C to Shining C: 8/10 - 8/16

8/10/08
  This morning Rachel spoke at Emory United Methodist Church and Meadowview United Methodist Church, led by Pastor David Jackson.
           

  I want to thank the congregation of both churches for your warm welcome, attentive listening, and wonderful fellowship. I enjoyed meeting all of you. Pastor Jackson's sermon about God using human errors for good instead of bad reminded me of HopeTree. While our residents may not have had the best life in their past, and undoubtedly will face struggles in the future, HopeTree is able to meet each resident in their time of need and instill hope for the future. With help from volunteers and supporters, our programs allow at-risk children and youth to overcome the negative aspects of their past, and allows our DDM residents to thrive in new beginnings. It was nice to be reminded that even though times are tough and tragedies exist, there is hope for the future in any situation.

  After the church visits, Jan and Rachel set up shop at the local Kroger in Abingdon to spread the word to Sunday afternoon grocery shoppers. While greeting many friendly and smiling faces, one in particular showed great interest. Hector asked us many questions and seemed genuinely interested in learning more about Jan, Rachel, and HopeTree. He laughed as we fumbled through taking a close-up picture with a telescopic lens, talked of his future journey from Winchester to Oregon state, and finally back to "beautiful Mexico." Jan and Rachel wish him well in his journey, as he wished us well on ours.
                                

  Our day ended with a wonderful surprise. Dinner in Bristol provided a chance meeting with Gerri Reynolds, DDM Vice President. She and her husband were picking up grandchildren at a halfway point, and just so happened to be eating at the same restaurant as us! It was nice to see a familiar place, especially as we prepare for another full day of walking.


8/11/08
  Today was Jan and Rachel’s last day walking. The day was beautiful with morning fog, dew on the grass reflecting the rising sun, and a temperature that stayed below 63 degrees for the majority of the day!

  Rachel began walking in downtown Abingdon headed towards Glade Spring. With wide sidewalks and interesting scenery such as a cemetery and creek with ducks floating by, I couldn’t have asked for a better view. Walking was so peaceful, such a nice retreat from the everyday worries of office life. 
      

  After walking 2 miles down the wrong road (I should have turned but kept going straight!) Jan took over the walking. I’d like to thank Meadowview Truck and Auto Inc. for their hospitality and much needed break. After a few miles, Jan decided she could multi-task and used her cell phone to report in to work, almost missing the waiting Jeep in the process!
  
                                            

  Jan and Rachel enjoyed their journey, and although looking forward to a few weeks break, are excited to pick up again in the mid part of the state!
   

8/13/08
  Doug and Mark are back on the road, walking from Glade Spring to Marion along lovely Route 11. This winding, two-lane highway parallels I-81 through some beautiful farmland. Old silos and cattle punctuate the landscape. 
                          

We have been blessed by wonderfully cool weather. Virginia is famous for its August heat and humidity, but the day started cloudy and cool, with the sun not breaking through the overcast until mid-morning.
   

Just outside Marion, Doug spotted a picturesque bridge similar to the design on our Walking The Path…Where Love Grows shirts. It brings to mind that the work we do at HopeTree Family Services bridges the terrible divide between where our residents begin in life and the successful, rewarding life that lies ahead of them. It is our calling to be the bridge. That is why we walk.

                                            
 

8/14/08
                 

  The road from Marion to Rural Retreat continues through beautiful country. Just over each rolling hill is another gorgeous landscape. Whether the scene is a family pond sheltered by a majestic willow or an old barn with horses out front, Southwest Virginia is a feast for the eyes.
 

Today’s travels were fairly uneventful. Mark and Doug made good time, and while many drivers waved and honked, none stopped to chat as Officer Peery of the State Police did yesterday.

Occasionally, someone at a gas station or restaurant will ask why we’re walking and we explain them our explanation that we’re trying to raise awareness of and support for HopeTree Family Services. Sadly, most just offer their admiration or wish us good luck and safe travels. We hope that we will soon begin to encounter more people willing to join our mission and contribute their support in addition to their encouragement.

We end our journey just inside Wythe County. Tomorrow we travel from Rural Retreat to Wytheville.
 
                                        

8/15/2008
        

  This has to be a banner year for apples. Practically every apple tree we have passed from Cumberland Gap to Wytheville has been loaded with fruit. Many have limbs breaking under the strain. Most of the heaviest laden trees have been wild trees growing in pasture fields and fencerows along the route. It certainly calls to mind the passage of Scripture about the fields being ready for harvest and the laborers being few. We hope that as we go along the route we will find more and more people willing to join our labors on behalf of adults with developmental disabilities as well as at-risk children and youth.
                                          

  Our journey today carried us through Wytheville and, judging by the historic marker in downtown, people have been following this same route for a couple of hundred years. It’s nice to know we’re not the first ones to undertake this type of a journey. Most likely, we won’t be the last.
        

8/16/08
    
  Today began in Pulaski county with a steep climb up a mountain that payed off with a beautiful view. After we got down the mountain, the terrain leveled off and, along with the beautiful weather, we enjoyed a good day of walking.

                                 

  As I passed through downtown Pulaski, I noticed there were many people at the farmer's market and heard church bells up ahead. After David finished a long 4-mile stretch, we switched one last time and ended up in Dublin. Tomorrow, Darryl will relieve me and join David in two speaking engagements at two churches in the area.