April 25, 2004
Bill and I visited three of our kids in Denver and Colorado Springs , celebrating our 39th Anniversary. We joined the WAA Team in Rifle, Colorado , April 20, 2004 . When we met up with them they were in a little Baptist Church where they were enjoying having a nice kitchen to use and a great meal cooked by Patsy, Shekinah and Destiny. They also had showers to use which was very exciting.
While there, a lady named Ruth Gould came over to interview Flip and Rusty. She contacted the paper and a reporter came the next morning for pictures as they (Bill and I included) began the walk for that day.
After devotions and a wonderful breakfast, and the blowing of the shofar by Curtis, we began the walk. We walked 4 miles to the town of Rifle . As we were entering the town there was a group of children, probably about 7 to 10 in age, on a field trip. They were excited about the donkey (Mercy) and the horse(Judgment) so we all walked across the street so they could see and touch the animals. Flip told the kids and teachers what the "Walk Across America" was about.
He said "Raise your hand if you love Jesus". Several hands went up. "Say, I love you Jesus". Many said it. However, at the name of Jesus the Teachers began yelling "You can't say that", "Kids, get up there" (it was a little hill in front of a store).
As the teachers kept yelling, a man came out of the store and said we can't talk to the kids. Flip kept telling them about Jesus. The more he talked about Jesus, the more agitated the teachers and man became. The man began cursing at Flip and calling him names. Flip said he couldn't use that kind of language in front of the children. He told the kids that their teachers were acting wickedly because they were keeping them from hearing about Jesus. Curtis then confronted the cursing man and the man, using his big tummy and chest, pushed Curtis into a truck parked in front of the store. The cursing man then called the police on a cell phone.
Two police cars came, took testimony from the cursing man, Flip, Rusty and Curtis. They then proceeded to take personal information from each person there. The police said he was going to arrest the cursing man but Flip said all he wanted was for him to apologize to the kids. The police apologized to us for the town.
We then left and began our trip through the town. While walking down Main Street , talking to people and handing them information on the Walk, the teachers with the same kids saw us again and panicked and told the kids to "RUN". The kids ran across a busy street to the school and cars had to throw on their breaks to miss them. We informed the receptionist in the school that the kids had been endangered.
We continued our walk. While stopping for a lunch break, a man dressed in a suit and tie came out to ask about us. Flip and Rusty told him about our walk. Before we left they asked him who he was. He game his name and said that he was the District Attorney for that county. He then gave Flip his card and said that we had done nothing wrong. He then encouraged us to continue.
That night we went to New Castle, CO. the next town. Ruth Gould sent us to the 1st Baptist Church . The Pastor Charles Jones and his wife, Nancy, were quite a blessing. As we were walking into their fellowship room Patsy mentioned to Destiny that we didn't have any bacon for breakfast. No sooner had she said that, then Pastor Jones said, here is bacon and sausage for you, you can use anything in the refrigerator, and there was a whole cabinet of pancake mix and syrup. They also had coffee, hot chocolate, and hot tea ready for us. They opened a house and the whole church for our use. We were also able to put the temporary pens up for the horse and donkey where they could graze on beautiful grass.
After dinner Wednesday night, Pastor Jones had Flip and Rusty handle their whole service.
We met some wonderful, godly, Christ-like people. After being out on the road you totally understand giving a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus. Oh, to be more like Jesus is our prayer.
Keep praying everyday and every time you think about the prophetic tour 2004.
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