems and gaze on God. If I forget that, please remind me!

Let the Week Begin!

Foggy morning. Didn't get started til about 7:00am.

Generator is not working and don't know why. All we have is a click when we try to start it. Could be something as easy as the battery not holding a charge. Got to get this taken care immediately...it runs our fridge whenever we're not hooked up to electricity.

Route 169 turned from a four lane highway with broad shoulders into a two lane road with little to no shoulders. Makes Lucy's job tougher....finding a place to pull over every three or four miles is a bear.

Andrew & Marty stopped to take our picture today. They were going north on 169, saw me dressed in Biblical attire and muttered something like..."Yowzer! Was that Yoda?" and turned around. They're both believers from the Independence area. I think Andrew said he was a member of the Church of Christ.

Every day we meet new people and every day it's wonderful! Gotta tell you though, I'm a little sore tonight. Did 11.6 miles today and it got a little toasty. Should be in pretty good shape in another 100 miles or so!

An Osawatomie Sunday

Pastor Gary Gooding of Osawatomie UMC let us use his parking lot as our home last night. There's something nice about staying on the church grounds...you just feel safe.

Bart & Lina led one of the Sunday school classes and so we joined them at 9:30am. Met a gentleman named Tom who saw us do Zacchaeus at the New Haven Seventh Day Adventist Church in Overland Park about a year and a half ago! He also spotted us on Route 169 yesterday! Had a great morning of fellowship.

Joined them for service and we were delighted to be there on a morning where they served communion. It was a lovely church complete with a kneeling pad at the altar and a balcony for the choir.

After church we had a exciting day of doing laundry and "duking it out" with our generator. She just wasn't cooperating today. We went down to John Brown (of Civil War fame) Memorial Park and found out they had electric hook-ups and water...woo-HOO!

It's been peaceful all day but it's after 8:00pm now and all the teenagers and their music are at the park...no school tomorrow! Oh well, sleep is overrated anyhow!

The End of the First Week

Walked 10.8 miles today and found ourselves thinking of you....remember that old Nat King Cole song "Unforgettable"....Unforgettable that's what you are. Unforgettable both near and far. Friends, you are so much a part of me as I walk through Osawatomie....kind of brings a tear to your eye, eh?.... Yep! We ended our day on main street in Osawatomie, KS.

It was a good day. Bobby Bowers was on his way to work when he stopped to check on me. When I asked him what he knew about God, he pointed to his bible in the back seat. "I read it at lunch time every day." It wasn't long before Jeff stopped and then L.Z came by the RV. Keep our friend L.Z. in your prayers. He needs a job. Lucy and I prayed he wouldn't just get a job but that he would get a position he was suited and gifted for and that would provide for all his family's needs. We believe God is going to connect him to someone who can open a door for him this very day!

A car stopped about thirty yards ahead of me and a woman got out and started to walk toward me. She had a package of Pall Mall cigarettes in her hand. She said "I was just about to light one of these up when I saw you and put it back in the box. Will you pray for me? I want to quit." We prayed a bit and then God kind of nudged my heart. He said, "Tell her I love her whether she quits or not." I shared with Angela that God loved her whether she smoked a pack a day or nothing at all and nothing would diminish His love for His daughter. She looked puzzled. "Christ didn't come to condemn you, Angela. He came to rescue you."

I explained God did want what was best for her though and He would help her overcome her desire for tobacco. I told her to grab a hold of Isaiah 41:13. I walked her back to the car and met her husband Steve. We talked a bit longer and I went away wishing we could spend more time together. Tenderness seemed to engulf these two and it was overflowing to me...it felt soooo good.

My encounters for the day weren't over. A car pulled over and a gentleman approached with a bottle of water. Tom and his bride Sarah had just gotten married last night! I was so excited for them. I said, "Let me bless you two!" We walked over to Sarah who was sitting in the car and I could tell by the look on her face she wasn't sure about all this blessing stuff! We all held hands as I spoke a blessing on their new life together. When I was done I asked them if they knew God. Tom said he wasn't very religious and I resisted the temptation to go into my religion vs. relationship lecture.

I spoke of the importance of having a marriage of three and how important God is to their new life together. I encouraged them to investigate this man called Jesus. God allowed a seed to be planted in their marriage today. Please pray that it will be tended to, watered and will flourish.

The day ended for us around noon. We looked for a campground but there was nothing in Osawatomie plus it's Labor Day weekend. Even if we could find a campground, it probably would be booked. Yikes!

Our good friends Bob & Ginger Leavitt were coming back from Texas so they met up with us, had a little lunch and then went on our way to find a church where we could spend the night. Pastor Gary at the local UMC offered us a parking space at his church. Now it's time to go and nap....zzzzzzzzzzzz

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow...

Woke up at 5:00am ready to rock and roll only to find out it was raining. Now folks often wonder if we walk in the rain… sometimes we will but generally, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for a couple of reasons.

#1 – The objective of walking is to talk with people and most people have a tendency to stay inside when it’s wet outside. If they do go out and stop to check in on us, the conversation is hurried. We carry postcards and flyers in a Ziplock bag but no matter how careful you are, paper gets soggy and nobody reads soggy paper even it says “Jesus is calling your name.”

#2 – When your living quarters are 26 feet long and about 8 feet wide and your clothes get wet, it’s a mess. Oh, you can take them to a laundermat if you happen to be near a town but trust me….it’s best if you stay dry in the first place.

So today we did office work…I wrote thank letters to those who support us financially, returned phone calls and emails while Lucy put our receipts in order and checked the ol’ bank balance and caught up on her Quick Book duties.

We also got to listen to one our favorite hymns by the Beatles.. Oh! You didn’t know the Beatles wrote a hymn. Well, Listen to the words of the song “From Me to You.” Listen as God sings that song to you. He loves you….He’s there for you….just call on Him.

Oil Leaks, Gaskets, Friends & the Gospel

Our 3300 mile walk for Christ started on August 31st but we didn't get far...5 miles to be exact!

We had a mysterious oil leak and then a cork gasket had to be replaced. There was talk of flat cams oil sending units and rods. Yikes! Our good friends from Southwest Community Church held our hand through everything and our RV coach (not the vehicle but our friend Bob Leavitt) was on the phone with us, the mechanics and our church family. Everyone was speaking "Mechanic-ese" and that is definitely not my second language! It's good to have friends....it's great to have loving and knowledgeable friends!

It wasn't until Thursday that we re-started. Only walked about nine and a half miles but met some wonderful people. Lucy got stopped by three police officers...state, county and local. I also got stopped by a state trooper. Besides the "boys in blue" people were stopping to see if we needed help. They'd see the RV and then they'd see a little guy dressed funny walking down the road. It seemed obvious...this guy needs help!

Heather was the first to stop. She had an incredulous look on her face as I shared about the walk. A gentleman in a pick up truck pulled up next to the RV as I had just stopped to take a break. His visit was pleasant and brief. Next to arrive was officer Bob Ward. He thought walking across the country was cool....us too! We prayed protection and favor over his life and peace for his family as he carries out his duties.

Dean Wilson and his wife were headed south on route 169 and saw the RV on the side of the road. They looked to the left and saw me walking against traffic and figured I broke down. They took the time to turn around, head north and see if they could help me. Don't you just love people like that!! We spent some time talking, prayed together and then said good-bye.

We finally finished for the day and it was starting to get hot. Lucy tried to turn the generator on to turn on the AC but all it would do is making a groaning sound. I was out fiddling with it to see if I could get to go and a gentleman pulled up to see if we needed help. His name was Kelly and his favorite pastime was talking about Jesus! Would like to have had more time to speak with him. He seemed like the kind of fellow I could learn a lot from.

Lucy and I decided to head back to Southwest Community for a prayer meeting tonight. It would be our last evening with our friends for sometime. I car passed us and looked over at us before pulling in front of us. It wasn't long before she put on her right signal and slowed down a bit. We figured she was going to turn and passed her on the left. She got right behind us! Lucy said "I think she wants to talk with us."

Sure enough, no sooner did we pull over than did she pull behind us and jump out of her car. "I 'm looking for the holy man." I had just taken off my robe, headpiece and bag. She said "I've been looking for him. I saw him and then he disappeared!" Lucy told her I was the one she saw walking. She thrust a bag and a soda from McDonald's.

"This is for you! I need prayer."
Lucy said "Let's pray right now."
"No. No. I'm late for work"
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Just pray for Solo. God will know who it is." She jumped into her car and drove off.

Lucy & I ate our McNuggets and fries and pondered the day. We wondered what God did today.
Traveling as we do, we rarely get to see the results but we are delighted to be part of God's process.