Greetings, brethren, in the name of our Saviour and King, Jesus the Christ. In some upcoming posts, Eric Trent will be recapping in detail the segment of #TheLongWalkUSA that continued from where I last left you at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains back on September 22nd. We had walked halfway across the State of Wyoming and were then able to share some SOME FINE TESTIMONY. I pray you are encouraged by his words in these very dark and troubling times for America, when righteousness is guilty until proven innocent, when truth is fallen into the streets, and when a street preacher is ALWAYS to blame in any situation. Notwithstanding …

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:57-58).

Please continue to pray for our situation out of Madison County, Montana. We are facing and fighting great evil in that place, an evil that, for whatever reason, did not want us walking through that county. I stand by my words posted on November 16, a few hours after we were released from jail:

“The actions I took on November 12, 2022 along US 287 in Madison County, Montana in response to an unprovoked and sudden threat to our lives and wellbeing were what I believed to be JUST and RIGHT according to my conscience before God and according to my responsibility to stand in the gap for my children and for my brethren in Christ, our #TheLongWalkUSA team over which I am appointed leader. Here I stand, not guilty of any wrongdoing before the Lord and my country. So, help me God. As for the long walk, I promised the Lord I would walk from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and I have every intention of keeping my promise to the Lord, come hell or high water. Thanks for all your prayers and support, Jesse.”

That being said an reaffirmed, let me turn it over to Eric Trent …

I apologize for the long lapse in communication. As many already know, #TheLongWalkUSA came to a very sudden stop just south of the small town of Cameron in Madison County, Montana on November 12th. In short, we were accosted by a complete stranger while making our way north on Highway 287 toward Ennis. This man was a vile hater of the Gospel, and he despised us for the testimony we bore for the Lord Jesus Christ. The confrontation involved this man GETTING OUT OF HIS VEHICLE and physically assaulting Jesse and tackling him to the ground, thus forcing us to defend ourselves from an onslaught of attack. This man then claimed to be the “victim” of assault and immediately called 911 to have us framed. When the sheriffs deputies arrived, we were ordered out of our vehicle at gunpoint, handcuffed, and loaded up into different vehicles. Jesse, Carter, Bethany, and I were hauled off to jail. The Madison County Sheriffs Department then falsely charged all four of us with “Felony Aggravated Assault.” Jesse’s 12-year-old son Josiah, who was also with us, was taken into CPS Custody. At the time of our arrest, we had no idea where they had taken Josiah. I was hauled off to jail in Boulder while the others were taken to Bozeman. We all spent several days in incarceration. Thankfully we are well-loved, something that wicked bunch in Montana didn’t have the foresight to see; and believers all over worked hard to bond us all out ($20,000 total) so that we could come home and be with our families during this time. If this isn’t already ridiculous enough, while we are home with our wives and children we are being forced to pay for and wear expensive GPS Ankle Monitors that are costing us financially every single day we have them. These bulky monitors cannot be removed, they have to be bathed and slept with. As of now, we have court dates in the month of January, and our attorneys are working hard to get these absurd and false charges against us dropped. We sincerely ask that the saints of the Lord bathe this situation in prayer so that we can be delivered from this wicked tyranny.

Obviously there is much more information to these events than I have laid out here. I do not believe it is necessary for me to dive into these details now, as they have already been covered by multiple sources, some of which I will link to below. Understand that we have been WRONGED and DISCRIMINATED against for walking down the road with a cross and preaching Christ. It is nothing more complicated than that. Currently we are fighting these wicked powers that have risen against us, and we continue to seek the Lord’s mercy in being delivered from this evil. We desire to be relieved of this burden so that the walk can continue. We have every intention of going back to that same spot and resuming #thelongwalkusa right where we were sabotaged, near milemarker 32 on US Highway 287, heading north.

The links posted below will recount in great detail FACTS regarding our false arrest in Montana. There are plenty of lies surrounding these events floating around. These sources I am providing can be trusted. If you are unaware of what has transpired, please gather all the information you can, and commit this situation to prayer. We pray to the Lord fervently that these unjust charges laid out against us will be DROPPED. He is sovereign in all of this. Our trust will continue to remain in His Divine Hand of Providence.

This has been a great injustice committed against us, our families, our local church, Full Proof Gospel Ministries, and all those who love and support us. HOWEVER, we cannot forget what great things the LORD HAS DONE. We cannot forget the three months of this past walking leg spent on the road preaching Christ, and the encouraging testimonies there are to share! It is easy to focus on this trial and flippantly overlook all of the great encounters and opportunities to preach the Gospel that were given to us. #TheLongWalkUSA covered some GROUND as we walked across part of Nebraska, the Black Hills of South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, and a small piece of Montana! Our labor for the Lord truly did ABOUND. Not because of us, but because of HIM. Rest assured brethren: despite the tyranny we face right now, these testimonies will never be taken from us! With all of this said, I would like to take the time to share some of these details for the edification of the Church. Obviously I will not be able to condense everything into one post. So, during this time back home in North Carolina, I will try to some unpack some good testimony that preceded and led right up to our abrupt PAUSE (yes, just a pause) in Madison County, Montana. As always, each day was an opportunity to call this nation to repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As always, there was never a single day when we did not have an encounter for the Gospel. We praise the Lord for this!

When Jesse last signed off back on September 22nd (has it really been that long?) we were based in Buffalo, Wyoming. The Bighorn Mountains stood before us as a great obstacle. We made our way straight into the range via the Crazy Woman Canyon Road. It was a very beautiful canyon that we walked through. There were plenty of people riding in to enjoy the autumn scenery. We came around a bend as an approaching car slowed down in front of us and came to a stop. We spoke with Mr. Jim and his wife who were traveling for their wedding anniversary. They were believers, and both greatly encouraged by our willingness to be out as witnesses for Christ. Down the road from them we met Brian, a retired Army Ranger who was traveling with his wife. Brian had a solid conservative stance when it came to political issues. Still, as I have said before, being conservative doesn’t make a person right with the Lord. As each day in our nation passes I believe that statement continues to prove itself true. Brian heard us out regarding the Gospel message and our need for repentance toward God as a nation. He received some Gospel material from us before we parted ways and made our way up and out of Crazy Woman Canyon.

After we came off Crazy Woman Canyon Road, crossing over and out of the Bighorns involved walking Highway 16 a great deal. The fall colors were at their peak and absolutely beautiful to behold. It was also elk hunting season, therefore the mountains were filled with both hunters and tourists. One couple we shared Christ with was kind enough to offer us some water as we plodded our way down the highway toward the other end of the range. We met David and his girlfriend Christy who were traveling in a small vintage camper. We had a good conversation with them about the Lord, and they both received Gospel tracts. David seemed more enthused about what we were doing than Christy. Still, the seeds of the Gospel were definitely planted! Another couple we spoke with named Alex and Sarah rode to the Bighorns from Washington. Alex was a young veteran who saw the upside-down American flag we were carrying and instantly remarked how great it was that we were carrying it in the sign of dire distress. It is interesting how most military personnel understand what message we bring to America when carrying the flag in distress in proper accordance to the U.S. flag-code. It never fails to be a great bridge for speaking the Gospel and uplifting the name of the Messiah as our only hope in a nation that has turned its back upon the Lord. Jesse also had a divine appointment with a truck driver from Denver name Juan. After a great conversation with him about the Lord, Juan gladly received a copy of God’s Word to keep with him inside his truck!

We worked hard to gain all of that elevation and cross the Bighorns. We then quickly lost all of that elevation and dropped down into two small towns: Tensleep and Worland. Tensleep was a tiny place. Walking through a small town like that with the cross shouldered is a great way to stand out for the Lord! In those moments I Corinthians 1:18 comes to mind, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” As I plodded down Main Street, I had a few opportunities to give out Gospel tracts to locals. Plenty of people saw me walking with the cross and simply did not respond. I do remember a handful of hunters speaking with me for a moment. Lee was one of the men in the group. I walked around the vehicle and asked them if they had taken down any elk during their time in the area. Once the ice was broken, we began talking about why I was out walking with a cross on my back. The entire group received Gospel tracts before I made my way out of town.

We found walking through Worland to be a very fruitful time of preaching Christ. It was a bit larger than Tensleep. We stayed on US Highway 16 which cut right through the center of town. I remember it being a chilly and overcast day. That is always great weather for long walks. As we came into town, we met an older lady who had moved there from Vermont and was out walking her little dog. We stopped to share Christ with her. She listened to the truth of His death, burial, and resurrection, and received some Gospel material. Later on, as we were passing a hardware store parking lot, a woman pulled in to step out and speak with us. It turned out she was the wife of a man we had met the day before on Highway 16 climbing coming out of Tensleep. His name was Frank, and he had gladly received a Gospel tract when we spoke on the road’s shoulder. Well, Frank’s wife had found us and she wanted to offer some encouragement and give us her phone number in case there was anything we needed while walking through the area. I also remember a girl named Vanessa who worked at a small gas station in town. After putting a Gospel tract in her hand, we made it clear to her that she couldn’t find peace with God through her own performance. The only thing possible was for her to look to Christ and Christ alone and find saving grace in Him! We also spoke with Don, and old elk hunter from South Dakota. It was nice to stop and listen to him share about his life story. I learned a thing or two from him about elk hunting too! Don took a Gospel tract from us, and after word of farewell, we walked out of Worland.

I believe I will pause here for now. There is still much to share. Each day was an opportunity to exalt Christ, “…who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth…” (Revelation 1:5). Time fails me now to speak of our time walking through Cody, into the east entrance of Yellowstone and out the snow-covered south entrance of the national park, across the Grand Tetons, into eastern Idaho, and the infamous highway US 287 in Madison County, Montana. Stay tuned for another post, perhaps the first of 2023. I will be sure to cover these encouraging testimonies in detail.

For now, please keep us and Full Proof Gospel Ministries in prayer. Presently, Jesse, Bethany, and Carter face felony charges and have virtual court on January 23rd. For some reason, my charge has been downgraded to a misdemeanor, and I have a court appearance on January 11th. We anticipate my date to be changed to the 23rd and be changed to virtual as well. Nothing is official at this moment. We do need financial help through this trial. Our bonds to get out of jail was the maximum of $50,000 each. That meant $5,000 a head to get out of jail, a total of $20,000 paid out for all four of us. Also, these GPS ankle monitors are costing $11 a day per person. That is $44 daily to operate and track our every move. Then, there are the legal fees that are also not cheap. We are definitely not fretting over these heavy expenses. We know and trust that the Lord can EASILY provide these costs. I simply want to put it out there, our needs during this time. Should the Lord lay it upon the hearts of those who read to help in any way, we will be extremely thankful.

As I sign off, I ask again that you please pray for deliverance from this great injustice. The Madison County Sheriffs confiscated our cross and flag, and they are being held as “evidence” in Virginia City. So long as this madness continues, #TheLongWalkUSA remains paused. We intend to resume where we left off, at that exact spot on US Highway 287. In the face of this evil tyranny and injustice against Christians, we are determined to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ straight through that county as we have every God-given and legal right to do. We intend to remain steadfast and immovable for the glory of God, as we have been for 5,542 miles across this nation! For now, we pray and seek the Lord for these charges to be dropped, and that the Lord would trip up those who are opposing the work of the Gospel, that they might fall into the ditch they have laid out for us. Those who have wronged us in this underestimate the power of prayer that Christians and local churches still possess in this wicked land. We will continue to seek Him in this and continue our appeal to heaven, as that is truly all we have left. May the work of the Lord continue to be always abounding for His glory!

“He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high” (Psalm 7:15-17).

In Christ alone,

Eric Trent, Full Proof Gospel Ministries