"Ya Gotta Have a Soul t' Travel"

Made it the Twin Cities! But not with out 1,274 miles behind me!!! Whoa. I honestly thought it would be another few days at least until I made it here, but I have been blessed with some long rides, that being said, let's backtrack to Polson...

Just 3 days ago I woke up in the beautiful Klein house at 2am, got ready to go and Jim rolled up at 2:30 and we were off for a 3 hour drive. You would think that I would sleep on the way. nope. We talked the whole way and it was great. He's a good man; other than guns and hunting, we have quite a bit in common and that made it easy to keep the conversation going. He drove me 60 miles out of his way to avoid dropping me off in Browning, which every white Montanan would say is a dangerous place. It's on a Indian Reservation and is known to the whites to be a no-go-zone. Jim told me that the only other place in MT I might want to not spend any time in was Wolf Point, MT, but that was on the other side of the state and probably wouldn't have to worry about it.

Jim dropped me off at a truck stop on the west side of Shelby. It was 5:30am and still dark out so I took the opportunity to get some hot food at the country diner. I felt out of place without work boots, overalls and a beer belly, but I was hungry enough to sit it out. I bought a fairly large bag of pipe tobacco, which will last me like 15 years, but it's all they had.

At about 6:15 I made my way out to the corner across the street and set up shop. It was freezing cold. Like, literally, 32-degrees Fahrenheit freezing. On the dot. I had 4 layers on so my core was ok, but my hands. Oh, so cold. I have some black full-fingered bicycling gloves, but I thought wearing those might decrease my chance of a ride, so I manned up. sup.

Around 7 a police officer rolled up, he was real polite and just wanted to check my ID. "We just wanna know who's around. You know how these small towns are..." I was happy to oblige with passport and driver's license. He checked for warrants, none of course and after he knew I was good to go, he gave me advice to move to the east side of town. It was only about a mile or so, but it was the first time I had had to walk any considerable distance with my approximately 70 lb. pack. Longest. mile. of. my. life. There was a nice wee park and a bench to hold my stuff and me when no cars were coming down. Oh, and it was still cold.

About 90 minutes passed before two men pulled over for me. (Ok, by the way, I;m finding that when I'm waiting for rides, I talk a lot. To myself; I think I'm pretty funny. To people driving by; especially the ones that wave and one's that have personal license plates; I talk to them like I know them. It's pretty fun. ok, side note done.) 90 minutes. Two men stop for me. In Montana, if you're not white, you're tribal. (I learned that the word "tribal" is the most PC way to talk about the Native Americans there) These guys were not white. No headdresses, long flowing hair and peace pipes, but they weren't white. I was a little hesitant at first, but they were older, 50s-60s and seemed like really great guys; after all, they stopped for a hitchhiker. I threw my stuff in back and they said they could get me to Havre. Just over 100 miles away. Couldn't pass that up.

Their names are Don and Jack and they asked about what I was doing and why and all that and I eventually asked them if they grew up in the area. "Oh yeah, were from Browning." I froze for a second at the irony of this moment. I had so many white people blow right pass my thumb, but these two men from a town that terrifies the whites stopped, and offered me "a cup of cold water". We got to Havre and had to stopped for "some coffee and to take a piss". I was getting mentally ready to be back out on the road when Don, the one driving, said they were going further on down the road and said I was welcome to join. Turns out they were driving all the way to Bismark, but if I wanted to stay on Hwy 2, they could drop me at Wolf Point. Yep, the "other town" I was warned of, but it was 200 miles from Havre; had to risk it. My presuppositions had already been overturned, so I decided to take them up on the offer.

They told me much about their tribe and the surrounding ones and what it's like to live on the Reservation. I have never been a fan of how we treated these people, but hearing it from them created a whole new level of disgust. They dropped me on the far side of Wolf Point and I started walking because even Don and Jack said I wouldn't want to spend the night there.

Within 15 minutes, Ronda pulled over with her brother Jarred in the passenger seat. They said they could take me to Polar, about 20 miles. "Eh, it's not far, but it's not here" I thought. Jarred offered me some a joint, he seemed like he had smoked his share of who knows what, but he wasn't driving and everything he said was backed with a smile. I couldn't understand/hear a word he said to me in those 20 miles, but I nodded and smiled back. Ronda dropped him off and took me outside town. She said, "go right over there, put your sign up; you'll get picked up in no time". I could tell she had a soft heart. I offered God's blessing, she smiled and pulled away.

Not 15 minutes passed until Chris flew by gesturing both his hands in the air as in to say, "I've got no room!" But his face read, "What the hell are you doing out here?!" I watched him go by, whip around and come to a dust-lifted stop. He comes out of his 1990-something Ford Ranger and yells, "I'm chalked full a' shit, man!" I could see his passenger seat was full of work clothes and whatever else. I said if he didn't have room it was all good, but he insisted. Threw some stuff in the bed, some behind the seat. I crammed my pack on top and in between some stuff in the bed and we were on our way.

"Chris" he said as he offered a hand shake. I could tell he was a tough and hard worked by his hand. He said he could take me to Williston, ND, about 75 miles. In the end he took me to Stanley, a total of 147 miles. As the conversations usually go, my studies eventually came up and into the topic of religion we dove. I was reservedly stoked. One thing he said that stuck with me was, "Ya know, I smoke, I drink, I cuss, but I try to glorify Him somehow in everything I do." This man worked in the oil fields in ND and was away from home of 5 kids and a wife for 3 weeks a month. I'm guessing going to church is a rarity considering his work load, but he knows what it is to live the Christian life. This is the church people need to see, real people with reall issues that still try to glorify him. Chris, in picking me up, helping out a starnger, yet a brother, you glorified God. Blessings to you and your family.

Chris was good enough to drive me into town, buy me a little gas-station pizza and take me to a real campsite. As I was setting up camp I got a text from I number I don't know. They asked if I was hitching across the U.S.. I responded yes and asked who they were. They responded that they were my little angle on my shoulder and that they'd be praying for me everyday and sending me Bible verses and encouraging words. They have kept their word for the last three days and it has been a real blessing, so thank you my little shoulder angle. I read some Confessions and was asleep by about 9. I had only 2 hours sleep going into that day and I made up for it with 11. Minus waking up to the train like 40 yards from my head.

(09/08)Made some delicious oatmeal for breakfast and added some of Alyssa's (a Klein sister) homemade granola to make it divine. I had to walk a a good distance to get back out onto the 2 while town folk watched me go by. They always stared with confusion as a offered a smile and a wave. Once I got out to Hwy 2 at about 11am, it wasn't five minutes until Pete stopped and picked me up. He smoked more than he talked, but I was thankful for the ride. There was a younger guy in the passenger seat; never said a word. Barely acknowledged my presence. They took me to Minot. In ND it's pronounced, "Mie-nit", not like it looks. Noted.

They let me off at a truck stop and I bought some chicken strips and a Vitamin Water: Dragonfruit. Favorite. I walked about a mile and a half passed an intersecting highway to get the most traffic possible, but it was a grueling walk. I think I'm more of a whimp than I thought, whatevs. I made it to a god hitching spot and didn't wait long for Wade to stop for me. This man; he is a generous servant of God. He was only on his way back home Towner, but said he'd "do one better" and take me to the other side of Rubgy, an extra 20some miles. He loves his family. We talked a lot. We started talking about the afterlife and he said to me a few times in his NoDak accent, "ya gotta have a soul t' travel..." That phrase will stick with me for a long time I think.

He made sure I had food to eat, said he could stop and pick up some food from his house for me, I would have accepted if my pack wasn't over packed already. I tugged out 15 bucks from his pocket and handed it to me, which was very unexpected. Then! he turned into the town of Rugby and stopped at his mother-in-laws to borrow another 20 to give to me. As I was yanking my pack out from his back seat he offered to blanket that lay under my pack. He was such a blessing. I won't forget you Wade, thank you so much for your glory-filled generosity.

I was east of Rugby for 3 hours. Longest I've had to wait for a ride. The traffic was so minimal I had time to set up my tripod and take a photo and get out my camp stool and sit. I got really board. The shadows were getting long and I had already scoped out my campsite for the night; next to a soy bean field, about 20 feet from the highway. I was pretty discouraged. I almost gave up more than a few times, but I just kept telling myself, "it only takes one ride..." Enter Ace, stage left.

I had, "MN" as big as possible on my sign and my thumb up high. I watched him drive by as he glared and sized me up. I was on to the next car, but low and behold Ace had flipped around and come back for me! I figured, "Hell, I'm going to Minnesota, why the hell wouldn't I?" I could tell he had been working hard all his life and knew what it was to work for what you have. We talked a little bit about a lot, but never got to the "Jesus" subject, but that's ok. He taught me a little bit about what real life is like. He has over 300 military jumps with the paratroopers. 13 years in the Army. He is a man that lives within his means and lives well. We could all learn somethin from Ace.

Side note: um, there's an oil boom happening in ND right now. People from all over the place travel hundreds of miles to work there. Apparently the amount of oil there is more than all of the middle east combined. And it's good oil too, "comes up green". Somebody should tell Obama. Just a thought.

He dropped me near a gas station 5 miles west of Bemidji, MN (I still don't know how to say that) and pointed to a patch of woods I could find a place to pitch my tent and that I did. I could still see the lights from the building, but no one could see me. My tent is so small that it's easy to find a good spot.

I slept until about 8:30, took a wipe-shower with disposable shower wipes, so fresh and so clean, clean. Made breakfast and started to tear down camp. I got a call from my brother Noah who just got back from being over seas for like 3 months and got to talk with him for a while. So encouraging. I got back on the road by 10:30, Thursday September 9.

Two cold hours blew by before Leeroy stopped his rig for me. One thing I remember about him is that he loves his wife. He caught his first wife cheating on him and left her. He said, "that's ok; found a better one!" I would say he's in his fifties or so, and still calls her "babe". That made me smile. He took me down to Brainerd, right on the way to the Cities, as they call them here.

I had my thumb out for about an hour just outside Brainerd on Hwy 371 when Jim saw my sign that read, "TWIN CITIES". "I thought, ya know, if the guy shoots me, I'll die happy; I'm happy" he said with an affirming head nod. He was on his way back from a fishing trip. "The fishing was bad, but the beer was good!" and then proceeded offer me one. I declined with a smile and told him I've got three rules for this trip, "No drinking with strangers, no doing drug with strangers and no sleeping with strangers!" We both laughed. I could tell this was going to be a good ride. St. Paul was two and half hours away and he could take me the whole way.

He loves his family, he is on number 2 as well. 5 kids, 2 of his blood and his wife "brought 3 to the table". He is a man who knows how to work to live and not live to work. I took him more than half the ride to tell me what he did for work, didn't matter to him. He probably wouldn't have told me if I didn't ask. "You can't take your work too seriously. Hell, I sell pens and shit for a living, ya know. So what?" He is 48 and has learned how to live well.

So now I'm here sitting in the lovely living room of Sterling and Emily Marks, Desiraé's brother and his wife. They had a big blow up bed ready for me and have been wonderful hosts. Katie Kremer is on her way to get me as I type. It will be so good to see her! She's been studying at MAYO! WHAT! yeah, I know.

So, I made it to St. Paul, MN. I'm over half way to Maine. I'll be here in MN for a week or so and then down into Iowa to see family, but I can feel the winter coming and am getting anxious. I can deal with cold, it's when it gets wet and cold that it sucks.

Thanks to all to have been praying for me. It's working. The Lord is good and faithful to fulfill his providence in our lives.