time passages
After 2,650 miles, we finally crossed the Mississippi, that Ol’ Man River.
Greetings, dear brethren, from our long walk across the United States in the spirit of watchmen upon a wall (Ezekiel 3:17). Thank you so much for your prayers and support. By the way, it’s now real easy follow this long walk and to keep up with our last logged location, the latest stats, the route, posted videos, prayer requests, and updates just like this one. Simply bookmark: thelongwalkusa.com
to date
• 2,714 miles walked
• 9 states | 130 counties
• 1,559 encounters
• 82 Bibles
On a white horse riding is HE incorruptible. HE is called faithful and true. HE rules in power and wages war in righteousness, holiness, and justice, and uprightness. HIS eyes blazing like fire, and on HIS head many kingly crowns. HE is dressed in a robe of red by dipped in blood, and HE is called the Word of God.
The above lyrics are from a track on The 2nd Chapter of Acts’ 1978 Mansion Builder album. That is one of my favorite Christian albums of all time, and I have loved The 2nd Chapter of Acts from my childhood, when I first heard this sibling trio on the radio in my parents’ yellowish 1979 Ford Fairmont wagon. These brethren NEVER charged admission to their concerts, and their music was truly ministry, unlike most of the garbage that fancies itself “Christian music” today. The HE about whom Annie Herring, Nelly Greisen, and Matthew Ward beautifully sang in the lyrics above is far greater than me or any amount of miles I may walk across this country.
HE > me!
And, HE is coming again soon, just as described above. This we preach as Eric, Bethany, and me slog mile after mile after mile across America, a nation in big trouble with God. I listened to an interview with Donald Trump on the Michael Savage Podcast just the other day. President Trump said, “America is in big trouble.” Amen. I say those exact same words in nearly every encounter we have out in the highways and hedges. As for the reason this country is in big trouble, however, I believe Trump and I would most vehemently disagree. America isn’t just “in trouble,” she is in trouble WITH GOD. We have a great big spiritual problem (see Psalm 9:17, Isaiah 1:4, Proverbs 14:34), and a spiritual problem cannot be fixed with a political solution or a political party. I immediately think of the title of the song referenced above, an important question: “Well, Haven’t you Heard?” If we have heard, we must respond first by doing exactly what Jesus told the churches at Ephesus, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea to do: REPENT. For, He said, “I know thy works” (see Revelation 2-3).
It’s a blessing to report that our last leg was 211 miles, and along that route which wound in and out of three states, we had 103 Gospel encounters and gave out 8 copies of the Holy Scriptures. Moreover, we FINALLY got across the Mississippi, that Ol’ Man River. That’s a genuine milestone. From Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, you can drive 950 miles in 15 hours to the very bridge we used to cross this important waterway on foot. Somehow, it took us 2,650 miles and 10 months to get there. I guess we took the extreme hardcore scenic route. Here’s a short 1-minute video of those moments:
I immediately think of that old show tune from a 1920’s musical:
Ol' Man River, Dat Ol' Man River, He mus' know sumpin', But don't say nuthin', He jes' keeps rollin', He keeps on rollin' along.
Likewise, we just keep rollin’ and rollin’ along, or perhaps better, walkin’ and walkin’ along. I thought about a lot of things when I crossed that long bridge into Missouri. I thought about a day, July 21, 1993. That’s when the LORD saved me down in Trenton, Florida while I was participating in a summer mission trip with a local church youth group from Metropolis, Illinois. I thought about how some of the believers He used way back then to point me toward genuine conversion and faith in Jesus Christ lived not far from that bridge I was traversing. I hadn’t seen or spoken to those folks in almost 30 years.
I pondered upon the big muddy river far below my feet and how even waters from Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park eventually flow into it. I recalled the big winter storm that had just passed through the area and how good it felt to be walking again after having to hunker down for two long days. I thought about some Gospel encounters in the ghost town of Cairo a few hours earlier, very similar to encounters I had in that same place 13 years ago. I was driving across the country and needed a break from the road. So, I took a detour into Cairo, Illinois to do a little street fishing. I thought about some of the encounters from the past week, people I knew long ago, and people I didn’t know from Adam.
My buddy snapped this picture back in 2010 as I was praying with a man on the streets of Cairo. We needed a break from the long drive and stopped to hand out Gospel tracts in this forlorn place. I never dreamed back then that I would one day walk down the same street carrying a cross.
Drifting in and out of time, I was forced to suddenly think about the three big rigs coming up behind the S.A.G. vehicle shadowing me on that bridge. There was no shoulder and no escape, and yet that Ol’ Man River just kept on rollin’ … as it has throughout America’s history and as it will, whether the United States survives or falls, until Ol’ Man’s MAKER finally stops him. In those moments, I was overwhelmed with Ecclesiastes sentiment, the same sentiment I expressed in a 2016 newsletter right after I came back from Israel and prepared to take a team of young people to Northwest India for an entire summer of outreach to Israeli backpackers. You might find that old newsletter interesting: Tides of Ministry, They Come In.
Anyway, during that long walk of more than a mile over a very dangerous Mississippi River bridge, I cast my line into some time passages and almost fell proverbially headlong. In fact, perhaps this last leg from Kuttawa, Kentucky to Vanduser, Missouri can best be described as TIME PASSAGES. We passed through some places that seemed out of time. We passed through some towns I once knew way back in time. We had to cross the Ohio on a river ferry. That threw us INTO a time passage. We walked an old levee for miles and miles across a frozen Missouri landscape. That threw us DOWN a time passage. The route literally passed through a cave that river pirates once used as a base for robbery and murder. That threw us THROUGH a time passage …
Yes, believe it or not, our walking route passed through a CAVE (Cave-In-Rock, Illinois)
… And, we walked right by an old Revolutionary War-era fort. Yes, the Revolutionary War even extended as far out as Southern Illinois. There were two guys smoking blunts as I walked up to a statue commemorating George Rogers Clark, once known as the Conqueror of the Old Northwest for his successful Illinois Campaign (a series of events during the American Revolution in which a small force of Virginia militia, led by Clark, captured several British outposts in the Illinois Country of what was then considered the Province of Quebec, present-day Illinois and Indiana). George Clark was the older brother of William Clark, of Lewis & Clark fame. Those two young men sitting on the base of that statue knew nothing of the history behind that place, so I seized the opportunity to speak of a nation that once feared God and was blessed by Him versus that same nation of today which sticks its middle finger in God’s face and dares the Almighty to act. Judgment is coming, I warned them, just like it once came upon that British fort, and refuge can only be found in Christ Jesus the Messiah. Surprisingly, these tough-looking dudes showed themselves very polite. “Yes, sir … No, sir,” they replied to my inquiries. And, they both took Gospel material and thanked me for taking the time to stop and talk to them. That was a strange TIME PASSAGE.
Witnessing by the George Rogers Clark memorial at Fort Massac State Park, Illinois
Way down the road at the very bottom of Illinois, just before I got to that dangerous bridge, I passed by an open area that was once the staging camp for Meriweather Lewis & William Clark (younger brother of the George Clark previously mentioned) as they embarked upon their own long walk, the famous 1804 exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. Talk about a TIME PASSAGE!
We walked right past this spot where Lewis & Clark once camped as they prepared to set off on their own long walk.
The same year The 2nd Chapter of Acts released their Mansion Builder album (referenced above), Al Stewart, a Scottish folk singer, released his Time Passages album. The title track was #1 on the contemporary charts for a good part of that year. I actually have that song in my iTunes library and found myself listening to it on this last leg as I walked:
It was late in December, the sky turned to snow. All round the day was going down slow. Night like a river beginning to flow, I felt the beat of my mind go drifting into time passages. Years go falling in the fading light.
I could definitely relate to that. It wasn’t December anymore, but we watched the sky turn to snow for the first time on this walk, and we watched the days go down slow. We even found ourselves walking after dark as cold 20°F nights like rivers began to flow. One of these nights, we thought the day’s walk would end without a single encounter. It would have been a first on this long walk and a source of disappointment. But suddenly, Eric and I crossed Missouri Hwy Y (Missouri is the only state that uses letters for its state highways instead of numbers … weird), and a truck pulled into a storage facility. Two good ‘ole boys got out, and I quickly walked over and started preaching. I told them America is in big trouble, but I was careful to enunciate and emphasize the two most important words that Donald Trump left out of his true statement in the aforementioned interview: WITH GOD. Our trouble is with God, not with tyrants in government. We have tyrants in government because we are in trouble with God. They listened and took Gospel tracts. That day didn’t end without an encounter. In fact, there was another one just a few miles down that same Highway Y.
I could ramble on, but I’d actually like Eric to share his perspective from this last leg. What follows is HIS testimony:
eric’s testimony
The Long Walk USA has officially resumed in 2022! We are thankful to have completed another fruitful leg. Somewhat sadly, our time in Kentucky came to an end after 650 miles. From there, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was proclaimed in Illinois and into Missouri, and we have finally crossed the Mississippi River! Historically, that means you have left the EAST and are now in the WEST. The Lord is good, worthy of all praise.
As we concluded the 2021 portion of this walk back in December , it was necessary for us to take some time off and rest at home for a spell. It had been a long year, and we desperately needed extended time with our wives, children, and church family. This period of rest proved to be very beneficial, and we were excited to finally get back out there in the highways and hedges.
It was a long day’s drive to where he had packed it up on December 16th, and we were eager to see what was in store as the route turned north for 40 miles so we could cross the Ohio River by ferry into Cave-in-Rock, Illinois. Before we even took a step, however, we witnessed the Lord’s Divine Hand of Providence in a unique encounter. To make a long story short, we were delivering some antique dishes that were purchased online by someone in Kentucky from someone in our church. The delivery address just so happened to be a mile down the road from the very spot we needed to resume. We found the place and made the delivery to the owner of the antique shop in Kuttawa. He was so surprised to find out why our delivery was so easy and what we were immediately headed out to do. We spoke for a good long while, and this brother was much encouraged in the Lord. We parted ways, having been strengthened by this refreshing time of fellowship even before we took a step. Proverbs 16:9 always comes to mind in instances such as these: “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” Amen! God never fails to guide us.
Sugar Bowl Antiques in Kuttawa, Kentucky
That same day, we walked through Dycusburg, a virtual ghost town that hugs the Cumberland River. As we entered, I could not help but notice how DEAD the place seemed to be. Nobody was out, and most of the town buildings seemed abandoned. The post office was empty. I walked up to an old Freemason Lodge, intending to leave some blunt Gospel truth for the Masons to find (The Masonic god is NOT the God of the Bible). Then, as I walked back to Main Street, I noticed two ladies inside an old general store. They had likewise spotted us. We walked up to the front door and beckoned. Tracy & Keala came out to inquire. We had a wonderful conversation about the things of the Lord. We spoke of the wicked state of our nation that has relentlessly provoked God to anger. We then told them about the one and only way to appease the wrath of God: the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on Calvary. “Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9). Tracy prayed for us before we left. It was not the shallow prayer of a Titus 1:16 “Christian,” who claims to know God but clearly does not. She made genuine intercession to the LORD that served to strengthen our resolve for the remainder of that day. Of course, these were not the only encounters. There was also Bobby working in his yard and a local park ranger who was very kind and curious. He came back a second time asking, “Can I get a your picture?”
Tray & Keala in Dycusburg, Kentucky
Eventually, we crossed into Illinois via the Cave-In-Rock Ferry. This short car ferry shuttles back and forth across the Ohio River throughout the day, mostly commuters who live in one state and work in the other. As for us, it was “out of the way,” but definitely a safer option than trying to cross on foot any of the bridges from Paducah into Illinois. Moreover, a short stint in Illinois meant only one very dangerous bridge crossing into Missouri versus two.
As Bethany and I approached the ferry on foot, there was one vehicle waiting to return to the Illinois side. This gave me a few minutes to converse with Mike from Cave-In-Rock as he sat in his truck. He claimed to be a believer, and yet he had PLENTY of problems to vent concerning the Bride of Christ, the Church. His accusations were very typical. He claimed that churches are full of hypocrites and backstabbers. I took the opportunity to enlighten him a bit about my local church back home in North Carolina. I warned him that he shouldn’t lump the genuine local churches of the Lord Jesus Christ with lukewarm American Churchianity. I told him how blessed I was to be part of a fellowship that genuinely loved the Lord and His Word. And the result of that manifests itself in love for one-another within that body. Mike seemed to change his tune with me and backtracked on his harsh accusations. Nonetheless, I gave him a New Testament and some Gospel material to keep in his vehicle with him as he commutes back and forth across state lines. Mike was very thankful. And thus we walked onto the ferry, rejoicing that the Lord had given us one last encouraging encounter in Kentucky. After 650 miles, it was finally a new state.
With Mike at the Cave-In-Rock Ferry
Debarking the ferry over the Ohio River into Illinois
Welcome to Illinois!
Once into Illinois, we dealt with snow and ice on for the first time on this long walk. It wasn’t enough, however, to stop us from progressing approximately 115 miles through the southern part of the state and over the river into Missouri. In Elizabethtown, Illinois, the snow was coming down hard, and the temperature was continuing to drop. We were hungry after a long day of walking, so we decided to stop inside a gas station that was advertising Hunt’s Brothers Pizza. We love Hunt’s Brothers. It was late, and the station was closing soon. Yet, the two girls working inside were very nice to cook us up a good pizza. While we were waiting on the food, Jesse walked up in the driving snow with the cross and approached the local police chief who was filling up his police vehicle at the pump. It was a good encounter, and the Chief received some Gospel material before he left. Southern Illinois is much different than the cesspool up north with Chicago as its epicenter. We found the locals were far more conservative than some would expect. Unfortunately, many conservative-minded folks look to the political system (the vile Republican Party) in America to fix their problems, instead of humbling themselves and repenting before the righteous God our nation has shamelessly provoked. Anyway, we scarfed down the hearty pizza those kind ladies prepared. We made sure to inform them we had walked all the way to their station from North Carolina. They were shocked and took Gospel tracts as I shared about our purpose for walking: warning the nation and preaching the Lord Jesus Christ. We then donned our bright reflective vests, grabbed the cross, and set off down the dark street to nab a few more miles before calling it a day. Carter Phillips drove over from Vanduser, Missouri to meet us at that gas station. He walked with us the rest of that evening and all day Saturday. This brother has been a faithful sidekick multiple times throughout this journey. That night we camped in the Shawnee National Forest. When I crawled out of my sleeping bag the next morning to enjoy the hot coffee Jesse had prepared for us in the nearby pit toilet (for shelter from the cold wind), it was 9°F … but we had an incredible sunrise view. I never knew there was such beautiful rocky country in Illinois.
Driving Snow in Elizabethtown, Illinois
Hot Coffee and a Glorious Sunrise on a 9°F Morning in Southern Illinois
The following day, we walked through the hamlet of Golconda, another tiny community nestled beside the Ohio River. Enroute, a car full of people rolled up and stopped to speak with us. The driver introduced himself and asked what we were doing. Both he and his passengers listened intently to the Gospel message Jesse and I had to share and received some Gospel tracts. Later, a woman and her son stopped to ask about our journey. This too was a good encounter. As soon as we came into the downtown area, I noticed a man splitting wood in his yard. We walked over to speak with George. He was very appreciative of the work we were doing, and encouraged us to keep up the pace and finish strong for the Lord. I love encouraging believers in the highways and hedges. Even more, I love being encouraged by them. You never know who you might meet … be it believer in need of edification or an unbeliever in need of salvation.
That evening, we drove over to Paducah, Kentucky to find food, via one of those bridges that was far too dangerous to walk. While inside a local Waffle House, we noticed a homeless man also having a meal. As we finished up and prepared to leave, we stopped to have a chat with him. It was very cold that night. After we had already camped in temperatures that were in the single digits, we knew what Josh was facing if he slept outside that night. He only had a bicycle, a small bike trailer, his dog, and whatever he could fit inside his bags. Jesse gave him enough money to get a room that night. We also left him with a Bible and some Gospel material. Josh was very grateful for the gift, he had never once asked for money. In fact, he had done some of the cleaning work that no one wants to do in that Waffle House in exchange for a few meals. That was kind of the manager (who also got a Gospel tract) to work with him. Anyway, Josh didn’t want something for nothing, so he gave Jesse one of the small camp hatchets that he makes and sells, a token of appreciation and friendship. Please pray for Josh’s salvation. It was a great encounter, and that hatchet is sweet. We will use it on the road. As I am recalling this, Proverbs 14:21 comes to mind: “He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.” This seemingly small instance of mercy toward Josh and his little dog opened up a door to sow the seeds of the Gospel in his life, and for that we went our way praising the Lord!
Jesse stands with Josh & his little dog outside the Waffle House in Paducah, Kentucky
Cairo is a small town at the very bottom of Illinois, and it is a rough place. But, Jesse wanted to walk through there, remembering that he and a couple of brothers had stopped at that place years ago enroute to a college campus preaching tour out west. They needed a break from the driving and veered off into this town to do some street fishing. There were a lot of good encounters that October day in 2010, despite the apocalyptic aesthetics. Cairo actually has an interesting history, a sad and relatively swift slide from a very wealthy river town to something right out of an apocalypse—a very visual illustration of the inevitable end of man, even the wealthiest and most powerful, if left to himself. “Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity” (Psalm 39:5). Oh, how we need the Messiah!
Anyway, we had been warned the day before by a kind elderly lady who bought us a pizza that Cairo is very dangerous. This wasn't the first time we have heard the word "dangerous” regarding places along this walk. And usually, we take such things with a grain of salt. Sometimes, well-meaning advice isn’t the best advice. This again proved true with regard to Cairo. Jesse and I walked through town together, along the mostly deserted snow-covered avenues. Not once did we encounter any danger … the danger was down the road crossing the Mississippi on a long bridge with no shoulder and a considerable amount of truck traffic. There were some folks out and we found all of them, including a thug in his hoopty-mobile, to be kind and open to the message we came preaching, just like it was for Jesse and his preaching buddies years ago. We spoke blunt truth about our nation’s unrepentant state before the Lord and the consequences for it! Christy & Michael were an older couple clearing off the snow from their front sidewalk as we strolled by. They took some Gospel material and a copy of the Scriptures. Later, we spoke with a couple walking down the street, trying not to slip on the ice! They both received Gospel tracts before we parted ways. Then, there were John & Mark who had just come out of a house and saw us in the street. We had a great conversation with them about the Lord, and they both took copies of the Scriptures. We also spoke with a woman coming out of a Dollar General who was surprised to see two guys walking with a cross and a flag. She took a tract and encouraged us to be careful on our journey. Gospel seeds were scattered in Cairo, Illinois that day; and we left that town satisfied, knowing Christ was glorified.
On February 4th, we finally crossed the Mississippi River! We exited Cairo and made our way down to the US-62 bridge that goes into Missouri . Walking that bridge was no easy task. In fact, it was very dangerous. The traffic going back and forth was heavy and also involved a constant flow of semi-trucks. On top of this, there was NO SHOULDER on the bridge and nowhere to flee once inside the caged section. A person is simply at the mercy of the traffic. We decided one person walking is safer than two, and Jesse insisted that it be him. We stopped to petition the Lord for mercy where the traffic was concerned. And in immediate answer to the prayer, it seemed to disappear! This gave Jesse the window to walk the half-mile to the top of the bridge without cars and trucks. Bethany, Carter, and I then drove up with the S.A.G. (i.e. support & gear) vehicle to shadow him with flashing hazard lights for the downhill half-mile. Very quickly, three big rigs came up behind us as we closely followed Jesse. Strangely, all three passed us on that narrow double-yellow lined span (dangerous, I suppose), but soon thereafter, we found ourselves with a shoulder again and greeted by a large sign that read “Missouri Welcomes You.” Praise the LORD. It was a surreal moment for us as this day had been in our sights for a very long time, all the way back when we were walking the coastal plain of North Carolina, almost a year ago. Make no mistake, this journey is far from over, but the Mississippi River was a big milestone for us just like it was for the migrating settlers who heard the call Go West, Young Man many years ago.
Welcome to Missouri!
Before I wrap up this testimony, let me share about a few encounters we had in Missouri. We wanted to walk through the small town of Vanduser, just north of Sikeston. There is a boy’s home in that town where Carter Phillips has worked for the last several years. As mentioned, Carter has come alongside numerous times on this long walk, particularly in some very difficult and rugged sections. He is a bold witness for Christ, and a joy to have on our team when he can take the time off work. Walking through the small community of Vanduser and preaching the Gospel to the teenagers at The Anchor Boys Home was a route goal from the beginning. To get there, however, we followed a roundabout path through the small town of East Prairie. Jesse has a longtime friend in North Carolina who was born here, and he simply wanted to walk through his friend’s hometown and encourage him with the testimony. Walking to East Prairie was fairly remote and about 20 miles farther than a direct path to Vanduser. For miles, we walked snow-covered levees that serve to keep flood waters out of the surrounding communities and farmland. Just when it seemed like there would be no encounters out there, a guy pulled up in a bright red Jeep Wrangler and asked us why we were out there with a cross and a flag! We had the opportunity to tell him about repentance and faith in the Lord. After him, a man and his wife pulled up to warn us about a dog that might give us some trouble over at a house we were approaching. We have dealt with plenty of dogs, so we were not afraid of what we might find (Dogs are often smarter than many of today’s Americans. They know the difference between a threat and a preacher). We gave those folks some Gospel tracts before they drove off. Once we arrived in East Prairie, we had a great encounter with an older man named Ricky. The support vehicle was parked at a good spot which didn’t seem like someone’s private property. It was hard to tell with all of the fresh snowfall. Just then, a car pulled up and an older man got out. Ricky informed us that we were indeed parked on private property, and that it was his. Well, this was one of those moments where “A soft answer turneth away wrath…” (Proverbs 15:1). When we apologized for our mistake, Ricky changed his tune and conversed with us for a good while. As always, the Gospel of Christ was declared, and he eventually departed with a nice Bible in his hands, something he was very thankful for. We also had his blessing to park the S.A.G. vehicle in that spot as long as we needed. Ricky’s mercy toward us resulted in him being told about the mercy he could find from the Lord in Jesus Christ! And strangely, this man actually knew Jesse’s friend’s mother who had been a schoolteacher in that community many, many years ago.
Jesse & Ricky in East Prairie, Missouri
When we finally made it to Vanduser, the Lord opened a door at the Anchor Boys Home. Those boys have the Gospel preached to them regularly. They have the Bible expounded to them in church and regular Bible studies. We simply wanted to water the seeds that were already sown into them. And, we prayed that an encounter with a couple of preachers who had WALKED all the way there to tell them something about the Lord Jesus Christ would make an impact. While the resident boys were doing their schoolwork for the day, Jesse literally walked into town, into the front door, and up the stairs into the classroom with his cross. Immediately, he started preaching, having been given permission to do so. Jesse doesn’t mince words, and he exhorted these young men to take God’s Word seriously in these dark days and not to be playing games with the LORD, the righteous Judge of heaven, the earth, and the seas. Many folks play the Christian game for a while, but when the heat of that hot sun of trial and temptation starts to scorch, they wither away quickly (Matthew 13:20-21). We loaded the entire group up with good discipleship material, bid them farewell, and headed back out the door. After a 211-mile leg, the Anchor parking lot seemed like an appropriate place to pack things up for a short break. We had to make a quick trip back to North Carolina so Bethany could get her drivers license before her driving permit expired. Lord willing, we will take up the cross again in Vanduser in a just a few days. Next Tuesday, Jesse will get another chance to preach to the residents of the boys home during their evening chapel service. You can pray for that.
Jesse walks right off the street in Vanduser, MO and right up the stairs to preach to the residents of the Anchor Boys Home.
I pray this testimony was an encouragement to each one who took the time to read it. These things are not written to boast of any “accomplishment.” For who are we without the precious blood of Christ making atonement for our sins before the LORD? We are nobodies, unprofitable servants; and all we desire is to be found faithful … maybe even encourage a few other believers to muster the strength they need to go out and proclaim the Cross of Christ in their own walks of life. The days we live in are dark, and they will only wax worse. But despite this, our hope is in the Lord and in the eternal life that He promises. We press on toward the Pacific, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Please continue to pray for us. As Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak” (Colossians 4:3-4). The boldness that we can conjure up to preach Christ to this nation can be greatly strengthened by the prayers of believers from back home and abroad. Stay tuned … we shall see what the LORD has in store later this week as #thelongwalkUSA continues.
- Eric Trent
As Eric mentioned, we had to come back to North Carolina. On February 9th, Bethany turned 18 and her NC driving permit expired. We had to return home so she could get her drivers license. We need her to help with the S.A.G. vehicle from time to time, and she does great behind the wheel. Some of those roads she drove while Eric and I were walking on this leg back in Missouri were literal sheets of ice. Well, that is now done. It was also great to be home with family and friends for her birthday (February 9) and for mine (February 15). We head back to Missouri on Saturday. The next leg will be a long one, and I am not sure when we shall be able to return. We are pretty far from home now, and the trip is long. I am excited that my son Josiah is going to join us for a week though. We will also be joined next week by my brother, another leader from our local church, and a pastor of a church in an adjacent county. They are driving all the way out to join us for some miles and will take Josiah back home for me. I always love having Christian brethren come walk and witness with us. Praise God.
I’m sorry this newsletter is so long, but before I sign off, I must tell you about the greatest part of this last leg for me. It was truly memorable and definitely a TIME PASSAGE. Earlier, I mentioned a place called Metropolis, Illinois. It is forever connected to my salvation testimony, for by God’s DIVINE HAND OF PROVIDENCE, some folks from that small town and their kindness toward me were used of Him to bring me to place of true conversion when I was 17 years old. The last time I had any communication with these old friends was in 1994. When God shortly thereafter brought the girl into my life who would later become my wife, my attention became more singular and pathways diverged … it’s the way of things. Notwithstanding, when I learned that we would be walking in the area, I started digging to see if I could find any of my friends from those bygone days long before cell phones, Facebook, Instagram, or reliable internet. I had no idea if they were alive or dead, if they lived in the area or not, or whether or not folks used of the LORD in my life were still following Him all these years later. I knew nothing. But, by God’s Providence, my dig yielded treasure. To make a long story short, one of the young men from that youth group who was present the night I was saved now pastors a large church in Paducah, Kentucky. I reached out to him online, and he immediately responded: “I very much remember the night you were converted.” After learning about our walking through the area and needing a place to stay, he and his church were very kind to put us up in a nice hotel room for several nights in Paducah. It proved a great location convenient to the route and a real blessing. We worshipped with those folks one Sunday morning, and I had a sweet reunion with that pastor at the front of the sanctuary following that service. I think we both still wear the same pant size we wore back then. Praise God!
We were also able to connect with several others I knew in the LORD from Metropolis. We shared a Sunday meal with one family, and a group of folks showed up at a coffee house in downtown Metropolis on Monday where arrangements were made to meet as I walked with my cross through town. I hadn’t seen these brethren in 30 years, including a family who housed me when I was a bit of a punk teen. How edifying it was to find them still loving and serving Jesus today! I never forgot the kindness they showed to me, a stranger, back when I was a teenager, and how the LORD used that to bring me to a place of genuine repentance and faith. The LORD saved me, a wretch, in 1993—in specific answer to the prayers of my parents who knew I was a false convert. I have never been the same since. And the PROOF that He saved me on that day in 1993 down in Trenton, Florida amidst of group of Christian people from Metropolis, Illinois is NOT that I said a prayer or walked an aisle. The proof is that all these many years later, in 2022, I am still living repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That shed blood and resurrection of the Messiah is the only merit for my soul. And I’ll walk all the way across America to preach that in the highways and hedges.
A Metropolis Coffee-Shop Reunion
My Christian friends, we need to remember those the LORD used to point us toward faith in Jesus. Seek them out, thank them, and be a blessing to them as they were to you, even if it was 30 years ago.
“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation” (Hebrews 13:7).
We have walked almost 2,714 miles on this long journey, and my path has now crossed that of an old high school friend I hadn’t seen in 27 years; a college friend I hadn’t seen in 24 years; and now a group of friends I hadn’t communicated with in almost 30 years. Hallelujah! I marvel at the Divine Hand of Providence.
As I walked out of Metropolis, I was a little bummed. There was one person I wanted to find, but I was unsuccessful. I had stayed in his home long ago on a couple of occasions, and we had some good times together. After the coffee shop reunion, we put a few more miles behind us and packed up at a cemetery. The next morning, I resumed from that same spot, and not five minutes into the walk, a large SUV pulled up, and I heard a man say: “Hey there stranger.” I hardly recognized him, but it was my old friend I had been looking for. It’s a long story, I’ll spare you the details. Suffice it to say: I didn’t find him; he found me. God is good.
My old friend found me. We both now have grey in our beards.
Long live Metropolis, Illinois! Praise God for the folks I reconnected with in that place, and praise God for the multiple Gospel encounters we had on the streets with strangers as we walked through town—Jordan, Zion, Travis, Louise, Calvin, two men just getting off of work, 3 teenagers, a sister who stopped to say “God Bless you for what you are doing,” and a lady sitting on her front porch. And yes, that old Superman Statue is still there. It was bronze way back when I knew it 30 years ago. It must have gotten a paint job since.
Superman is still there in Metropolis. This kind couple housed me long ago when I was my daughter’s age. It was so nice to connect with them again.
Let me say it again: This nation is in big trouble WITH GOD; I won’t mince words about that. And our nation is full of wicked people, Democrats AND Republicans, and many who profess themselves to be Christian … WICKED PEOPLE. However, there are also some very kind people out there, kind Americans who you might not expect to be so. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), and nether should we be in our presumptions. I was SAGGING with the vehicle on the side of a country road in Crittenden County, Kentucky the first day of this latest leg, waiting to tag off with Eric and Bethany when they walked up. The day was getting late, and I wanted to get in a few more miles before it got dark. A man came up to check his mail and asked if I needed any help. This happens a lot with the S.A.G. vehicle, and it results in a lot of Gospel encounters. As I conversed with him, I started thinking it would turn ugly the moment I brought up the Gospel. In fact, I almost chickened out, but then Eric and Bethany walked up with the cross. Now, I had no choice. The odd moment demanded an explanation. As it turned out, this man fears the LORD and was so encouraged by what we are doing. His teenage daughter was killed some years ago in a car accident; a driver strung out on meth hit her head-on not far down the road from where he and his wife live, a very rural area … yet he never lost his faith. Long story short, I had to keep walking to beat the setting sun, but he welcomed Bethany and Eric into his home for something to drink and to warm up before they came to find me. He offered his home as a place to sleep and eat if we needed it. And several times since we saw him last, he has called to check on us and make sure we are ok and staying the course. Praise God for Dennis and his unexpected kindness. We have been privileged to meet others like him in every state along our 2,714 walking miles. Just like with Boaz and Ruth in the dark days of the Judges in Israel’s history, the LORD is always at work behind the scenes.
Praise God for GENUINELY KIND AMERICANS like Dennis.
Al Stewart in his hit song TIME PASSAGES sings:
Well I'm not the kind to live in the past. The years run too short and the days too fast.
Yes Al, and neither do I, and, like you:
It's just now and then my line gets cast into these time passages.
However, I CANNOT NOW relate to what he says next:
The things you lean on are the things that don't last. It's just a game that you play.
That which I lean upon, the One I first leaned upon back in 1993, DOES LAST—”Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). And that definitely ain’t no game that I play. It ain’t no game that a kind man who lost his daughter in rural Kentucky plays. It ain’t no game that some kind folks in Metropolis, Illinois play. It ain’t no game that a ministry in Vanduser, Missouri plays. It ain’t no game that an antique dealer in Kuttawa and two ladies in Dycusburg, Kentucky play. And, it ain’t no game that my friend who was born in East Prairie, Missouri plays. Think about that for a moment, and yes, sometimes it is appropriate to use the word AIN’T. Your English schoolteacher wasn’t always right.
I did get some fantastic drone shots on this last leg. I have posted a little gallery below that sums up this latest leg from an aerial view. I trust you will enjoy it.
If this long walk across America has edified you in some way, please consider sowing into our ministry. We have needs, and anything you can share, if the LORD should lay it upon your heart, is a blessing that will be used faithfully and with account. All contributions are tax-deductible. Thank you in Jesus’ name. Learn more . . .
Pray for us as we head back out on Saturday. In Al Stewart’s TIME PASSAGES (1978), the last line goes: “Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight.” His TIME PASSAGES drove him to despair and a desire to just go home. Ours drive us out of despair and into a resolve to leave home and get out into those fields white unto harvest, where the laborers are few.
As for a last train, I’ll eventually get one to an eternal home, but I won’t have to buy the ticket. The Jewish Conductor bought one for me on a cruel Roman cross. He bought one for you as well. Have you received it? Will you receive it? It’s AVAILABLE, but it’s not automatic. It’s FREE, but it ain’t cheap.
For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus the Messiah,
Jesse Boyd