Day 30 - June 17 - Tulsa to Vinita, OK

Day 30 - June 17 - Tulsa to Vinita, OK (64 miles / 1620 total m)

We left Taiwan, a month ago today!  The morning started with a crack of lightning and the retort of thunder.  As Ed and I took Brenda to the Tulsa airport, it was raining hard.  Brenda's flight to MSP was delayed, but we said our goodbyes -- never easy!  We were back to Ed & Doris' by a little after 6 AM.  And, after we had eaten breakfast, the rain had stopped and we said our goodbyes to the Kuelzer's.  What a wonderful blessing the family of God is!  What sweet fellowship thru Jesus Christ our Lord!

We were on I-44 briefly thru Tulsa, which saved us lots of traffic lights, and then headed NE on Rt 66 toward Vinita.  It was much quieter, and the road, for the most part was good.  Nevertheless, we had 6 flat tires, 2 for each of us.  My rear tire went flat for the second time within sight of the motel in Vinita - I just walked it in!  About halfway the wind picked up (mostly into us) and it started to rain harder and harder.  Fortunately, we are scheduled to be anywhere today and we took it slow.  We arrived in Vinita by 1:30 PM, managing about 12.5 miles an hour.  We were completely drenched!  We've spent the afternoon repairing inner-tubes, and washing wet and stinky laundry.

Over the weekend, it was encouraging to look at a big 2-page atlas map of the US, and notice that Tulsa was located east of the middle of the page!  We're on the right side of the US, and have come more than 1600 miles!  In a month's time, one day at a time, we've crossed nearly half the US!  I can't help but compare this Gloritrek to the challenges of church planting among a UPG!  It won't happen over-night; but if you are faithful and consistent, God will bless and you'll see progress being made!  It won't always be easy, and we'll be tempted to give up, but God's glory and lost people groups are worth the effort -- for we are servants of the Living God!

Tomorrow we head to Joplin, MO; and the College Heights Christian Church -- a model of what we would hope every church would aspire to be/do for UPG's!

Thanks for praying for us!
Dave, Luey and Andy

 

Day 28 - June 15 - Stroud to Tulsa, OK

Day 28 - June 15 - Stroud to Tulsa, OK (58 miles)

The hills from OKC leveled out a little as we got closer to Tulsa.  We biked on Rt 66, much quieter than the interstate, but no shoulder beyond the white line -- only the ditch.  This only presented a problem once, when an oil tanker truck nearly ran me off the road.  Despite no on-coming traffic, the trucker didn't move his truck over an inch!  It was close, but the Lord took care of us yet again!  We arrived a little before noon.

We arrived in Tulsa and went straight to Ed & Doris Kuelzer's home.  Ed is the missions chairman of the Sandusky Ave Christian Church.  Had we know what was for lunch, we would have pedaled faster!  Ed made brisket -- 5 days in the preparation!  Doris made wonderful potato salad, baked beans, brownies....It was all outstanding!  Luey said it was the best meat he has ever tasted!  We ate lunch with the preacher -- Paul Ortiz!  Doris collects plates from England and elsewhere - a very lovely couple and beautiful home!  Wonderful hosts!

Brenda was waiting for us in Tulsa!  It was an answer to prayer to be reunited with my bride of more than 25 years.  It was a little tearful, I must admit!  We went out Saturday evening

with our old friends John & Julie Wiscaver.  It was great seeing them again and catching up with them.

Day 29 - June 16 - Tulsa, OK (Worship Day)

Day 29 - June 16 - Tulsa, OK (Worship Day)

Sandusky Ave Christian Church hosted us, and Paul Ortiz allowed me to preach for the morning worship.  It was a great morning!  Since it was FATHER'S DAY, we related stepping out in faith as a dad to the legacy we pass on to our children.  Abraham, became a father and a blessing to the nations -- through faith!

Jack Foreman, Chuck Foreman's dad, came to SACC to see us.  Of course, Jimmy Foreman, is Chuck's younger brother and the youth minister at SACC.  It was great seeing them, as we've heard so many stories about them.

Ed and Doris invited Jack for lunch, and Ed again barbecued for us!  What a blessing!  In the evening they hosted their CARE group for an evening of Q & A with the missionary.  We introduced Taiwan and talked about some of the exciting things happening around the world!  What a group!  I've never had a group ask so many great questions!

It was a great day with Sandusky Ave, and we pray that maybe something that was shared through Gloritrek will bear Kingdom fruit!  Thank you, Ed & Doris  -- what a blessing you are to us!

Day 27 - June 14 - OKC to Stroud, OK

Day 27 - June 14 - OKC to Stroud, OK (64 miles)

There is a musical called "Oklahoma," -- "Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain..."  I wondered today if the author of that song had ever really been to OK, because there aint no plains -- OK (especially east of OKC) is all hills!  

Andy's bike has a fairly serious problem with the rear rim.  We are praying that it will hold out until we arrive in Tulsa and can get it replaced.

We were all pretty worn out today as we turned our bikes into the Best Western parking lot.  Luey's temperature gauge read 42 C / 107.6!  I went to the pool to soak some sore muscles -- tempted to grumble a little, that is, until I met two nice young men using the motel pool to do therapy.  One needed a wheelchair and the other crutches.  Somehow, my legs didn't ache so much anymore!

On Route 66 we stopped at a little Motorcycle Museum.  It actually had a '75 Honda Goldwing -- same color as the one I gave up several year ago!  It broke my heart to part with my classic motorcycle.  I wonder if sometimes we hold on too tightly to the stuff of this earth.  What would you give up to save souls?  A UPG?  What did Jesus give to save you?

Tonight we've been warned there could be storms.  There use to be a mall next door to this motel.  It was completely destroyed by a twister!  Tomorrow, Lord willing, we will pedal to Tulsa, and the Sandusky Ave. Christian Church.  Brenda is already there waiting for us!  :-)

Thank you for praying!
Dave, Luey and Andy

Day 26 - June 13 - Hinton to Oklahoma City, OK

Day 26 - June 13 - Hinton to Oklahoma City, OK (46 miles)

We stayed in a nice little motel in the little town of Hinton.  We ate supper and breakfast with a bunch of oil drillers.  All nice guys who were very curious about what we were doing.

Traveling along I-40 we saw all kinds of debris and destruction from the recent tornadoes.  It was very sad to see buildings destroyed and trees snapped or ripped from the ground -- what power those tornadoes have!

We finally said good-bye to I-40, just outside of OKC.  From now on we'll be traveling NE.  Met a nice motorcycle cop on a new BMW -- a sweet ride!  Arrived at Mark and Cathy Hinderliter's by 10 AM.  Cathy is a chef, and began feeding us almost right away.  Mark came home for lunch.  Cathy is Chuck Foreman's younger sister, and they have an adopted son from Taiwan.  It was great seeing old pictures from their trip to Kaohsiung in 2003.

We had an evening Gloritrek program at Cherokee Hills Christian Church.  It was a nice gathering for a Thursday evening.  They asked lots of great questions and even asked for the PP files, so the missions committee could review the material and make additions to what they are already doing!

We really enjoyed visiting with Mark and Cathy -- it was very difficult leaving their house this morning!  Did I mention that Cathy is an awesome cook -- homemade strawberry/rhubarb yogurt -- just one of the things we had for breakfast!

Back to the tornadoes -- some of you will not need to imagine that a tornado is bearing down on you, but how would you feel if you were in the path of a tornado; nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.  Wouldn't you be terrified?  Now, imagine what it would be like to stand before the Judgment Seat and not know the Savior, our Redeemer, our Mediator.  Nearly everytime someone saw an angel in the Bible, they were terrified.  Imagine standing before the God of all Creation and not being ready for that day.  We've passed hundreds of crosses along the highway, indicating that someone died in that spot on the highway.  I wonder how many were ready to see the Lord.  Yes, there is an urgency in the Gospel going to the nations!

Thank you, Mark and Cathy!  We were truly blessed yet again!
Thank you for praying!
Dave, Luey and Andy

Day 25 - June 12 - Elk City to Hinton, OK

Day 25 - June 12 - Elk City to Hinton, OK (65 miles)

Casting Crowns sings a song, "Who Am I?"  A portion of it goes, "Not because of who I am, but because of what you've done.  Not because of what I've done, but because of who You are -- I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow, a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind. Still, you hear me when I'm calling; Lord, you catch me when I'm falling, and you've told me who I am --  I am Yours.  I am Yours."  I was listening to this song early this morning as I pedaled across a rolling prairie here in OK.

The God of all the earth, our Creator, our Father; knows and loves us!  He delights in accomplishing His will through us.  How completely awesome that we have the opportunity to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  How completely amazing is God's grace and love for us -- not because of anything we've done, or who we are -- but because of who God is!  That there are still entire people groups who have not had the opportunity to know this God -- how can we sit passively by and allow the world to live in darkness.  True, we are merely "a vapor in the wind," but the Lord delights in doing amazing things through us -- to God be the glory!

Today we climbed more than 1200 ft over 65 miles.  For most of the morning we had the wind from our right side -- sometimes helping and sometimes wanting to blow us into the traffic.  We made good time today, averaging nearly 15 MPH.  We stopped a few times to refill water bottles.  The heat and humidity is coming earlier each morning.  I had worked up a good sweat by 7:30 AM.  It is expected to be 103 F here in Hinton this afternoon.  If you are looking at our map, then you noticed we came farther today than was scheduled.  This will hopefully allow us to arrive a little earlier tomorrow into OKC, and the Cherokee Hills Christian Church.

Please pray for Brenda, as she'll be flying from Portland to Tulsa tomorrow morning -- hosted by our friends from way back -- John & Julie Wiscaver.

Thank you for praying!
Dave, Luey & Andy

Day 24 - McLean, OK to Elk City, OK

Day 24 - McLean, OK to Elk City, OK  (75 miles)
(Yes, I am correcting the timeline -- we are on day 24, not day 23)

Afternoon temperatures are going over 100 F, so we left the Cactus Inn a little before 6:00 AM.  Our breakfast was pizza and poptarts.  It was about 37 miles to the Texas / Oklahoma border, and we were treated by the Lord to a wonderful sunrise -- colors that only God could paint!

We stopped by the OK welcome center -- the nicest rest area I've ever seen -- even Elk antler chandeliers!  We've met lots of nice folks at the rest areas we visit -- even sharing the reason for Gloritrek.  Sometimes, we've really had to tear ourselves away!

Right after we left the welcome center, we caught up to Hiro again -- the young man from Japan who is biking and camping solo across the US.  He is carrying a lot of gear -- and has a bigger camera than Luey!

We got off of I-40 and rode 10 miles on Route 66.  We followed the original highway, which is now overgrown with trees.  We enjoyed the quiet highway, but not all the bumping along.  So, we opted to get back on I-40.  We arrived in Elk City a little after noon.  We understand there is a Christian Church here in town.  Our co-worker in Taiwan, Scott Pagel tried to reach the church for us, and never had any success.  Too bad, as we'd much prefer to share our message, rather than spend another night in a motel!  We're looking forward to OKC and Tulsa, as we have churches hosting us in both places!  Also, Brenda will fly into Tulsa and spend the weekend with us.  It will have been a month since we left Taiwan to begin Gloritrek!

This morning I was thinking about URGENCY as we biked along.  There is an urgency in our biking -- to finish biking early and beat the afternoon heat.  Is there an urgency to the Gospel message?  You bet!  Jesus said, "I am coming soon!"  Come, Lord Jesus!

BTW, to see more pictures, you can click on the "Pictures" tab on the home page -- it will direct you to a Flickr acct.

Thank you for praying!
Dave, Luey & Andy