Day 9, RFTW 2010 – Simple But Significant Service

Why would eighteen people leave family, ministry and work to ride across the USA and serve water? Water? Seems simple and maybe even insignificant. Let me share part of a letter we received tonight about our serving “water” last year. This came from a lady whose husband passed in February 2010. He rode all the way with us on RFTW 2009.

Please read this letter

“Last year Roger (her husband) rode “All The Way”. What no one knew was he was an Agent Orange exposed veteran. Over the past nine years was diagnosed with four different cancers – throat, lung, pancreas and prostrate. Your service at the hydration team allowed my Roger to cross the desert renewed….What Roger saw in ya’ll was embodiment of the questions. Something that he thought was lost. Your actions renewed him and brought to me a man who could finally make peace with his service to his country and his life. As a hospice nurse at a VA, I see many warriors who die terrible deaths because they are not able to come to terms with their duty. I believe that because of your actions you allowed my Roger to place his demons and worries to rest. I know that when my Roger went home, it was peaceful. I attribute his peace to your action based ministry. Thank you for your actions in a world of talk. Ya’ll say by doing what love is all about…..”

Rescue the Perishing

In March Dr. Hugh Morgan counseled me to read verse 3 of the old hymn and told me that was all that was necessary for me to know about being around these warriors. It simply states that there are people out there crushed by the tempter and that they need a gentle touch by a heart of love. It gives us the hope ….chords that were broken will vibrate once more… during a song by one of the kids at one of the schools a Nam Vet broke and wept and when I was asked to come and minister to him, all I could to was just set there. There have been several of us that have ‘just set there’. No words, no answers, just a tender touch with a heart of love.

The ‘Work’

This is work – the actions spoke of in the above paragraph – is not all pretty work. See the attached picture of Pastor Robbie Jones laundering hundreds of neck wraps. You put them in ice water and they swell up. Then you tie them around your neck and they keep you cool for a good deal of time. Just thought you might like to see some of the stuff that goes on during this run.

A Warrior

See the picture of Pastor Wes Alvarez kneeling with a survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack. Later Chaplain Moore also had the opportunity to share with this great hero. Over and over the opportunity to love on these ‘forgotten’ men and women is such an honor.

A Medic

One of the young man traveling with us is a Medic in Virginia. He has been such a blessing during two different incidents yesterday. God had him in the right place at the right time. The sad thing, he looked at Ox’s legs and told him they needed medical attention but Ox was bent on finishing this run. His legs were ‘weeping’ through the skin. Under counsel and much thought and prayer, I made the decision to have him return home. Please keep Ox in your prayers, we both wept over the decision but deep down we knew it was the right thing to do.