Day 35 & 36

Sorry we didn't blog last night. It just got too late. But for a great reason...WE GOT TO GO TO CHURCH! More on that later!
Left Bryant Marsh's ranch at our usual time. Rained all night and it was cloudy all day, but we stayed dry. Thank you Lord. We moved the horses & wagon up to the end of the drive where we stopped to pray. That usually works good for us. It seems to settle the horses getting in a few steps & gettin' next to the road. They stand better than if we hitch them and try and sit in that where they were hitched. They are usually anxious & ready to "git up". (that's the way I say it...drives Punkin nuts! snicker-snicker!! So of course ya actually have to say giiiiiiiiiiiit UP). But I digress....so we're sitting on the end of the drive and a FedEx truck starts backing in! I mean the guy is precariously close to backing into Casey & Bob. In fact I am surprised they didn't start trying to back on me. I didn't want to scream at the guy so I am waving my hands frantically trying to get him to see me in a mirror. But alas he finally stopped feet from the team. I told him I was afraid he didn't see us & he replied " FedEx requires we get the truck out of potential accidents situations when parked". I said "yeah but...." I just let it go. I don't know what some people are thinkin'! And to top it off...he was at the wrong house!!! Lord give me strength!
   We had a special delivery yesterday before we left. Some good gloves and a top shelf rain suit. Once again Dave Reslock came all the way from Michigan and came amazingly close to finding us. The delivery was made by Annette Hesters (they own Hesters Log Guest Homes). Apparently Dave talked to the police and recommended her as to "if anyone can find them she can". And I do not how...but she did. Thanks to Chadd Grevengoed who donated the rain suit....and thanks to all for caring and going threw all the trouble of locating us. You folks are amazing. And the entire act touched our hearts deeply.
Dave would like us all to pray for his daughter, Kelly.  She is just battered and tormented by seizures.  We know these folks from home and this is something she and they, Dave and Karen (mom & dad) have battled for more than 30 years.  Time for a break.  The Lord is the great physician.  Plus...Kelly is just the sweetest!
   We have been on the back roads too long I think. We jumped on a state hwy 39 today and Bob was a mess all day. Every truck that passed put him in a frenzy. He never has acted like that before. I spent all day trying to quiet him and to no avail. Every truck and bus that passed us or was on coming his head shot up & his butt dropped and he forced Casey to the shoulder. So eventually Casey just started stopping in her tracks when she heard a truck knowing Bob was goin' to slam into her. So when it started getting dark early (cloudy) we prayed in a place. Everybody was stressed. When we saw what looked like a likely spot (grass and a big turn around) Punkin went up to knock and request. She really does not like doing that. It takes every bit of courage she has.But as the weather gets nastier less & less people are outside, sometimes it can't be helped.
   But once again we were right where God wanted us. We pulled in and it started to rain. Glad we had the horses off the road. Our hosts are Art & Margie Fryman. And they are just the greatest. By the time we had horses unhitched-brushed-fence up-watered-grained-fed- dogs walked-bed unloaded (extra stuff with no permanent storage spot) and moved to the seats out front and everything rain covered...we came in and collapsed to catch our breath. We started talking about supper and we hear Art calling us from outside, so we opened the door and lo and behold there he was with two pipin' hot dishes full up barbecued pork chops, potatoes and green beans. You have no idea what a blessing that was on a cold wet night after being out all day wrestlin' gators! And the second blessing came...we are goin' to church at 6:30 if y'all would like to ride along! I said we would LOVE TO! Little did they know that they were angels used by God because we had been prayin' in a service.
So Punkin and I sat down and ate like a couple of wolves and heard the car horn beeping. We jumped in and went to our first church meetin' since we left. As is typical of Protestant churches Wednesday service is a round table teaching from the bible led by the Pastor. He taught on Eph. 4 (15 threw 21 I think). I remember this well because I went to Gal. instead & when it came time to read I was in the wrong book (way too embarrassing!). Then I fumbled around trying to find the right book! I think I was 13 shades of red,as there was only hand full people there,  but tried to set my feelings aside and focus on the teaching. It had been so long. I am really surprised I had so much trouble finding it...as Eph 6:13 and the puttin' on the armour of God is one of my favorite passages. Any way the teaching was great, and so was the company. Nice to be in the house of the Lord again. The Lord has shown us in a small way how missionaries around the world must feel with no church to go to for extended periods of time to themselves get fed and refreshed. We should hold up all the missionaries around the world up in prayer for just that more often. I know we will. When your away from your church, or any church for that matter there is a peace, warmth, and comfort in setting foot in the house of God and talking with other believers. We were at  Union Baptist Church, with Pastor Bob & Lois Read.Others we met were Art and Margie's daughter Kathy Lemon, and Jim Skomac. Good sound biblical teachings, and good folks with a heart for the Lord. Anyone in the area we would recommend this church. And they ask that we hold them up in prayer for membership and I would add for new disciples in Christ, that those that are lost would find their church to be a place of safe haven and the arms of the Lord good comfort. Thanks for all. And thanks for makin' us feel welcome.
   Thursday was as forecasted. Wet and cold (40degrees). I looked out onto the hwy and watched streams of water pouring off the passing trucks and cars. Not good. But we had escaped most of the rain all week during the day. Even though the horses had only 3 consecutive days punkin & I contemplated and prayed whether to ask our hosts for another day of rest for the horses. I did not want to take Bob out there after yesterday's wrestlin' match. I wanted him to settle not have another stress day. I let them eat while we watched the sky & road.
   Visitors arrived later this morning. The Pastor & his wife and their friend Carol Murphy. Art and Margie came out and we all stood out in the drizzle for a while and chatted til our guests who were not dressed for the weather departed. Hope everyone got dried again and thanks for comin'. We took the opportunity to ask permission of Art and Margie for 24 hours respite and  they readily agreed. Thanks guys.
    We met Maureen  Nesset along our travels today she asked that we pray for her for a long happy life.
Thanks for all & thanks for following and praying for us. May God bless each and everyone of you.
Good night and GOD bless. Talk to all tomorrow with more traveling news.