And We're Off

(Note: We had to forget one thing—the cable needed to upload photos. We will find one tomorrow so we can add photos.)

6:30 a.m. and it was finally time to set this mission project into motion! We met at church, loaded a few extra things, prayed to ask God to protect our travel, and hit the road by 7.

For those who thought they would get a nap along the way—FORGET IT! Dan Edwards, who was supposed to be with us on this trip but had to stay behind with a hurting back (and who we miss!), had planned a road trip for the group. (Dan created this “find and identify” observation game on his drive up to Fairmont in May.) Each person received a copy and was told that a grand prize awaits the person answering the most questions correctly.

There was no rest. Our eyes had to be on alert every mile. It seemed that about every five minutes there was some landmark or mile marker to identify and note or dashed lines in the middle of the road to count. We did this all the way to Knoxville! That trip has never gone so fast. Dan had us looking for silos, rivers, and rest areas. Question number one directed us to identify each Cracker Barrel and its exit number. Did you know that between Birmingham and Abingdon, Virginia, there are 16? We do! And we know where to find them all!

Question two had us find the word “pinnacle” on a sign. Question three had us make every word possible from that word. Here at bedtime the highest number formed by any one person is in the low 60s. We hope a fresh new day tomorrow will bring more words to mind!

While the rest of the world celebrated the fourth with cookouts at lunch, we enjoyed Mexican in Knoxville before driving north. We finally arrived in Abingdon around 4 and checked into our rooms for the night, but we didn’t slow down here! Dan’s parents live in Abingdon. They had graciously agreed to host us for dinner—all 32 of us. What a sweet couple. Dan’s resemblance, or should I say, Dan’s identical look to his retired pastor father is amazing. They have the same mannerisms, laugh, and mischievous sparkle to their eyes. Even though we all missed Dan, we felt like he was here every time we looked at his dad! Mr. and Mrs. Edwards welcomed us with open arms and treated us to a feast. Dan’s dad cooks a mean BBQ pork and makes a sauce that would rival any in Birmingham.

Even though Leslie Edwards was to join us on this entire trip, her gift to the group came in taking a roundabout drive to Virginia by way of Georgia to pick up things we need for nature camp from her mother. Leslie then came to Abingdon to help her in-laws prepare for our arrival. The time with Leslie was fun, and we hate that she will return to Birmingham from here, but know that Dan needs her more than we do.

Some friends of Dan’s sister joined us for dinner and presented a great concert—some bluegrass, some praise songs, some old hymns. They began by singing and playing John Denver’s “Country Roads.” It put a new perspective on Wesr Virginia. Music under the aluminum-roofed carport during a rainstorm was a serendipity.

We’re ending the day sitting in a parking lot here in Abingdon waiting for their version of the “Thunder on the Mountain” fireworks show. We don’t have Lee Greenwood to serenade us with “I’m Proud to Be an American,” but we do have Greg Hartley on mandolin and Sean Doyle on guitar.

At some point soon we will all crash. It’s been a long day, but God has protected us and given us so many fun experiences. We look forward to driving on to Fairmont tomorrow. We’re especially grateful to know that there are friends and family back home praying a hedge of protection around us and this project.

Prayer requests for Saturday:
* safe travel
* no travel delays due to highway construction in West Virginia
* continued team bonding
* smooth preparations by MTW staff for our arrival at Camp Dayspring
* that we see and experience God in all we do tomorrow
* for Mr. and Mrs. Edwards’ recovery from hosting our group
* Dan Edwards’ continued healing and relief from back pain

Funnies from the Day
* We hadn’t made it out of town before Cindy Traylor threw out the van window her booklet containing the schedule, the road game, and the week’s devotionals. She said it was an accident. The rest of us wonder. Later she pushed the wrong button and opened the back door of the van. Things began falling out as they drove through the McDonald’s parking lot. Moral: Be careful. Cindy could easily eject you.

* Each person under the age of 18 got a bag of goodies to enjoy on the road. Among other things, the bags contained candy jewelry. The Becketts have decided that you know you’re too old for jewelry candy when it won’t pull over your head.

Favorite Memories from the Day

Lynn Beckett
* Reading the biography of each team member (assembled in our team booklet), specifically reading each team member’s favorite Bible verse.
* “Dinner at the Edwards was a very sweet time, very neat.”

Sarah Traylor
“The singing and worship time at the Edwards’ will probably be one of the highlights of the entire trip, not just for today. I really enjoyed it. And you couldn’t ever not enjoy fireworks!”