The sun was breaking over the tree line as we roared into Wytheville, VA. The Appalachian Conference had already fed us breakfast and given us a night of rest in A BED! Pastor Gary Cope and Word of Life Ministries went out of their way to serve our veterans and our team.
This is the last morning for pictures and “thank – yous” from the RFTW Leadership. We lined up for the daily duties; there was a calm over the crowd.
This day would be a day for children to minister to the veterans – something like you have never seen. Children were released from school to share their talents and things they had made. Schools spend months preparing for this day.
As the kids are singing one veteran turns around and begins to weep. A Chaplain embraces him and asks if he is okay. The man keeps his head down, wipes his face and says, “Thanks for covering my tears.” The Chaplain replies, “You can cry. It’s okay.” The man then looks at him and says, “Thanks for being here.” It’s not always a heavy or difficult job. You don’t need years of training and experience to minister to these people. You just need a loving ear and simple, friendly words.
One man turned with tears in his eyes and stated that he would not miss this part for anything. “See, my daughter’s ex-boyfriend came in the night and burned the house down with her and all my grandkids in it,” he explained. One of our Chaplains reached out to him in love.
One little boy named R.J. shared his life story and grabbed the heart of another Chaplain this morning. He’s moving back in the PaPa. So many children live in terrible conditions at home. It’s heartbreaking.
One of the veterans shared how he felt it is wrong to have Chaplains sleeping in tents. Therefore, he is personally going to pay for every other night’s lodging next year. This is huge, because it speaks of the impact we have had on some of these men’s lives.
Prayer for leaders, kind words for all – this is what this run is all about.
The Chaplains riding in the Missing Man formation stayed with the run all day. The rest of us went back to the dorms and worked on bikes, cleaned bikes or took a short nap. There is still much in front of us this weekend.
Our devotion lasted a long time tonight because this was our last. The sixteen of us who have traveled together for the past two weeks will split tomorrow night into two teams to work different campgrounds. It was an emotional evening for all of us as we realized that we will never again be like this; someone will be missing and / or there will be other people in the mix. We all were taken back as we realized this is a Kairos moment in the Eternal Plan of God.
We all had issues left behind us at home. This was difficult, but there have been several testimonies and praise reports about these situations.
* Pastor Billy Wood’s daughter was taken to the emergency room with kidney stones and was facing surgery without him there. The next morning they could only find one and feel surgery is now not needed.
* Pastor Billy also found out his landlord wanted their rental house back and that his family would have to move three weeks after he returned. We believed God would show Himself strong. His wife is to go look at a house tomorrow and it looks as though things will work out.
* Finally, Pastor Billy’s grandson had a physical attack and felt they would have to do surgery today but after a second exam, he was sent home instead!
* Ox’s brother was in a motorcycle accident in Chicago last weekend and doctors were not sure if he would live. He was up and alert today!
Tomorrow we will arrive in Washington, D.C. for the final part of the run. Please continue to pray for us – this is a huge ministry opportunity!
Thanks Again For Your Prayers.
Riders come through town on the last day of the ride.
Veterans and riders enjoy a special ceremony with schoolchildren in Virginia.
Children and their families come out to support veterans during the day’s festivities.
