Big Trips
Hello! Since our last update we have taken two major trips. The first was from North Carolina to Iowa, with a stop in Ohio, and the second was a loop hitting Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, North Carolina, and Kansas. We so appreciate all of your prayers over the past month. God has been very good and gracious through our many miles of driving.
There is one particular story I would like to share with you from our first trip as we were driving through Ohio. We were driving down the highway, and we began to notice some bumpiness on the road. Before we got to the next exit, the right rear tire popped, and we pulled over to the shoulder. The spare tire was under the car, but unfortunately we did not have a jack or the tire iron to replace it. We called AAA, and they said they would send a tow truck, but it would be several hours before they could arrive and we would have to arrange separate transportation for our family. In the mean time, a police officer stopped behind us and asked if there was any way he could help. We explained the situation, and he went to his trunk to see if he had the tools. He didn’t have the right size tire iron, so he called for backup and soon there were three officers behind us helping us put on the spare tire. It was a Saturday afternoon, and we searched for a tire shop that was open and would be able to replace the tire the same day so that we could continue our journey. Walmart was the only place open, and the officer who had stopped said he would follow behind us because we would have to drive slow on the spare tire. When we arrived at the Walmart, the officer came inside with us and placed his credit card on the counter and insisted we let him pay for two new tires on our van. It was one of those moments that was completely unexpected and completely of God. God proved, in that moment, that there was no need to be concerned about how we were going to sort out transportation or how we were going to afford the repair, because He was in control.
We had the joy of spending a few days at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Smithville, OH for a conference in March. We were able to connect with some old friends there and were truly loved and cared for by the church.
We arrived in Iowa where we were able to spend a couple of weeks getting settled in and reconnecting with a supporting church in Carlisle. On April 3rd, we presented at Faith Baptist in Cambridge, and we had a great day fellowshiping with the church family.
At the end of April, we began our second long journey. This one started with an unexpected hurdle. We were preparing to drive from Des Moines, IA to New Berlin, WI, then to the Outer Banks of NC, and from there to Kansas City, before returning to Des Moines. In all, the trip was a little over 3,200 miles in less than 2 weeks. As we were setting out, we heard a whining sound from the van. After a short drive it began to jerk, so we took it to the closest mechanic. In the mile that it took to get to the mechanic, the van got to the point that it couldn’t even shift out of first gear. As we were pulling in to the parking lot, it stopped moving all together. They took it in and diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. By God’s grace, Autumn’s sister offered her vehicle for our trip. We moved our luggage and display items into her vehicle and continued on. As I write this letter, we are driving between the Outer Banks and Kansas, and have had absolutely no issues with her car. It will take a week or two for the shop to get the remanufactured transmission for our van, and it will not be cheap. They have quoted it at just over $5,000 for the repair. This is discouraging, but God just taught us the lesson that we need not worry about how these things will work out, or how we will afford it. Just like He provided through the police officer before, we know for a fact that He will provide and work this out. God has already provided over $1000 specifically for this need. We ask you to pray that this can be fixed quickly (supply chain issues could cause this to be drawn out) and that God will provide the funds necessary to cover the costs.
God is so good. So far on this second trip, we have been able to present at First Baptist in New Berlin, WI and spend 5 days at a missions conference at Still Waters Baptist in Nag’s Head, NC. God has used both churches to encourage and challenge us. We also had the pleasure of spending a couple of days with some good friends at our sending church in Winston Salem between our two meetings.
Please pray for us as we finish this trip. Pray that God will provide safety, and that our van will be fixed soon back in Iowa. Pray that God will use us as we speak in churches to challenge hearts and communicate our burden. Also, as you pray, we ask that you thank God for all the ways he has and will continue to provide. Since our last update, three more churches have taken us on for monthly support, bringing our total up to 54% of what we need to leave for the field! We are praying for the rest of our support to come in and for us to be able to leave for the field by the end of the summer next year. Thank you all, once again, for your love, prayers, and support.
