Ben and Sue Day 46

Monday, October 22, 2007 Day 46

I'm writing this evening sitting at a picnic table at the KOA campground overlooking Las Crucs New Mexico.  It is SO beautiful here -- sun still fairly high in  the sky (4pm), yet I'm staring right at the moon.  It is very peaceful and quiet here and huge cacti are growing just a couple of feet away -- some are 4 -- 5 feet high and their thorns really hurt -- some being 2 -- 3 inches long.

Just about the time I think I can't sit in the truck and drive one more mile and I'm thoroughly bored -- God bring along a day like  today.  Woweeeee! We started out with breakfast with Ian and is lovely wife Christina -- good food, good conversation, good fun.  After breakfast Christina showed me how to put pictures in my daily E-mails (there is GREAT hope yet, Mary !) for which I was so excited and happy.  Ian helped Ben patch up  the broken window.

Then we headed west from Van Horn intending  to make our way to the Grand Canyon.  We were SO close to the Mexican border -- especially in El Paso that we decided to switch things around a bit and go to Mexico rather than continuing on the the Grand Canyon.  You can only do this kind of thing if your children are happily married (you are happily married aren't  you Benjamin and Kat?) and you have time and money (have to save for a long time though.)  So all you Moms who think you'll never be able to have things your own way -- just keep on doing  the great job you are doing and one day before you know it you'll be able to go on the exact vacation you want.

Okay. . . So. . . where was I?  Oh yes -- Mexico.  We drove around El Paso for the longest time looking for a place to park our truck and  trailer but had no success.  We were close enough to the border to simply walk across.  There were lots of parking garages in El Paso -- we could have parked and walked or taken the trolly bus.  But no parking places would accomodate our truck and trailer.  We asked and asked to no avail.  Quite disappointed we headed back to Interstate 10 and continued on our way.  But really neither of us were very happy to have been so close but not able to cross the border.  So we decided instead to drive to LaCruces (about an hour west) -- stop here for this evening and drive back to Mexico tomorrow without the trailer. 

Thank you so so much for praying for us.  Today on the freeway a driver just in front of us lost a big yellow ladder.  Ben saw it and had no choice but to swerve quite a lot to the left to avoid hitting it.  Praise the Lord that the driver to the left but a bit ahead of us sped up, and the driver to the left but a bit behind us slowed down a good bit and Ben was  able to avoid hitting either of them.  Could have been a nasty accident.  Thank you Jesus!  Thank you Ben for being such an awesome driver!

I have been thinking about illegal immigration so much  these past days as I stare at these mountains and desert between the United States and Mexico.  I am sure I would fail as a border guard because instead of making people go back to the miserable/wretched poverty in Mexico I am sure I would be trying to help them find safe haven in America.   Being here and seeing what I now have seen for days crossing Texas and New Mexico -- I cannot shake the thought of poor illegal immigrants risking their lives, walking so many miles often without sufficient food or water to try to begin a fresh ew life in a country they have always only dreamed of.  

One thing this trip has done for me is open my eyes to the rest of the United States.  In my sheltered little life in Sultan Washington I seldom have reason to think hard about illegal immigrants, about desperate poverty and hopelessness in Baltimore Maryland, about so many who lost their homes and families during Katrina and are still unable to rebuild.  You know how it is -- a certain hot topic hits the front pages of the newspaper and it's all  the talk about town for a few days or a few weeks.  Then it fades and another hot topic takes its place.  But now it is so much more than mere front page news to me.  I have been so many places and talked to so many people that my whole world has been so enlarged -- my understanding expanded -- my biases and prejudices questioned.  It has been unbelievably magnificant and I. am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for allowing  such an awesome trip!           

Ben and Sue Day 45

Day 45, Sunday, October 21, 2007

Greetings from The United Republic of Texas!

. . . We had a busy day today -- went to church -- First Baptist Church of Van Horn Texas.  Was a lovely, alive, friendly church.  Lots of people introduced themselves and shook our hand and welcomed us -- we felt very welcome.  Once again was good  to start the week with fellowship with like-minded people, to sign old familiar priase songs and to hear God's Word preached with passion and yet mercy.  Was very good indeed.  One lady at the church gave us a white bag filled with goodies because we were visiting for the first time.  After church I discoverd it was homemade pumpkin bread -- oh delicious.  In fact just now,  late in the evening as I write I am enjoying tea and pumpkin bread. 

So. . . we went to Carlsbad CAverns today in New Mexico with our friends Ian and his lively wife Christina.  We have missed them these many years and was good to see them, enjoy a meal and good conversation once again.  In order to get to Carlsbad Caverns from Van Horn one must drive north 90 miles on highway 54 -- one single long, flat road with surely some of the most barren land on planet earth.  Much like yesterday there was mile after mile of sagebrush, cacti, desert sand, foothills on every side.  The caverns were spectacular.  We were transported via elevator 750 feet underground.  If you have an opportunity to get on the Internet  and look for pictures of Carlsbad Caverns I would really encourage you to do so because whatever words I use will be so inadequate to describe its beauty and uniqueness.  Absolutely awesome, inspiring tour of this huge hole 750 feet in the ground -- took about  1 1/2 hours to walk the whole distance around.  We saw tons of staglamites and stalactites -- seemingly bottomless pits, whole "Scenes" created by calcium sulfate deposits that looked like woodland creatures gathered together, huge holes in the ceiling and sides of the cave and so much more.  Every time we turned a corner of the cavern one of us was saying something about how awesome, creative, unique or beautiful that part of the cave was.  So thankful we had the opportunity and so much fun to walk through with Ian and Christina.       

Ben and Sue Day 44

Day 44, Saturday, October 20, 2007

I feel a bit sad today because I had a peice of paper with a lot of notes on it -- things I was planning to write about today but lost the peice of paper.  I will try to remember as much  as I can.

. . . Once again the day was taken up with driving across Texas.  Ben and I kept saying this is our least enjoyable part of the trip.  The United Republic of Texas:  -- very big -- very barren land/forsaken -- 80 to 120 miles between cities -- biggest and most delicious French fries I have ever seen/eaten -- perhaps 5/6 inches long.  What they call mountains in Texas we call foothills in Washington.  Thousands and thousands of acres of sagebrush, cacti, barren land -- probably has not changed much since America was first founded.  It is easy to understand why so many of the lonely prarie cowboy songs were about Texas!

. . . It was  getting about time to eat dinner when  I saw a sign "Tayor 12 miles, Van Horn, 81 miles.  In mentining it to Ben we decided we better stop in 12 miles at Tayor.  Think again.  We showld have known right off it wasn't going to be a good place to eat.  There was a huge sign on the road that told about the restaurant and truck stop -- but a huge square had been cut right out of it.  So we took the exit and saw a red barn shaped building with a restaurant sign.  I said "Oh, this looks like a good place to eat" and no sooner had I said it then I noticed the closed sign on the door and also that the back of the building was falling down.  Then we saw a Texaco sign and  twe would get some fruit and crackers to hold us over.  Think again.  We turned the corner to the Texaco station and it looked as though it had been bombed.  All the glass blown out -- most of the building burned.  Since we did not see any other signs of life or signs telling us where we might find life () I think it is fair to say that the town of Tayor Texas if officially DEAD!

. . . In the morning we drove past perhaps five miles of windmills generating electrical power.  Also drove past miles and miles of cotton fields.  At one point Ben was able to pull over and I picked (gleaned  ) a tiny bit of cotton from the field.  It was very soft and had seeds inside it. 

Whether this afternoon was 98 degrees with clear and cloudless skies. 

Ben and Sue Day 43

Day 43, Friday, October 19, 2007

God was so gracious to me the very first thing this morning.  I was in the little store while Ben was checking us our of the campground and getting ice for  the morning.   I picked up a pretty soap dish that I was considering buying and it slipped out of my hand and broke.  I brought it to the cahsier and offered to pay for it but she said "Oh no, that's pefectly okay -- no need to pay for it since it's broken."  and she took it from me.  How kind she was!

Most of today was taken up with driving once again -- today we reached Abileen Texas.  Texas is a BIG state!  It is taking us a long  time to get across it.  We are still trying to connect with Ian and Christina but no success so far.  We changed our plans several days back and decided  not to drive to Colorado Springs because Ian and Christina are leaving there and are on their way to Mexico for a couple of days.  So glad we did change our plans because Colorado Springs has snow, ice and rain now -- chains are required for all vehicles.   How unsafe that would have been.

Let's see . . Papaw told us an encouraging story when we visited him and Mamaw.  He said that the church he fellowships with -- I think it was called Cornerstone Baptist Church -- began to fly not only the American flag and the Texas flag but also the Israeli flag.  Since the Bible does speak a lot about Israel and the Jewish people being God's chosen nation/people -- they wanted to identify with/promote that Bibical idea.  One day though someone burned their Israeli flag.  This prompted all kinds of national and international media and  the church was thus able to explain/expand on their position to an ever-widening circle of people.  One person called and told  them he would love to send them another Israeli flag, and yet another if the first one he sends gets burned.

We have seen so many eagles on our return trip.  I don't remember seeing any or hardly any on the  northern route travelling East, but all the way West we have seen them flying -- every single day.  They are so majestic -- easy to spot with a wing span of up to six feet and also they hardly ever flap their wings but rather ride on the wind currents.

We have seen many trucks that have the  words "Covenant Transport" on them.  Every single one has the message: "It's not a choice, it's a child."  I don't know about Arizona and New Mexico but so far on our trip across the southern states God seems to be very present in the culture here.  Of course it's hard  to make a very realistic judgment like that when we are only driving through and stopping at restaurants here and there.  But what I have observed is that there are huge billboards with signs like:  "Need a marriage counsellor?  I'm available.  God" and another that said "It's Me -- God"    and yet another:  "Tell the kids I love them.  God" and similar ones all along  the way.  Yesterday we stopped for lunch at a restaurant called Cracker Barrell.  The food was absolutly delicious and when the waitress gave us the bill she wrote "Have a blessed day."     

We are working hard on eating dinner by 6 or 6:30 and it is definitely helping Ben's blood sugar.  There for a long while seems like we were eating at 8 or 9pm and this always caused Ben's morning blood sugar level to be very high.  So as a result he is feeling much better.  Thank you for your prayers for him.  Driving on the Interstate is not very easy at all.  Yesterday Ben needed  to move one lane right to make an exit and this  trucker absolutely would not let him in until the last second.  It's kind of unnerving sometimes to me to be sandwiched between two huge, loud, fast trucks!

Just by way of reminder if any of you have missed any days or just want to go back and re-read a certain day -- Benjamin created a wonderful blog where all our daily entries are:  Benandsuesroadtrip@blogspot.com.  Thank you so much Benjamin and Megan for doing that for us!       

Ben and Sue Day

Thursday, Octoberv 18, 2007, Day 42

. . . Today once again was mostly taken up with driving.  We drove from just south of Shreveport, Louisiana to Dallas/Fort Worth Texas.  This evening we got settled into our campsite, unhooked the  truck and went to visit very old and dear friends in Forth Worth -- Papaw and Mamaw Minnick.  Papaw was our very first preacher  in Germany.  I had only been on my Christian journey for six months and Papaw led Ben to the Lord while we went to the church they pastored in Morfelden, Germany.  I could write a book about our time there under their mentorship.  In all my life I have never known two people  who showed more love and selflessness than Papaw and Mamaw showed.  Ben and I grew mightly as Christians under their wisdom/guidance/love and care.  When we returned to the United States in 1987 my heart ached for a long time because we were separated by so many miles.  When they returned to the US they lived in Oklahoma and we would on occasion call or send a card.  Five years ago they moved very close -- to Monroe Washington to live with their son and daughter in law.  So we were able to visit and fellowship  more often since they were so close.  Then, six months ago they moved once again to Fort Worth to live with another daughter and son in law.

. . . Mamaw had a stroke several years ago which left her unable to speak or walk --  her right side being paralyzed.  Nonetheless Mamaw is still Mamaw -- her radiant smile, beautiful and carrying heart, has not changed one bit.  I'm not sure if Ben and I will have the opportunity  to see Mamaw any more because I was told her health is failing and she spends many days in bed now.  How incredibly thankful I am to my loving Heavenly Father who has given Ben and I this blessed opportunity to enjoy such a sweet sweet visit once again.

. . . Oh the sweet joy of Heaven!

. . . One thing that we have seen on this part of our trip is cotton growing in the fields and sometimes in bales.  We saw lots of bales -- seems as though one layer of the bale was as white as the cotton was in the fields and  the top layer of the bale was grey.  Not sure if that top layer had been treated or why it was grey.  The bales were huge -- perhaps 5 to 6 feet long and 4 to 5 feet high -- truly massive in size.   

  

Ben and Sue Day 41

Wednesday, Octoberv 17, 2007, Day 41

During our  trip I have been trying all different kinds of styles for my hair because I know that even if my hair turns out awful, the chances that I will meet someone I know thru the day are pretty slim.  Today I used LOTS of hairspray which I never use at home.  After only a short time outside today it started to pour down rain.  My hair was sticking together just fine but it was sticking together in all the wrong places and all the wrong ways.  It was sticking straight out in places. 

It was in this condition that I went into the UPS store.  All along the way I have been collecting little gifts to send off to a friend.  We saw a UPS store and thought that would be an excellent to mail off the box.  Now if I was at home I would have gathered all the stuff, put it in a box, taped the box and had it addressed BEFORE bringing it to UPS.  I would have gone in, put it on the counter, they would have weighed it, I would have paid for it and been out of there in five minutes.  That's what I wanted to do -- go into UPS, get the right size box and packing but supplies and go back to the truck to put it all together. 

But Ben thought it would be better to gather all the stuff and walk into UPS and put it in the box there.  No big deal I guess except for my ridiculous sticking out hair!

So we did end up bringing all the stuff into the store, packing it there, and mailed it off.  They were very helpful and the box is finally off.  It's really important to know how to navigatge planet earth!

When we came out of Wall Mart today the security guard drove up beside us as we were putting our stuff in the trailer and said "Folks, I just wanted you to know this area of Louisiana  has just been put under a tornado watch so just to let you know to be safe and  drive carefully."  A tornado watch??!! Yikes!!  I was scared half to death and it took me a little while to stop shaking.  The rain was pouring down for a couple of hours after that -- hard for Ben to drive.  But we made it to a lovely campsite in Lindman, Texas -- Whispering Pines.  The tornado was following us because even now as I write (11PM) the winds are shaking the trailer.  One never knows what each day will bring.

After dinner this evening -- by the way I LOVE cooking with gas instead of electirc -- we went to the hot tub and soaked there for a a long while -- was most pleasant.  Ben stayed in the hot tub longer and talked to another couple about our age who were vacationing in an RV also.  I got out after a while -- 'twas dark by now -- and sat by  the swimming pool.  Nearly 8PM and still 75 -- 80 degrees outside -- nice.  

 

Ben and Sue Day 40

Tuesday, october 16, 2007, Day 40

God was so good to us today!  Ben was driving -- we  were about 75 miles south of Shreveport, Louisiana.  Ben wanted to stop at a hotel because in all our camping books we did not find a campground before Shreveport.  I hoped Ben would continue on to Shreveport because it was so close and because it is both costly and inconvenient to stay in a hotel.  So we had a verbal spar about it.  Just about that time  Ben saw a little sign on the Interstate for an RV park at the exit just ahead.  So we pulled in there and there was room for our 5th wheel for the night.  Thank you Jesus!

Again God blessed us in a special way -- one of my Dad's medicines needed to be refilled but was out of refills.  So we called his doctor's nurse about it.  She told us Dad needed blood work before she could refill his prescription.  We asked her if it could wait three weeks till we got home and she was very unhappy about our request but told us she would check with the doctor and let us know.  In the end they did refill it.  Ben did a superb job of making sure Dad had enough medicine before we left -- and a wonderful friend, Lloyd, is visiting Dad each week and giving him his medicine and making sure Dad is well and visiting with him for a while. 

Today was pretty much taken up with driving all day -- from New Orleans to just south of Shreport, Louisiana.  We dwadled for a long time in  the morning and it must have been nearly noon before we ever got on the road.  We continue to have a great trip -- after five weeks we are understanding how we would change some things next time we take a long trip.  One thing I would change is the length of the trip -- two months seems like a very long time with no structure.