Hiking in Memory of Hope

In an earlier post entitled "What Compels You?" I shared that one driving motivation in my life which would lead me to take on a thru hike of the AT to raise money for ministry to S. Sudanese refugees was the death of my best friend, Scott Pfeifer, when I was age 15. 

 Another person who will be on my mind as I walk is Hope Stout.  I have posted a picture of her.  She was the youngest daughter of a first cousin of my wife, Renee.  The cousin's name is Shelby Shull Stout.  As you will note from the picture, Hope died at the age of 12.  She had a form of bone cancer that no treatment at the time could cure.

Her parents, Shelby and Stuart, wrote a book after her death entitled "A Legacy of Hope: The Wisdom of a Childlike Faith."  It chronicles well the events, struggles and victories that occurred as a result of Hope's courageous battle with cancer, and more importantly, her Christlike example of giving of self on behalf of others.  It would be a great book to give to any parents who have lost a child to cancer.

The lessons God taught Shelby and Stuart through Hope's experience led them to start a nonprofit in her honor, see https://marchforthwithhope.com/  Hope's birthday was March 4.  If you visit the website you will read more about Hope's story and the goals of this worthwhile charity.  The bottom line on all of it is that Stuart and Shelby noted while they spent countless days in the hospital with Hope, that the parents/families of many other kids suffering with cancer at the same time did not have the type of support system they did.  They saw the toll their child's battle with cancer exacted of them financially, psychologically and otherwise. 

Having seen the pain and struggles of others, in light of their own support system, made an impact on them.  They had to do something!  Thus they threw themselves full steam into the cause of making the general populace aware of how they could give financially to help families suffering from all that comes with a having a child hospitalized with cancer.

The apex of Hope's story occurred when personnel with the Make-A-Wish Foundation visited her and asked her what her wish would be.  She asked them the number of kids who were also awaiting their wish to be funded.  They said " we also want to help 155 other children if the funds become available."  Hope then told them that her wish was that the other 155 kids would see their wish fulfilled. 

The story of 12 year old Hope's other-centered attitude was soon picked up by Charlotte, NC area media outlets, and the ultimate result was that over one million dollars was raised by the people touched by Hope's witness.  Yes, enough funds came in to pay for the wish of those other kids.

My wife and I were living in Nairobi in 2003-'04 when all this happened, but I followed as best I could every step of Hope's journey by reading the entries on her "Caring Bridge" journal, and by emailing and calling back and forth with family members. 

Shelby and Stuart, you continue to be an inspiration to me, and your daughter's legacy continues to add fuel to the fire in my heart.  I have been in the refugee camps containing hundreds of thousands of S. Sudanese people.  I have heard some of their stories and have noted the price their suffering has inflicted on them. Hope's legacy compels me to try and follow her example of thinking first of others.

What compels you?

David Crane

How to Donate to and Share Hiking to Help Refugees

In this post I wanted to make sure everyone knows how to donate to our Hiking to Help Refugees venture.  I also want to share news about some tools that can help you to share the news of this opportunity with others.

Donations may be made on line by  using this link www.generosity.com/faith-religion-fundraising/hiking-to-help-refugees/x/16376073  You can also access this link using the "Learn More" button found at the top right of the Hiking to Help Refugees Face Book page.

You can also donate by check.  Make it out to "Calvary Road Ministry" and earmark it for "Hiking to help refugees."  Mail it to: 4100 Fulton Road, Corryton, TN  37721.

Remember that all donations are tax deductible through the nonprofit Calvary Road Ministry.  You can make a one time donation, or sponsor me at X $ per mile.  The AT is 2,181 miles long.  Our starting goal is $100,000. 

The T-shirt in the above picture has been designed using the logo developed by Brandon Lovelace.  Tony Abernathy and Ed Beam of Cherryville are working to help our cause by producing the T-shirts at a minimal cost.  It will be produced with only the colors you see in the picture.  It will be available in all sizes.  The costs are:
     * Small to X Large................$12
     * XX Large-XXX Large.......$14

To place your order, please write to Tony Abernathy at tabernathy@carolina.rr.com.  Tony would love to hear from you ASAP if you would like to order a shirt or shirts to aid you in spreading the news about our fund raiser on behalf of the suffering South Sudanese church.

I have also developed a flyer which you could share with anyone or in any venue.  If you would like to utilize this tool please write to me at drc11292@gmail.com or send a message to our Hiking to Help Refugees Face Book page and give us your email address.  We will then email you a scan of the flyer as an attachment.

On Monday, March 27, Ed, Tony and others sponsored an opportunity for David to give a presentation at the Cherryville Community Center.  They provided a meal as part of the event.  Almost $3,000 was donated by those who attended.  What a great kickoff event!  Many thanks to all those who worked so hard to prepare the food and rent the venue.

I plan to soon do the presentation again and have a video made of it.  I will then post it to the You Tube account I have set up.  Those who attended last Monday's presentation said it really helped them to hear me tell the story which forms the background to this venture.  I will alert you once it is posted to You Tube.  Please also feel free to use it as a tool for sharing about Hiking to Help Refugees.

Faith Comes by Hearing

Picture was sent by Faith Comes by Hearing to Calvary Road Ministry 2017

The photo was taken of a framed picture sent to Calvary Road Ministry by the Albuquerque, NM based ministry known as "Faith Comes by Hearing" (FCBH).  The plaque at the bottom reads "In recognition of your gifts to allow non-literate people to know of God's love for them, Calvary Road Ministry, for providing the Word of God in audio for the Sudanese people of South Sudan, Africa."

It was a nice touch for FCBH to send the beautiful framed picture to us.  They sent it to show their appreciation for the fact that we purchased over $15,000 worth of their solar powered MP4 player known as the Proclaimer in 2016.  We distributed them in refugee camps located in northern Uganda through our on-the-ground partnering organization, the Baptist Convention of S. Sudan (BCoSS).

Each Proclaimer is loaded with a digital form of the New Testament in 4 Sudanese languages.  The capacity of this player's speaker can enable up to 75-100 people to hear at one time. 

Our partners on the ground distribute these players to the members of their churches who they know will be faithful to not only use the players for their own families and neighbors, but will take them to various sections of their camps and play them for people of other tribes.  That's where having up to 4 different versions of the NT on one player becomes important.  The reports we have received from the field thus far speak highly of the effectiveness of this tool for enabling people who cannot read, or who do not own a Bible/NT, to hear the Word.  And that in turns feeds into evangelism, discipleship and church planting.

FCBH played a big role in putting on one web site the New Testament in hundreds of languages in digital form.  They can be seen and listened to at www.bible.is.  Many different English versions are posted there and can be downloaded for your own listening use.

FCBH takes their name from Romans 10:17 "So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."  That verse also sums up the priority of our own ministry.  We want to do all we can to help South Sudanese refugees have access to God's Word, whether in printed or in digital format.

The current conflict in S. Sudan will end one day.  But then what?  Unless the world's newest nation's leaders and leading citizens begin rebuilding their nation on the foundation of God's Word, even future attempts at state building may lead to more collapse and chaos. 

David Crane

Power of Nostalgia

Picture from website "Classical Mystery Tour"

Last Saturday was my wife Renee's birthday.  Since I knew that I would soon be disappearing on a long thru hike of the AT, I wanted to do something special this year.  I received a flyer from the Charlotte Symphony that they would be playing the songs from the Beatles' "Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album, since 2017 marks 50 years since its release.  Yeah, this should be good!  We went expecting just to hear the symphony play the songs (elevator music, right? but hey it's the Beatles), but lo and behold the 4 guys who performed with the orchestra looked and sounded just like the original "Fab Four."  We left the venue pumped, as we had just experienced a few hours journey down memory lane.

Nostalgia is a powerful thing.  It brings to mind old memories and the warm feelings associated with them.  It's always fun to return to places, events, songs and people who mean a lot to us.  As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz "there's no place like home!"

Renee and I bought a house in our home town in 2010.  We remodeled it  in 2015.  We chose to return to the home town so we could be close to our parents and help them in their latter years.  However there's also no denying the the special memories we have of growing up in that place, and the myriad of friends we have there, also created their own tug on our hearts.

How does this relate to the S. Sudanese refugee crisis?  

Well, can you imagine for a minute that your home town has been destroyed?  The old home place has been burned down, along with the school you attended, the shops where you bought food and other goods, and everyone you grew up with are now scattered in camps in either Ethiopia, Kenya or Uganda.  You have no idea when you will be able to return home, and when that time comes you know so many things will never be the same.  Maybe your spouse died during the war, or you lost children and other loved ones during the conflict, or to malnutrition experienced while displaced.

An uncertain future, a truly tough present, and a destroyed past must wreak a horrible toll on the human psyche.

This is why we believe it is so important to give of ourselves to make sure our displaced S. Sudanese brethren have access to the Word of God.  God's Word contains a message of the greatest hope and encouragement one can receive.  Reading and knowing it can lead one to a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ; and it is an eternal, never-to-be-destroyed or snatched away thing.  Reading God's Word helps us to understand that no matter what happens to us in life, we do not have to go through it alone.  The Spirit of God lives within His people, and fellow believers, the Body of Christ, become our new forever family.  Through reading/hearing the Word, we learn how to live as pilgrims and strangers in this world.  We learn about an eternal home in heaven, where God is, and that He will wipe away every tear and remove completely everything that is evil and causes pain.

Only the splendid narrative found in the Bible can replace what man made violence has destroyed.

So What Compels You?

Picture of Scott Pfeifer

One question that comes up repeatedly when a 60 year old man announces to the world that he is going to attempt an AT thru hike is "why in the world would you want to do that?"  The question is relevant and deserves an answer.

The ultimate motivating factor in my life is that mentioned by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:14, "For the love of Christ compels us, having concluded this, that One has died for all, therefore all have died."  As a serious follower of Jesus, what primarily motivates and compels me is to honor His Word and live out His commands and example in my own daily living.

However, with that said, there are always secondary motivating factors.  We have all been shaped by the people providentially placed in our lives.  Based on how important their influence on our lives has been, we will want to imitate their most admirable traits.  Of course not simply because that shows them respect, but because we have seen through personal experience how those values, disciplines, and character traits have led them to build a strong community and family.  

Sometimes we are shaped and given fresh motivations through painful experiences.  One such event happened in my life when I was 16.  One of my best friends, Scott Pfeifer, drowned in a lake located nearby our home town.  I will spare you the background, but let's say I was at the time less than a positive influence on him.  

At his funeral, I made a promise to God that I would seek to live for two for as long as He gave me breath.  I was not forced to make such a promise.  Rather it was something at the time which seemed right and good, and it's been in the back of my mind for these subsequent 43 years.  I even named my eldest son after him, Thomas Scott, to serve as a continual reminder. 

So why thru hike the AT as a means to raise awareness of the plight of S. Sudanese refugees?  Well, first and foremost I do it as a means of serving and honoring the Lord Jesus.

However I also like to think that if Scott were still alive, he would join me, or at least be one of my biggest fans.  And those factors, among others I will probably write about later, are what compel me.

Edward and Rose Dima: Partners in Ministry

Picture of Edward and Rose Dima.  He is president of the Baptist Convention of S. Sudan

Edward Dima is the president of the Baptist Convention of South Sudan (BCoSS), and in that capacity he serves as the main contact for the work we do with S. Sudanese refugees.

I first met Edward in Kajo Keji, S. Sudan in November of 2011.  I and several colleagues traveled there for the first ever large gathering of all S. Sudanese Baptist leadership.  The convention itself is young, having been founded only in 2007.  The terrible infrastructure of S. Sudan made it extremely hard for leaders scattered through the country to ever gather in one place.  So that meeting was one of great joy and warm fellowship.

The life stories of Edward and Rose mirror that of many other Sudanese, in that they have spent large chunks of their lives as refugees.  When Edward was a refugee in Uganda in the early 2000s, he attended the seminary in Jinja sponsored by Global Outreach.  Others of his brothers in Christ attended the school with him.  After graduating, they worked alongside Ugandan believers to do evangelism and plant churches in northern Uganda and even in the DRC.  Throughout that period, a strong bond was developed between Edward and his Ugandan counterparts.

When things settled down in S. Sudan and Edward and his compatriots returned home, they went about doing the same Gospel work.  Edward is of the Kuku Tribe, and during the decade they had the freedom and security to work among his people, over 100 churches were planted.  Edward and others also started a Bible school in Kajo Keji, and through the years S. Sudanese of many tribes, and even believers from Dar Fur, have graduated and gone on to serve the Lord throughout S. Sudan.

Edward and Rose, like hundreds of thousands of their countrymen, had to once again flee their home in 2016, and return to Uganda as refugees.  However, being on refugee status in a land not their own has not slowed them down when it comes to serving as the point persons for what the BCoSS is doing to serve the leaders and pastors of their churches.

In June of 2016, Renee and I, along with Edward and Rose, spent a week in Adjumani together.  During that time we visited our Sudanese brethren in the camps.  Renee and Rose spent significant time together, and out of their fellowship came a plan for how to train and minister to refugee women.  The first event took place in January of this year, and, by the grace of God, was a smashing success.  Renee and the American ladies who ministered alongside her were extremely impressed with Rose's leadership and teaching abilities.

What a blessing it has been to us to be in a position to partner with people of such faith, commitment, endurance and integrity as Edward and Rose.  Please pray for them daily as they are carrying a load most Christians cannot imagine or relate to.

David Crane

Largest Humanitarian Crisis Since WWII

Picture is of the Kakuma Refugee Camp, NW Kenya

Renee and I are currently planning the details for our next trip to E. Africa.  The plans are to travel to Kenya the last week of October.  We will do a training event for pastors and who live and work in the Kakuma Refugee Camp.  David and other team members will work with pastors, while Renee and her helpers will teach women who are recognized as solid disciples and committed to sharing the Gospel with other women.

Much of our work thus far has been focused on the camps located in northern Uganda.  In part that is due to the fact that we live in Entebbe, Uganda from Nov. '09 to March '15.  So now it's time to return to the extreme NW of Kenya, an area we are very familiar with, as we worked with various Gospel workers over the years who focused on the Turkana and Toposa; the two major tribes of the area.

I have cut and pasted below part of an article which contains a report by the United Nations (UN).  I used the title of that article for this post.  The news is ominous: famine, starvation, the life long impact on children through malnutrition, etc.

What can we do?  Our commitment is to place as many scripture related resources into the hands of the church leaders with whom we partner, so that they can share the gospel, make disciples and plant churches in the midst of all this chaos and upheaval.  True peace does not mean the mere absence of war.  It comes only through a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

UN: World Faces Largest Humanitarian Crisis Since World War II

The world is facing its largest humanitarian crisis since 1945, according to the United Nations.

“We stand at a critical point in history. Already at the beginning of the year we are facing the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of the UN,” UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien told the UN’s Security Council last week.

While many countries worldwide face food security crises, with large numbers of people hungry and unable to find enough food, only rarely do the conditions meet the humanitarian community’s formal criteria for a famine, says the UN.

The UN declares a famine only when the following measures of mortality, malnutrition and hunger are met: at least 20 percent of households in an area face extreme food shortages with a limited ability to cope; acute malnutrition rates exceed 30 percent; and the death rate exceeds two persons per day per 10,000 persons.

Other factors that may be considered include large-scale displacement, widespread destitution, disease outbreaks and social collapse.

Currently five countries are facing or are at risk of famine—Kenya, Yemen, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Somalia. Here is what you should know about each of these countries:

South Sudan

Number of people facing severe food insecurity: 4.9 million

Cause of crisis: Famine caused by armed conflict that borders on genocide.

What’s preventing aid: Some UN officials have suggested the South Sudan government is blocking food aid to certain areas and that humanitarian convoys and warehouses have been attacked and being looted, either by government or rebel forces.

UN assessment: “The famine in the country is man-made. Parties to the conflict are parties to the famine – as are those not intervening to make the violence stop,” said Mr. O’Brien, who called on the South Sudanese authorities to translate their assurances of unconditional access into “action on the ground.”

Man Shall Not Live by Bread Alone

David with (L-R) Mathew Dhol, John Monychol, Ding Lual, Elijah Riak

While the attached picture is not all that clear, it is the only one I possess of the moment I was able to pose with four S. Sudanese friends of mine.  Mathew and Ding are Nuer, while John and Elijak are Dinka.

All four of these men were forced to seek refugee status in Kenya back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Colleagues who served with my sending agency helped further and deepen their education by teaching T.E.E. books in the camps, and enabling them to attend Kenya Baptist Theological College (KBTC).

After graduating, they all returned to S. Sudan and started churches in their home areas. Some of those became the centers for primary schools, and other agents of community development.

However, the fresh outbreak of hostilities in S. Sudan, starting in mid-December 2013, forced all of them, their wives and children, to once again flee to neighboring countries as refugees.  Before they fled, they all saw horrible things happen.  Each has a story to tell, and while they differ in their details, the bottom line result is the same: displacement, dead family members and friends, destroyed homes and churches, nightmares for children, and the arduous, frightening prospect of beginning another phase of life as a refugee.

The current conflict, which has fragmented and harmed all aspects of the world's newest country's social fabric and national infrastructure, began between two men who are leaders of their respective tribes: Dinka and Nuer.  Those tribes are also the largest in S. Sudan.  Certainly the back story of this current conflict is complex, involving many factors, but as time has passed, it has become increasingly clear that at the heart of the matter is a form of prejudice which can be labeled "tribalism."

So how is it that the picture at the top of this post can display Nuer and Dinka posing together?  It is because the hearts of these men have been transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  They have a new king and Lord who died on a cross and rose from the grave, so that He might redeem people from "every nation, tongue, people and tribe" (Rev. 5:9-10).  The Apostle Paul wrote in Eph. 2:14-15, "For Christ himself is our way of peace.  He has made peace between us Jews and you Gentiles by making us all one family, breaking down the wall of contempt that used to separate us.  By his death he ended the angry resentment between us..." (TLB).

Since 2005, when the CPA was signed in Kenya, I have closely followed news reports regarding South Sudan.  Like everyone else, once South Sudanese voted to form their own country, I had high hopes for their future.  Its citizens of all tribes hoped that in the days ahead, money gained from the sell of oil would be used to build up the country's infrastructure for the betterment of all people.

But the hopes set on oil revenue were soon dashed, because the hearts of those in the seats of power were corrupt. 

Therefore our desire is to help S. Sudanese Christians reach their countrymen while they are refugees.  Gospel transformed hearts, not oil revenue, will restore peace in S. Sudan

Coming Full Circle: Calvary Road Ministry

Picture is of Calvary Road Ministry leadership.  David and Renee in foreground
see www.calvaryroadministries.com

My wife, Renee, and I lived for almost 23 years in East Africa.  We accepted an early retirement offer in late 2015.  The company was forced to ask its personnel who were 50 years of age and older, and who had at least 5 years of experience, to consider retiring.  Given the health of our parents, we choose to accept.  Given all that has happened since that time in our parent's lives, the timing was divine.

However, as we pondered the retirement offer, we realized that while we had accepted the fact that we would no longer serve in E. Africa, we did not believe the Lord wanted us to quit working with the Baptist Convention of South Sudan (BCoSS) in its attempts to minister to its countrymen who are now refugees.  We recognized that during our years of service, we had developed a large relationship network both among S. Sudanese, and with the Americans who had prayed for and supported us.  How to continue leveraging all that for the glory of God, and for continued effective, strategic service on behalf of people whom we had come to love?

At that point, we turned to our old friend and president of Calvary Road Ministry (CRM), Alan McAlister.  We asked Alan if we could raise funds via CRM so that we could continue to supply BCoSS leadership with the scripture resources, theological education and leadership development we felt we could offer.  Alan and CRM's leadership accepted our request, and we officially became a part of the CRM family beginning in January of 2016.

John Shepherd and Dr. Bob Calvert developed the first "Kanga Story Cloth," in 2004-'05.  It was developed for use among the Maasai. It is a discipleship tool which is now literally used all over the world, see www.Historycloth.com.  Years later, John worked with the same graphic artists to develop a second cloth for teaching the Book of Acts.  It is proving to be as effective a means for teaching Primary Oral Learners as the first cloth.  We use both cloths, and their attendant teaching materials, in our ministry with the BCoSS, and the results have been very successful.

Who could have known in 1998 when John Shepherd and I formed a partnership agreement that Renee and I would one day serve on a full time basis with CRM?  Well of course God knew!  And it is our hope and prayer that as He orchestrated our meeting John Shepherd in 1997 (another story), He will also guide all of us now involved with CRM to even greater heights of effective service, for His own glory and honor.

Timing Isn't Just Something, It's everything

The picture is of Mt. Kilimanjaro taken from Kenya with a church roof in foreground

I have entitled this post "Timing isn't just something, it's everything" because anyone who has ever undertaken a challenging enterprise knows the importance of some factors outweighs others.  Timing is one of them.  Another one is, of course, location.  Location! Location! Location!  Many a new business owner has opted for a cheaper location off the beaten path and come to regret it.

My upcoming major challenge is a thru hike of the AT, and the factor of timing has been the major one involved in it. 

My wife, Renee, and I made our latest trip to E. Africa to work with South Sudanese refugees in late December, '16.  I bought the airline tickets in July '16.  A few weeks out from our departure date, I learned that my nephew, Adam, who I will accompany on my AT thru hike, had booked a ticket that would have him land at our departure airport just when we would be checking in.  Providence of God? You bet!  So we got to meet him down at baggage claim where he agreed to await us.  We had not seen Adam in 4 years, so we jumped at the chance to get in a short 10 minute visit. 

The last thing Adam said to me was "Uncle David, my dad tells me you've had doing a thru walk of the AT on your bucket list for decades.  Well, I'm going to do it starting on April 9 and I invite you to join me."  And that's how this odyssey I'm now on began.  That statement planted a seed which germinated over the next 7 weeks as I read God's Word and prayed about the whole matter.

Timing.  I had learned it's importance earlier in life through meditating on how God directed my path at critical points.  An example is how we came to work as church planters among the Maasai of Kenya.  In early 1993, our sending agency sent us 20 plus job requests related to Africa to choose from.  The Lord directed both my wife and I separately to choose the request that would have us work among the Kaputiei Maasai of Kenya.  Once we realized we had chosen the same request out of the stack, I immediately called the agency's office and asked them to reserve that job request for the Cranes.

A few years later, we learned that someone else called the agency's office the day after we did, and asked that the same request be set aside for them.  They were told it was already claimed.  Thus that couple had to choose another job request.  Years later we saw their career go up in flames when it was discovered the husband had made sinful choices which led to their being fired by the agency.  Wow, what a difference timing made in Kingdom work among the Maasai!

Timing.  King Solomon, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote in Proverbs 16:9 "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps."  This means that God in His sovereign purpose for the lives of His children brings together certain factors at just the right time, so that they might know which path to choose for His glory and service.

Certainly there is no better time than the present for concerned American Christians to become involved in helping their South Sudanese brethren.  The latest UNHCR reports indicate that the number of refugees in Uganda alone has now topped 3/4 of a million.   We partner on the ground with Sudanese church leaders who desire to make disciples of their countrymen while they are in exile as refugees.  And to do this they need Bibles, Bible related resources and training.

I hope to leverage my thru walk of the AT to raise money to enable us to help such committed, gospel centered leaders.  Please consider joining me in this venture so that together we might bless current and future S. Sudanese church leaders with the tools they need to make the most of this time while they are living together in refugee camps.

David Crane 

Team Work

David and Tommy Sills in front of map of Crowder's Mountain State Park

No 60 year old man undertakes a venture like a thru hike of the AT without the help of many people.  After announcing my intent to do a thru hike, I began to actively pursue team members whose input and help I believed would be invaluable.

One of my first team members was Brandon Lovelace.  He leads up the media team of the Parkwood Baptist Church of Gastonia, NC.   He most graciously agreed to provide me with a logo/graphic to utilize on my Face Book page (I will soon publicly launch "Hiking to Help Refugees" on FB).  Brandon also made another significant contribution immediately.  He sent me Tommy Sills' contact information because he knows Tommy has been an avid hiker for decades, and regularly hikes in the Crowder's Mountain area, a place he has been intimately acquainted with since childhood.

Although I literally only have a month remaining to train and prepare, walking in the terrain this park offers will be a big help.  While hiking there, I will be able to start familiarizing myself with how to hike with trekking poles.  I will also start the process of gaining my "trail legs" as long distance hikers refer to the process of acclimating one's body to the rigors of hiking in rough terrain on an extended basis.

I will make my trek in the company of my 33 year old nephew, Adam Crane.  I am praying we will discover that we make a good team.  Adam has  been teaching English to S. Korean children in the Seoul area for the last 4 years.  Previous to his moving to Korea, we did not have the privilege of spending much time together because I and my family lived overseas.  That is one element of the price one pays to live abroad: you have to say goodbye to family and friends for extended periods.  If we prove to be a team "made in heaven" then I believe we will each discover that we both bring something to this venture that will make our long trek more bearable and enjoyable.

The importance of team work is a factor emphasized in the Bible, see I Corinthians chapters 12-14.  There our Lord teaches us about the importance of team work by comparing the members of the church to a human body.  Not every member can be an eye, an ear or a hand.  But just as the human body would suffer and be incomplete without any given part, so the church suffers when all of its members do not utilize their gifts for the building up and work of the body. Team work.

You can be an important part of my team by following my progress through this blog and my Facebook page.  Hopefully doing that will help raise your awareness of what our South Sudanese brethren are facing as they live in refugee camps.  And I trust that awareness will ultimately lead you to donate to the ministry we are undertaking on their behalf through the nonprofit, Calvary Road Ministry.

The AT is 2,181 miles long.  I am asking individuals and groups to sponsor me at X amount per mile.  A quick math check will show that a 50 cents/mile donation would be $1,090.  We will use the funds collected to buy Bibles and scripture resources, i.e. solar powered digital players containing the New Testament in various S. Sudanese languages, as well as provide training events which help with education, trauma healing counseling and leadership development.  All donations will be tax deductible.

Very soon I will inform you how you can make your pledge and ultimately your donation, should you choose to join our team.

Local Knowledge

The picture is of a Black Cherry milkshake from Tony's Ice Cream of Gastonia, NC.  Read about the history and products offered by this highly esteemed local, family owned business at http://tonysicecream.com/

I took this picture after walking 10.7 miles with Tommy Sills in the Crowder's Mountain State Park.  It was my first long hike in mountain like terrain in many years.  Tommy and I are age mates with many similar interests, so we had plenty to talk about along the way.  The walk took us 5 hours which makes for a 2 mile per hour pace.  That's about what I had hoped for going into this venture.  Sweet!

So how to reward myself?  Hmm, oh yeah, Tony's!!  Personal experience has verified what long term locals have told me since my wife and I returned to our home area in 2015 "Tony's tops all contenders."  As I enjoyed my black cherry shake, the thought hit me "if I didn't have that local knowledge, I would have opted for a "so-so" shake from some fast food chain which doesn't create the sense of rapture and awe a Tony's shake produces."

Local knowledge is a powerful thing.  I had just experienced it by hiking with Tommy.  He was raised near Crowder's Mountain and still lives nearby.  His local knowledge of the trails meant I did not have to worry about losing my way, or have to read all the trail signs.  I could focus on the beautiful surroundings, learning how to use my new Leki trekking poles, and enjoy our conversation.

Supporting people who have "local knowledge" working for them is one important reason why my wife and I, through Calvary Road Ministry, are committed to helping South Sudanese believers who are now refugees.  They possess the linguistic and cultural skills best suited for doing training within the refugee camps.

I trust you, the readers of this blog, will follow me as I thru hike the AT in my attempt to raise awareness and funding for S. Sudanese  believers who, during this time, are forced to live as refugees in neighboring countries.  And if God leads you to also donate to this cause, you can know you will be helping folks who have "local knowledge" working on their behalf.

Combining Two Passions

February 28, 2017

Hello Everyone,

I have set up this "Hiking to Help Refugees" blog as part of my plan to leverage a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail to raise awareness of the plight of South Sudanese refugees, and funding to help support what we do, via the nonprofit Calvary Road Ministry, for them. 

I have entitled this first post "Combining Two Passions" for a reason. The passions are: a passion to serve the beleaguered South Sudanese people, and a passion for spending time in God's great outdoors.

My wife, Renee, and I lived in East Africa for 23 years.  During our last 6 years of service, we mentored and supervised the personnel who lived and served in South Sudan, plus 4 other adjoining countries.  During that time frame, we became very close to many South Sudanese.  When the current conflict, which has produced this latest wave of Sudanese, started on 12/15/2013, we and our colleagues immediately went to work to help meet various needs, the largest being providing drinking water via drilling boreholes.  We also started training both Ugandan and S. Sudanese leaders in how to utilize the chronological Bible story method in discipleship efforts.

So those years of working closely with S. Sudanese Baptist leaders placed within us a deep passion to continue to serve our Sudanese brethren.

My passion for the outdoors grew when I was young.  I always enjoyed camping, hunting and fishing.  That passion led me to earn an A.S. degree in Forest Management.  After moving to Kenya in 1993 to live and work among the Maasai, I spent a lot of time outdoors in some of the most beautiful territory found in the Great Rift Valley.  I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya twice with my children.  As a family we spent tons of time in Kenya and Tanzania's greatest game parks.  So, in brief, my childhood passion for the outdoor life only grew and expanded as a result of my life's vocation.

So now at age 60, I believe my Lord would have me bring together these two passions and leverage them to benefit people who deserve, and who have requested, our ongoing help.

Through this blog you can:
    * Follow along with me as I prepare for and carry out this massive venture
    * Learn more about individual South Sudanese people as I share their stories
    * Discover how you can pray for me and for them
    * Find out how you can join our team by praying, giving and even going

This should be an awesome journey.  I hope you'll take it with me.