Walking or hiking in the rain is not new to David or I. However, this Sunday was wet all day!! It was a constant steady rain and sometimes
heavy rain all day long. Wet is one
thing but cold and wet makes it kinda miserable. In the midst of inclement weather we overcame
with a great day feeling the love of many people met along the way.
Victor and I met David and Austin back in Wadley as we had
planned, but due to the inclement weather we were a little later meeting to get
our day started. With our first
estimation for the meeting time allowed time to arrive in the Abanda community
by church time.
Due to a later start time we really pushed on the morning
walk to try to get to Abanda by 11:00 for church services. Heavy rain and rural area without any covered
areas such as store fronts took away the opportunity for taking any pack off
breaks. Therefore, we were making up
lost time trying to get to Church.
Scouting our route had revealed there was a Baptist Church
and a Methodist Church in Abanda on the same side of the road only a few feet
of parking lot between them. Also, we
had identified a potential café where we could have a warm lunch after
Church. As we approached Abanda
calculating we would get to the churches by 11:15 we felt good about making it
to church. David said “Bobe, what you
think about us splitting up since there are two churches? Someone, might invite us to lunch or one of
them may be having a fellowship lunch.
And if an invitation comes along we will say yes but I have a cousin at
the other church and he will have to join us!!”
I agreed as I thought David had a good plan. Then David ask me which church I wanted to
attend and I told him the first one! I was tired of walking in the rain and
ready for a dry spot. Actually then I
said I couldn’t remember which one was first so I chose to visit the Baptist
Church. David said that was fine with
him and he would visit the Methodist Church and Austin then had a choice of
church and wouldn’t have to be alone.
Austin chose the Methodist to attend with David.
Attending Abanda Baptist Church really touched my heart with
a witness of how we as churches and individuals should accept strangers. Pictures are posted with us in our rain gear
for so you can see how we looked arriving at church. As stated earlier it was about 11:15 when I
opened the church door to go in. I was
soaking wet and water was dripping from my rain suit, and I was really hoping
to see a folding metal chair to sit in.
I opened the door and the vestibule was carpeted and had two nice cloth
covered chairs. As I walked in door were
open all the way into sanctuary and I was looking eye to eye to the Pastor as
he was making announcements. I quietly
stopped and starting taking off backpack, hat and rain jacket. There was no way to get the rain pants
off. As I started this dismantling, the
Pastor said “Let’s wait just a minute until our guest gets his jacket off and
is in here.” I walked on in and stopped
at the back and he said “come on in and have a seat!” A couple started moving over asking me to sit
with them and I asked if someone could get me a folding chair I would just sit
back here since I was dripping wet. The
gentleman that was offering for me to sit with them got up and went to the back
and got a chair and a towel. As we
started singing the offertory hymn someone handed me a book and hands were
wet. The chair and towel arrived and I
got my hands, arms, and face dry and placed towel in chair (it was a cloth
padded folding chair.) While we were
singing another gentleman on the other side of the church saw I was wet and
cold and came back and ask me if I would like for him to go in the back and
make me some coffee. I thanked him and
declined. While the offering was being
taken the Pastor came out of the pulpit and I really didn’t pay that much
attention to what he was doing cause I trying to get some wet money out of wet
pockets. I looked up and there he was,
he had come around the side of the pews and had a blanket in his hands and said
“Sir, I didn’t realize you were so wet and cold. Wrap up in this!” I was warm, partially dry and the service
continued and the Pastor’s message was as good as their witness in action! At the end of the service I had the
opportunity to speak with many of the people there being near the back. Plus it was still pouring rain outside and no
one wanted to make a break to their car.
I had someone make a picture of me with the people that had been so good
to me. As the folks were talking to me
as they were leaving someone said “We hate you were not here last Sunday
because we had our Thanksgiving fellowship meal!” and I said “me too.” Immediately another person said “The
Methodist next door are having a meal today, Why don’t you just walk over
there? They are all good folks and will be glad to have you.” I said “Well my cousin is walking with me and
he is over there so I am on my way over there.”
Thank you, Abanda Baptist Church,
for touching my heart. That is what this
Walk Up Alabama is all about. Seeing the
goodness in everyone you meet and taking every opportunity to serve God when he
puts the opportunity in front of you.
As I was walking over to the Methodist Church I met Austin
as he was coming to find me to let me know lunch was served. When I got in the fellowship hall I spotted
Dr. Witt, a personal friend of David’s that lives in Auburn. Dr. Witt was a support person for us on the
last leg when we walked through Auburn.
Dr. Witt and his son and daughter drove up from Auburn in the rain
knowing our route looking for us. When
David and Austin went in the Methodist Church one of them left there backpack
on the front porch and Dr. Witt saw it driving by and said “David Bass is in that
church!” and stopped. So an added bonus
to get to visit with the Witt’s. The
Baptist guy that said the Methodist folks were good folks was exactly
correct. They treated us like royalty
and made us feel at home.
When we had finished eating and was walking around visiting
with folks and sharing about our venture and mainly answering questions. (Almost everyone wants to know why in the
world we would do something like this? David and I have never questioned it and
loved every step of the way!) A gentleman walked up to me and said “I owe you
an apology, I have already apologized to the other two.” I told him that I didn’t think he owed me an
apology. Then he shared with me that as
he and his wife were driving to church they passed us and he told his wife that
he hated not to pick those guys up but the way things are now he was afraid
to. He also told her that they should go
to church somewhere. And then he said “
Y’all came to church and are great guys, so I owe you an apology!” I shared again, accepted but certainly was
not needed!
Oh and by the way, the food!
Wow, Abanda does have great cooks!
David made some pictures of some of the food area.
After a long break from walking with worship and eating we
bundled in rain gear and walked on.
Now the Abanda experience was wonderful but that was not all
of the Christian love we saw this day.
As we were walking through Wadley Alabama later in the afternoon, still
cold and raining, this warm experience took place. We were walking through a residential area
leaving town and a couple drove up and stopped in a side street and got
out. They had 3 tall cups of Hot
Chocolate! There comment was they
spotted us earlier in town and went back and bought the drinks for us. They were a super sweet couple and we enjoyed
a welcomed warm drink. We got a picture
that is posted and I have since learned their names from some folks we met
later in the walk. The couple is Andrew
and Abra Camp.
It was a cold rainy Sunday but the goodness of God really
warmed us and made it a great day. It
was also a great sight later to see Victor pull up to carry us back to
camp. Not a lot of miles that day but a
lot of great experiences to remember the rest of our life. We walked 11 miles this day.
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