The Trip Home

We stayed at our friends' house a while. It would be a long drive, so Dad wanted a bit of rest before heading out on the 2,000 mile trip in our tiny RV.
After a few days, we knew we had to go. We said our goodbye's, then left. Dad drove long and hard. When we stopped for gas, we made it a very brief pause. Long after dark Dad drove, putting in some amazing hours every day. In two days we stopped in Texas, most of the way through the trip. That was record time! We spent the night at another friend's house (Dad knows a lot of people), before leaving for the last day of driving. It almost seemed like we might never be home again. But finally, after another several hundred miles, I saw a familiar road. We drove down a certain familiar curve and I saw, just over a hill, a certain familiar house.
We had made it back home.
Our trip is over, but we'll be on another soon. And though we had a hard time getting here and there, Setting up tents, and trying to get the Gospel out, I know without a doubt that it was worth it all.

Roscoe's Chili Challenge

It was only a day or two later that we packed up into the RV and went to the Victory church again. This time, however, we were staying there for about a week.
After settling in, we took our supplies to the Roscoe's site, with the help of the children's pastor. He brought along a large truck, into which we put most of what we were taking. What we didn't put in there we brought in our van, and in a few minutes we arrived.
Trees were everywhere. It was hot, very humid, and muddy. Anything that wasn't moved around or shaken within a day or two got a green coating from the moss. Even the chain link fence was green!
That may have been annoying, but it didn't stop us. We unloaded and set up our supplies—a tent, tables, chairs, coffee cups and much, much more. We finished in a couple hours, then left. I wondered if we needed to secure anything, so no one would steal anything during the night. But Dad said he trusted these people. I remembered what happened last year—a generator was stolen. Many biker groups came to see if they could help. Later, an ambulance happened to come near, so one club even assumed that someone had found the thief!
So this year, Dad didn't worry about security much.
I wasn't able to participate any more than that with Roscoe's Chili Contest (only people eighteen and older are allowed on the grounds during the event), but what I know is that Dad and the others who helped gave out a lot of coffee and donuts. And on Sunday, when everyone was getting ready for the end of the event, Dad did another memorial service on the Main Stage, just like last year. People submitted the names of others they knew who had passed away. During the service, Dad read the long list. When he read a name, someone else would ring a bell. He also gave out Bibles. It touched many people.
After that, they packed up. Roscoe's was over, so we would be heading home again soon. We got everything stuffed back into the trailer and after a few more days, we left the church. The journey home had started.

Halloween

We would have headed home soon after Biktoberfest had ended if it were not for another event that also takes place in the middle of Florida—Roscoe's Chili Challenge. We had to wait for a week or two before it started. In the meantime, we stayed at churches and friends' houses.
Halloween was coming up and we knew where to spend it. We packed our temporary tattoo supplies in the blue van that we keep in Florida and went to the Victory Church in Lakeland. There, another kids' event was going on, so Dad wanted to help. We met another of Dad's many friends, Pastor Kim Kelly. We talked with him for quite a while, waiting for the Halloween party—or as the church called it, the Harvest Festival—to begin.
When it did, Mom and Dad were stationed with their tattoo supplies in a corner of a tent, while I walked around taking pictures. I had a fun time and enjoyed myself, going into a human-sized tarp maze, taking a ride on a trailer full of hay bales hooked up to a golf cart, roasting marshmallows by the fire. It was a great night.
Mom and Dad's services were greatly appreciated. They did so good that several adults asked for tattoos! They worked for many hours until at eight or nine, when it had grown very dark, the festival ended. I returned and helped as we repacked our supplies. We said goodbye to the pastor before we left in the van, knowing we would see him again in a day or two when Dad would drive the RV there.

Biketoberfest

Biketoberfest—an event much like the other motorcycle rallies that we go to every year. Motorcyclists from around the country gather here to party, drink, show off their often new motorcycles and, most of all, to ride. Vendors sells all sorts of goods, from barbecue ribs to motorcycle accessories to leather vests and patches. It is a place to get away for bikers—and a place to spread the Gospel for us.

Just as we had done the year before, we were going to Biketoberfest at Destination Daytona. After arriving in Florida, we waited a few days for the event to come by. Once it was time, we moved to a church closer to the work site.

Setup went pretty smoothly, even though for the first time we had a brand new 20x20 foot tent. The real problem was leaving. The RV wasn't starting! We had to wait for a repairman to come and fix the problem. After about an hour and a rather large bill, we were once again on our way. We went to a church that we had established relations with the year before. Once again, we were gladly accepted and parked our motor home there. We and the rest of the team that came along would spend the next several nights there as the week progressed.

The going was very slow for the first few days. We had a kid or two come in every four or five hours, but that was about it. Once it rained too much to open at all! I started to wonder if our inflatable bounce house would ever be filled with kids.

But then the weekend came.

Things definitely got more busy. The bounce house got full pretty quick and, being the "referee," I sometimes had to start a timer and a line so that everyone got a turn. Literature and Bibles started disappearing from the tables—a good sign, for sure. Dad had to move fast so that everyone got a temporary tattoo without waiting very long. Finally, I felt like we were really making an impact!

But then some insurance issues came up which forced us to close off the bounce house for most of the day. In the meantime, the kids could still pick out some books and toys from the free stuff tables.

Finally, toward the end of the day, the insurance issues were solved. We opened again and were back in business.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. Once the week was over, Biketoberfest had to end with it. We closed down without any problems and eventually left the church as well. We then stayed at friends' houses, waiting for the next motorcycle rally.

Going to Florida

We've set off again for the Fall tour! In this, we plan to set up the Kidz Zone at Bruce Rossemeyer's Destination Daytona--the largest Harley Davidson dealership in the world! We'll be there for Biktoberfest, one of the annual events we have gone to for years.

After that, we'll stay with friends and in churches until it is time for Roscoe's Chilli Challenge. That event is not exactly kid-friendly--in fact, children were banned from the event altogether a few years ago, so only my parents and a select group will go. There they will set up a tent and give away coffee and doughnuts. On the last day of the event, Sunday, Dad holds a memorial service called "Gone But Not Forgotten". I don't exactly know what goes on in it (because I've never been able to attend) but I do know that Dad honors those passed away. In the past this has had great effects on the bikers, and I hope it will this year as well.

Packing was, as usual, a little stressful. It took much time and energy to get the trailer packed up all the way. Among many other things I packed my new SLR camera that I had recently bought with all my money. It was quite a purchase, but I don't regret it.

When we all finished packing, we set off. Dad was in a hurry and he drove many long hours. In one day we left Colorado and made it down near Amarillo. We spent the night at a Wal-Mart, one of our greatest friends since we started RV'ing.

The following day Dad drove out of Texas, through Louisiana and into Mississippi. That night we stayed at some friends' house. We got up early the next day and Dad drove through Alabama. We crossed Mobile Bay on highway 10--a long bridge that lasted for miles, almost always over water.

We came into Florida and, just as the night came in, parked at Lakes Wales Assembly of God. We had made it to Florida in three days--a trip that almost always took four. Now we just had to wait until the next event, Biketoberfest.