The Whole Enchilada

Here is a final map showing the entire trip. As you can see I didn't exactly take the most direct route across the country either direction, but I did have the maximum fun! I just thought you might enjoy seeing the finished map. Even I am amazed as I look back on all the territory I covered and all the churches I visited with. Now I am trying hard to process all the information and decide just how to put it into the best format. This is just a short note, but more will follow so keep checking back. The short version is: 11,393 miles, 70 churches and one big picture. Click on the map and it will show a larger version.

Back to "Normal"

Just want you to know that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth since arriving back in Napa and I don't want you to lose total interest in the bigger picture of what all this has been about. I did return to business as usual with a wedding for a couple who live just down the street on Sabbath afternoon. That was a fun wedding for sure, located in the Ryde Hotel in Walnut Grove, CA. This hotel was built in the height of prohibition and the reception was held in what was a well patroned speakeasy. Lots of movie stars, presidents, and gangsters frequented this place. No wonder I felt right at home! the beautiful young lady is, of course, my wife and it is so good to be back with her. The family pic was taken on Sunday as we took Hanna (Ingrid's mom) back up to Ukiah. On the way we hooked up briefly with Mark and Susi Etchell and their girls, Bekka on the left and Lis on the right. Mark is the Sr. Pastor at the Walla Walla City Church and has a fantastic program going there with the help of Susi. I want to include some of his concepts in the book as well. Now things are really back to normal as I have two funerals on the schedule as well.  It was a good thing I got home a half day early as I was able to make one visit just hours before my member passed away.  God's timing is fantastic!  Stay tuned and I will get posts up at least a couple times a week and keep you up to date on the book progress and other happenings.

The Last Wednesday (With a Twist!)

You've all heard the saying about the horse once it smells the barn?  Well, that was me today, but first let's look at today's two appointments.

I rode from Eugene down to Grants Pass.  This is a fantastic facility.  I met with two associates. You will see Chuck Austin on the left and Glen Chinn on the right.  Chuck is a local hire Pastoral Assistant and Glen is a "retired" Associate Pastor. The Sr. Pastor, Marvin Clark was out of town as was the youth pastor, Ed Nelson. Grants Pass has a TV studio operated by BLBN (Better Life Broadcasting Network) which is affiliated with 3ABN and is reaching a wide area.  This ministry is bringing many new faces to the church. The Grants Pass Church is very active with health programs such as CHIP and NEWSTART and they have a beautiful Community Service Center, Thrift Store, and meeting/fellowship hall. They have a very active youth ministry and are working hard to include the youth in the worship service. This is truly a beautiful church!

Next I rode down Hwy 199 to the coast and on down to Fortuna, CA. Our family has strong ties to the Fortuna Church because of a large number of German families that used to live there. Our brother-in-law, Victor Neufeld, grew up in that church. Dave Perry is the new pastor there now since last September. One effective thing he initiated at the first of this year was switching the Sabbath School and Worship times.  They begin Worship at 10:00 am and have Sabbath School at 11:30.  This has resulted in a 40% increase in SS attendance and no loss in the numbers for worship.

Dave, along with some local leaders has also presented a series of meetings that convenes on Friday evening, Sabbath morning, and Saturday evening.  Dave and two others each preach a short message at each meeting and the theme is "Christ For the Common Man."  The atmosphere, dress, and format is more casual and I think this is a great idea.

Since the local campmeeting was cancelled this year they also initiated a creative idea.  The Red Cross Bloodmobile always came to Redwood Campmeeting and so Dave has invited them to come and set up for donations after church on Sabbath. That may have some interesting responses, but I believe this is the kind of creativity and outreach that we need to be exploring. Keep it up, Dave.

Now, I was supposed to stay in Fortuna and finish up on Thursday with Ukiah, which will be a very special stop since that is the church where I became a Seventh-day Adventist and was baptized. But I talked with Ingrid and we realized that I could make it home on Wednesday night.  That would allow me an extra day to get ready for this weekend (preaching and a wedding) and I can get with the Ukiah Church and have more time a bit later.  Ingrid's sister lives there and we visit often. I am anxious to include Paul Hawks and the Ukiah church, but I was also anxious to get home so away I went.

I arrived at the house a little after 11 pm and the final total was 11, 393 miles.  Thank you, Jesus, for a safe journey. It was so good to sleep in my own bed and be with my sweetie! Now I have mountains of things to catch up on, prepare for, and wade through.  The book writing portion will be a daunting task and so I ask for your continued prayers.

I do thank all of you who prayed me through 30 states, districts, and provinces as well as through all kinds of weather and challenges.  I will continue to put up some blogs on afterthoughts and progress, so keep checking back. I am a very lucky man to be able to return to my wife, my home, and my wonderful church family. I am also thankful and appreciative for the opportunity given by the Northern California Conference to take this Sabbatical journey. I pray that the results may be a blessing to the church across North America and elsewhere.

Now, I gotta get to work!

And Tuesday

Definitely on the home stretch now, but these last appointments are certainly no less important or special!  Tuesday morning I had just a short ride down to Gresham, OR, just on the east side of Portland.  There I met up with a dear friend, Jared Spano.  Ingrid and I have known the Spano family for more than 20 years and we remember Jared first as a growing and energetic teen.  He spent one year working with us in Napa as an extern from PUC before he transferred up to Walla Walla to finish.  Now he is the pastor of the Gresham Church as well as the youth pastor for the nearby Rockwood Church. One of the truly exciting things happening in Gresham is the attitude of the members. They have literally embraced young people who's lives have become entangled with all kinds of problems. They welcome them, work along side of them, and involve them in their church activities. This is a church full of simply ordinary people with an extraordinary love for others. Jared is sharing a sermon series on "Christ's Method Alone." Things are looking up in Gresham. 

From there I rode down to the Eugene area to stay with Lane and Carrie Meadowcroft, former Napa members and more special friends.  They are part of the Pleasant Hill Church just a few miles east of Eugene.  Dave McCoy is the pastor there and has been there for 16 years. Praise God for longer pastoral stays! This church has had a strong outreach to younger families and has drawn many of the students from the University of Oregon in Eugene.  They will come all the way out to Pleasant Hill because of the loving atmosphere and inclusive spirit.  One really neat activity that Dave shared was having the students from their Jr. Academy go to the local bank that had recently been robbed twice and they prayed all around the building, at each door, and inside.  This got media attention, but more importantly, it touch the hearts of the employees.  What a great way to build relationships in the community!

Next stop: Grants Pass, OR

The Last Monday

I started the day with Dale Kongorski, pastor of the Sequim, WA church.  This is the church where my sister and brother-in-law are members. The Sequim church has strong medical and health outreach with several members in the medical profession. The Sequim church is very loving and outgoing, but Sequim is largely a retirement community and so they face the challenges of effectively reaching young families. As you can see the church is beautiful and in a wonderful setting.  I took the ferry from Kingston over to Edmonds and had the chance to visit for a bit with my aunt.  That redhead is not a girlfriend.  Ingrid knows all about her. 

Next I rode down to Kelso/Longview.  Mike Speegle, who was in Northern California until two years ago is the Lead Pastor there.  They have a unique and marvelous outreach with their "Walk Through Bethlehem" and their Easter programs that attract thousands every year from the community. It will take some time to lay out all that these events accomplish.  You can see a pic of their beautiful foyer with their information area and one pic of the "Bethlehem" staging which is quite impressive.

I also love the sign as you leave the parking lot.  The mission field is both in the church and out in the community.  We need to remember that each week. I just added what you see as the first picture, which is of Mike!

Just Some Fun Sunday Pics!

First pic is of the Edmonds SDA Church. I'll be chatting with the pastor from there later. From Edmonds I got on the Ferry to Kingston to come over to Sequim, where my sister, Phyllis lives. (I just added a picture of her, with my nephew Lance and his wife Jen.) The other pics are of the seagulls, including some chicks, and the last is of a fellow biker on the ferry with a very special passenger.  I'm just having a relaxing afternoon with family. I did wash the bike again. It was very dirty and full of bugs. I've tasted quite a few of them myself.  Tomorrow I meet with the Sequim pastor and move on down the road to Kelso/Longview. I'm getting closer folks!

Last Sabbath before home!

A gorgeous day in the Pacific Northwest!  The ride from Bellingham up to Aldergrove, B.C. was short and very beautiful.  The border crossing going north  was quick and painless, but I saw an enormously long line coming the other way into the U.S.  Well, I'd just have to deal with that later.  I arrived at the church in time to visit for awhile with Pr. Francis, who has been on the staff there for the past five years.  They have two services which are both pretty much the same. With a member ship of just over 600 they have an average Sabbath attendance of well over 500!  I would encourage any of you who are interested in getting some quick insights into their outreach to go on their website.  I actually don't have that immediately with me, but you can just Google them.  Search for Aldergrove, B.C. SDA Church and you'll find them.  Fun, relevent worship and warm people with a super amount of creativity.  Look at the pic of the wall leading to the kids divisions.  Every wall down there and going down the stairs is painted fantastically. The pictures on the wall are of their actual kids in the classes.  The picture of the foyer was taken between services and shows the crowd waiting to get in for 2nd service.  First service was nicely full for a summer Sabbath as well.

On the way back I was given a great tip for avoiding much of the long line of cars and was back in the USA withing 30 minutes.  Mt. Baker looms high to the west and is just another beauty mark in this great part of the country.  I stayed last night with dear friends, Klaus and Adele Hann, who are members of the Edmonds, WA church. Today I'm heading across Puget Sound to Sequim to visit with my sister and then the pastor from the Sequim church on Monday morning.  I'll have some fun pics over the next couple of days. Today was a wonderful worship experience and I'm thankful for sunny skies.  Home looks really good right now!

Friday, July 17

Today was a day of stunning beauty. After my nephew did his hospital rounds (he is a PT) we left around 8:30 and headed past Coulee Dam and up Hwy 155 to Omak. Along the way we did spot the elusive Sasquatch up on a hilltop. Now we have a verifiable sighting! Heading west on Hwy 20 we wound through Winthrop, where we had a great breakfast, and on up and over the North Cascades Pass. This pass has only been open for a little over 30 years and, as you can see, it offers some stunning views. On top of that it is a great ride with lots of twisty turns. One of the things I love about riding this country is the smell of the pines in the warm sun! My nephew, Rick King, and his son, Skylar, rode their BMW's with me more than halfway before turning back home while I continued on to Bellingham, WA.  Interestingly this is where I went to college in my first life. It has changed a great deal, but then so have I! Tomorrow I will cross over into Canada and attend church in Aldergrove, B.C. where I know they have a lot happening! After church I'll head back down and end up with friends near Edmonds, where I grew up through high school. I do have to admit that home is really sounding fantastic by this time. It always has, but now it is not just calling me, it is fairly screaming and I am anxious to arrive there. Mileage at this time stands at 10, 285!

Thursday, July 16

This day started very early and I was on the road by 5:30 in order to get to Yakima by 9:00. The road construction was not an issue early in the morning and is was much cooler too. You will see two mountain pics here. The first one is Mt. Adams and the second is Mt. Rainier from the east side which I have not see often.  In Yakima I met with Shane DelVecchio, Sr. Pastor, and Helen Teske, Worship Leader. They also have a 19 year old youth pastor. In fact, this whole staff does not fit the traditional mold of church leadership as Shane has a background that can only make you smile when you hear it.  Talk about a specimen of grace! But grace and mercy and love and acceptance is what you will find at the Connections Church, which is currently renting space from a Vineyard Church that you can see pictured. I would say that probably their main focus is on activities for and ministry to and through their youth. One neat thing they do is facilitate a service of blessing for youth by their parents when they turn 16. They will soon have such a service with five SDA youth and eleven non SDA families participating. Can you say, "AMEN"? This is another church that is on the move in positive ways. Connections branched off from the 35th Avenue Church in Yakima a few years ago. A good friend of mine, Harry Sharley, is the Sr. Pastor there.  We ran into a scheduling conflict and so I will have to visit with him over the phone and include that at a later date as they, with more traditional offerings, are also a strong and effective church family. The last three pics show some Indian drawings from the Ginko Petrified Forest near Vantage (we always stopped here on vacations when I was a young boy), a panorama shot of Dry Falls, and a pic of Coulee Dam, which was a lot more spectacular when I was younger. I guess a lot of things were more spectacular when I was younger, including me!  Next post will show pics of the ride over the North Cascades Pass.

This was Wednesday, July 15

I know there is a little time lapse going on here, but I'm keeping up as fast as wi-fi connections work, so it is Friday morning, but here is the report from Wednesday.  I left Bozeman around 7:15 and headed up to Helena to meet with Darrin and Loy Dixon, who are actually members in Great Falls, but met me halfway.  Darrin and Loy and I are special friends having worked through the sad loss of his wife, Joan, to leukemia a few years back. I then had the  privilege of marrying Darrin and Loy nearly four years ago and God is proving Himself, once again, to be a God of grace, mercy, love, and peace as we journey through this thing called life.  We talked at length about friendship, but also about their church, which is currently without a pastor and is seeking direction. The Dixons, along with several of their friends have vision, willingness, and passion for the gospel, but the challenge is finding the overall desire of the body.  The scenic pic shows just a glimpse of the beauty riding from Helena toward Missoula over the pass.  It was a gorgeous ride!

From Helena I rode on over to Coeur d' Alene, ID and met with Phil Muthersbaugh, first in his office and then in his home with about a dozen of his church family.  I must say that this group was absolutely "FUN" and alive with a passion for the gospel and connecting with His children. I will have much more to say about LifeSource in the book, but this group is going to grow. How big they grow in numbers is not the issue is it? They are growing relationships, but I expect that numbers will follow.  All I know is that I was loved, cared for, prayed over, and blessed.  If I felt that in one evening, how would a visitor feel after attending for a few weeks? Well, they would feel loved, cared for, prayed over and blessed and I am guessing that they would want to come back and stay.

It was late than I anticipated when I got away so I only rode to the west side of Spokane as I was finding major slow traffic in road construction and decided to just sleep and get an early start.  That's where we'll pick it up in the next post.