Day 66 - July 23 - Washington CH to Delaware, OH

Day 66 - July 23 - Washington CH to Delaware, OH (58 mi / 2729 total miles)

The morning fog shrouded us as we rode from Bob and Carol's up the 3C Highway toward Columbus. We made good time, aided by a slight SW breeze and averaged 16 MPH to Columbus.  We joined up with the Olentangy Bike Trail, which goes north-south through Columbus for 13 miles.

We arrived at Rob and Melissa Fenstermaker's home right at noon.  Rob is the missions chairman for the Worthington Christian Church.  WCC does a great job in the area of missions, supporting several mission works to UPG's.  We visited the WCC building -- they really are cutting edge in a lot of ways!

Tonight, Rob and Melissa are hosting a Gloritrek event in their home, and we hope to see several old friends!  More later -- supper is served!

POSTSCRIPT:  We had an absolutely wonderful evening with a small group, hosted by the Fenstermaker's!  Among those attending were Doug and Terri Swan, who I went to college with.  Terri, and her twin sister, Gerri, were two of my closest friends.  And, Doug, there's not space to tell about all we did while in college, besides study, of course!  :-)

About the vision for Gloritrek, 7 1/2 years ago, was it metaphorical or literal?  Was the Lord telling me that I was going to recover, or that this was something that I would one day do with my son?  Both, I believe!  The Apostle John, in Revelation 7, had a vision too -- of the throne room in Heaven.  He saw, "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb."  Was it metaphorical or do you believe it can and will happen?  If you believe it will happen, do you believe YOU are a part of God's plan to reach the UPG's?  I don't know about you, but I want to be in on the amazing things God is, and will do, around the world for His Glory!

Thank you for praying!
Dave, Luey and Andy

Day 65 - July 22 - Wilmington to Washington CH, OH

Day 65 - July 22 - Wilmington to Washington CH, OH (28 mi)

We said good-bye to the Vance's, who have blessed me more than I have space to write, and set out from the church building.  Dale, the preacher, came early to open the building and pray with us!  Though it was raining, my heart was full as we pedaled through Wilmington.  This community has been through a lot in the last few years, but the Gospel is advancing.

No where is that more evident than in Sabina, just up the road from Wilmington, where my friend from grade school, Troy Villars, preaches.  The church is in the middle of a building campaign -- a complete relocation.  Troy took us to what they're doing, and what they have plans to do!  PTL!

We said good-bye to Troy, and the rain stopped as we rode through Washington Court House (CH), and rode out of town to the east, and Bob and Carol Walisa's home.  They have a beautiful home in the woods, and were wonderful hosts!  Bob and Carol's trees like to make faces at us, though!  Bob goes on a lot of missions trips, so we had much to talk about.

Thanks to Ray Vance, another of my grade school friends, and the preacher at South Side, they already knew all about me.  Most of the stories Ray has told about me, going back to Jr and Sr high, I remember differently.  In fact, in most of the stories, I was nearly completely innocent!  :-)  Ray is in Haiti right now, but the South Side church hosted a fine Gloritrek event, and had a very good crowd out on a Monday evening.  Bob, Luey, Andy and I almost missed the meeting, because we were having too much fun eating and talking!

I'm thinking about the value of retired folks in missions:  what a blessing they can be to the nations!  What a new lease on life the Lord can give them as they serve the Lord cross-culturally!  Ask Bob, he'll tell you how missions has impacted his life!

Thank you for praying!
Dave, Luey and Andy

Day 64 - Wilmington, OH (Worship Day)

Day 64 - Wilmington, OH (Worship Day)

What a blessing to worship with my home church, to see the people whom the Lord used to guide me through some difficult growing up years.  What a blessing they have been to us for nearly four decades.  It is an absolute certainty that without WCC, I would certainly NOT be in ministry today and probably wouldn't be alive either!  God is so good!

As I went from SS class to SS class, greeting my church family; I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me.  As I stood to preach, I knew I needed to forget about the sermon outline, and just share what the Holy Spirit laid upon my heart.  I'm not sure what I said, or if it made any sense at all -- but I was truly overwhelmed by a spirit of gratitude for all that the Lord has done and is doing through WCC!  Praise the Lord!

Later, in the afternoon, Hugh Vance, a fellow with whom I have had great fun for many years, took us boating to Caesar's Creek Lake.  Hugh has a speed boat -- and we hit speeds of 50-60 MPH!  What a blast it was!  COming back to Bill and Janet Vance's home is like coming home for me, since they adopted me into their family when I was still in Jr High.  We spent the even reminiscing, and catching up on what the Vance children are all doing (three of their sons are in ministry).  We all slept very well!

Thank you for praying!
Dave, Luey and Andy