Thursday, July 18, 2013

Day 61 - July 18 - Fairfield, OH (Rest Day)

Day 61 - July 18 - Fairfield, OH (Rest Day)

I'm spending the day with my mom, here in Fairfield.  Luey and Andy are being entertained by Pastor Dave.  Days like these are so rare, days to be cherished!  Tonight we will have supper with my youngest sister, Becki, and her family!  Looking forward to seeing them!

We will be back on the road tomorrow morning, but not too far -- to Mason, OH.  We'll actually be going beyond Mason, to Morrow, which means we'll be going down into the Little Miami River valley, and then up the other side.  We're staying with Chad Powers and his family -- from Brenda's home church in Brocton, IL.

We'll be having a Gloritrek event tomorrow evening at Christ's Church in Mason.  Will we see you there?  Then, a Gloritrek event along the Little Miami River with the Georgetown (OH) Church of Christ.  Then, on to Wilmington, and my home church for Sunday!  Thank you, Lord, for opportunities such as these!  May we be faithful -- for Your glory!

God has been so good to us!

Thank you for praying!
Dave, Luey and Andy

Postscript -- You've heard the expression, "While the cats away the mice will play!"  And, boy did Luey and Andy have a great time with David and Connie.  They went everywhere:  Union Station, downtown Cincy, Mt Adams, Montgomery Inn Restaurant -- all without me!  They also ate dinner with a family from Taiwan!

You can see most of their pictures on Flickr!  Here's just a few from our rest day!










Day 60 - July 17 - Erlanger, KY to Fairfield, OH (30 mi)

Day 60 - July 17 - Erlanger, KY to Fairfield, OH (30 mi)

Two months ago, today, we boarded the plane to the US from Taiwan.  It would be fair to say that we were more than a little anxious about the road ahead.  I wasn't even sure we'd make it out of the desert, let alone to our 11th state -- Ohio -- my home state!

We rode the 30 miles from Erlanger church to Fairfield -- all city riding, through the heart of downtown Cincinnati.  We crossed the Ohio river for the second time on Gloritrek.  Cincy is really a beautiful city!  However, as we came through several sections of the city, it was obvious that the church has much to do at home, as well as abroad!  Our God is a big God, so don't believe we haven't the resources to focus our attention on both.  God can and will provide everything we need to convey the Gospel to all! We arrived at the Fairfield church by about 10 AM, beating the heat (for the most part).  We appreciated my mom and a couple of her friends driving to Erlanger and transporting our bags, which seem to be getting heavier as we accumulate stuff.

What a blessing the Fairfield Church of Christ has been -- to my mother, POM (Parent of Missionary); as well as to Gloritrek!  David and Connie Hargrave (David is the sr. minister) took us to the restaurant of our choice -- amazingly, we ended up at Skyline Chili again!  :-)  What a blessing to see mom again! What a woman of great faith she is!

After LaRosa's Pizza with the missions team, we had the Gloritrek event with a terrific crowd!  They were terrific, with the questions continuing into the linger longer.  For the first time on Gloritrek, I actually had folks ask me if they could see my back and the scar that runs down my spine.  I'm happy to oblige, as it is a testimony to the power of God!  THe Fairfield church has a long history with Team Expansion, and is presently involved with at least three UPG's!  I applaud their vision and pray that their faith will spread to churches who have yet to adopt a people group!  I am reminded of what Jesus said, and I'm paraphrasing, "To those who have, more will be given.  To those who don't have; even what they have will be taken from them and given to those who have."  Meaning:  God blesses churches that seek to do God's will, taking the Gospel to all nations.  Those churches whose focus is elsewhere......well?!?

Thank you for praying!
Dave, Luey and Andy









Day 59 - July 16 - Carrollton to Erlanger, KY

Day 59 - July 16 - Carrollton to Erlanger, KY (52 miles)

We set out from Carrollton, after a wonderful breakfast with Francisco and Sue (I think she thought there were 10 guys on the Gloritrek team -- so much food).  For the first half of the ride we paralleled the Ohio River.  We rode in a fog that was quite heavy at times.  I thought about those who worship idols, who are also in a fog of hopelessness and despair, who have never known real love.

After 20 miles, we left the river and began climbing toward N Kentucky.  It was up and down for the remaining 22 miles, to Harry and Patti's home.  They live 10 miles south of the Erlanger Church of Christ.  We arrived by 10:30 AM, and after showers, we promptly set out for lunch at Skyline Chili!  Now, Patti knows how to entertain guests!  We also went for haircuts, and a pool!

Patti coordinated the Gloritrek event at the Erlanger church, and arranged for us to ride our bikes the 10 miles from their home to the church with a few folks from the church.  Sophie, a fourth grader, rode a few blocks with us to the church!  Reminded me of when our girls were little, when we first moved to Taiwan, and my girls enjoyed riding bikes!  What a blessing!

A great crowd turned out for the Gloritrek event, even exceeding all expectations!  It was a terrific evening as we see the Lord working in hearts and in His church!

Pictures to come later!

Thanks for praying!
Dave, Luey and Andy