We went to bed last night not looking forward to today’s journey.  Before turning in, we looked at Google maps to plot our route to my parent’s house in Montana (our first stop before heading to our final training in Colorado) and there is really no direct way to get to Montana from Georgia.  Although our destination is northwest of where we were, we have to travel west and then north and then west and then north until we finally get there.  Regardless the route we chose, it would take about 24 hours of driving…not counting the stops for restrooms breaks, stretches, meals and baby feedings.  The good news was we would gain two hours over the course of the trip by simply crossing into new time zones.

Rain clouds and drizzle greeted us as we rose to greet the sun we could not see behind the rain clouds and drizzle, but we set out anyway…what else could we do?  The trip has to be made.  Our van (with 213,000 miles on it) was loaded with all our perceived needs for the next two months, making us feel like the Clampets moving to Beverly Hills after they discovered the Texas tea. 

Tennessee was uneventful…even Nashville was a breeze to drive through…a rarity in our experience.

Kentucky zipped by before we realized it.  The redbuds are in bloom, but not quite as far along as they are in Georgia this time of year. 

Southern Illinios still is covered with water from the recent floods.  Rivers lapping over their riverbanks.  Fields lying fallow waiting for the seeds of spring will have to wait a bit longer.  As we turned west onto I-64, the clouds darkened on the horizon and the wind blew fiercly from the south.  The car rocked a bit as we rolled toward Saint Louis.  Just east of the Gateway Arch we stopped in the community of O’Fallon to buy gas at the local Wal-mart.  As we were piling out of the car to go inside the store (we had to put some money on the card so we could get the three cent discount), the woman in the car beside us was pulling out.  A van quickly took her place.  The woman driving the van got out and asked us if we are from Georgia (it was the license plate and not our accents that tipped her off…I think).  We told her yes as we continued to pile out of the car (it’s a process when you travel like the Clampets). 

“You new to the community,” she asked.

“No, ma’am,” we said, “just passing through.  We are in transition heading toward Montana and Colorado and then Peru.”

“Peru?” she asked.

“Yes,” we said, “We are missionaries heading toward the field.”

A smile crossed her face hearing this and she offered her hand (her own four kids were piling out of their car by now).  “Well, God bless you!  We just moved here with the military, but we live just down the street if you need anything.” 

Todd and one of her boys were already hitting it off and talking about life, the universe and probably everything else (it’s amazing what boys can talk about in about two minutes). 

“You know,” she said to us, “There is a storm heading this way.”  We didn’t know and she told us what she knew about it and then we went our separate ways into the store.  While shopping, the storm hit, the strongs winds rocking the van a few minutes before was now beating the rain against the side and roof of the store.  Task finished, however, we paid for our purchases and headed toward the doors to leave.  A crowd had gathered in the Wal-mart narthex unwilling to be baptized by the falling rain, flashing lightning and crashing thunder.  Not wanting to appear too proud and heroic facing the elements and all, we decided to join them and wait for the storm to pass. 

Five minutes went by. 

Then a few more. 

The rain continued to fall, the thunder roll and the lightening flash.  Then suddenly, out of the chaos of the storm, the woman’s daughter came running up to us from out in the rain.  She handed us two bags of snacks and said, “Mom, wanted you to have this for your trip.  She left her contact information in there in case you need anything.  Good luck and God bless.”

Do you know what?  There is nothing wrong with crying in Wal-mart when you have been blessed by the presence of God in the kindness of strangers. 

After that, the rest of the journey has been a bit anti-climatic.  Except, Aylis’ reminds me, that we did cross four major rivers today:  the Tennesse, Ohio, Mississippi (twice) and Missouri Rivers. 

Tonight we are stying in Quincy, Illinois, just north of Hannibal, Missouri.  It’s late and there’s a long drive ahead of us tomorrow (another 15 hours says Google).

Buenos Noches.

Lives are changing…again. 

Yesterday, we moved out of the manse we were living in since July.  The wonderful people at Beersheba Presbyterian Church in Summerville have been gracious hosts and wonderful examples of Christian hospitality.  We fell in love with them and pray continually for God to bless their ministry in the local community. 

What does this mean…this moving out?  To start with it means we are homeless for the moment.  Not to worry, though.  We have places to stay and people watching out for our well being and such, but we have no permanent address where we will lay our heads.  (We do, however, have a permanent mailing address.)  Second, it means we are heading out to Colorado (via my parents’ ranch in Montana) for the last of our training statestide. 

Please continue to pray for us.  We have a 2000 mile drive (one way) ahead of us starting early tomorrow morning.  Pray that the dangers will stay out of our way and we will be safe every mile of the way.  In addition, pray for opportunities to share the love of God with those we meet along the way. 

Happy Easter!

He is risen!  He is risen indeed!

We hope and pray you are feeling blessed by all that is happening in your life.  I had the opportunity to bring the message at the sunrise service this morning at a church near where we are living.  If you like to read what I said (at least most of what I said), click here.

Take care and God bless you!

It is Good Friday…one of the most holy days in the church year.  This whole week is a special week.  Audra and I have been enjoying our time with family and friends here in the southeast as we remember what Jesus did for us so many years ago.  On Tuesday we had the opportunity to go to the church nextdoor to lead a Passover Seder Service.  We love the symbolism of the experience that has been celebrated for generations.  Last night, we went to the Maundy Thursday Service.  Tonight we are back in Ball Ground so the kids can visit some of their old friends.  We want to go to a Good Friday Service, but don’t know if we will be able to.  

This has been a neat week for us.  We’ve always enjoyed Holy Week with spring flowers and showers and so on all around us.  Audra and I have been looking forward and wondering what Easter will be like when we are in the Southern Hemisphere.  Easter is so connected with the season, but in the Southern Hemisphere Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon of Fall (the seasons are opposite of those here).  How are we going to celebrate new life as the earth prepares for winter?  God makes it work…somehow.  We look forward to knew understandings of this glorious week. 

 Be blessed in all you do and in who you are.

When we speak at churches and with small groups, an inevitable (and understandable) question we get is, “What langauge do they speak in Peru?”  The simple answer is Spanish.   Although there are a number of indiginous langues spoken in the jungle, and millions of people speak Quechua and Aymara, about 90% of our work will be conducted in Spanish.  That said, we have to learn Spanish.  Both Audra and I speak German, but that is not much help in Peru.  It is, however, a tremendous help when it comes to our mindset on learning another langauge.  We’ve done it once, so we are confident we can do it again. 

I’ve had some Spanish already.  When  I was in college at Eastern Montana College in Billings (now called Montana State University-Billings) I took two semesters and really enjoyed it, but then my schedule (40 hours of work plus a full load at school) wouldn’t allow me to take any more.   I’ve dabbled at it for years, putting “learn Spanish” on my clergy goal setting form each year.  This year, though, I will learn it.  I have to.  We will be moving to Costa Rica in August (the Lord willing) to enroll in language school. 

In the meantime, we do what we can to learn the langauge here.  When available, we watch TV in Spanish.  The radio dial in our car is tuned to at least three different stations so as we travel we can switch back and forth as one or another fades.  We read Spanish stories and such.  I found a great series of books that focus on grammar and have a lot of exercises for putting together complex sentences.  They have done tremendous things to help boost my confidence in Spanish.  Last night I was reading the news online when I stumbled on a cool thing that BBC does.  On their webpage (click here if you want to see it) they have a series of articles written in intermediate Spanish with grammar and vocab and quizzes and such to help people who want to learn or brush up on Spanish.  It’s pretty cool. 

We spent today in Alabama.  It is a beautiful state.  We have to admit, though, it is strange to see Lookout Mountain to the east of us instead of to the west of us like we are used to.  The interstate highways there are lousy.  I heard from one of the pastors why.  The Interstate is made of sections of concrete.  Each section can be lifted out by a crane, repaired and returned, without having to tear up the whole highway.  It’s a good theory, but in practice, it’s not that great.  Where each section connects, there is a bump.  Not much fun.  I can only imagine the how rough the ride was in the back of the van for the kids.

 We spoke at two churches today:  Attalla UMC and Bellevue UMC.   Both were churches were we cold-called the pastors.  What a blessing we found with both congregations.  In between the two, we were treated to lunch at a Mexican restaraunt (with some of the best poblano peppers I’ve had in a long time) and then went to a place called Noccalula Falls.  At first it just looks like some rapids on the river, but then suddenly it falls away a into a deep gourge.  Aylis’, Todd and I walked down into the gourge (unprepared as I was, I wore my dress shoes, black slacks, vest and tie…it just occured to me how out of place I probably looked!).  If you are interested in reading more about the falls, the city of Gadsden’s webpage has some information about the legend (http://www.cityofgadsden.com/Default.asp?ID=511). 

A great day, but we are all tired.  Be blessed tonight, y’all.

Audra was doing some math the other day and told me about something that hadn’t even occured to me:  we met in 1988 when we were freshmen in college (I knew that…really I did).  That first year we were at the Institute of German Studies in Bemidji, Minnesota, spending the winter in the Northwoods and enjoying 30, 40 and 50 degrees below zero.  We did idiotic things like take walks in the middle of the night during the middle of winter.  We had a good excuse for doing that, though:  hot chocolate tastes a lot better when you are really cold (okay, not the best excuse, but an excuse all the same).  That first year, we led a bible study together.  When we went to main campus a year later (I was there for only a semester), we taught Bible study again.  When we went to different schools in different states, we still had chances to teach Sunday School classes and Vacation Bible School things.  What’s this leading up to, you ask?  Audra reminded me that although we are growing older (that alternitive is not very appealing), we have spent a lot of that time together.  This year (sometime this fall) will mark the twentieth year we have led Bible Studies together.  We thought that was pretty cool.  Twenty, thirty, forty, or more years more won’t be bad…  To God be the glory.

 Back at ya:  Thanks for the happy birthday song, Beth.  (Do I get a cake?  I like carrot cake with cream cheese frosting…)

We took Todd to the orthodontist yesterday to see about getting his teeth straighter before (or as) we are fixin’ (how’s that for some southern?) to leave the country.  The doctor said Todd would need some brackets (they look like braces to us) to fix his cross bite. 

“Oh, it’s gonna’ hurt,” cringed Todd.

“No,” said the doctor, “We put a glue on your teeth and that will hold it in place.  It’ll be like putting a stamp to a letter.”

Todd didn’t look convinced so the doctor asked him, “It doesn’t hurt to put a stamp on a letter, does it?”

Without missing a beat, Todd said, “I don’t know.  I’m not a letter.”

When I was in high school and college we talked about “happenings.”  That’s not like UFO’s and crop circles or anything like that.  A happening was just something that…well…happened.  It wasn’t planned.  It wasn’t prepared.  It didn’t have an agenda.  It just…oh, yeah, I already wrote it…(it happened).  We had one of those tonight.

 Todd had a consultation appointement with an orthodontist to look at his teeth.  Unfortunately, it was all the way up in Chattanooga (about an hour away from the house).   The doctor and assistants were great and we were in and out of there in 30 minutes or so.  On the way back home we called some good friends who live in Ringgold (near Chattanooga) and asked if they wanted to meet us for an early birthday dinner (my birthday is tomorrow).  They said sure and we ended up at Three Amigos.  Long story short, we practiced our Spanish and then someone spilled the beans about my birthday to the waitress (and, no, it wasn’t me).  Soon a crowd of them came out shaking maracas, clapping hands, singing happy birthday, and carrying some great fried ice cream for the birthday   Oh, yeah, they put a sombrero on my head in the process (I got to keep that!).  

The night wasn’t even finished then.  We went to our friends house for an impromptu birthday Coke-Mento geyser on their front lawn.  Okay, it wasn’t the best geyser, but it was with friends who over the years have become family. 

I love happenings!  God bless all your surprises and joys!

Oh yeah…in another God’s so neat thing:  There were three other people in the restaurant who had birthday sombreros on their heads.  Afterwards in the parking lot one of them came up to us and introduced themselves.  They said their daughter recognized us when they were singing to me as being the missionaries to Peru.  We’d spoken at their church way back in January.   God’s timing is neat.