Off Roading... Anyone?

Evening on the Pacific side of the Baja, around Ensenada

Miles of desert and Cactus

Well the weather was still chilly so we decided to head further South. Besides Sensei and Brenda were in San Jose Del Cabo…just outside of Cabo San Lucas, Baja…so we thought we would go for a drive, meet up with them and see some familiar faces. The drive down the Baja took about 5 days with a two-day stop over in Loreto…it was both scenic and bumpy. They are doing major road construction in many areas but the worst area is just outside of Ensenada, puts most off road 4x4ing to shame…. Go Olive Go! This little village of Loreto was great…wonderful little restaurant that a young Mexican couple run…all food cooked from scratch…wonderful homemade bread too. There is a lot of joy in the people down here but the poverty is so very evident too. Our Spanish is limited but it doesn’t seem to be a problem, it is amazing how you can still communicate…most of the time. You also can pick up the most important words pretty quick…like bathrooms, honey (for tea), no nuts. It keeps expanding the longer you are here. 

Highway out of Ensenada...miles of mud!

The Bay of Conception...met beach dog and couple from Vancouver.

The Bay of Conception

Town square in Loreto

Olive in front of the Best Little Cafe in Loreto

Only Friendly People at Friendly Acres

Winners of the FA Christmas Parade

As the nights started to warm up a bit we decided to find  less expensive accommodations. We did a search online and found a few RV parks but one stood out “Friendly Acres”, that sounds nice we thought. Off we go with the “Tom Tom” programed for a happy place! We pull in and notice that is says 55+… oh dear maybe we won’t be able to stay as we are both not there yet. But the lady at the front desk smiled and let it slide…turns out that if you are only staying for a few nights you don’t have to be of age. 


Well we settled in and that night they had a dance going on at their local activity centre. We decided to join in the fun and walked up that evening to where the country music filled the park roadways…. Also we just headed to where all of the golf carts were parked…seems to be the mode of transportation around the park! We were surprised to see the mostly 73+ crowd sipping on margaritas and doing jello shooters…yup! These seniors can party! And can they dance! It was a joy to watch the couples twirling around the dance floor not missing a beat. They had a fifty-fifty draw for the “Wounded Warriors” so we bought a few tickets. They also had a few “ladies only dances” which I got up and participated in…what a great bunch of gals! One lady reminded Mark of his Aunt Betty from Ontario…when we asked what her name was, she turned and said Betty…Mark and I just laughed. 

FA's Mr and Mrs Claus

Then it came time for the fifty-fifty draw and the first numbers where called and no one came up to claim the prize money, so they dipped in again and pulled out Mark’s numbers. Cheers went out and Mark had to go up and claim the prize of $64.00 they other half going to the “Wounded Warriors.” Mark decided to give the whole thing to the Vets. Now I say this not to pat him on the back for this gesture but to show how this one small act touched these seniors. The lady running the draw was so appreciative for the gift and we had senior men coming up and shaking Mark’s hand with deep emotion in their eyes. We then got invited to join the table that Betty was at and I got to dance with a few of the older gentlemen…my “two stepping” needs some work though! They asked about our journey and we told them of the request that God had asked of us and what had happened since we said “Yes”. It was a wonderful evening full of laughter and warmth… they even sent us a “Thank-you” card the next morning! They truly hold up the name “Friendly Acres”. They also had a wonderful golf cart Christmas parade and an ice cream social after to give out awards! Blessings to you all from the young'ins.

Yuma and God's Provisions

Round Desert Rocks

Yuma has the best Holiday Inn we have stayed at!

So after a long drive across the desert…which was partially white from the snow, we found ourselves in Yuma. The weather was still very cold at night just below or at freezing so Mark and I decided a couple of nights in a hotel or motel was still in order. We also needed to get the carbs adjusted a bit before we headed further south so we were praying that we would meet someone who could help out in this area. Mark and I pulled into a local starbucks and a man in an older VW bus pulled up to wash the windows of Starbucks. Mark started chatting with him about his VW and it turns out that he is a local pastor and cleans windows on the side! He also told us of a guy that does all his engine work so problem solved…don’t ever doubt that God doesn’t look out for you all you have to do is ask! To prove this further we saw a Holiday Inn on the hill above the starbucks we were working at and decided that would be a good place to stay to get out of the cold. We headed up the hill and went inside. Well it turned out that they had no rooms, it was a very busy holiday season for them. The young man behind the desk also let us know that as far as he knew there were no rooms available at any of the local hotels or motels…everything was fully booked. He offered to start phoning around but everywhere he tried the outcome was the same…no room at the inn! Mark and I were hanging at the front desk discussing the chilly possibility of spending the night in Olive, when a lady came in to check in for the night. We jokingly said to her “we hope you reserved” she replied that she always did as she was travelling on business and never wanted to risk it. The young lady behind the desk pulled up her reservation and said to the lady… ok I have your two rooms here. Oh said the lady I don’t need two rooms just one. I must have double booked. Mark and I looked at each other then at the young man behind the desk…He smiled at us and said well I guess you have a room after all…Thank you God we said! Every need…it has been amazing.

A Night on the River Walk

We have to back track a bit here as we missed blogging about San Antonio. There have been a few places along the way that we would recommend if you have never been and the River Walk in San Antonio is one. We stayed for a few nights in the local Walmart Motel (ok the parking lot! lol)  and walked around the downtown core in the late afternoon into the evening. The River Walk is full of shops and unique restaurants and the whole area is lite-up with small lights…. you can also take a boat ride where you will get all the history of the area. Mark got the Mariachi band to play us a tune…it was a wonderful evening.

Snowy New Mexico

Driving up from the chilly Texas plains, we arrived in New Mexico with the anticipation of sunny and warm weather. Instead, we found it colder than we have experienced since leaving BC. So naturally it was a night for hotels. We woke in the morning to find it blowing and snowy! Yes, SNOW! Needless to say, we got a move on and drove for many miles through the dim morning light and blustery snow. Memories of Ontario white-outs springing to mind.  We out drove the snow storm and made it into Arizona where the sun was shining and things started looking up.

The Winds of South Padre Island

Olive on the beach with the Kite Boarders

The wharf at sunset

Some turtles are rescued from fishing nets and loose a flipper

Good for Captain Phil!

Corpus Christi didn’t look that great so we took out our trusty KOA book and looked for near by campsite locations. We found one in the very southern tip of Texas at South Padre Island… 3 hours later we were in our site and enjoying the Gulf of Mexico. The next 2 days a wild wind whipped up with gusts at 50 to 60mph….just a bit breezy. The local and tourist kit boarders were not complaining though. Mark and I checked them out and also stopped in at the local sea turtle rescue center… the turtles are so amazing. After a few days we were off to San Antonio.

WHATABURGER : WHATAGOD

Marty and Joe in front of "Olive"

Our wonderful Thanksgiving Feast with new friends

The next day we had said our sad goodbyes to Azle and the Abbey and hit the road for Corpus Christi…we were hoping to find some warmer weather. We had been driving a few hours and it was nearing lunch time and Mark and I started keeping our eye our for some where to grab a bite to eat, when there in the distance we saw a tall WHATABURGER sign. Never ever having a WHATABURGER we thought we would give it a try. Now our story parallels with a spirit filled, warm hearted women, Marty and her quiet spoken  lovely husband, Joe. They were deciding what to have for lunch that day and for some strange reason Marty decided she would like a WHATABURGER, bit out of the ordinary for her as she is quite health conscience but nevertheless there it was. Now they had a choice of two places to go and decided on…you guessed it, to go to the one that Mark and I pulled into.  When we showed up we ordered our burgers and having received them proceeded to leave. That is when Marty put down her burger, looked at Joe and said “I’ll be right back”. She ran out the door, led by the Holy Spirit and proceeded to ask us about “Olive” where we were heading, where we were from and what were we doing for Thanksgiving, which was the next day…. There is no moss on this rolling stone! She was wonderful! She invited us out with her and her husband to some friends and gave us her contact info if we would like to come. Mark and I drove off and were smiling all the way….Wow God is good to us and put us on the path that intersects with his most precious people. We drove down the road to eat our lunch (sorry but we have both had better burgers) and to see if we felt led to accept.  Yes! was the word back. We called Marty and she invited us to spend the night in her home. She let Joe know that company was coming and he asked who and she said the couple she met at the WHATABURGER! I think he just smiles at her wonderful outgoing nature. Well their home is something to behold…it is modest in size but all designed right down to the smallest detail by Marty. Joe said she spent 3 years putting together all the design layouts and placement of everything in their home. It is really beautiful, so unique (in a good way) and very inviting. We enjoyed an evening with them…shared some stories and laughter. The next day at noon we went off to their friends for the most delicious Turkey dinner…All the fixin’s! Our hosts, their two amazing little girls and their guests were so very gracious. We really appreciated our time with them and the fact that God brought us all together. Funny thing to all of this was God had told me weeks before that He had a special family that we would spend this time of Thanksgiving with. Thank-you.

Olive on the beach in Corpus Christi...

It was sad to leave Marty and Joe. In our very short time together we felt like family and I have gained another sister…how blessed am I.

I feel I have met some very special women on this journey so far….women of strength, beauty, courage, faith, humor, kindness and vitality. From Toronto, Nova Scotia, PEI, North Carolina, Azle and Salado… you are my women warriors. I admire and respect you all. May His glory shine upon you.

The Biggest Thing it Texas? The Heart of it's People

Just outside of Marshall Texas...moon rise

So there we were hanging at Starbucks (our travelling office], getting a bit of work done and wondering why God led us to this state? Mark had come back from washing Olive and as he walked in a couple, who were sitting at another table, commented on the bus. Mark let the couple know that it was a “God thing” and that was all it took! “Sit down!” they said….”we need to talk!” We told Chris and Lisa our story and about not being sure why we felt led to be in Texas. “To meet us, of course!” responded Lisa. This is a very warm and dynamic couple, full of energy and love for our Lord. We talked for over an hour and they invited us to park “Olive” at their place overnight and come to a pot luck get together with some of their friends from their church. “Why, yes!” we replied. We got over to their place later that afternoon and had the pleasure of meeting four of their wonderful children, bright, intelligent and warm hearted, like their parents. That evening we spent a great time in fellowship and laughter. The next day was Sunday and Mark and I have planned to go to Kenneth Copeland’s Church “Eagle Mountain” but we got “hijacked” by Lisa and Chris. They said we really needed to come and spend the day with then at “The Abbey.” We agreed and it was a great decision. 

The Abbey set up for Thanksgiving dinner

Pastor Paul in the middle singing at Abbey's Got Talent

We walked into the Abbey and instantly felt the warmth envelope us, there is a peace that invites you to let down any walls and just be yourself. We met many exceptional people and were introduced to James and Jennifer another great couple who head up the street ministry. James introduced us to his parents Ray and Mary who we fell in love with. They invited us over to their place for dinner the next night…Ray would make his famous spaghetti and meatballs. It was a wonderful night….the food was fantastic, yummy Ray….very yummy, and we had a chance to all sit and fellowship. We also got to watch a video by Pastor Prince on the message of Grace…thank you, thank you, thank you, for sharing this! It has stayed with me and I know the Lord wants more of us out there teaching this message and what Grace means to us and how it impacts our lives! We have watched the copy you gave us James and will continue to watch it. Now we had thought about moving on but didn’t feel the urging of the Lord to do so and everyone kept telling us that we really needed to stay and meet their Pastors who were coming back from South Africa the next weekend. . Joe, Pastor Paul and Perrianne’s son, another exceptional young man, even said we could park in the Church parking lot and gave us 2 books that Perrianne had written…bravo! So we became the church parking lot squatters! Even had a phone call and raised eye brows over who these VW corporate drop-out gypsies were that had taken up residence The next Sunday came by quickly….sorry Kenneth….still didn’t make it over to his church. And we had the real pleasure of meeting two individuals who are preaching the right message! Wow is all we can say….we love them too! That night was the Church Thanksgiving supper and talent show “The Abbey’s Got Talent”. We laughed and shared, yet another wonderful time with our new friends. On Tuesday we were able to have lunch with Perrianne and Paul, we are so impressed by this couple, truly inspiring. Perrianne reminded me of Heidi Baker….you go girl! The Lord has big things planned for this couple.  Both Mark and I feel revived and lifted up by spending time in the presence of those who inhabit “The Abbey”. As I said to Perrianne, I see a golden river of life flowing out of the doors and everything it touches blooms and where there was once dry ground now it is fertile. There is a true anointing on the people and the church that will touch many lives. We are blessed and honoured to have been led to your doors.

Captain Ryan and Sarah

New Orleans was an eventful stay. Our starter had died again... and so we were doing the push start to get going. We had to stay somewhere long enough to allow for shipping of a new starter that I'd put in. So we stayed at a KOA in New Orleans. As God would have it... we pulled in beside a white panel van that was completely restored to allow for a kitchen and cozy pop top bed. It was quite the set-up. Captain Ryan had spent 5 years in Afghanistan and served his country as a Marine. It was a real honor to meet him and his 'princess' Sarah. Everytime I hear that name I ask if they know what it means. Such a nice name.

Well it seems that God knew what He was doing locking us down for three days while we waited for our part. Ryan and Sarah were not planning on coming to New Orleans either... but here we were. We had three days of great company and cool conversation, right up my alley. They had questions on bible history and what God is all about. Sweet. My favorite.

After a farewell breakfast at this cool 50's style diner we bid a farewell and promised to keep in touch via email. Which we have. I am so tardy at this blog thing... I am filling this in finally and it's Dec. 2nd.!!!

Shameful.

Anyhow. We'll do better. Funny though how we felt to leave the Turks and Cacios islands with the white sands and beautiful shores... and get to Texas. Funny how we happened to breakdown just then... and meet our new friends. God is so cool.