Escort & Services for Lance Cpl Cody Childers

On Monday the 30^th of August, the M25 chapter from the First PH Church in Goldsboro, NC, gathered together at the church to begin a mission.  We met at 2:00 p.m. and began a pre-trip briefing.  Pastor Mark Richardson from Siler City along with 2 other riders from his church arrived at the First PH Church to accompany us on the trip.  Our mission was simple: ride our motorcycles to Dover AFB, spend the night, and then escort Lance Cpl. Cody S. Childers, USMC, to his final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery. The trip to Dover would take approximately 7 hours.  After a prayer, 13 motorcycles and 1 chase truck left the First PH Church heading to Chesapeake, VA.  We were invited to do the escort by Pastor Robbie Jones of the Parkway Christian Center Chesapeake, and his church would be our first stop.

We arrived at Parkway around 6:30 p.m. Monday night.  Pastor Robbie Jones greeted us with a nice dinner.  After dinner, Pastor Robbie and 2 more bikes joined the group.  Going across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and tunnels is an exciting adventure even at night.  Traffic was light, the weather was good and I knew that God was with us.  After crossing the bay, we made a fuel stop.  Everything was going good.

Then the devil raised his ugly head.  Three different bikes started having trouble and finally one broke down.  We were able to pull into a store yard somewhere on the eastern shores of VA.  At 11:00 p.m. there is not a lot open on the eastern shores.  After working on the bike for more than an hour, I sent most of the bikes on to Dover with Pastor Robbie.  Three of us stayed with the rider that was broken down.  We decided to store the bike in a garage across the street.  The owner of the garage arrived to open it for us; however, he told us of a friend down the road that would rent us a U-Haul trailer.  We sent the chase truck to get the trailer which took another hour and a half.

As we waited I began to question God: why was this happening, are we not doing your will?  I was very afraid that the mission would not happen.  I knew we still had a 2-and-a-half hour ride and then we had to be at the front gate of Dover AFB by 9:30 a.m.  I shared my concerns with Pastor Mark.  He sat down beside me and put his hand on my shoulder.  God is in this, he said.  We will make this trip and the devil cannot defeat us.  I realized how God had taken care of us so far and he would take care of us the rest of the way.

We arrived in Dover at 4:00 a.m., got in bed at 4:30 a.m., and back up at 7:30 a.m.  I started praying while I was getting ready that the Holy Spirit would encamp around us and help us finish this mission.  We met again for a group prayer and went over the riding order of the group.  Pastor Kevin McBride from Crossroads Church in Petersburg, VA, joined us with 3 more bikes.

As we arrived at the front gate of Dover AFB, the driver of the transport vehicle called me.  He was on his way out of the gate so our wait was not long.  After meeting with the driver we formed a line of 18 bikes behind a black hearse and a government vehicle driven by the Marine Escort Officer.  After leaving town the driver waved us around the hearse.  We formed the missing man formation in front of the hearse with 7 bikes and the remainder of the bikes rode behind.  The column of bikes formed perfectly.  As we traveled through the countryside, I noticed people in their yards, in front of stores, and work sites stop and pay honor as we rode by.  I saw cars pull over and wait for us to pull through intersections.  After getting back on the 4 lane, I saw a man hold the peace sign out his window.  As we crossed over the Bay Bridge in Maryland, I thought how awesome the view and how awesome the presence of the Lord was around us.  Pastor Mark stated that he felt the Holy Spirit come over us as we crossed the bridge.  He said that the tears were coming down so bad that he was having trouble seeing.

As we arrived into Washington, DC, the hearse pulled in front of the column of bikes.  All the bikes stood in formation.  The climate of respect started changing drastically.  Cars started cutting us off.  Three bikes in the back almost were struck.  Only God’s protection saved them.  Ros Balance later stated that it was clear that we were coming into the enemy’s camp.  We were poking the eye of Satan but we were determined not to give in.  As we came across Memorial Bridge, approaching Arlington, I knew we had achieved our goal.  As we stopped at the entrance I turned around and saw that all the bikes were together.  That was a miracle.

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You can never go to Arlington without feeling the presence of the Lord.  This time was no different.  You see all the headstones and realize the sacrifice that has and continues to be made for our freedom.  As soon as we stopped we gathered together around the Escort Officer, and Pastor Robbie led us in a prayer of Thanksgiving.  Even though Satan tried to stop us, God prevailed.  I was once again reminded that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ.

This is why Mission M25 is so important.  It has allowed us, the church, to show in a small way our appreciation to our military.  We should never take lightly the freedom to worship and the price that comes with that freedom.  Jesus shed his blood for our sins.  The men and women of our military shed theirs so we can freely worship him.  The church should never forget that.

Thank you, Lance Cpl. Cody S. Childers.  Job well done.

–Gary Whaley