John 13:34-35

The next morning St and I woke up early headed for Caldwell. It was a long and hot walk! Since we were now in the home stretch to Boise, we were in no hurry...just taking our time. We decided to stop at a coffee shop in town called The Bird Stop. Everyone there was super nice to us and very supportive (thanks for the hook up guys). We pushed on late in to the evening making it all the way to Ustick road and Nampa-Caldwell hwy. Hanging out at a gas station, we spotted a field and planned on setting up camp there for the night. Once it was dark enough we grabbed our stuff and made our way to the and set up the tent. About that time, we were spotted by one of the residents at the end of the field and got kicked  out...so we headed across the street and set up behind the walmart. 

We stayed up late talking and just laughing like the good ol'e days. We would be walking into Boise  2-3 days from then and just knowing that felt so goooooooood. We finally fell asleep and in the middle of the night the sprinklers went off all around us. This is the second time we've had this happens so far! The first time we pitched our tent at a church and at about 3 in the morning the sprinklers started shooting our tent. I don't know if you have ever been woken up by cold water but it sucks! So St and I were running around moving our gear to the parking lot. I was the one with the flash light so St was truly running around blind, not able to see anything. He ran back to get the last of our stuff and got full on blasted in the face and chest  by one of the spouts. He climbed back into the tent where I had the light and he was just dripping wet with cold water...  it was sooooo funny! We closed down the hatches and did our best to sleep through it.

Tuesday morning we woke up,  hit up Dutch Bro Coffee, and headed down the highway. About noon we came across a movie theater and decided to take a brake and see the new Batman flick. I really wanted to get LeeRoy in the theater with us so we walked in like we owned the place and the manager came out to talk with us. We told him what we were doing; laid it on thick  and for a brief moment it seemed like he was thinking about letting LeeRoy into the theater till right on que, LeeRoy relieved himself right in the middle of the lobby (I'm starting to see a pattern here). Needless to say, he wasn't able to see the movie with us.

After the movie we got back on the road and were later getting picked up by Tina to head back to Parma for a BBQ they had set up for us. It was a really informal event with time for both St and I to share and we had so much fun. The Apple Lucy restaurant made 4 special little pies for us to take with us on the road. As things got moving it was time for us to share, I went first. I spoke about my lack of faith at times and how stepping out for something you believe in is so difficult at times. I feel like what I said was truly blessed by the Lord, mainly cause it's what the lord wanted me to share and not at all what I had planned. As I speak more often, I've noticed that what I prepare to say and what I actually say are two very different things. Anyway to me it felt very spirit led and I think it was encouraging to the believers.  

Towards the end of the evening, Mark came up and told everyone how proud he was of St and I. However,  he said it in a very unique way. Ok so heres the deal....... if you haven't already picked up on it, I have daddy issues.....haha but in this day and age who doesn't, right?  I struggle with just about any interaction on a deep level with older men, so to see Pastor Mark tear up and say "I don't know what your father situation is like but I want to say to you that I'm proud of you like a father is proud of a son." I mean holy cow! I was fighting the tears back. 

We got a ride back to where we had been picked up by Tina and set up our tent in the park. The first thing St says is " it's really hard to hate on Mark right now" we both laughed. He was referring to our first meeting with him but now he felt like family to us. I asked St what he told him about us (I assumed that he told him something about the daddy issue thing) and he said he hadn't told him a thing.....Crazy right!

So here's what it comes down to. I had Pastor Mark pegged all wrong and I'm so grateful I got to really know him. He is really an amazing man and in the end I really felt the unity in Christ.
I'll end with this verse that was played out through this experience...

John 13:34-35
³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”