On the road...for the first time.

OK, so Heather and I are basically driving all over the world.

Well, maybe not the world, but so far the whole state of Kentucky.

And maybe not the whole state of Kentucky, but at least a good half of it. The western half.

Can I just say that our schedule has been nuts over the last two weeks? I warned you that it would be, but I don't think I realized just how wild it would be.

OK, so I was in Chicago on Friday and Saturday, June 30 and July 1 respectively. We were supposed to get back to Springfield to drive down to Paducah, KY at about 8:30 pm. I was taking the Amtrak down from Chicago, and they decided to run a couple of hours late. (Any wonder why they are going bankrupt?) So we ended up leaving Springfield at about 11 and driving late into the night to the home of RB Mays.

We finally got to bed at 4 so that we could wake up at 7 and drive to Wingo Old Cumberland Presbyterian Church to speak that Sunday morning.

But we made it.

This church was exciting, just as all the other churches we have spoken in so far have been. It is in this obscure town outside of Mayfield, which is outside of Paducah, but is on the verge of growing, and growing very quickly. There were a number of people that got excited about our work and RB Mays never fails to back us up.

But as soon as church was over, we had places to be. We took off immediately for the hour-long drive to Brandon Spring Campground at the Land Between the Lakes. It was a beautiful drive, but went by really fast because we drove really, really fast. This campground was great. On the edge of the lake, surrounded by the woods, you couldn't have chosen a better place for a high school camp.

I was the main speaker for the week and did not necessarily feel up to the task. How do you relate to high school kids? They all seem to be bipolar at one point or another. You just never know about them.















But they took a liking to Heather and I and the week turned out pretty well. Despite how much I'm down on high school students, they encouraged me and showed me that there are actually kids that are pursuing God in high school. I'm not sure I know a harder place to do that in.

We also got to spend the week with Dave and John. You might know them. You know, two guys in a van, traveling across the country, doing what they do. They really stepped up this week and did way more than they expected to be asked to do. But they did it all without complaining and did a wonderful job of it.

And of course, my wife was wonderful. She had no idea what to expect, and we didn't especially like the idea of going to separate buildings to sleep at night, but we made it through.




















Before I knew it, I enjoyed getting to speak to these kids everynight, and by then, I only had one night to go. It was over so quick. Hopefully they caught what the week was all about. You wouldn't believe how great these kids were. They were a huge encouragement to us.

During the week they decided to take an offering for us. Guess how much they raised. Remember, 65 kids...

$100?


$250?


$300?


Try $532!


Wow, we were blown away. These kids believe in what we're doing and were excited to help us!
















So, the week ended, and Heather and I basically crashed for two days. Sleep was in dire need, and we found it. We were rested for a day of speaking Sunday, and we hit the road early in the morning.

First, Bethel CP, also near Paducah. This place was beautiful too. I really enjoyed speaking in their sanctuary. There were some kids there that were at the camp, and they joined Heather and I in leading the congregation in some praise and worship. I loved that part.

Then Sunday night we went to Jeff and Bert Biggs' church, New Hope CP. They had invited a couple different churches to come in and listen to us, and yet again, God encouraged us with more people who are excited to see our work happening.

Today we are driving east towards Owensboro, KY. We speak tonight and tomrrow night, then we head to the Nashville area to see what God has in store for us there. Thanks to all of you for your prayers while we are spending so much time on the road! We can't wait to get back to see you all again!

(And thanks for reading this boring line item report of what we do!)

Later guys, Matt