Pure Grace and Praise at Starbucks

We'll pick up where we left off. We drove out of Greensboro last Friday night, headed to Roanoke, VA which was only a couple of hours North. We went to a Starbucks to find a hotel on Priceline for the night. Before I went on to start the Name Your Own Price, I checked my bank account. All of our purchases that had been in the pending status went through and we were left with $40. I told the girls the uncomfortable news and we looked at each other with that, 'Oh we have been here before but we still don't like it' look. We knew that God had told us to go, to leave the safety and comfort of our fabulous new friends, but without provision? Donna Renee had enough in savings, but one night would drain it. That is where we all were at that point. We decided that instead of getting anxious and spinning out of control, we would stop and pray about it. So, we bowed our heads and started asking God out loud for direction, discernment, and provision. When we finished praying, we decided to just sit still and wait.

We then got a call from our friend Charlie, asking our whereabouts and to ask us to pray that people would start talking and interacting with one another at the Elsewhere Grub. I prayed with him then and told him that we would continue praying. I hung up the phone and threw it on the chair. "I knew it." I had developed a heart for these young artists and their pursuit of community and connection in the make-believe world of their own fashioning. We stopped and prayed again for our friends and their guests. We continued our wait.

As we were sitting still, Laura and I overheard a conversation between the the three baristas. They were talking about the rules and behavioral perimeters of each of their churches. One was a pastor's daughter. Laura and I looked at each other and decided that we needed to engage these ladies.

After some time Donna Renee felt that God had impressed her to put her money towards a room for the night. He was teaching us something about the concept of "daily bread". Laura said that she believed that God wanted us "all in". So, we put a $50 dollar bid on a hotel room and a three star hotel accepted it. We began praising God and thanking Him for His mighty provision and for His love and care for us.

On my way to the bathroom, I stopped by the counter and said, "Ladies, we are terrible eavesdroppers. We overheard you talking about your churches. Which one of you is the preacher's daughter." They told me it was Carissa. I told them about our project, how we had just entered state #35, and shared with them the amazing experience that had just happened to us. I introduced myself and one of the girls said that her name was Hilah. I asked her what that meant and she said it was Hebrew for praise. I asked Carissa what her name meant and she said grace. The other girl named Katie said that hers meant pure. Pure Grace and Praise. Now that was some schedule line-up.

As we were heading out the door, Carissa came over with a brown bag and said that they had a little something for us to take on the road. Miss Grace with a bag full of God-provided treats! We thanked them profusely and made our way out the door. We still are dining on those godly reminders, five days later.

We have more stories of praise and provision that we will pass along as time and internet access permit. Please continue to pray for us as we push forward through our last ten states. Protection, Provision and Praiseworthy moments as we finish this work and make our way home.

Sweet dreams!

Princess Angela

Grubbin' in Greensboro

I love lighthouses. They are big, majestic, and most importantly, serve a divine purpose, to help those lost find their way in the darkness. Lighthouses have been a big deal to me on this project. The first summer I didn't get to see any, the second summer we saw two. The East Coast leg of the trip promised the sure sighting of the largest lighthouse in America, Cape Hatteras. Our original mapping conversations were pre-built with Hatteras in the forefront.

As we made our way through North Carolina, we landed in Wilmington. The girls had spent two or three days telling everyone that we were in Charlotte, instead of Charleston or Wilmington, or wherever else we found ourselves. We went to Starbucks two Saturdays ago to find a Priceline hotel near Cape Hatteras. We went online and looked up ferry fees and travel routes and all kinds of things to get us to my lighthouse. The more we looked, planned and plotted, the more anxious and confused we all became. Finally, Donna Renee said, "Stop, just stop. Something is not working." Laura cautiously said, "Maybe we are not supposed to go." They both hesitantly looked at me. I looked back. I said, "Maybe we are supposed to go to Charlotte. You two have been talking about it for the last two days." The girls were watching closely for my reaction.

God has grown us all a lot in the past four years. If it had of happened on the first leg of the trip, I would have been crushed for days. Now, after all that God has brought me through, my response was, "My God doesn't cheat me." I knew there must be something better that I surely didn't want to miss. So, we jumped on the road and made our way to Charlotte. You have already been told the stories from there.

What you don't know is what happened after Charlotte. A friend we met on the road in Portland who is from Indianapolis, Pete Gall (http://www.petegall.com/tegall.com/), told us about a couple, Ruth and Charlie Jones, who make up the Christian theatre company Peculiar People (http://www.peculiarpeople.com/). Originally when we first heard about them, they were in Franklin, TN. Pete told me I needed to go meet them because of our similar backgrounds in theatre and also with our common interest in community building. When we landed in Charlotte, I saw that their home in Greensboro, NC was only about an hour and a half away. I contacted Charlie via Facebook. Charlie went and checked out our site and sent us his and extended an invitation to stay with them. The girls seemed game, so we prayed about it, made sure that we got a green light from above, and made our way Northeast. We found ourselves on South Elm St. and rang the bell. After some time the door opened and Charlie greeted us. We creaked up the stairs to the third floor where we were welcomed by Ruth (Charlie's wife) and Starbucks, Cappuccino and Bear (the dogs). Charlie took us on the grand tour, an exercise he has down to a science. The art, the books, and the creative air captured our full attention, but my favorite feature of the house was the trash chute. At the back of the house is a storage room with a window that stays open. Three floors south of the window is the dumpster. I begged as many of their guests have done to "take out the trash".

After the tour Charlie helped us cart up our luggage from Lola, the Forerunner, and then he excused himself to go work on his newsletter. We put our things in our rooms and all went exploring.

Laura roamed through the house with her camera, taking pictures of the interesting art pieces and bookcases throughout the house, snapping shots of snoozing dogs draped over hardwood floors. Renee made her way through each room with video camera on record. I beelined for the room with words on the wall, capturing thoughts by Luther, Josephine Butler, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I grabbed my journal and traveled to the bookshelf by the fire escape door. I leafed through books, wrote down titles, skimmed back covers, and stopped my search when I lighted on a little reader entitled Drawing Angels Near:Children Tell of Angels in Words and Pictures by Mimi Doe and Garland Waller. I took it into the great room/performance area and stretched out on the Oriental rug. I giggled and beamed as I read the beautiful tellings of the little ones and gazed at their angelic reproductions. We eventually wandered into the dog/TV room and sat with Ruth and talked about our project, their work, and looked at the beaded jewelry that she had been working on recently. Charlie asked us what time we liked to eat and then announced that we would be having Charlie's Chardonnay Chicken at 6:30. Ruth went to help him with dinner preparations and we continued our look around. "Girls, supper's ready." We made our way into the dining room.

We settled in, grabbed hands and Charlie said the blessing. Then he asked, "So how the hell did you get into my dining room?" The story began. We told ours: the project, the shift in direction, the light house. Charlie jumped on that. "We are light houses. You found us." They told theirs: their meeting, marriage, ministry, and how South Elm St. had become his Parish. We found out that Ruth had grow up as a missionary's kid in Kenya. My ears perked. I told her that I would be wanting to hear more about that in our time together. We also got introduced to the concept of "The Grub." We had looked at "The Grub" picture book that Ruth had made, but it came to life when animated by the visionary storytellers. After dinner we went over to the adjoining great room to watch two of their performance pieces. The audience of three wiped tears from their eyes, sharing how the pieces had resonated with us.

Ruth bid us goodnight as Charlie bid us to take a seat in his office to show us some of his favorite videos. All irreverence broke loose, intermingled with peals of laughter. My personal favorite was Tim Hawkins music video, "Cletus take the Reel". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfs3BJZxKkc After about an hour, we called it a night and headed to bed.

The next day we awoke to the smells of coffee and bacon. We sat with Ruth as she told us about her time in Kenya and what it was like to transition to the States. I found a magnet of Cape Hatteras on the refrigerator, and Charlie took my picture with it. We left Charlie and Ruth to work on preparations for the casting of Charlie's new three act play that they will be producing in the next six weeks.

We wandered around downtown, took pictures, blogged at the Greenbean and came back in time for supper. We had Charlie's Fried Chicken (everything out of that kitchen starts with 'Charlie'). We watched more videos and turned in.

Every night we (the three girls) pray before we go to bed for direction regarding the next day. We discussed whether our time was done or not. We knew that we had gotten what we needed. Rest, good home cooked meals, inspiration, laughter, new friends- "Our tribe." Although we had gotten our needs met, we talked about how these two precious people, our people, were about to encounter one of the heaviest weekends of their lives. They would be hosting two "Grubs" the first on Thursday night at their house for 50+ people, one on Friday night in a new venue for 40+ people at "Elsewhere" the artist collaborative down the street, and then wake up early Saturday morning to hold auditions for the new show. We prayed and decided that if they were willing to accept the help, we would stick around and help prepare for "The Grub".

The next morning Ruth and Charlie were up early as usual. Charlie was off to Sam's and Ruth was off for an errand of her own. We got the call I predicted to come unload the groceries. In record time, we got the Grub stuff up the three flights and stuffed in the three refrigerators. Ruth came back and I had a chance to speak with them for a minute. The tension and weight of the next four days was heavy on Ruth's shoulders and thick in Charlie's voice. They took off for another appointment. I reported my findings to the girls and just as we were about to sit down and pray, they came back in and plopped down on the couch. "Will you guys pray for us," Charlie humbly asked. We listened to his requests and did just that. We then offered to help. The offer was graciously received and the five of us got busy. Ruth and Laura stayed at home and baked cakes for the two Grubs.

Charlie, Donna Renee and I all jumped in the Explorer and made our shopping rounds. Our first stop, COSTCO. Charlie had his grocery list programmed on his iPhone, and although impressive, grocery stores aren't laid out in alphabetical order.














Our next stop was Super G, where Charlie has made friends with the owner and always gets his Grub produce. We got fresh herbs, sweet potatoes, and lots and lots of coconut milk for all of the Jamaican recipes. I found an unexpected item for sell, a bidet, at the front of the store. Charlie suggested we get it for our passenger seat.

Our last stop was Harris Teeter grocery store, making our faces cring every time we have driven by one. Unappetizing name, great groceries.

When we got back, we found three others had come by and were staying for lunch. We ate, visited, and once the guests were gone, started the Grub preparations. Donna Renee and Laura helped Charlie in the kitchen as Ruth and I hung lights down the hallway and made table decorations. We worked on our different jobs and took a break to go eat dinner at the Mellow Mushroom across the street.

On our way back to the house, we stopped by Elsewhere (http://www.elsewhereelsewhere.org/) to see what these artists from all over the world were up to. We walked into this chaotic blast from the past thrift store turned living museum and met Curtis, the artist doing introductions at the front counter. We made a contribution of our leftover pizza to the artists and wandered through the playground, shelves and counters full of toys and trinkets from our parents' generation and our own. We opened old suitcases turned into time capsules and viewed the gathering of items that an artist had spent weeks putting together. We met people who were excited to meet us since we were friends of Charlie and Ruth. We got invited to their Grub on Friday night and told them we were not sure what Friday looked like. We wandered back to the house, finished our day's work, listened to one of Charlie's sermons, and fell into bed.

We got up at 7:00 the morning of the Grub and got ready to meet the day running. Mike the plumber came a little after 8:00 to help set up tables, chairs, and set the grand table. Mike has been their mainstay of Grub support since the very first one in Greensboro. He knows where everything is, how to most efficiently set up everything, aligns the glasses on the table to make it picture perfect for the traditional table photo, and even stays after and does dishes. Ladies, he is a catch!

As the hallway was being converted to a banquet hall, the kitchen was teeming with spices, steam, and a steady stream of banter. The chicken was all grilled by 9:30, the food was all prepped by 2:00. Time for naps, last minute errands and finishing touches. The phone rang throughout the day, inquiries about bringing a friend or regrets about not being able to come. The numbers increased, but there was plenty for all. Clothes changed, pictures snapped, and around 6ish, the crowd began to show up. The Grub was on!

A delightful inter-generational guest list manifested, bringing a sense of delight and expectation. The former Grub attendees knew the rare occasion that they were going to be privileged enough to once again attend. The newbies had heard outlandish stories of spectacular cuisine and hilarious hospitality from either a friend or one of the six newspaper spreads that had covered the Greensboro Grub since February 2008. Donna Renee had the video camera strategically placed at the end of the table, Laura wandered around with her camera as I watched for my cue to start dishing up the serving bowls.

People mingled until Captain Charlie's bellow moved the Grubbers to the long awaited table. He prayed, we dove in, 50 places at the feast. The volume roller-coastered as people silenced themselves with a chicken leg or a spoonful of sweet potato pudding or squealed in delight at a new friend's conversation contribution. People that would never call each other to have coffee, go shopping, or see a movie find themselves dishing and dining with new-found friends.

Charlie interviews a few people at each Grub. Our trio got tagged. He used the opportunity to introduce us to the crowd and to thank us for our help. After dinner plates were cleared, Ruth's Tres Leches was served.

After dessert another directive was given to promptly without delay move to the great room for a sharing of talent. Another beautiful chance for the dinner guests to better get to know one another. Charlie explained how this portion of the Grub was developed. He and Ruth extended the invitation and was told by their pastor that he would go but not first. So the hosts made their way to the front of the crowd and did "Who's on First?" which got interrupted by Starbucks, the dog. The next person came forward, Josephus III. A spoken word poet. A radiant light. Poetry,essays, journal entries and a mother's love letters to her dead husband were read, some jokes were told, a script was performed, and the hokey pokey was danced. The evening grew late and the traditional invitation out the door was barked by the master, "Get the hell outta my house!" Laughter and movement followed and people said their goodbyes.

The three girls talked to Josephus (http://www.josephus@mentalityenterprises.com/) about his vision and aspirations and told him that we would tell others about him. We washed dishes, put things away and made another trip to Charlie's office. He introduced us to the heart wrenching music of Michael Kelly Blanchard (http://www.michaelkellyblanchard.com/). We sat with the Kleenex box and wept as his stories of people that we knew or were came pouring out of the speakers. We said our good nights and fell once again into bed.

The next morning we got up and found more bacon, eggs, and coffee waiting for us. We also found ourselves in the kitchen chopping and cooking meat for the Friday night Grub soups. The Elsewhere founder came by and invited us to the Grub. April, the "help keep things in order" person of Peculiar People came by and gave us an encouraging word about reading our blogs. She and I talked for a few minutes about my blog regarding my lessons from Montana and what it means to have culture shape your Spirituality.

We finished the meat and told Charlie and Ruth that we had to go pray. Charlie kept telling us that the Lord was telling him that He wanted us to stay for the Grub that night. We told him to stay in the kitchen while we went and checked in ourselves. We retired to the parlor and prayed. We cried and cried as we got our release to leave. See, we had found a place that we could stay forever. But, the reality was we were in state #34 with 14 more to go. We had done what God had brought us there to do.

We returned to the kitchen with soaked, crumbling Kleenex in our hands to share our news. After some ranting from our brother, we gathered our stuff and started taking it downstairs. Charlie and Ruth helped with the last bit of the load and came bearing Peculiar People DVDs, Michael Kelly Blanchard CDs and Peculiar People coffee mugs. We stopped in the stairwell, prayed for one another, the Grub of the day, and the people of Charlie's South Elm St. Parish. We hugged goodbye and left with very sad hearts. We had found two rare people, four capable hands, four beautiful feet, two passionate hearts, one lighthouse, well equipped to bring community, acceptance, joy, love, reconciliation, and restoration to those lost in the darkness.

History Lessons

We find ourselves in Greensboro, NC where the Woolworth sit-in happened on February 1, 1960. If you don't know what that was, here is a link http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18615556 .

We drove by the Woolworth building, 301 N. Elm St, that is currently being renovated into the International Civil Rights Center and Museum that is slated to open on the 50th anniversary, February 1, 2010. We were told that a statue of the four students that started the sit-in was located at the University where they were students. We with the help of our trusty GPS Girl Friday, Betty, found the North Carolina A&T University.

After asking directions from one of the students, we found the 10 foot monument in front of the Dudley Memorial Building. Donna Renee pulled out the video camera and Laura and I snapped pictures of the statue, the beautiful trees and architecture surrounding it. Nature called and I told the girls that I was going to run inside to the restroom. As I ascended the majestic stairs leading to the entrance of the building, a very surreal thought washed over me. I turned and looked behind me. I saw the back of the statue with Donna Renee's back alongside theirs as she panned the area for b-roll. It hit me that if this moment was 50 years ago, I would not be having this experience. It simply would not be allowed.

50 years ago I as a white woman would not be anywhere near an all African-American school. I would not go up the stairs to use the restroom. I would be somewhere else using a restroom that was just for me and my kind. I would not be taking photographs of four celebrated young men who dared to stay at a lunch counter when it was not allowed. I would not be traveling with a black woman working on a documentary, let alone call her best friend. People just didn't do such things.

I gulped the thought down and made my way into the building that houses an art gallery and fine art classrooms. I asked the two people behind the counter if there was a restroom that I could use. "Of course. Right around the corner," was their response. My mind once again time-traveled to a place where if the situation was reversed, I might have directed them to a room that was marked "colored only."

I took care of business and returned to the counter. I thanked them and told them that I was working on a documentary and handed each a card. I introduced myself and found out they were Ian and Lauren. Ian is studying architecture and Lauren just finished getting her degree to be a dietitian. She will return in the fall to do her masters in social work. Her big dream is to link the dietary work with her social work and create a home for battered women and children.

Ian excused himself to another room as Lauren and I continued our conversation. She is a radiant 22 year old. I found out that both of her parents are pastors and her father is considering becoming a hospital chaplain. She said they were a dynamic duo. She said her dad thought about things before jumping into them and always loved to make people laugh. Her mom was the type to see what was happening with someone immediately and to get right to the heart of a matter and really help them through their pain. She said her mom was a real prayer warrior and knew what was going on with her, even when they hadn't talked. Lauren talked about wanting to make a significant difference in her world. We talked about how hard it is to break out of the shadow of people that you greatly respect. How do you become your own person when you also want to be like those who helped shape you?

I asked if I could pray for her and she extended her hand. One black hand, one white hand clasped each other across a counter in Greensboro, NC. We talked to our one God that had created us both, one black, one white, each pursuing specific calls to help those who are having a hard time helping themselves.

Interviews off film

We are currently in Charlotte, NC, a growing city inhabited by newcomers from all over the country. It is beautiful, affordable, friendly, and a place where New York transplants say they can relax. We have been in the state for less than 72 hours and have had many off-camera interviews. From years past, these are sometimes our very favorite.

Our first memorable moment was with Mitchell, our waiter at Chili's in Wilmington. He was energy-packed, dancing through the day to music coursing through his head and veins. He was extremely attentive, engaging, and made us feel as if we were in his home. Come to find out, his big dream, before he gets old or tied down, is to get in a Winnebago and see some places. Then later in life, he wants to own a dance night club. I just wanted to scoop him up and take him with us. He would make an excellent traveling companion.

Our next conversation was with our anonymous Starbucks's barista in Charlotte who gave us a recommendation for a place called Dishes for dinner that night. Before he came up with that establishment, he recommended a few others that selective eaters in our car could not stomach.

We made our way to Dishes, a quaint little local restaurant that includes, on most plates, a homemade biscuit and a deviled egg. Our host had a Lord of the Rings quote tattooed on his chest.

I wandered over to a place called House of Africa after our meal, a shop just half a block down on the other side of the street. The girls came in after I had already struck up a conversation with the owner from Senegal, finding us taking turns fanning one another and laughing about wool scarves in June. He correctly identified my jewelry as being from Kenya and Donna Renee's from Ghana. I told him that we were making a documentary and he looked intently into my eyes and told me that his life was a documentary all by itself. I asked him how long he had been in the states and he said twelve years. I asked him what had brought him here, and he responded with a deep sigh and said that story was much too long and that I could hear it if I came to the Juneteenth gathering. I told him we would be long gone by then.

Laura and I were looking at purses and realized that we were in the middle of the walkway. I looked to my right and saw an empty chair, so I decided to plop down. We spoke with the two women who were sitting on the couch beside the chair. We gave them trip cards and Kim took a look and said that she was Anderson and the other woman said she was Angela. Instant connections, starting with names. The longer we talked, we found other connections as well. Both Angela's were teachers. All of us were Christ followers. We asked them where they went to church and Kim's husband Keith entered the conversation by extending us an invitation. He displayed his shepherding skills by writing down directions, telling us we could come dressed just as we were that night, giving us his phone number and telling us that they would commit to praying for us as we traveled. I knew that he truly meant it. We ended the conversation with hugs all around and the hope of seeing one another the next morning.

We ventured to our hotel downtown and ended up in another encounter with our bellman, Bernard. He is originally from New York. He used to drive buses in NYC and now works for the hotel and the Red Cross. Laura and I were waiting a good while for Donna Renee to return from parking the car, allowing us some extended time with our remote NYC tour guide. He helped us think through our future visit about where to stay, how to get around, and where to most happily feed our faces. He helped us to our room, after a brief scamper to collect the contents from an escapee bag that left bottles of water rolling all over our 3 star hotel lobby.

When we got to the room, we talked about his experience as a New Yorker in North Carolina. He told us that we could find God here. He called this the Bible belt. He said it in such a way as if this was a new, catchy phrase that he had just become acquainted with since landing here. He said there were a lot of churches and that the people were a lot different here in comparison to New York. He seemed pleased by that. We gave him a card and thanked him for everything. We saw him again this afternoon, then later this evening where he gave us our dinner recommendation and a discount card. Thanks, Bernard.

This morning we made it to Kim and Keith's recommendation, Life Pointe Christian Church, after a brief literal run-in with a woman rear ending us at a light on her way to church. No damage done, we made it in the doors as the music started. Nate, the preacher for the day, led us through the opening of his series about the "Red Letters" found in Matthew. It was good to hear not only the Word of God preached, but done with passion and excitement. It was incredible to sit in a contemporary setting, round cloth-covered tables scattered throughout the congregational seating area, topped with Bibles, offering boxes, communion elements, pens, connection cards and mints. It was refreshing to see the Scriptures found not only on the screen, but also in the Bible held and read by the pastor, as well as from the Bibles owned or borrowed by the congregation. We had communion, the service ended, and the campus pastor, Bill, came over and introduced himself. We talked with him about his church, about our project, and then his wife and daughter came up. We asked how we could pray for them and the church. The church is in a tremendous growth spurt and all that goes with that. Their son Ross needs the marrow in his arm to grow so that his arm will not break again and will form properly. We prayed with them and gave them a magnet to put on their refrigerator so that they would remember to pray for us. They recommended for lunch a BBQ place we had seen on our way to church.

We wandered over to Jim and Nick's BBQ Kitchen and had an amazing experience with our waitress Laurie and the manager Miller. The motto that we picked up by both of their responses to requests was, "whatever you want." We got into great conversations with them both at separate times. Laurie is a teacher and can't wait for August to come. She loves her job and has found her calling working with developmentally challenged students. Miller when asked if he was one of the owners said that he was not but that he acted like he was. It showed. Laura said that he was a man who loved his job. When he talked about his boss, he sounded like an evangelist who had found the way and had to share it with everybody. It was beautiful to watch his faith in working for a place that had their priorities straight and cared deeply about their quality of service because they truly cared about the people who came in to be served. He told us about his crisis of faith and his return. He also told us he would drop in to our website home from time to time.

We ended the night on a stroll to the place that Bernard sent us to, greeted by the words of many famous authors on the pillars of the downtown library. Walk, snap, walk, snap was the sequence as we read, took pictures, and moved to the next literary treasure .

We grooved to the peels of Wham! drifting out of the Fox and Hound, landing at our destination, Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant. Our twenty minute wait gave us a chance to people watch. We were shown to Andrea's section outside, another New Yorker, a full-blooded Italian who we found out wants to use her marketing degree to work for NASCAR. Her dad is a race car driver, but she doesn't want to ride on his connections. She wants to make it on her own. We talked about the adjustment and loneliness of moving to a new city when school was not the reason you were there.

I know my blogs of late sound like I am trying to get a gig with a travel/dining magazine. Although that would be tempting, my desire is to share with you the reality of the road. We have to eat, go to the bathroom, fill our car with gas, and check into hotel rooms to get some sleep. That is a good portion of what happens on this journey. The beauty is that no matter what we are doing, we find God wherever we go.

If you are one of the ones mentioned in this blog, know that we really are praying for you. If you are on the virtual journey with us, here's to looking for God in life's mundane moments, where He never fails to be found.

Cuban mapping session

One of the great things about traveling across the United States is experiencing the culture shifts from region to region. One of the best ways to get a taste of the state you find yourself in is to stop at a local eating establishment and do some time with the citizens.

On our way out of Sebring, just past the Avon Park city limit, we mentioned the fact that we still had not found Cuban food in Florida. Right on cue a sign for Robert's Cuban Cafe crept into our sights. Taking a left at the beer barn, we pulled into the parking lot. We were the only car. As we entered the empty room, spirited Latin music warmed the aromatic air, thick with humidity and spices. We went up to the front and each took a menu from the woman behind the counter. We asked her what her favorite thing was that she made and she said for sure it was the steak sandwich. Laura got that and Donna Renee and I got the pork chop meal. It was 4:30 in the afternoon and having not yet had lunch, we were ready for what we call "big food".

As we waited for Ladys to whip up our grub, we pulled out our atlas to peruse our route. We were talking about our progress so far, questioning our timing and what type of driving schedule we needed to keep. As the conversation unfolded, I grabbed some napkins from the silver dispenser and started covering the areas that we still needed to visit. As I announced the completion of my task with a ta-da, we sat in amazement about what we had done. With Florida under our belts, we had traveled 32 states, with 16 left to meet our goal of the 48 contiguous by July. We laughed, simultaneous relief and joy.

Our order met our growling stomachs with a voracious welcome. I popped a piece of pork chop in my mouth and the purring began. Donna Renee and I sat still, stopped by the tender, perfectly seasoned delicacy that had been created especially for us. Laura seemed pleased with her enormous steak sandwich, bread crunching with each bite. This was real. I kept eyeing the swinging door that Ladys had disappeared behind, wanting desperately to complement our chef. As we were finishing our culinary delight, Ladys came swinging back our way, greeted by my overly enthusiastic cabbage patch arm roll and happy dance.

"Ummm, ummm, ummm, ummm,ummmm. Now, that was goood!"

"You like it," she sheepishly replied.

"That was incredible!" "How long have you been cooking?"

"All my life. They are my grandmother's recipes."

We went back up to the counter and paid our ticket. I gave her one of our business cards and told her about our project. I asked her how we could pray for her and she said that we could pray that people would come. Business was bad since everyone had left for the summer. She and Robert had come to Sebring from Miami and opened the restaurant six months ago. You could tell it was a great source of stress.

I asked her if I could pray for her. She hesitantly said yes. I grabbed her hands and we prayed that God would take care of her and Robert, that business would increase, and that she would know that it was God who brought the people there. I prayed that God would protect them and help them pay their bills. We finished praying, I gave her a hug and she thanked us for praying with her.

As we got in our car, Robert made his way from the back porch out to the driver's side window and asked us in very broken English if we spoke Spanish. We did not, but he talked to us anyway. We are pretty sure he asked us if we had Cuban food in Texas and if he wanted us to bring it there. We also think he was telling us that no one ever came to their cafe. He looked worried. He asked if we liked it. We told him how good it was and then said our goodbyes.

Our time with Ladys and Robert has made our radar go up on businesses closing throughout the communities that we are wandering through. We continue our prayer for Ladys, Robert and all the other business owners who are struggling to keep their shop doors open and for those who have had to let theirs go.

We continue making our way through the states hiding under the napkins. Stay tuned.

Looking for God

People certainly can change a lot in two years. We are learning that. Five days, five states, three traveling companions, teammates, cracking open memory banks to help the others know who is now sitting beside them. Ironically, once the bank is cracked, what comes out is sometimes just as surprising to the owner of the bank as it is to the visitors.

We are in Jacksonville, FL tonight, just a squeak away from the border. In state #32 we have made stops in Pensacola, The Villages, Sebring, and now Jacksonville. We may make it up and out of our southernmost destination by tomorrow. Maybe not.

We aren't sure of much of anything at this point in the journey. We are on the road with seventeen states in mind, but when the 30 days are up, what will be the end result of our month together?

Last night as we explained our project to two beautiful, young artists working on a project of their own, we made a discovery that demanded our full attention. In our pursuit to answer "what is this project going to ultimately be," we have found ourselves panting after the covering of forty-eight contiguous states by summer's end, yearning for a "good interview "to get us back in the game and make us feel as if we are not just, as Laura puts it, "commuting to work, but doing it." We have been pushing ourselves to meet an undefined, yet ominous schedule that no one has yoked us to, but to which we somehow feel enslaved. Be up by a certain time, get on the road, make sure to blog and facebook and twitter and call. For all of our determination, commitment and desire, we find ourselves falling short of this illusive mark.

Our discovery last night was purpose. All this time we have been chasing after what we thought would be our story. Three girls have hit the climax. We are looking for God, not man.

With every good story, conflict is present. Let's just say, the battle is on. Pray for us as we spend the night in Florida, working through the shift. We are looking for God. We need courage, strength and unity of Spirit to stay focused on our quest.

The three girls are back in the car

Hello all,

It feels good to be back on the road and blogging on the site again. My personal space on the blog has been out of commission since the first summer, but Boots kindly got me back up and running, so here I am.

We left Austin around 1:00 this afternoon. We had hoped to be on the road by 10:00 AM, but we have just resigned ourselves to the fact that before noon is almost impossible with us. We have had a grand time playing catch up spanning the past two years. Laura talked of marriage and life in Austin, I talked of being a chaplain, living in Montana and church planting, and Donna Renee recounted moments from doing life in community with three boys, a mom, a dad, a widow and a dog. There has been plenty of laughter, the always expected tears, and food stops that reflect the region. Lunch was Mexican in Austin and seafood in Louisiana. Tomorrow we will get as far as we can headed to our 32nd state, Florida. Keep us in your prayers and let us know you are on the journey with us.




Sweet dreams! Princess Angela