It has been some time
since we have written an update on where we are and what we have been up to
since completing our walk in Love. We are sorry that we have been so busy that
we have not kept everyone up to date. So here is why we have been so busy.
A couple of weeks before
we completed our Walk in Love across America we spoke with a dear friend of
ours on the phone and was informed they had stage 4 cancer and would be going
to Houston, Texas for treatments. This was a hard thing to receive, as it would
be for anyone hearing this news about someone they know or care about. We
continued our walk in love and continued to pray for the Lord’s guidance. When
we completed our walk in Denver, Colorado, we drove to Nebraska to spend time
with our family and to regroup with reality and life off the trail. What a
large adjustment our lives were getting ready to go through. Wow, How quickly life
changes!
One would think that one would be excited to be back in a warm or cool house with a bed and running water at the touch of your fingers. One would think that sleeping in with no plans for the day would be wonderful, but is it really? Life for us has been a hard adjustment. When you are out on a long walk, long trail or mission trip it changes you in many ways. On the walk we would wake up and pack up our entire house and move each day. We would see new places and meet new people daily and we had to rely completely on God for guidance and the strength to just walk. In life now you live going through the motions of a work routine or daily schedule, same routine different day. You do not have to have a strong faith just to make another step up a mountain. You need faith to get through the day but not like the kind of sold out faith where all you have is God to help you make another step, to guide you with His word to tell someone that does not know Him the right scriptures to lead them. Here in this life we are in now we get up, make breakfast, dishes, routine, work, children, school etc.Our life then was grab a cold Cliff bar with no taste and eat for survival, hot water with no ice, and walk to an unknown new place and talk to strangers along the way and pray and talk to God for direction, complete direction in your life. We walked in all weather conditions, no matter what. We had God and each other and HE cared for us daily. We did not care for ourselves daily, God cared for us and met our needs.
One would think that one would be excited to be back in a warm or cool house with a bed and running water at the touch of your fingers. One would think that sleeping in with no plans for the day would be wonderful, but is it really? Life for us has been a hard adjustment. When you are out on a long walk, long trail or mission trip it changes you in many ways. On the walk we would wake up and pack up our entire house and move each day. We would see new places and meet new people daily and we had to rely completely on God for guidance and the strength to just walk. In life now you live going through the motions of a work routine or daily schedule, same routine different day. You do not have to have a strong faith just to make another step up a mountain. You need faith to get through the day but not like the kind of sold out faith where all you have is God to help you make another step, to guide you with His word to tell someone that does not know Him the right scriptures to lead them. Here in this life we are in now we get up, make breakfast, dishes, routine, work, children, school etc.Our life then was grab a cold Cliff bar with no taste and eat for survival, hot water with no ice, and walk to an unknown new place and talk to strangers along the way and pray and talk to God for direction, complete direction in your life. We walked in all weather conditions, no matter what. We had God and each other and HE cared for us daily. We did not care for ourselves daily, God cared for us and met our needs.
We are now in Houston,
Texas taking care of our friend with cancer, I mentioned early. We have gone
from the serenity quietness of the wilderness to a concrete jungle. We have moved
to the middle of 6.5 million people whom are all in a huge hurry blowing their
horns and have no patience. You have to wait in lines at the grocery stores
just to look at the lettuce for a salad. It has been a stressful change on our
family and we have learned even more about our own relationship with God and
people. We are here cooking for our friend and going back and forth to chemo
treatments and on the side we are talking to all of the homeless here .and all
of the different kinds of people .We are biking around 20 miles a day for exercise
through this concrete jungle while trying not to get run over by a car. We are
still sharing the Love of Jesus with all we meet, homeless or not, cancer
patients or not, impatient people and friendly people. It has been difficult
adjusting for us to “NORMAL” life but we miss the “NOT SO NORMAL” life daily.
Our walk in the wilderness of NOT knowing what is next around the corner.
Please continue to pray
for us and we are continuing to pray for ALL of you and Thank you ALL for your
help along our walk. We have had our own setbacks lately and have been dealing
with those as they come. Katlyn and her Lyme’s Disease has been a huge issue in
her life and ours. She needs everyone’s prayers and help for her treatments. Encouraging
words and thoughtful calls and prayers would be greatly received. The Lyme’s
has taken a hard toll on her physically and emotionally. It is hard for us to
watch the youngest in the World to walk across America on the ADT and now be in
pain and fight sickness from a little tick. We will post more about her
treatments and updates on her health. As well as on Lyme’s disease itself and
what we are doing in the future.
Please keep us ALL in your
thoughts and prayers. We love you ALL dearly.
In Christian Love,
Jennifer “GentleFir”
Backpacking Believers
