The WiFi Pedalers BLOG

Day 14 - [part 2] Geneva to Orlando / Final Thoughts

Jon — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 04:39:40 GMT

With this entry I'll wrap up the final day of the 2011 Mission POSSIBLE Tour, and give a few final thoughts on the past 2 weeks.

The First Baptist Geneva pavilion we stayed in is at the edge of a huge field of several acres, with a volleyball court, basketball court, and even a soccer field. Earline took this picture of 3 crosses also in that field.

Pastor Mike and Timothy stopped by to say goodbye. Thanks Pastor Mike, and thanks to First Baptist Church of Geneva. We appreciate you!

As we headed south, I "felt" that we needed to get off of the shorter Geneva Drive to Oviedo, and take the longer Snow Hill Road route. [Geneva Drive has no shoulder and MUCH traffic.] And after a mile on Snow Hill Road, we saw this sign:

Does anyone know who this sign is referring to?

Not only was Snow Hill Road a pretty road with much less traffic, but when we got to Chuluota and Hwy 419, the wind was behind us and we had a nice 4 foot shoulder!

And then....oh, oh.....I forgot about this bridge, too. Over the Econ River.....at least this one was flat!

Eventually we got thru Oviedo and to the start of the South Seminole trail....last time we were here there was simply a sign that said, "End of Trail." But now, as you can see, they are building a bike trail bridge over Red Bug Lake Road.....looks great!

The trail was a nice change after fighting all the traffic from the past 2 weeks.

And then....lookie, here....yet one MORE bridge. [Guess I forgot about this one, too!] This is the bike trail bridge over Semoran Boulevard, between Aloma and University.

A little bit of a steep pitch to this one, but Earline couldn't stop, because a couple young kids were zooming up it beside her on their bikes. That would be embarrassing!

Couldn't help but feel secure on this bridge, though....the only traffic was under it, and much fencing meant you had a web of protection.

The Cady Way Trail is one of the oldest trails in the city....I used to ride it when the Navy Base officers golf course was right beside it. As we got closer to Fashion Square Mall, the clouds started looking menacing....what happened to the 0% chance of rain?!!?

We started feeling drops, so we covered up our side bags, and by the time we got to the Colonial Plaza area, it was started to become a nasty drizzle.

No rain to ride in for 2 weeks, and now, 5 miles from home, we start getting wet??!!? What??!! Well, it turns out, that maybe there was a reason.

We snapped a quick picture of the "Jesus Car" of pro caddie Fred LeVeque. Interesting!

Earline suggested we duck into TooJay's for a quick soup and sandwich to wait out the rain. Lot of older folks eating there [which is ALWAYS a sign I look for], and huge menu, AND.... our hostess knew sign language! Why?

Because not only was her son hard-of-hearing, and getting pretty good in ASL, but her fiance was hard-of-hearing, his siblings were Deaf, and their parents were Deaf! Wow....thanks, Lord, for making it possible to establish more contacts, and help fulfill a need.

We also met Miss Gail, whose daughter and son-in-law own a bike shop in Orlando, Retro Cycle....gonna have to stop by and say hi!

By now it was dark, but we just turned on all our lights, and headed down Livingston Street, which has a bike lane all the way into downtown.

Down Orange Avenue to Church Street, with a quick stop for a Christmas photo at the same place we did a promo shot before our 2010 Mission POSSIBLE Tour.

A special thank-you to ALL of you who contributed food and lodging, to help make our 2011 Mission POSSIBLE Tour POSSIBLE!

A couple things we learned about triking in Florida....this time of the year was a GREAT time to go if you like cool weather and dry conditions. And we also quickly noticed that bugs don't seem to like this time of the year....which was absolutely fine with us!

Road-wise....we quickly realized that Florida just does not have many roads....at least not all the small, country roads that we noticed and used a lot last summer. Looking on a map, there is a reason that here are a lot of "blank" places on the map....Florida has lot of swamps!

So when triking or "biking" in Florida, you will have to get used to riding alongside lots of busy roads, with much traffic. [So, Earline, what will our NEXT trip be?? Do I hear Key West, anyone?]

Our burden for the Deaf increased even more, at least from my standpoint. So many of the seniors at FSDB that we talked to had no clue what what they would be doing next year. That has to change!

Skills need to be taught and encouraged....needs of OTHERS need to brought to their attention, and personalities and passions need to be examined and nurtured so that these kids can not only feel fulfilled, but know that they are called to be active and needed members of the body of Christ.

Our Show and Tell Mission Tour to Dallas this year taught us that. [See Ephesians 4:16]

The need is great and the laborers are few...please continue to pray for the people and circumstances that I have mentioned in this blog. YOUR prayers do make a difference.

We saw them at work the past 2 weeks. Thanks again, everybody....we love you!

And especially, thank you, Heavenly Father, for your guidance, your strength, and your love.

TGG,
jon

Day 14 - UPDATE 8

Jon — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:01:48 GMT

We're home! We made it. 35 miles / a FEW raindrops / and MUCH gratitude to God, and to all of YOU who helped make this Mission POSSIBLE! Through God's GRACE, jon

Day 14 - UPDATE 7

Jon — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:14:24 GMT

Downtown and 3 miles to go!

Day 14 - UPDATE 6

Jon — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 22:24:49 GMT

Whoa! Not only does it look like the rain has stopped, but our hostess, Krystal, has a hard of hearing son, her fiance is hard of hearing, and his brother, sister, and both parents are Deaf! She said she attends New Beginnings Church on 436, and they have an ASL interpreter! Thanks, Lord, for YOUR timing in the details of our lives.

Day 14 - UPDATE 5

Jon — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 21:48:27 GMT

Well.....5 miles from home, and we're getting rained on! Ack! We were in the Colonial Plaza area, so Earline is introducing me to soup and sandwich at TooJay's. Trying to wait out the rain....[remember, He "sends His rain on the just and the unjust!"]

Day 14 - UPDATE 4

Jon — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:32:29 GMT

On the Cady Way Trail....10 miles to go!

Day 14 - UPDATE 3

Jon — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:57:00 GMT

Whoops! looks like we have one MORE bridge to go across! this one's over Semora Boulevard. Less than 13 miles to go!

Day 14 - UPDATE 2

Jon — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:46:44 GMT

Just hit the start of the South Seminole Trail, where they are building a bike ramp to go over Red Bug Lake Road. 19 miles to go!

Day 14 - UPDATE 1

Jon — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:05:32 GMT

Getting closer! In Oviedo right now, 12 miles down with about 22 to go. Whoo-whoo! Thanks, God!

Day 14 [part 1] - Geneva to Orlando

Jon — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:16:28 GMT

Last day!

Slept in a little this morning, up at 7:15am...packing up now and getting ready to head out. It looks like it is going to be a BEAUTIFUL day.

Lord, forgive me for my grumbling from yesterday, and today as I'm riding "let heaven fill my thoughts [don't think only about things here on earth]" [from Colossians 3:2].

Here's our home last night in the light of day.

Thank you, Father, for THIS day that you created!

TGG,
jon

Day 13 - Port Orange to Geneva

Jon — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 03:15:35 GMT

Only 2 more days to go!

Up at 4:30, and worked on the blog for the past 2 days. Then we got packed and headed out about 9:00am. We stayed last night at the Dusk to Dawn Motel, an older but clean motel that was recommended to us by a pastor at a Christian thrift store we saw just after we got off the Port Orange bridge.

After inspecting Earline's tires before we headed out, I knew we had to go straight to Walmart, to see if I could find a matching tire to the one right-sized tire that I was able to find Wednesday night in St. Augustine.

I knew that we would be going right past a Walmart on our way out of town, and 20 minutes later we saw it. They had the tire I needed, and I proceeded to change both of her front tires right in front of the store.

One problem with the Flat Attack goop that plugs punctures most excellently....if you need to release air from the valve, I find it does tend to clog the VALVE, which made taking the tires off MUCH more difficult.

Once I got the tires off, you can see why I needed to switch out to new ones as soon as possible:

I accidently punctured one of the tubes as I was inserting it in the new tire, so I had to swap out the tube for the one tire. Then after we got down the road a couple miles, and Earline was complaining about being so tired and not being able to pedal with any power, I noticed that the other new tire was flat.

I tried to pump it up, but couldn't get it to hold any air, so I took that tire off, and discovered that the tube was twisted and pinched inside the tire. I took it completely off, but was unable to get the tube to hold any air, and could not see where it was leaking!

So....we replaced that tube as well. [Which means we are operating today with NO spare tubes....not a good situation.] So after changing both tires twice, we finally headed out towards Geneva, but it was past noon, and I was not in a good mood.

Nevertheless, what did Paul say? In 2 Corinthians 6:4, he mentioned that they "patiently endured" troubles and hardships.

Patiently endured, huh....

Well, okay.

Almost all the day was spent on busy 415....much traffic and small shoulders [with lots of button bumpers thrown in for fun...these were usually ON the white line. So if the shoulder was too narrow for the trike, you had to straddle the white line by, you guessed it.... crossing over the bumpers.]

Patient endurance, huh?....mmm, hmmm.

We DID see 2 or 3 "Share the Road" signs....so at least SOMEONE was thinking about us!

No button bumpers above, but they soon appeared....like when this wide load was going by us.

We passed by a landfill with this old fire truck sitting proudly at the top. [And it was up there because.....????]

I had told Earline that the Port Orange bridge was THE last big bridge we had to go over, and that the only "bridge" left really wasn't a bridge, but just a highway that was slightly elevated over the St. Johns River [nothing like the Acosta bridge].

She said that if it goes over something, it is a bridge.

Oh, and then there is....ah, well, like maybe I....ah, er, kinda forgot about the Lake Jesup bridge. But then again, it is not really like a BRIDGE bridge....you know what I'm sayin'?

And it had a nice, wide shoulder....right???!!!

A little later we went past a farm that raised goats and sheep and emu. It was feeding time! [No....she said she had already fed them.....this was just snacks!]

The emu sure is an odd looking creature.

Then one of them walked right up to me, and said, "You sure are an odd looking creature!"

I had been talking with Asst. Pastor Mike Johnson about our late start from Port Orange, and thought we might not arrive at First Baptist Geneva until after dark.....maybe 7:30 to 8:00. But we made good time today.....less wind than yesterday, but we still pulled into Geneva around 5:30pm.....yea!

And guess what?! Pastor Mike and his wife worked many years on the mission field in Russia, working with the Deaf! How about that!

First Baptist Geneva let us put up our tent in their pavilion out back, so we have a dry spot with a roof over our heads and access to the bathrooms. Thanks, God, for AGAIN seeing to our needs.

[The outlets are turned off at the switchbox, but the computer has a good battery in it, and at the end of this blog I am still at 43%.....yea!]

Thank you, First Baptist Geneva, for YOUR grace and hospitality. Thank you for being obedient to Deuteronomy 10:18 & 19.

Only Through God's Grace,
jon

Day 12 - St. Augustine to Port Orange

Jon — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:36:36 GMT

After getting to bed past 1am, we were up and packing at 6am. We said goodbye to the Thompsons [and Bentley, as well!].

Thanks again for your warmth and hospitality. God bless!

As we headed down A1A, we had some bike lanes to enjoy....but it was COOL! Glad we brought some sweats to bundle up in.

A1A, of course, goes along the beach, and through some neighborhoods, so the traffic was not as bad as Highway 1. We got to see some beautiful homes, and a lot of homes that were either for sale or abandoned.....sad.

The wind picked up from the north/northeast, and it was behind us, so we were bookin'! Because of the schedule change from Monday night to Wednesday night at St. Augustine, we needed to cover a lot of distance on Day 12 to make sure we get home by Saturday night. And God gave us favor. We averaged 2 to 3 miles an hour faster than normal.

We stopped at a Publix for a "convenience" stop, and all of a sudden the lights are flashing, and horns are blaring [why does this always happen to us] - there's a fire truck going to the Publix.....and there's a bunch of people standing around taking pictures....

Wait!

It's Santa! No snow in Florida, so he had to arrive by fire truck......what fun! [I think the adults were enjoying it more!]

Most of the construction for the Mantanzas bridges was done....nice wide shoulders and some real pretty views of the water.

We also went through some pretty bike trails through Palm Coast.

We stopped at Miss Daphne's, but she wasn't home. [This is the Beach House that International Seminary graciously allows us to use from time to time....you can see the 40-foot porch that I refurbished a few months back.]

The ocean was showing the effects of the wind....there were white caps out as far as you could see.

We stopped for lunch at the Pier restaurant in Flagler Beach....good food and great views.

South of Flagler Beach the road was long, and straight, and looooononnnnnggggg.

But the wind was still good and strong behind us. We actually covered the 50 miles to Daytona Beach in less than 8 hours, including our lunch break, convenience store "ministerations," potty stops, and Santa!

We decided to head over the bridge to Port Orange.....the last big bridge we'll go over [I don't think Earline believes me!].

There was a long ramp leading up to a separated walkway.....but it was a tight squeeze.

It truly was a nice walkway separated from the traffic, but it was a big bridge....

....and it was tall....

....but that just meant the views were prettier when you got to the top!

We stopped at a Christian thrift shop, and they recommended a nice, inexpensive motel to stay at [so we could shower!]. Total mileage covered today: 58 miles, in 9 and a half hours.

Thanks, God, for your provision, and your favor.

TGG,
jon

Day 11 - St. Augustine and FSDB

Jon — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:37:55 GMT

We spent the morning with the Thompson's, had a wonderful breakfast, and then got some more rest, washed some clothes, worked on the blog, and prepped for the program that we would be doing in the Music Building at FSDB [Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind] tonight.

I got the trikes ready for the ride over to FSDB [minus the panniers.]

Unlike the shoes and clothes of the Israelites those 40 years in the desert, our tires seem to be wearing out rather quickly. I'll probabably make a run to the Walmart tonight to see if I can find something to get us home with.

The Thompsons treated us to a taco place just walking distance from the house - blackened fish wrapped in a soft and hard shell - good eatin'!

As it was getting dark, and heading over to FSDB, we needed to cross over the [dreaded] Lion's Bridge.

You can just see the red and white guard bar in a vertical position behind the post with the flashers on it. That's what came down the when we tried to cross yesterday!

But we were ready this time! Just took off our side bags before attempting the narrow drawbridge walkway.

At the school security gate, we were again helped by Ron Stafford. The reflective sign on the wall blew out this picture, but I wanted to include it because Ron was so helpful and pleasant to Earline and me. Thanks, Ron!

There was a Young Life leader's meeting and prayer time before the program started, with Don Lohr going through the agenda. [Whoops! It likes like someone was up late last night studying!....Many of the leaders are actually students at Flagler College.....Psst: Maybe just remember to cover your mouth when you yawn next time - you never know who might be taking a picture!] [And yes, Caleb, I remembered your name!]

I also went ahead and tuned up the guitar for a guitar for a warm-up song I would be doing, with some help from Trevor, a sophomore blind student at FSDB.

After the leaders went and got the kids, they had a fun and goofy mixer to get the kids warmed up - kind of like a cakewalk chairs game. This game had different colored tape on the floor that you had to run to and hope that your shapes' color wouldn't be eliminated when the music stopped.

[And yes, Caleb, I DID remember your name!]

I estimate there were around 120-130 students there....not only those who participate in Young Life, but also from some other Christian groups that serve the students. Here is a small portion of the students that were there.

Earline and I shared about not only last year's Mission Possible Tour, but this year's 400 mile trip. We did [of course!] "Deep and Wide", sharing how the Mississippi River is not only only as much as 7 miles wide through Lake Winni, but is at times during floods more than 50 feet deep in some sections of the river. And then we talked about God's love, and how Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 expresses his desire for us to understand how deep, and wide, and long and high God's love for us truly is.

After we had seen the vulture on the road past De Leon Springs, we had written a little song about not being afraid: "Birds, dogs, bridges, and bears - I will not be afraid." And we talked about how perfect love, the type of love that God demonstrates for us, casts out fear!

You know, road kill will preach. If you aren't careful spiritually, you can get run over by the cares of this world. And if you're dead, if you're not moving and growing spiritually....if you're not reading His Word and actively using the gifts that God has given YOU, Satan, like a vulture that will only eat dead stuff, will keep nibbling away at you until you are only a dried, dead carcass that one can barely recognize on the road of life.....AMEN!

Afterwards it was DONUT TIME, with many gooey delights to enjoy. We met Q and Kelly.

Q is a senior and actually lives in Orlando, not far from us. He even volunteered to use his young, strong muscles to help us move some things next week....thanks, Q!

Afterwards the Young Life crew went to the Village Inn for free pie night. How do you guys stay thin??!! [Young, fast metabolism is a wonderful thing.] [And yes, Caleb, I STILL remember your name!]

Sam and Ann treated us to some pie, as well.....thanks, guys!

And thank YOU, Lord God, for allowing us to minister at FSDB....may your Words have a lasting effect on the lives and thoughts of those who saw and heard what you had to say through us.

TGG,
jon

Day 10 - Jacksonville to St. Augustine

Jon — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:57:30 GMT

I got up at 4:45am, and went to the outhouse...not really outhouses per se, but you did have to go "outside" to get to them. And they did not have hot water. I decided, however, that I HAD to wash my hair, so there I am, 5:00 in the morning, sticking my head in the sink and running cold water over it to get clean.

Hot water is a LUXURY! May we never forget to be grateful for the little pleasures that God allows us to have!

Got all packed up and ready to leave as it was getting light. [You can see the "outhouses" in the background.]

We had some prayer time before heading out....Pastor Kenneth was there, but where was Pastor Pat?! [smile] [She actually did wake up soon enough to text us and tease us as we were leaving!]

We got over to Highway 1, and proceeded to head south to St. Augustine....in this part of Florida, the only choices are A1A on the coast, Interstate 95 [which bikes and trikes can't use], or Highway 1....4 lanes and VERY busy. But it DID have a shoulder the whole way.

Yes, it was busy, but that also meant that there were more convenience stores along the way that we took full advantage of, and we were grateful for that.

Once we got south of 295/9A, we did get a freshly black-topped road with bicycle signage that lasted for several miles, so that was nice.

It was pretty much a straight shot the whole way....just mile after mile after mile, heading south/southeast. It is kind of hard to get a photograph to show this, but maybe this one with a train going by gives you some idea....we could sometimes literally see, I would guess, 5 to 7 miles of road and electrical line poles.

We stopped for lunch in the sunshine, beside an overpass that looked like it went to some new golf resort, or retirement community. [Yes, I had my graham cracker, peanut butter, and Spam sandwich....mmm, mmm, mmm.]

FINALLY made it to St. Augustine. [Actually, we made good time, in about 7 hours....I think all the semis and dump trucks whizzing by us gave us a little boost of air every time they went by!]

Does Earline look tired? She said she was.

We stopped in at FSDB and talked with Ron Stafford at the security gate. He said that they indeed had received the e-mail that we would be coming on campus the next evening at 6:00pm for a presentation with Young Life at the Music Building.

A quick stop at the DQ [ah, yes]....

We continued on to the Lion's Bridge drawbridge, and Earline didn't seem TOO concerned....not a big bridge, and a separated walkway [with LOTS of joggers and cyclists].

Little did we know the adventure ahead of us!

[See, I thought to myself, wouldn't it be kinda neat if Earline got to see the drawbridge work.....oh,oh.]

The walkway climb to the drawbridge was more than wide enough for us to maneuver comfortably.

HOWEVER.....

....the walkway over the drawbridge itself was not. I would guess probably 36 inches.

Well, my trike is 33 inches wide [Earline's, 31], and when I tried to go thru the drawbridge walkway, I got STUCK! My side bags stick out a few inches on each side, and I couldn't get through.

THEN, the bells starting dinging, lights started flashing....what??!!

Apparently the drawbridge was about to be raised!

NOW what do we do??!!

Well, this older gentlemen stepped out of the gatehouse with a reflective vest on, briskly walked towards us, seemingly asking "what in the world were we doing??!!"

So the man is talking fast, Earline is talking behind me, the bells are still ringing, the lights are still flashing, cars are backing up at the red and white striped guard bar BEHIND us, and I didn't understand the man's question, so he asked [rather sternly], "Don't you speak English?!"

So I just said, yes, but I didn't quite catch his question.

He then asked, will it fit? And I said, with the side bags off, that I thought that, yes, it would. [Even though my custom handlebars stick out an inch or so on each side!] I also said that Earline's trike was more narrow, so she shouldn't have any problem.

So he waved us on through, and I proceeded across the drawbridge, with about a half inch to spare on each side!

Then once we got across the drawbridge, the black gate closed behind us, but the red and white guard bar AHEAD of us was down, and we couldn't get through.

We were stuck!

However, I guess that was okay, because our walkie-talkies were apparently on the same channel as the bridge staff, and we could hear them talking about the bikers that were caught between the gate and the guard bar, and that apparently it was going to be alright for them to raise the drawbridge.

So there we sat, all by ourselves, while the drawbridge was slowly raised. I DID get a picture of that!

Talk about drama!.....HA!

We WILL have to go back across the bridge to go to the school for our presentation, but at least now we have a little better understanding of what we need to do to get across.

We continued on a few more blocks to the home of Sam and Ann Thompson, that everyone at Neighborhood Alliance Church in Longwood asked about, and had a delightful time of fellowship [and teasing] with Sam and his family.

Thank you again, Lord, for your blessing and your provision in times of boredom [the long ride on Highway 1], AND excitement [Lion's Bridge].

TGG,
jon

Day 10 UPDATE

Jon — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:26:27 GMT

Just arrived safely in St. Augustine. Busy, busy road but shoulder most of the way.

[Txt'd from a quick stop at Dairy Queen...YEA!] Thx, God!

Day 9 - Ministry in Jacksonville

Jon — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 04:03:00 GMT

The forecast is 80% chance of rain today....and we aren't triking! What a great timing! Thanks, God!

I quickly in the morning loaded up the dirty clothes and headed by trike to a laundromat only a mile away [I can see on radar the showers won't arrive until around noon], and Earline prepared for a leadership meeting for some ladies from FBDA [the Florida chapter of the national Deaf Black Advocates].

In the afternoon Earline had her meeting....they discussed the purpose of agendas, and about knowing and accomplishing your mission statement.

After I got back from washing clothes, I set the computer on a table outside [the fellowship building had aluminum sides and roof, and I couldn't get a good satellite signal inside], and worked on the blog as the rain came.

And it got cold! Temperature probably dropped 20, 25 degrees in a matter of an hour or 2. In the evening, Pastor Pat and her husband Pastor Kenneth took us out for a wonderful meal at Golden Corral [How are we supposed to lose any weight on our trip?....ha!].

We then headed back for one last night in our little room.

Back at the Fellowship Hall, while I worked on the blog, Pastor Pat, Earline, Rose, and Sam had a long discussion about Deaf ministry, and life, and....well, around 8:00pm I heard them talking about closing in prayer, and around 10:00pm I heard them....talking about closing in prayer! Ha!

Thanks Lord, for a day of discussion, of learning, of organizing, and of trying to be more like You.

TGG,
jon

Day 8 - Ministry at Ephphatha

Jon — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:23:03 GMT

Happy Sunday!....and half way thru the 2011 Mission POSSIBLE Tour.

Pastor Pat agreed to let us take the Sunday School time to teach The 10C [10 commandments] in a visual format that helps memorize each one. These graphics are taken from Living Waters, specifically the Evidence Bible from Ray Comfort. [I even got to teach a couple songs: "Deep and Wide," and a brand new song inspired by the vultures: "Birds, Dogs, Bridges, and Bears!"]

Pastor Pat introducing us:

Earline teaching the 10C:

The congregation watching Earline:

Brother Anthony Seawright [Dr. Antz] did a visual teaching on the seeds [sins] that stick to your pants [person]. Good teaching!

And we also found out that Dr. Antz is the boyfriend of Faye from First Baptist Deaf Church of Baton Rouge where we were the past 2 summers. Small world! [See: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtqJrNOZ4-k ]

Bro. Buzz was the official photographer for the day:

There was even a short celebration and gooey cake after the service....Ephphatha was celebrating their 28th Anniversary! Congratulations!

Earline also had the opportunity to do some one-on-one question-and-answering:

Here's the whole congregation for a picture after the service.

By the way, did I tell you that Ephphatha means "Be opened"? [See Mark 7:34, and the surrounding story]. Thank you, Ephphatha Deaf Assemblies of God Church for your warmth, and your hospitality. We love you!

At the end of the day we took advantage of the $2 specials at Taco Bell. Thank you, Lord, for using us today. May your words, that were spoken through us, have special and lasting effects in the hearts of the hearers of those words.

TGG,
jon

Day 7 - Orange Park to Ephphatha Deaf Church in Jax

Jon — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:05:30 GMT

Packed up early and got a special send-off with our great niece, Juicey. Here's Lynda, AC, and Earline, with Juicey getting a chance to try out Earline's trike.

All ready to go!

Juicey leading the way.

AC gave 30 years of his life to the United States Navy, and they live in a beautiful neighborhood called Eagle Landing. Thanks guy, for all of your hospitality; it was great to see all of you! [AND to eat Cocoa's macaroni and cheese and AC's special eggs....WOW!]

After we had gone a ways, Earline disappeared!.....Where?....oh, there!

Found you!

On towards downtown Jacksonville....the shortest [but busiest] way to go was Blanding Avenue, but it WAS busy. Thanks for ALL of your prayers for safety!

We had to find a way to get over the St. Johns River, and it was recommended to us that for cyclists the Acosta Bridge was best. Here was our approach to the bridge:

There was a separated walkway, and Earline seemed to handle without too much fear [does she look confident?].

We eventually arrived at the Ephphatha Deaf Assemblies of God Church just off of Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville. Some members were busy cleaning the fellowship hall so that we would have a place to stay. Here's Sam, Hecter, and Michael:

They were even putting up some Christmas decorations:

And, of course, they needed some supervision! Here's Earline and Rose:

At the end of the day, Pastor Pat took us to Picadilly's buffet for a grateful feast. [Yes, Sis. Ivory, that is my milk and chocolate milk in the foreground!]

It was nice to sit with Pastor Pat and share ideas about how to more effective in Deaf ministry. As Peter said in 2 Peter 1:12...we need to "keep reminding each other of these truths" that these eyewitnesses shared with us.

Again, only through God's grace,
jon

Day 6 - Rest and Family Time

Jon — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 12:26:00 GMT

One of the little "fear" songs I wrote for the 2010 Mission POSSIBLE Tour says, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." [2 Timothy 1:7]

A sound mind.

It is available to us, but for some reason we choose NOT to pursue it. It was sad to hear about the foolishness at the Walmart in California yesterday at a Black Friday sale where someone pepper-sprayed other customers so that they could get an xBox or a Wii for half price.

What foolishness!

Are we so enamored with things, that we will hurt or run over other people to get the THINGS that we want?

It was really nice yesterday to be able to not only finally figure out the technical problems that I was having with this BLOG, but especially to be able to spend time with AC and Lynda, and our niece Cocoa, and her daughter "Juicey." [And okay, even watch a little football, too...ha!]

[Here's Lynda and Earline assuming a comfortable computer user position!]

Lord, just help us never forget that each moment with another person is PRECIOUS, and that YOU have a special love for EACH of us! May we NEVER take that for granted.

I hope YOU had a truly blessed Thanksgiving [and a SAFE Black Friday.] Today is Saturday, and we head out this morning to downtown Jacksonville and the Ephphatha Deaf Assemblies of God Church. Pastor Pat has agreed to let us stay there tonight, and to minister a little on Sunday. Thank you, God.

Thru God's Grace,
jon

Day 5 - Happy Thanksgiving!

Jon — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 19:53:01 GMT

We were very grateful for the secure place to stay last night, and got up with the sun this morning. But it got COOL last night, and in the shade it had to be in the lower 50s, upper 40s [kinda reminded me of Northern Minnesota in June....the coolness and the expanse of trees.] Take a look:

At least it was flat!

We went past this interesting sign....do you know anything about these "Old regular Baptists?"

In Green Cove Springs saw this real pretty view of the the St. Johns River right next to the Elks Club:

Heading out on 209, there was no shoulder, and fairly heavy traffic, I thought, for a holiday, but there WERE more really pretty scenes along the road on this truly GORGEOUS day!

Finally made it to Earline's brother's house around 3pm. Parked IN the garage [oooo].

Thanks again, Lord, for a pretty day for a ride, and the safe completion of the first leg of our journey. Make this a blessed time of fellowship with AC and Lynda, and prepare our hearts for our time with Ephphatha Deaf Assembly of God in Jacksonville, and the time with the students of FSDB on Wednesday.

[I created a song about vultures for the kids.....it's fun!]

TGG,
jon