Travel Day - Minneapolis, Minnesota to Devils Lake, North Dakota

I told you I was crammed into our site at the RV Park near Minneapolis. This is the proof. The BoggsMobile is sticking out one end and the trailer is sticking out the other.

I could not pull out going forward so I spent some time yesterday coming up with a plan. We backed out of that spot this morning and eased out of the park. It was very, very close. It is a real nice park with good electricity but I might think twice about pulling in there again with the bus AND tent trailer.

When I started the bus this morning the low coolant light came on and stayed on. The sensor is in the overflow tank so it's not low enough to hurt anything but if that sensor stays on it will shut down the engine. I do not want that to happen on the interstate or any other time for that matter.

The sensor had given me a false reading a few months ago for a few minutes. It did not do it again but I bought a replacement sensor the last time I was at Nashville Prevost. I shut the bus down this morning, changed the sensor and topped off the coolant. It all worked out good but it slowed us down and hour or so.

We traveled quite a distance today and it made for a pretty long day. The Martin family is conducting a Kid's Crusade on a reservation near Devils Lake, North Dakota and they invited us to join them the last day or so. They have been coming here for several years and they have workers from OBI and several churches helping them.

They need go to Arkansas as quickly as possible because of the health of Sis. Martin's parents so we want to be with them all that we can. We were looking forward to spending time with them in Dunseith but you just can not plan health emergencies. Even though they are busy here, we will squeeze all the fellowship out of them that we can.

We pulled into a beautiful state park near the lake and then drove the Green Machine to the church. We did not make it in time for the Crusade but we arrived in time for the food and birthday cake. Perfect timing! We plan to be there quite a bit Thursday.

The long day was a little longer because we took some time to drop the trailer in Fargo, North Dakota. Since we are having revival in the church rather than in the tent in Dunseith we really did not need the trailer all the way up there. We will be going right back through Fargo on the way to Omaha next week so it made sense to drop it there.

I called several storage places and one of them looked promising. We had to negotiate a very tight corner getting in but I put KJ in the drivers seat and guided her in with inches to spare. The exit is a lot easier than the entrance. All of that took about 2 hours but it seemed the best thing to do.

The last 180 miles of our 450 mile day literally flew by. The BoggsMobile felt like running with the big dogs with the just the Green Machine attached. It is amazing the difference. I am sure the difference in fuel mileage is amazing too.

I am off to bed for the early morning tomorrow. I have a feeling I am going to sleep well tonight.

Davy

Odie Has It Covered

Schedule Change for this week.

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Do you remember these pictures from a recent blog?

Odie took this one with her iPhone 4S. The 4S has an excellent camera for a cell phone.

I took this one a few moments later with my iPhone. I was facing the same direction and had pretty much identical lighting.

Can you see how much clearer my picture is? Several of the pictures that Odie took that day had that same "foggy" look for lack of a technical term. My iPhone camera can not be so much better as to account for that much difference. Especially since Odie's phone has taken some great pictures in the past.

Odie changes phone covers/cases pretty often and I know that some covers can interfere with the camera. As I was getting that post together Odie was sitting across from me on the couch of the BoggsMobile.

I said to Odie, "Did you have that cover on when you took these pictures today?" She said "No?" She said it with a very strange questioning tone. Her tone was a mix between confusion and sarcasm, a little bit of bewilderment and a little bit of "Dad, are you crazy?"

It took us a moment to put all the pieces together. Odie was really confused. Do you see the red blanket over her lap? She thought I was asking if she had on that RED COVER/BLANKET on when she took the pictures earlier in the day. I was obviously asking about the orange cover/case that she was holding in her hand.

This is Odie when she realized what she had thought and said.

It was hilarious.

We did come to the conclusion that the orange Lifeproof cover/case can distort her pictures but the red cover/blanket has NOTHING to do with it.

Davy

Schedule Change - Dunseith, North Dakota

We are still scheduled to have revival in Dunseith, North Dakota starting Sunday. We are very excited about this revival and we are expecting God to move among the Turtle Mountain Chippewa people. There is no telling what God is going to do in lives during revival.

The schedule change is that we will not be setting up the tent for this revival. The church has been experiencing some serious vandalism and the local Pastor does not believe it would be wise to set the tent up and to have it become a nice shiny target for the local vandals.

I am perfectly willing to follow the Pastor's lead on this. He is more tuned into his community and his church than I am and I trust him to make the right call. They are disappointed and we are disappointed but revival does not come through tents. Revival comes from God and vandals can not take God out of the equation.

I am thankful that the church is still believing God for revival even if we can not set up the tent. We are believing with them for a sovereign move of God in their families, their neighbors and in their community. Pray with us that God will save souls in this revival.

As of right now, Bro. Martin and his family are still planning to be with us in this revival. The Martin's are missionaries to the native Americans and God has given them favor all over the country. They are the contact with this church and the reservation and we are thrilled to be working with them. God is using Hope For The Home Ministries and we are blessed with this opportunity to work along side with them.

However, Sis. Martin's mother is very ill in Arkansas and they could be called home at any moment. The are currently conducting a Kid's Crusade at another church in North Dakota as they try to stay informed and pray about the situation in Arkansas. I have told Bro. Martin that we understand completely if they need to miss the scheduled revival in Dunseith and we have put it in God's hands.

The church in Dunseith desires revival either way, so revival goes on. We will certainly miss the Godly influence and leadership of the Martin family if they are called away but we know that God is in control.

Will you join us in prayer concerning all of this? I know that some of you have been praying faithfully about Dunseith for many months and I and convince you are praying even now. God bless you for it.

The change in schedule gives us a few more days to get there. I was planning to be in Dunseith by Wednesday night or Thursday morning in order to prepare for the tent set up. Now we will not have to be there until Saturday. That means more rest, more prayer, more sermon prep and a few more days to see a thing or two in our beautiful country.

God bless you all.

Davy

Travel Day - Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin to Minneapolis, Minnesota

One more picture from Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. We saw these cars delivering pizza all over town. This one came into the campground last night and slowed down and "posed" when he saw me taking a picture. I guess the driver is used to it. Yes, Mrs. Kravitz that is a Moose on top of that VW.

We left Wisconsin Dells this morning between 9 and 10 and made the trip to Minneapolis in a little over 4 hours. We stopped for fuel at a Flying J about 75 miles into the trip and them zoomed on up the road. Wait, there was a Taco John's at that exit too so KJ ran in there for some tacos and their fabulous potatoes, then we zoomed on up the road.

When we arrived in Minneapolis, Kelly and I unloaded the Green Machine and I drove it down to check out a couple of RV Parks while the BoggsMobile, the tent trailer and the girls stayed behind at the Mall of America. 

The closest RV Park could barely squeeze the bus and trailer in so I went back and got the bus. It was very tight getting in to the biggest spot they have but I am in. Getting out may be a different story.

I am parked in the RV Park and the girls are exploring all four floors of the Mall of America. I have not had any calls regarding suspicious charges on my credit card so I guess they are OK.

More news tomorrow.

Davy

A Little Family Time

Today we rested some more and visited with family passing through. My sister Theresa, her husband Jay and their kids Lauren and Luke stopped in for a few minutes. Jay works for a company that is headquartered in the Minneapolis area and they were up there on a working vacation this week. They were on their way home and their route brought them 1/2 mile from the RV Park we are staying in.

It was great to see family so far away from home. I sure appreciate them taking time to stop and to eat lunch with us. It was refreshing.

Luke has something on his pants. Really Mom? You have to get that off now? Lol

We had family devotions in the BoggsMobile this evening and we had sweet fellowship with the Lord. One thing this area needs badly is a good conservative Pentecostal church. Come on up to Wisconsin young men and plant a church. There are plenty of souls that need to be saved.

The folks are really friendly here and I have had several opportunities to share the Gospel on a personal level. The huge tent trailer is a great Gospel conversation starter. Men always want to know what is inside. I think they are expecting  to see a car of some kind. 

When I tell them there is a tent, poles, stakes, side walls and 200 chairs, the next question is, "Why are you hauling all of that round?" Praise God, that is an easy open door to walk through.

One man here this week ask me a question after we had talked a while about evangelism. He said, "So, are you the guy that stands up in front at the tent revival?" I said, "Yes, I am the preacher, the singer, the testifier, the tent man, the chair man and the bathroom cleaner. I can do everything in tent revival but change peoples lives. God does that. God changes peoples lives."

We were wiping tears when we were finished talking. It is amazing to watch people grasp for the first time that God can make a difference in their lives. It is a truth that I love to tell and a truth the world needs to hear. That is a pretty good combination. God give us all the strength, wisdom and willingness to tell the story.

We are moving on to the Minneapolis area tomorrow, by God's grace.

Davy

Latches, Walks and Mexican S'mores

My morning project was the broken door latch on the side ramp door of the tent trailer. I was able to take half of the diamond plate off instead of the whole thing. Whew, only 35 screws!

The self locking nut had worked its way off after 17 years and all of the pieces were laying in the little compartment.

Now, what do I do with all the little pieces?

Most of the parts had marks on top and bottom so I could see which part was on either side of it. I eventually figured it out and put it back together.

As a bonus? It actually works! I put the diamond plate back on and all 35 screws and I was finished before the sun was pressing down on me. Not a bad morning. I am going to make an access panel to the back of that lock in case I have to do it again.

The girls walked around downtown Wisconsin Dells for a couple of hours today just killing time. This really is a beautiful place.

Supper tonight was Italian. 

We bought stuff of Mexican S'mores (Google it) and we had hoped to cook them over a camp fire. We do not have a fire ring at our sight so KJ cooked them in the oven. Wow! These are good!

We used 10" flour tortilla's, Hershey's chocolate chips, mini marshmallows and real butter. Wow again.

Another day well rested. God bless you all.

Davy