I believe that I mentioned here that Pastor Paul Thomas was also having day services under the tent Thursday and Friday. A local Pastor, Bro. Moore, preached Thursday and Pastor Smith from New Mexico preached Friday morning. Pastor Danny Taylor from Neosho, Missouri preached both Thursday and Friday mornings and was staying over for the weekend.
Pastor Taylor blasted me right between the eyes Friday morning. I swallowed hard and took it right into my heart. His preaching was an answer to a prayer that I had been praying for a good while and had prayed even that morning. Thank God for Bible preaching that addresses the heart of the matter.
Odie captured a few pictures from Friday morning, but first I captured a few from soundcheck and the beginning moments of service.
This is a view of the tent from the church porch Friday afternoon. If you look carefully, you will see that I had already moved the bus and hooked up to the tent trailer in this picture.
Friday was a beautiful day. The forecast was for temperatures in the 70s through church and about 15% chance of rain. Somebody needs to learn to read the radar. Friday afternoon wind from the north began whipping about 25 MPH and by church time the temperature was in the 50s and it was raining. Ouch!
We had the back wall in place to block the wind, but after the sun went down, it was downright cold. Fortunately, the weather did not stop the crowd and we probably had the best crowd of the week. Pastor James McCoy and/or several from his church in Castle Rock had been there every night and Friday they all came. They were a blessing.
The temperature during service Friday night was as low as 52.
Even with blankets in use widely around the tent, the Spirit of the Lord worked wonderfully and several people responded seriously in the altar. It was a blessing to behold. Praise God for His help.
After church, everyone jumped in and helped us take down the tent and then we went to the fellowship hall for a great visit. I will try to have pictures of the tent takedown later in the week.
Even though we had a long way to go and a short time to get there, I did not leave after the tent was down and packed away Friday night. I am sure that I am not fully aware of all of my weaknesses, but I am learning. I knew I was too beat to drive for hours.
It is about 75 miles to the interstate and both of the truck stops there are usually absolutely full at night. I figured I would not have a place to park there and I knew I could not drive much farther so I stayed put until morning.
I was finished with my night early, but I waited until about 6:30 before I stirred Kelly Jo and cranked the bus. While the bus was warming up and airing up, I did a walk around and snapped this picture of where the tent had been. Always a bittersweet picture.
I was finished with my night early, but I waited until about 6:30 before I stirred Kelly Jo and cranked the bus. While the bus was warming up and airing up, I did a walk around and snapped this picture of where the tent had been. Always a bittersweet picture.
I did not fill up with diesel before I arrived in Colorado Springs and I ran the generator a couple of days so I was down to about 3/8 of a tank. That was plenty to get back to Limon Flying J, but Bro. Gary Thomas told me about a small truck stop nearby that looks brand new, is easy to get in and out and the price was over 25 cents a gallon cheaper. What's not to love about that?
So with less than a mile detour, I saved over $35 with no wait, no rush, no fuss. (For my future reference, this is the Maverick Truck Stop at Fillmore and El Paso and I entered off of El Paso.)
We did need to take care of the work of the evangelist. We found the Evangelist's Station was closed at Flying J, but the many of the rest areas in Kansas are friendly to evangelists. Trust me, that does not go unappreciated, Kansas!
Even before that stop, the wind starting hitting us broadside from the north. After about 300 miles of that, we turned south at Salina and soon the wind was hitting us in the face from the south. I had joked about that happening earlier because I am familiar with the wind in Kansas. Sure enough, we fought it all the way to Wichita.😣
In Wichita, we did something we hardly ever do during a long day on the road. We stopped at a truck stop and walked to a nearby restaurant for a sit-down meal with friends. Soon the radio in the restaurant began to make us aware of severe weather coming in so we hopped on our horse to ride.
We did get some of the stiff winds from the leading edge of the storm blowing against us from the west, but we outran the worst of it. We exited the Kansas Turnpike at a familiar travel plaza 30 miles south of Wichita to escape the wind. The national weather service called for 70 MPH straight line winds that would have hit our rolling wind catcher broadside. I wanted no part of that.
We were able to park with our nose facing mostly west and we rode out the storm.
With the stop for fuel, the work of the evangelist and supper, we were on the road 11 hours to cover 531 miles. It was a good long windy day after a couple of good long days.
Even before we went to bed more storms were passing over and some of them had lots of small hail and quite a bit of wind. It was only a sample of what was to come later in the night.
I crashed into my pillow early so my internal alarm clock had me awake in the night listening to the storms blow through. There was wicked storm about 4:00 that spawned a tornado warning and we were right in the path. It was a pretty rough ride for a while, but by 5:30 it was passed us mostly. The storms did make for an uncomfortable night.
I had hoped to be in church Sunday morning south of OKC, but those hopes were squashed when I did not have the gumption to leave Colorado Springs Friday night. We spent yesterday getting the rest of the way to Oklahoma, with a visit to the hospital to see my friend, Pastor Rickey Searcy.
We spent a couple of hours with him and Sis. Sharon. I am thankful to report that Bro. Rickey is already doing better. He is facing some health challenges and he needs the help of the Lord. I know that God is able to help him and Sis. Sharon. We know that God is faithful and just and well able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask!
When we arrived in Oklahoma City we first fueled up again at Flying J on the north side of town and then we settled in at a familiar Walmart on the south end of town.
We will be cranking and leaving in a few minutes to finish the short drive to Amber. The place the tent was supposed to go is too wet from abundant rain and Pastor Russell Cheek has a few alternate sites close by. We need to decide which one will be best and then KJ and I need to go to work getting the bus and trailer in position and marking the stake line.
The church folks are coming to help get the tent in the air at 6:00 PM tonight, Monday. We plan to have our part completed way before then.
Thank you for stopping in today for the weekend report.
Davy
