What a Week!

Just over a week ago, we were able to get back on the road after our coronavirus quarantine. Since then, we have covered over 2,500 miles, been in five churches, done an interview on the radio (Jason), seen some snow, visited Mount Rushmore, attended a men’s meeting (Jason only, of course), and met many fine people. Here’s a rough breakdown of the past week.

Thursday, November 12th - We left South Carolina and began the long journey to Kansas. We made it to the other side of St. Louis and stopped at a rest area for the night. It’s a blessing to be able to do this, and once again, I am so thankful for our motorhome, Libby.

Friday, November 13th - We left the rest area and traveled the rest of the way to Marysville, Kansas. Once there, we discovered the temperatures were much cooler, and the wind was violent. I wondered, at times, if the wind would pick up our motorhome and transport us to Oz.

Saturday, November 14th - We spent much of the day catching up on chores, paperwork, and phone calls. We also had the opportunity to have dinner with Pastor Smith and his sweet family. It was a great time of fellowship.

Sunday, November 15th - We presented our burden at Victory Baptist Church in the Sunday School hour, and Jason preached for the morning service. I had the blessing of playing the piano for both services and singing in the preaching hour. After the morning service, we had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner on the grounds with the congregation, followed by a short Q&A session. Believe it or not, the first church member we met that morning (besides the pastor and his family) was a precious lady named Dorothy. I couldn’t help but ask her if she had a dog named Toto. She laughed and said she actually did have a stuffed Toto doll. Too cute!

After dinner, we packed up and drove three hours to Stamford, Nebraska, where we dropped in on Freedom Baptist Church. The pastor and congregation were very welcoming and even invited Jason to present our burden and me to sing. We had a great time and left with big smiles and a jar of huckleberry jam. We spent the night there in Stamford.

Monday, November 16th - We got up early and drove to Mount Rushmore. Due to COVID and the recent snowfall, many of the facilities and activities were closed, but we were still able to tour the museum and get a few good pictures of this massive work of art. We also spent a good amount of time in the gift shop. But then, it was back on the road. We traveled another few hours to our free camping spot for the night in the South Dakota Badlands. Even though it was only 4:30 in the afternoon, we arrived just in time to view the sunset from the observation deck in the Badlands National Park. Our campsite was just outside the park and offered a stunning view of the Badlands and the star-filled night sky. It was a pleasant evening.

Tuesday, November 17th - We rose a little before sunrise because we didn’t want to miss it. Our campsite gave us an ideal spot for witnessing the dawning of a new day, and it was truly breathtaking. We were even joined by a ram-horn sheep. After a quick bite to eat, we set out again, this time to Watertown, SD.

We did make a quick stop on our way at the city of Wall (sounds like something from the Narnia books, doesn’t it?). Wall, sometimes affectionately called “the geographical center of nowhere,” is home to Wall Drug. In business since 1931, they began offering free water to weary travelers as they made their way across the country. Now, Wall Drug boasts more than 2 million visitors each year and offers dining, activities, gifts, souvenirs, free water, and much more. We didn’t have enough time to see everything they had to offer, but it was an awesome establishment in an adorable little town.

After another few hours of travel, we arrived at our destination in the afternoon, giving us just enough time to get settled and hooked up, grab some dinner, get showers, and head over to our evening meeting at Harvest Baptist Church. Once again, we had the opportunity to share our burden for Wales and to ask people to pray for us. Jason also preached. It was a precious service, and it was great to see some friends we haven’t seen in a long while. After church, we settled down in the RV for some sleep.

Wednesday, November 18th - This morning, Jason did a quick radio interview with the pastor at Harvest Baptist Church. This was a first for us, and it was exciting to share our burden in such a way. After that, it was back on the road, this time to Fargo, North Dakota. We were able to drop in on Cornerstone Baptist Church, a small work with a big heart. We had a good time of worship with them and spent the night in Fargo. All in all, it was another busy day.

Thursday, November 19th - We hit the road again today. Our destination—Wausau, Wisconsin. After about six hours on the road, we arrived at Northside Baptist Church. As before, we had just enough time to get everything in order and join the pastor and his wife for dinner at a nearby restaurant. We had a wonderful time of fellowship with them over dinner, then left to finish getting ready for church.

The evening service was a blessing. The people were very friendly and receptive to our burden. Jason was, once again, able to present our ministry and preach a message. It was a great time of worship and fellowship. We left there and settled in for the night.

Friday, November 20th - For the first time in a week, we didn’t have to go anywhere (except the grocery store). There were no meetings and no scheduled events. We used this time to get a little rest and catch up on phone calls, paperwork, emails, and all the other stuff that is involved in deputation other than traveling and attending meetings. It was a good day, and we enjoyed the chance to be still for a bit.

Saturday, November 21st (today) - I had planned to attend a ladies’ Bible study at Northside Baptist Church this morning, but we received a phone call last night that the pastor we will be with tomorrow was expecting us today and invited Jason to speak at a men’s meeting this morning. So, we got up around 6:00 and drove from Wausau to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (I promise I’m not making up these city names!). Jason just came in from his meeting, and we’re getting ready to have some lunch.

As you can see, we’ve been on the move. . . literally. God has been good and has blessed every mile of the way. We truly appreciate all your love and prayers. Thank you for the emails and phone calls. You’ll never know how much they mean to us.

We’ll be In Wisconsin for a couple of weeks, then it’s on to Indiana and Ohio and Georgia, and then home for Christmas. As always, we covet your prayers.