Sunday July 7, 2002: Daphne, AL
Greetings from Daphne, Alabama-- our new home. Daphne is on Mobile Bay, but out of the city and closer to the beach. There is a small marina about two blocks from our place, and I think that we are going to like it here.
We moved into our apartment last Tuesday. Since we have received so much hospitality during our travels, we decided to rent a two-bedroom apartment so we could invite people to stay with us for a change. Although we were pretty much starting from scratch last week on this settling down and living permanently indoors gig, our apartment is quickly filling up with used furniture and appliances-- gifts from people we have met. I was counting on God to work out the details if we moved down here, and I just keep watching Him work out the details. Things are going very well.
I started my job as evening chaplain this week, and I love it. There are about twenty-five guys who live at the mission and are enrolled in the drug and alcohol program. They are primarily who I will be working with. I teach a class on the twelve steps of recovery every night at 6pm, covering one step each week. The mission also houses about twenty to thirty homeless men each night (depending on the weather.) They sit in on the class as well and may be future members of the drug and alcohol program someday, if they become interested in sobriety.
Brandi has been a happy homemaker this past week and has been enjoying the opportunity to take a shower every day. I'll let her explain more:
After the initial shock of "our next hometown" being in the state of Alabama. I am adjusting well. Daphne is an average size town, and has many outlets for me to share my experience, strenght, and hope with others. I truely believe this is where God wants us to be right now. To be commpletely honest, I am so excited that I could burst at the seams any minute! I have begun to pursue work this week, and will probably have a job before my cosmetology license arrives.
I will continue to update the site now and then even though we are not walking. I'm not sure when we will continue the trip. It is obvious that we are supposed to be here for now, and I expect it to become obvious if and when we are to return to the open roads of America.
Sunday, June 23, 2002: Gulf Breeze, FL
I received an email last week from my friend Paul, who is the director of the Waterfront Rescue Mission in Mobile, AL. I met Paul last November while walking through Alabama, and I spoke at a chapel service at the mission. In the email, Paul asked me if I would be interested in filling a chaplain position that has become available, and I said, "Yes, I would be interested." We drove down here on Friday, I will be working at the mission tomorrow in an attempt to find out if indeed this is where God is leading us. It would be a big change in lifestyle for Brandi and I, and of course we want to be sure that this is what we should be doing. We went appartment hunting yesterday in Daphne, Alabama, and although growing deeper roots (like signing a lease) can sometimes be frightening for me, I feel really good about going to work at the mission. At this point, I feel like this is where God is leading, but we will learn much more tomorrow, as I spend the day at the mission and Brandi spends the day applying for work some local salons.
Tuesday, June 4, 2002: Statesboro, GA
Brandi and I took another side trip to work for a while-- this time in Statesboro, GA (which is way over on the other side of Georgia near Savannah. (We went down to Florida and picked up our car for the job.) We have been doing odd jobs on some apartment buildings here for the past two and a half weeks. Things continue to go well for us, although it has been rather hot in Statesboro, GA, and the work outside in the heat is sometimes grueling.
Being way over here on this side of Georgia has given us the opportunity to see a few places that we were going to miss on the walk. On Memorial Day weekend, we took a driving trip to Savannah and Charleston, SC. I am looking forward to walking again, but not exactly sure what God has in store for us this summer. Right now, we plan to be here working for at least another week.. After that, I am sure that more will be revealed. More is always revealed.
Sorry this is all I have for an update. We just stopped at the library for a minute, so I could let everyone know that we are still alive and well.
Thursday, May 16, 2002: Jonesboro, GA
We took a side trip to Stockbridge, Georgia to work for a week painting a deck for our friend Darlene. Things are fine here. I've been keeping very busy the past few weeks-- walking across Georgia, painting Darlene's deck, and we took a side trip back to Plains last weekend, but today I am sitting down at the computer, drawing maps, organizing journals, and editing pictures, in an effort to get caught up on this website. I've updated the site through Warm Springs today.
Thanks to all who prayed for Brandi and her poison ivy sufferings. It finally started clearing up last week, and she has been experiencing much relief.
