November 29 – December 3, 1982

***********************************************
Click here to read Journal Entry Preface.
Click here for Glossary of Way Terms.
Click here to read previous journal entry:  November 28.
************************************************

December 3, Friday

Life isn’t the same when a person isn’t reading the Word.  I feel as though I have no aim.  Why?  Because I haven’t read the Word since Monday, 11/29.

Yes, Stan and I left for L.E.A.D. From Beto Junction, Kansas, on Monday, 11/29, at 5:00 AM.  These were the events:

10:30 AM: Our first ride with David Goldsmith, a non-practicing Seventh Day Adventist.  He took us to the junction of 50 W and I-135 S, on the far side of Wichita.

2nd Ride: Came about 20 minutes later. A lady in a very nice van. Her name was Phoebe. She took us part way to Oklahoma City.

3rd Ride: Two partiers, Terry and Steve. They smoked some dope and took us to Oklahoma City. Dropped us off in the middle of town. It was approximately 4:15 pm Monday.

4th Ride: A fellow in a flat-bed hauling rocks. Took us 2 exits.

5th Ride: Alfred. We ate some before the ride. The sun was going down. He picked us up around 6:00 pm. He had problems; confessed he was a manic depressive. He needed speaking in tongues. He took us to El Reno.

6th Ride: Four fellows in a jeep; Gene, Eugene, and two others. I didn’t talk much and neither did they. Took us to a truck stop right outside a small town, about 45 miles away from Elk City. At the truck stop we met up with Joe W. and Melanie B.

7th Ride: To Elk City. A strange guy, had problems with his marriage. He went off the route. Dropped us off in Elk City.

8th Ride: Two Texans; one stole a lot and the other was handsome. Picked us up around 11:00 pm or so in a brown Cadillac. In it we picked up Mary R. and Ron T. They dropped us off at a truck stop near somewhere.

9th Ride: A drunk fellow in a small pick-up. Took us to the next exit.

10th Ride: A Mexican named Juan. He took us to Sayre, to a truck stop. Again we rode with Ron and Mary.

Stan and I got a little fatigued after the 10th ride. We were out on the highway. It was cold and 1:00 AM Tuesday morning. We started to walk back to the truck stop around 4:00 am or so. (Mary and Ron were still there.) But instead we decided to take a rest on the side of a hill; we slept until around 6:10 am. We went to the truck stop and again started to hitch.

11th Ride: Around 8:30 am. A guy, Cloyce, in a Roadway picked us up and took us into Amarillo where we waited for 6 hours. This is where the fun begins.

We were on the east side of Amarillo near the Pro-Am III Truck Stop. It was windy and cold, sort of depressing out. We proceeded to thumb after some prayer, thanking God for our trip, and (if we had blown it by going to sleep), for forgiveness. We stuck our thumbs out. No responses; not even a smile, hardly a glance.

Time was ticking on. We had to get to Tinnie. We went up to a restaurant and couple stores. No one would give us a ride; they all had excuses. I felt creepy on the inside. The devil had his spirits obstructing our trip.

What about the rest of us? How were they doing? Were they having problems too? How would we know?

We prayed, rebuking the adversary’s hands. We hit the road again. It was approximately 10:30 am Tinnie time; we had to be there by 5:00 pm.

Still no rides. I was determined, set, to get to Tinnie. On the other side of I-40 a black girl and guy were walking. I waited for no traffic and crossed the three lanes on my side. I hollered loudly at them because of all the wind. They waited for traffic to clear and ran across their three lanes to meet me at the median.

I asked them about Amarillo. They had been there two weeks and had gotten no rides; so much so that they had given up going to California. I told them that Stan and I had to be in New Mexico by 5:00 pm. They said, “We just talked to two couples about one and one-half hours ago at the 76 Truck Stop who were doing the same thing.” Then I knew something was going on. I thanked them and ran back to Stan.

I told Stan the matter and we began to walk to the 76 Truck Stop about 4 to 5 miles away. I wondered and knew that God had told me earlier to tell of an incident when Bill J. and I were thumbing to Rome City and were stuck and had begun to walk. I should have mentioned it to Stan when I had thought of it.

The suitcase was heavy, and so was my breathing. Stan and I exchanged luggage, my suitcase for his small duffel-type bag. Ahh, that was better. But I still wasn’t blessed. My feet ached and my heart was sort of sunken. God, why would you allow this?! I just don’t understand!! Then a white panel wagon stopped.

12th Ride:  Doug opened the door for Stan and I.  He had a beard and long hair.  I almost cried.  I looked at him and said, “You’re a godsend!”  We threw our bags in and climbed aboard with great anticipation, relief, and sparks of hope.

Doug proceeded forward.  About 1/2 mile I proclaimed, “There’s John and Jackie!  Can we stop and pick them up?!?”  Doug pulled over.  We told him the situation we all had been in and what we were doing.  He totally understood us not getting a ride; he had been in Amarillo for three months.

Doug was heading down I-27 South.  That was our route also.  Praise God!!  We wanted to get the hell out of Amarillo!

Doug dropped us off at the intersection of I-27 and Hwy. 60.   Approximately one minute after he dropped us off a brown car pulled over, something like a Torino.  Inside was a clean-cut fellow.  His name?  Louis Bruno, an Advanced Class ’78 Grad.  John, Jackie, Stan, and I mutually decided that Stan and I would take the ride.

13th Ride:  Louis couldn’t believe that we were where we were on Tuesday at 1 pm in the afternoon!  He took us to Clayton, New Mexico.  On the way he spoke of the night before, Monday night.  He had awoken around 1:00 am and decided to get up and drive around Amarillo.  Something wasn’t quite right, but he couldn’t pinpoint it.  He stopped at the 76 Truck Stop and there were four L.E.A.D. couples there who he gave a ride to the spot where he had picked up Stan and I.

Then I saw how much the devil put up a spiritual fight to keep the corps away from L.E.A.D.   We weren’t gonna let him win.  Fire ran through my veins.

About five minutes after Louis dropped us off on Highway 60, a Winnebago pulled over hauling a Toyota.  Out stepped David O., Michael R., and Diana H.  The time?  1:00 pm or so.  We went and explained to the threesome what was happening.

Stan and I continued to thumb.  Stan held the “ROSWELL” sign as I choreographed the ‘hitchhiker’s step,’ pointing to the Roswell sign, jumping up and down, waving my arms side to side and yelling, “You want to take us to ROSWELL,” (point at the sign), “ROSWELL!”

14th Ride:  Black dude, Joseph from Nigeria, and his wife.  They stopped in a Datsun about seven minutes after Louis dropped us off.  It was a great joy riding with these two.  These two, especially the wife, wanted to hear the Word.  So that is what they heard.  They took us as far as Hereford.

15th Ride:  An old fella’ in a pick-up truck.  Itr seems that his name was something like Floyd or Clyde.  Anyway he was cheerful and took us to the southwest side of Freona.  We got him believing with us also.

16th Ride:  Our final ride was with a truck driver who picked us up on the west side of Freona.  He was going right by Tinnie.  Our hearts were elated!  We climbed aboard.

We needed to go at least 65 miles per hour to get to Tinnie by 5:00 pm.  His truck was governed for 60 mph.  Stan and I had to make a decision.  At 60 mph the soonest we could get there would be 5:15 to 5:20.  What should we do?  There were at least 7 to 9 people still on the road.  The L.E.A.D. bus was bound to wait for us.  We would stick with the truck we were in and pray God’s grace would cover.

We pulled up to Tinnie.  It was 5:19.  There was no bus!  Our hearts sank.  We could not believe it! The bus we found out had waited until 5:15!  Stan and I just looked at each other.

We called up the mountain to the L.E.A.D. base.  Their response?  “You’re late.  Go home.”  Nooo!  That just couldn’t be!  Noooo!

Jackie and John arrived around 5:30 or 5:45.  We all walked to the Silver Dollar.  It was around 6:45.  Then David, Michael, and Diana arrived at the Silver Dollar.  We called Emporia.  We were all heart broken.

The other groups left before Stan and I.  Stan and I left around 8 pm Tuesday night, November 30, and arrived at Emporia at 4:30 Wednesday afternoon, December 1,  in time for Corps night.  What a trip.

Now what?  I need to get $150.00 to go L.E.A.D.  God would and will have to supply.

—————————————————————-

December 3
Area Meeting:  Fireplace Room

First Step: We take the first step. PUSH; People United Serving Him
John 3:16: God took the first step. Us: Ephesians 5:1
I Samuel 17:48-50: David ran to meet the challenge.

Situations are only as grim as I dare to look at it.
II Kings 5:9-11
Acts 9: Paul’s deliverance
Acts 8: Phillip and the eunuch
I Corinthians 3:6: planted is the first step

Charles Tremendous Jones – Make decisions

*******************************************
Click here to read the next journal entry: December 5.
Click here to return to November Entries Index.
*******************************************