Patriotism is alive and well in Louisiana and Mississippi! It was an awesome day. We listened to a mayor share his faith – he didn’t just talk about faith, he revealed his relationship with the Lord- and pray. We rode several miles down Interstate 20 without a single vehicle around us because local law enforcement blocked off the highway for Run For The Wall. At one point along the road, helicopters were waiting for us, flying just a few feet off the ground, and fighter jets were doing flyovers. We also watched three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients take the stage; we saw parachutes dropping in formation; and thousands of people lined the overpasses and streets giving meals and hugs. It was all I could do to fight the tears back as I saw children learning patriotism as they stood there watching motorcycles roll down the road.
Again, we were reminded of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who gave their life for our country – for freedom. They are not just numbers; they are people. We stood on the Trail of Honor, a historic walk through all the war camps from the Revolutionary War to our present war on Terrorism, listening to the “burp” of machine guns shooting blanks, knowing that there were men and women dying on both sides every time they fired. Our hearts broke over and over again. We are thankful to new levels for our freedoms with special emphasis on our freedom to be a Christian.
During our ‘debriefing’ of the night many of the things said spoke of our deep appreciation for each other and honored the Lord for allowing us to serve with each other. Pastor Robbie Jones, Sr.of Parkway Christian Center, Chesapeake, VA joined our team today. We are always excited to have Robbie join us; he adds a new dimension to our body of warriors.
Pastor Wes Alvarez had twelve people from Pensacola, FL, help box our dinners. They rode four hours to support the effort of their pastor to say thanks to the veterans by displaying four banners expressing the church’s appreciation. They then visited a short time with their pastor and headed back home.
Bishop Glen Lafferty of the Mississippi Conference also blessed the team by purchasing our rooms tonight and stopping by and giving everyone a hug.
Bill Carlisle, a Viet Nam veteran I met four years ago on Run For The Wall, met us again in Jackson, MS. The first time we met, Bill was struggling with Agent Orange and had just gotten out of the hospital. The pain drove Bill to some extreme actions to deal with it. He rededicated his life to the Lord and began to make advancements. Every year Bill and I use this time to re-connect. Last year it appeared Bill was going to leave this world but God told him that he was not through with him here and raised him up off the death bed. Bill has given me medals from his service in the military. I wear them on my vest because Bill said he wanted to go with me wherever I went. Today, Bill received a “Challenge Coin” that has the Ephesians 6 Warrior on it. I “challenged” Bill to pray for me everyday. Bill celebrated his 9th month of sobriety this week.
Finally, thanks again for your prayers- they work! We were entering into Mississippi when a bike broke down and blocked an off ramp. Cars were coming at high speeds at us. I went out and started flagging down cars and trucks, trying to get them to slow down. A truck hit a car and knocked it down a bluff in the woods. Fortunately, everyone was okay. When all was said and done, a car was messed up and a bike was on a trailer but all the bodies were in good shape!
Thanks again and please keep praying.
