Update for Tuesday June 27

   I started the day at the Cornelius Creek Shelter, marker 1424.8 and ended up at the Bobblets Gap Shelter marker 1443.2.  Pulled into it at 8:00.

   I did the first 9 miles quickly so I could meet Doug Lee at 1433.5, Cross Jennings Creek. He brought me resupply for 4 days. It was great to see my old friend and catch up. He is now the pastor of a church located 20 mi E of Lynchburg. The attached selfie was made by him.

 

   Talked to another old friend, Jim Richardson later in the day, and he will meet me near Daleville on Thurs.

    Stayed inside the shelter last night as there was no good place to.pitch a tent. It was packed with North Bound hikers so a bit tough to get comfortable. On the way out of the shelter this a.m. I saw bears 6&7. A cub with its mother. 

    The trail in this area follows the Blue Ridge Pkwy and affords great views of the Peaks of Otter area.

    Thanks for your prayers. Keep praying for our refugee brethren to continue to stay gospel focused and to be strong witnesses. 

Uncle

Update 7 June 25                                                                   

 

    Today I hiked from the Punchbowl Shelter @ marker 1394.4 to 1412.6 Marble Spring. I had cell network as I climbed the last mountain but not now.

   Met some really interesting folks, thru hikers, today. 

   General Hendricks, the latter name given him by a friend who likes how he plays Purple Haze, is the first Black American thru hiker I have met. We had a very good conversation. One of his companions took our PIC and he said he would email it to me.

    Yeves is a 75 yr old French man who I am told clicks along at 18 mi a day. He spoke almost no English. But just behind him I met Bayou and he gave me more info as they have camped at the same places. Bayou said he would read Curt Iles' book, Trampled Grass since he is also from the state of LA.

    Mama Bear is walking with her 7 yr old twins and a 13 yr old. They were chugging up a very steep hill at a good pace. Unreal!

    I finally got cell signal at the end of the day. Talked to Renee and Doug Lee. The latter is a former colleague from Kenya who now lives near Lynchburg. He will meet me on Tues with resupply. Will be great to see him.

    Renee told me about the passing of Ned Dellinger, the young son of Travis and Betsy. I am praying for them and their extended families to whom I feel very close. Also she said Leslie and Judah are still sick and now Sheila has come down with whatever they brought with them. Praying they all get well ASAP.

   I hope the post office at Buena Vista will agree to send my bounce box on up to Daleville. Turns out the former PO does not open on Sat and I got to BV just after 17:00 on Fri. 

    Hope to make it to Bryant Ridge Shelter tomorrow @ Mi Marker 1429.7. That should facilitate Doug meeting me on one of two roads the AT crosses that are near Buchanan. If he brings food I will not have to get off the trail until Daleville.

Uncle

Regress Not Progress                                                

    So today, June 24, Brandi and Stacey dropped me off at the same spot where she had met me the afternoon before. My goal for the day was around 20 miles to the 3rd shelter. The first one, Black Mtn, was only 2.8 miles from the drop point. An easy down hill descent.

    I stopped there to sign my name in the book since I spent the previous night off the AT. Rangers do check the shelter logs and keep up with hikers so I know I need to log in from time to time. Nephew always did that for us before.

    When I left the shelter I mistakenly walked right back up the hill I had just descended. When I got to my starting pt and realized my mistake, I was of course mad at myself. I walked 5.6 miles for nothing! So today I ended up only hiking 12 trail miles.

    As I retraced my steps, the Lord spoke to my heart. He reminded me that REGRESS is what a

refugee' s life is dominated by because they have left and possibly lost back home all they had worked for and accumulated. The pastoralist has lost his livestock. The farmer's tilled land is now growing up weeds and may soon return to the shape it was in before he put so much back breaking labor into clearing it. Regression.

    No one likes having to retrace their steps or redo work once done well. Yet this is what awaits every refugee who returns home once peace is restored.               

    Today I lost some time and energy, but in the big scheme of things it was a small thing. 

    Thanks Lord Jesus for granting me experiences which enable me to put things in perspective; even when they are painful.

    Please join us in this Hiking to Help Refugees venture so we can together provide God's Word to S. Sudanese refugees. Only God can restore what war and the forces of evil have destroyed in these people's lives.

Uncle

Day 6

    Today I hiked from marker 1357.7 which was where the The River  

suspension bridge is located, to very near 1372.9. Chose to stealth camp at an overlook near the Greasy Spring Rd. A dad and son had a fire built and welcomed me to pitch.

 

     The climb up Priest Mtn took about 3 1/2 hrs. Gained around 3,000 ft. I stopped to talk a lot with folks north bound. Ate at the Priest Shelter and stayed longer than I planned visiting with a couple from the UK and a thru hiker from MI named Eight Track. Enjoyed taking my time and talking to folks.

 

    Will have a 10 mile hike to US 60 in the a.m. and hope I have a signal so I can call Brandi and arrange to meet with her by the road. Supposed to rain so may get a later start. Even today I did not set off  

  until 8:30. Need to do better in that regard.

 

    The other day someone dropped a red bandana in the path and I have enjoyed wearing it around my neck. I dip it in water. I found it when in need if water.  Just afterwards came upon a weak spring and used it to partially fill my Sawyer squeeze bag. One wets the bandana and let's the water drip into the bag. It was a timely find.

 

   On the same day met a couple from S Africa. The husband was raised near Edenvale where BIMS is located. Renee and I had to stay there for a month twice after she had a surgery at a Jo'berg hospital. Small world.  

 So the hikes over the last few days have not been all that easy but the views have been outstanding. 

Uncle

 

 

 

Fifth Trail Visit

    Renee dropped me off where I started on April 9th at Swift Run Gap, mile marker 907 if headed north. I walked around 20 and 19 trail miles the first two days and only 7 the 3rd. That is because the forecast was for heavy p.m. storms. 

    So I had the idea to call Steve Barrett of Kent's Store, VA and see if he would meet me at Afton Mtn.,  and take me to his house for the night. The possibility of rain had caused him and his tree service crew to already cancel for the day, so he agreed.

 

    I was the Barrett' s pastor when I served the  

  Beulah Church of that small rural community. We had lots of good times during those years, much of it in the woods deer hunting.

 

    I was busy the whole time I was there, I.e. shopping, washing clothes, putting ice on my feet, etc. However we had lots of time to reminisce and also speak of what is now happening in our lives.

 

    Thanks Steve and Brenda for your hospitality. The attached picture is of Steve holding my pack on the morning he dropped me back off on the trial.

 

    And a big shout out to all our friends of Kent's Store. I wish time had allowed me to visit all of you! Thanks for how you support our ministry.

Uncle

I am posting these photos from Edward Dimas post. Edward is the president of the Baptist Convention of South Sudan. As you follow David's trek on the AT, these pictures represent the reason he is doing what he is doing, giving more copies of Hope to Christians and those who will be Christians. Please give to help add to the population of Heaven. Thank You.....

Above is the body of Christ at Pillar Baptist church, those souls who are craving to know more about the ways of Jesus so they can live their lives for Him.

The above picture is of the children of Pillar Baptist church's preschool. 

Matthew 19:14

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

The actual building of Pillar Baptist Church.....


Please help sustain thirsty souls and reach thirsty souls.   Thank You

.

June 17, 2017

Before leaving Harrisonburg, VA this morning to return to the AT, I wanted to type up a brief status report for those of you who have been praying for us, and following us on this "Hiking to Help Refugees" venture.

Renee and I celebrated 42 years of marriage on Thursday, June 15.  We stayed in a friend's condo in the Boone, NC area on Thursday night, and  

  then late Friday drove up to Harrisonburg, VA.  This morning I am thanking God for the life mate He gave me.  I married way over my head!  She's also a great nurse and she's definitely taken care of me since I flew home.

Today marks the 16th day since I stopped walking on the AT near Manchester, VT.  I am rested and feel healed up.  I ate like a bear just out of hibernation while home and cannot tell it added anything to my waist.  At this point I can wear waist size 34" pants, something I haven't been able to do since Reagan was president!  It was very busy at the house while I was home.  I had a great visit with my eldest grandson (age 7) who came in on June 13, and with my second born son, Zeb.  We celebrated his 33rd birthday early last Wednesday and it was a wonderful party. 

My daughter-in-law, Leslie, will arrive in the USA with her youngest two on June 21 and they will return on July 13.  So on July 8th Renee will meet me wherever I am and return me to the house so I can visit with them through the 13th.  In the afternoon of that same day she will return me to the AT. 

My goal in the next 3 weeks will be to hike as close to Damascus, VA as I can which is approximately 436 miles from where I'll resume walking at Swift Run Gap, mile marker 907 for those north bound.  That number of 907 also tells you how far I have to go to Springer Mountain, GA.

Nephew is still logging big miles in the White Mountains of NH and will certainly make it to the top of Mt. Kathadin within the next 2-3 weeks.  We we parted on June 6 we were hopeful that I could fly to Maine and join him in climbing Kathadin, but I know now that will not be possible, as my priority will be to see Leslie and her girls.  Who knows, if circumstances allow after I reach Springer, perhaps I will be able to make that journey alone and work on hiking a maximum amount of miles.  All that is in God's hands and I am at peace with that knowledge.

Thanks for following me this far.  I trust you will continue to read the blogs I will write and keep up with both Nephew and I.  For me personally, this whole thing is about raising as much money as possible so we can place as many scripture resources in the hands of our S. Sudanese brethren.  My heart remains broken over their suffering.  However my heart receives comfort whenever I remember that we as a team can provide them with the Word of God at such a critical time in their own personal lives, and in the life of their nation.  Only God's Word can change the heart of a sinner, and only that same Word can provide a sure and lasting foundation for the building of a nation.

Thanks ahead of time for praying, reading and giving.

David Crane (Uncle)