Day 1 started a 5am, as most day 1’s do. Cloudy and drizzling in Dallas, it cleared up in Oklahoma. What should have been a 105d day into a comfortable 78d ride. Nebraska was beautiful and we rode through, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa to arrive there for dinner. We had the opportunity to testify at a couple of bikers at the gas stops and passed out several tracts and Road Hawg Music, Songs from the seat, CD's. Day 3 took us west from Winnipeg through bright yellow fields of Canola through Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Spent the morning leaning left into very strong gusty wind blowing across the highway. Clearly a divine appointment, God laid a burden on us for a particular biker we shared with today.
The last hour of day four was clearly the best hour of the past few days. In route to Dawson Creek as we left Grand Prairie, Alberta around 6:30pm local time, we entered the rolling hills of western BC. The evening sky was clear the sun was warm and the 78d temperature was so comfortable. Across the valleys we could see multiple canola fields yellow with their harvest and in the distance the snow capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies. The road surface was perfect, the best yet, as we made our way from one tree covered hill to the next. I felt no wind at all as the trees muffled the rumble of the old 103. We almost whispered across the terrain. It was the end to a 14 hour day and now, at this point in the trip, Tim and I both agreed, we felt one with our machines. It was in this moment, I thought, life is so good and yet eternity with Christ will defy human comprehension. A parking lot sermon delivered today is what we live for and ride for. This experience is indeed the cornerstone of personal ministry for a Biker Chaplain.
Day 7 was the final day, of the journey that has taken 8 Ball and me to all the ride-able 49 United States and most of Canada. Today I realized that the old Alaskan highway was not completely tame. Though not the pioneer trek it was 30 years ago, but the old girl still has some kicks left in her. Every so often, some sections more than others, there is a bump. A bump that is so much the same you would think someone was planting these strategically to get your attention. This non-sequential repeating bump causes you to be thrown off your seat 10” in the air, unexpectedly. With this comes with a huge Gasp, a mighty HURRUMPH, coming from the inner most parts of your being. It’s a Growl and an expression all in one. It is the sound of Pain, and of surprise, a sigh of relief that you’re still alive…all wrapped into one HURRUMPH. On day 7, this familiar ritual was to be again about 100 km down the road from Haines Junction.
The day’s journey was like a trek was a window into the hall of the mountain kings. We traversed the 20-mile wide glacier valley, the 2000ft. with cliffs on either side that stood at attention to our roaring Harley –Davidson’s. This stretch struck me like a ride to a Nordic Jurassic park as we began the dissent to Anchorage.
The last 3 hours of day 13 to Haines provided plentiful photo opportunities. The about 200km of spectacular mountains, glaciers and rivers was like a scene from a Disney movie, except for real of course. Riding down from the high places to the coast we saw the beginning and end of a great river.
The landscape transition experienced in day 18 was rare and spectacular. Starting on the Glacier highway, we motored through Banff Park with is spectacular vistas of the lumbering snow capped giants. As we approached and transitioned through Calgary the terrain became the gentile rolling hills of the high country. Crossing the border-Back into the USA there were several hours of flat high arid plains. South of Great Falls, Montana the hills returned and quickly developed into the little belt mountains (a must see). The last hour and a half of the day was spent in darkness. We had a few wake up reminders on the road of how quickly deer (and elk) can pop up from the dark.
We broke camp in Belle Fourche on day 21 and after having had one of the Wyatt’s ‘Special” breakfasts headed for home. Light rain continued through the morning as we went to the Rapid City convention center for our Harley pin. After obtaining the prized pin we headed out to Grand Island, Nebraska.
On day 22 I just couldn’t believe it was over! The three weeks flew by! We mounted up after coffee and 8-ball discussed his early exit in Kansas for some family time. We rode the first 300 miles together then I would do the last leg was solo. Ministry is a 24/7 activity, and yet we agreed that we both felt the primary goals and purposes had been achieved and completed. Sadness came over me as I crossed Nebraska knowing the end of the road was in sight. I focused on reflecting on the sights and sounds of the north. When we reached Kansas I was looking for ways to extend the trip. My mind wondered in no particular direction, perhaps California, or the upper great lakes would be a good detour. However, once I hit the Oklahoma border, I felt I was almost home. I spend so much time in Oklahoma, it really does feel like home in a way. The sounds of the "Second chance Band" on my COM system brought my mind back into focus.
Thankfully we had 9000 miles of issue free highway. God divinely protected us the entire way. The principal understanding I derived from the experience was the power of prayer. We had 2-3 times the number of people praying for us this trip, and our ministry production was 2-3 times greater than past missions. However you look at it, something was different about us, and the mission field in which we were working, and the only identifiable difference was “more prayer”.
We serve an awesome God whose love for us is beyond our human ability to understand. He has a wonderful plan for us, we need only to invite Him to live in our hearts and choose His way, desire His plan and peace of spirit will follow: Peace that passes our understanding. Church is and can be a good thing, but it is a personal relationship with Christ (Jesus in our hearts) that brings this result. Read His word to grow in your understanding of Him and what He would have you do. All glory and praise be to God who loved us when we were/are unlovable.
