Oh, the places we can run!

So, the month of March has come and (nearly) gone. This has been a busy one for Heather and I!

This month has been such an encouraging one for us, though. We've been nearly non-stop on the road, and we've covered more miles in March than we did in December, January and February combined. What a great time this has been.

We started the month with a great visit from our good friends Brad and Jen Ward. What a blast we had in Florida with them. We got in some ocean kayaking and surfing...and of course some interesting and perfectly timed van-trouble. Thanks for blessing us guys!

Then my parents came down to Florida to visit. This trip was well-timed with the coming of Major League Baseball Spring Training. We followed the Cardinals around Florida from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast and then to the Disney Coast. What a great thing to get to do with my family! Thanks Mom and Dad and Heather Mae and Justin! We love you!

We left from Orlando to start a two-week long support raising trip in the middle of March. We'll be wrapping up this trip tomorrow with two final meetings. After tomorrow's appointments, we will have met with 20 churches in 15 days. Heather and I have been so encouraged as we've visited these churches. We hope we've been encouraging to them also! We've met great churches, eaten some great food and stayed with some amazing people. We're so thankful for the friendships that God has brought together in this time! By the way, we learned a new game called Mexican Train Dominoes. Incredible. Let's play sometime soon.

Also, in the middle of this trip, we made a quick visit to Illinois for my great-grandpa's funeral. Our schedule worked out just perfect that we were able to make the drive without skipping any appointments. We got to visit with family, pay our respects to my great-grandpa, and see some great friends in Springfield. We never expected to get to see Illinois before May, or even August, of this year! But, before we knew it, we were in Illinois, and then gone again.

Of course, we've spent this two weeks living out of our car, mooching off of people, and even stealing a shower from a closed state park. You might say this is the life I've dreamed of!

One more thing, we had a much-needed break from everything on this past Monday with some friends from Florida who we met up with in Tennessee. We got the chance to do some hiking and we tried our first hand at rock climbing! I think I've found a new favorite sport. I've already begun eyeing a harness for my future endeavors. (Heather didn't do too badly either!)

So, the month is finished, we've spent a good amount of time in 5 different states. We've traveled well over 4,000 miles. We've been completely worn out. And we've been completely blessed. Thank God for the privilege of the life and friends He has given us!

Later guys,
Matt

P.S. We also tried out this great service Cracker Barrell offers. They let you rent audio books to listen to on any long drives you might have, and return them for a complete refund minus a 2 or 3 dollar weekly user fee. Heather and I have finished 3 books, one on Tony La Russa, one by President Jimmy Carter, and a particularly cheeky fiction novel about a guy that gets engaged in Australia in a crazy turn of events. Give the service a shot if you're spending any lengthy time on the road!