Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us:

The last couple of days have been an enigmatic roller-coaster physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  At this moment, this report is being penned in the Brown County Library in downtown Green Bay, Wisconsin.  Interestingly, Green Bay has an atmosphere more like that of a small town than a major city.  It is amazing that the people of this community have been able to support an NFL football team for so long.  And believe me, this is a football town. These people take Packer football very seriously.  Nevertheless, the city is beautiful, and the weather is pleasant.  Now, how in the world did we end up here?

Saturday dawned overcast and foreboding.  Rain looked to be on the way, yet the bicycle and Hwy. 2 beckoned.  After a morning bath in Lake Michigan, I climbed on.  Jamie headed down the road in the truck, I started pedaling, and the day began.  Not long thereafter, the rains came.  For the first time on this trip, it was cold; it ached in my bones.  There were no signs of letting up, and frustration set in quickly.  Nonetheless, the Lord used such circumstances to orchestrate a couple of good witnessing encounters:

1. I pulled into a rest area to get some cover, and a young man who had hiked the Appalachian Trail a couple of years ago gave me a cold drink.  He recalled the instances of "trail magic" (AT lingo that refers to unexpected gifts and treats on the trail) and wanted to offer me some.  He accepted a Gospel tract, then left.  A couple of minutes later, he ran back through the rain to hand me a $5.00 bill.  The Lord's blessings are unexpected and abundant, a cornucopia of goodness.

2. Soon after this, I saw Bobbie, a female "Chris McCandless" (those of you who are familiar with Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild" know what I am talking about) tramping down the highway.  She was hitching and walking across the USA, a bonified tramp (I definitely mean this as a compliment).  Anyway, we had a good conversation.  I was able to offer her a pair of fresh socks, something for which she was very grateful.  She also was happy to receive a pocket New Testament and was actually excited that it was a King James Version.  I also floated her a Gospel tract that she promised to read in her travels.  She was headed east; we were headed west, so she really was not interested in a ride to anywhere.  The rain came down in torrents soon thereafter.  I prayed she found shelter and was safe from the storm.  She gave me lots of good information about the areas we are heading into.  Apparently, we are up here during the prime season.  The fall colors are beginning to show themselves, and when it is not raining, the weather will be more than pleasant.  Please pray that Bobbie will continue to be bombarded with the Gospel in her journeys.

3. A Mennonite believer by the name of Steve Miller flagged me down on the highway shortly after I stopped to talk with Bobbie.  He had pulled over to talk with Jamie earlier and wanted me to go into this gas station about a mile down the road.  Working behind the counter was a middle-aged man named Tommy Smith.  Steve had been witnessing to him for quite some time and was wondering if I would go in there and share the Gospel with him myself.  He believed that I was an angel sent from God (which I definitely am not), so I knew this encounter was no coincidence.  Thus, I went to see Tommy.  He accepted a tract and told me that I was about the 20th person who had confronted him with the Gospel since his father died a couple of months ago (Certainly, the Lord is trying to get his attention).  Apparently, he was estranged from his dad before he died.  Yet, Steve had led his father to the Lord shortly before he passed into eternity.  Anyway, it all sounded like a complex and complicated story.  I was simply glad to be the bearer of good news, helping to water the Gospel seeds that had already been planted.  May the Word of the Lord not return void.

In addition to these, several other encounters presented themselves.  I was trying to make it to Manistique, Michigan, but the rain became too much.  I was cold, soaked, and miserable.  Near Manistique, some Christian folks had offered their home to us for the night (through a connection with a family member of mine), but we never made it.  After 40 miles of pedaling, we had to hunker down in a depressing motel for the rest of the afternoon.  There was a lot of stuff that needed to dry out.  Fortunately, the place was dirt cheap and secluded.  The quiet was welcome, and it was a treat to watch some college football.

The next morning, we planned to bike on to Manistique and go to evening church with this couple who were going to let us crash at their place.  However, the rain was still falling, and falling, and falling.  AND, believe it or not, the new camper shell had been leaking all night.  AGAIN?  I could not believe it!  What is this, some sort of cruel joke?  Apparently, the tape used to seal it with the truck bed was old; thus rain was seeping in all around the perimeter.  Simply stated, I do not fault the nice Christian man who installed the thing back in Elkhart, Indiana.  He really did take his time to do things right.  This just seemed to be one of those situations completely out of anyone's control and beyond anyone's expectation.  What was the Lord trying to do?  I kept repeating Romans 8:28 in my heart.

The rain meant that biking on Sunday was out of the question, and the nearest ARE dealer was in Green Bay, WI—about 165 miles away.  We planned to hit the streets of this city a little later in the trip, but circumstances forced an alteration in the plan.  We bypassed Manistique and drove to Green Bay yesterday.  The weather was miserable.  Along the way, a few Gospel tracts were given out.

Today, I took the top by the ARE dealer and he re-sealed it for me, going over everything with a fine-toothed comb.  Finally, things appear to be fixed.  If not, we have decided to just live with it.  Anyway, Greg was very friendly, and I was able to present the Gospel to him.  Maybe, just maybe, this guy needed to hear it at that point in time.  The Lord has his purposes, and we trust Him.  Since, we have spent the afternoon walking around the streets of Green Bay, handing out some Gospel tracts.  There are not many people on the streets, but we are giving them our attention anyway.  We had a tasty lunch at this quaint cafe, engaging in a good conversation with Dawn, our waitress.  May the Word of God bring forth increase in her life.

EARLY tomorrow morning, we drive back to Hwy. 2 just outside of Gould City, MI.  From there the bike route will take a turn to the northwest.  We look forward to the scenic beauty of Lake Superior country.  May the Lord send us people to witness to.  Also, please pray that the weather will remain pleasant.

Tonight, we are staying in the small town of Marinette, WI.  We have a lot of laundry to do, and there is a 24-hour laundramat on Main St.  Through this and other circumstances, may opportunities for the Blessed Gospel present themselves, and may we be obedient to proclaim the Lord's Truth.

Please remember us in your prayers, and stay tuned until the next adventure …

For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ,

Jesse & Jamie Boyd
Full Proof Gospel Ministries

P.S.  Our baby has been moving a lot in Jamie's belly.  Apparently, he/she is enjoying the adventures just as much as we are, despite a few obstacles in the path.