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9/7/2008
Sunday morning David and Darryl had the privilege of worshipping and speaking at True Word Christian Church. The warm and friendly congregation was very receptive and listened intently as David and Darryl talked about the many ministries at HopeTree. After the service, they got a chance to have lunch with Pastor Chuck and his family. They are wonderful Christian people and David and Darryl were well-fed physically and spiritually as they drove up to the Virginia Diner on 460 to pick up the walking trail.
The storm was well past, the sun was warm and bright; a fine afternoon for walking. There was still daylight left when they reached the town of Zuni, but the pair called it a day in order to make sure they reached Colosse Baptist Church in Windsor. Once again, David and Darryl were warmly welcomed and a reception was held in their honor following the speaking engagement. In addition to fantastic snacks (the chocolate-dipped peanut butter Frito’s were excellent), the group at Colosse collected a generous offering in support of HopeTree’s ministries. Many thanks to True Word and Colosse for all the support they showed for David, Darryl, and HopeTree.
9/8/08
Monday morning David and Darryl got a good start in Zuni as it was a fine day for walking. They had no difficulty making it to Suffolk with daylight to spare. At this point, traffic, construction, and road conditions made it unsafe for walking, so David and Darryl drove the official C to C vehicle through the Hampton Roads community to Virginia Beach where they spent Monday night.
9/9/08
Mark and Doug traveled to the Eastern Shore to prepare for the final leg of C to Shining C. After winding our way through Hampton Roads rush hour traffic, which was further enhanced by highway construction, we finally reached the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Complex. If you have never traveled along the Bay Bridge-Tunnel, it is truly a wonderful experience. Driving high above the water with huge ships sailing along side truly is a thrill. We reached our destination in Chincoteague and settled in for the night.
9/10/08
Wednesday was our busiest day of our journey. We began by joining the Accomack Kiwanis Club for breakfast at the Sunrise Restaurant in Onley.  These wonderful folks were kind enough to invite us in to tell them about HopeTree Family Services. After some questions and answers, they offered to put us on the agenda for their next meeting where they will determine how they feel they can best support our ministry. We can’t express our gratitude enough to these wonderful people. Since Doug is the coffee drinker, he was the proud recipient of a Kiwanis coffee mug.
Our next stop was a visit with the Eastern Shore Coalition Against Domestic Violence in Onancock. One of the great benefits of making this C to Shining C journey is meeting other groups who share our ministry to at-risk children, youth, and their families. The dedicated members of ESCADV were excited to learn about us as we were pleased to learn that there may be ways we can join forces in serving those who need it most.
Our day ended by attending Wednesday night prayer service with our good friends at Horntown Baptist Church. Pastor Derrickson was gracious enough to turn the evening over to us so we could discuss in some detail our ministries. Although a small crowd in number, the enthusiasm and love that radiates from this congregation could warm the coldest of hearts. This wasn’t our first visit with these fine folks and certainly will not be the last.
Oh, by the way, we did walk a little over 15 miles along Highway 13.
9/11/08
Although Thursday dawned damp and dreary, Doug and Mark took the road  early on and made good time along the highway. The Eastern Shore’s beautiful terrain is only surpassed by its beautiful people. Friendly waves and gestures abound as we hiked past what seemed to be miles and miles of tomato plants, cornfields, and peanut farms. Gazing at all the crops spread across the landscape calls to mind the passage of Scripture explaining that ‘the fields are ready for harvest, but the laborers are few.’
Later that evening, we spoke to the Chincoteague Kiwanis Club out about our mission and answered questions. The members were very open and receptive.
We hope this long trek across Virginia will yield additional laborers who would be willing to join our work among at-risk children and youth, as well as adults with developmental disabilities.
9/12/08
Today we began our last long day of walking. The weather was slightly overcast and breezy; just enough to keep it from being too hot. The views were once again filled with various fields of tomatoes and corn stalks. Several times we were passed by large trucks carrying chickens only to discover today that they were heading to one of the large Purdue Chicken plants located on the Eastern Shore. When we finished our walking for the day, we saw various wildlife in Assateague. Tomorrow we look forward to the last day of walking and dipping our feet into the Atlantic.
9/13/08
We took to Route 13 for the final day of C to Shining C with the sun dawning over our shoulders. Having only 12 miles left to reach the shore, we set off with a spring in our step and joy in our hearts. We knew that we could definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. We reached T’s Corner and made the turn toward Chincoteague, walking around Wallops Island where NASA and NOAA have research facilities. From Chincoteague, we continued on to the National Wildlife Preserve on Assateague Island where we reached the Atlantic Ocean around noon.
While the journey from C to Shining C has been a tremendous experience to see first-hand Virginia’s lovely scenery and meet hundreds of new friends and supporters across the Commonwealth, we were glad to have the physical task of walking behind us.
The Eastern Shore has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the most scenic places on earth. The abundance of wildlife and glorious landscape are a perfect combination and a wonderful ending point for our journey.
Yet, we truly hope this isn’t the end of our relationship with the new friends we have met since August 1. All along the route.
9/14/2008
As the C to Shining C walk came to a close, our attention turned toward our state-wide Walk-A-Thons. Spread across the state in Chesterfield, Abingdon, Salem, Winchester, Powhatan, and Portsmouth. Although the weather was hot, the skies were clear and the breeze managed to cool us down a little bit. Supporters and volunteers enjoyed face painting, barbeque, music, and lots of ice-cold water. We would to thank all the churches, walkers, and volunteers who supported the Walk-A-Thon.
Additionally, we would like to thank all the church and civic groups that allowed us to speak about the ministries of HopeTree Family Services along our C to Shining C walk. All of the support we received will go a long way in ministering to the children, youth, and adults with developmental disabilities in our care. We sincerely appreciate all that you have done for us.
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