The First Five Days landed us in Arkansas

Cephas and I are five days into our Petra in 2011 peace journey. We landed in Conway, Arkansas last night where the hospitality of Walmart offered us sleep in our little car. It was the first night we did not have some lodging so we dealt with it all right. We knew the possibility for some restless cramped sleeping on this trip existed. So we accept what is and embrace it as part of the journey. There is always something to be learned from every experience.

The first five days we drove many miles. Cephas had this push to get across the Mississippi/Missouri River. We made our goal yesterday morning. It has been an interesting five days. I'll recap them briefly for you since I didn't get much time to write.

Update Day One

On the morning that we left, I woke up feeling very sick. My head was congested, my eyes were swollen and watering and I coughed incessantly. I started taking Ricola cough drops with horehound to break up the congestion. They have worked a miracle with my allergic condition. I'm still coughing but I only sneeze occasionally now instead of every five minutes with half a dozen sneezes in a row. I took in juice the first few days which really helped clear my congestion. I have to tell you that it's been a real trial for me to remain chipper enough to endure all the driving and to focus on our mission to pray for peace. But I managed to keep my mindset positive.

Our first day was filled with last minute preparations. We made it out the door in time to meet our daughter Shannon at work in Altoona. She takes a break at 1:00 pm. We arrived at ten minutes till 1. Kentucky Fried Chicken was packed with customers both inside and at the drive thru. We waited a few minutes for her to come out when Cephas asked me to go inside to confirm she was taking a break. I walked in to find people filled the entry either waiting for orders or waiting their turn to place one. Shannon was bustling along with about five other employees in a rushed effort to meet the customer demands. She noticed me in about three minutes and gave me a nod with her eyes. I waived and waited. Another five minutes passed. The line did not subside. So I watched for an opportunity to approach Shannon as she passed a tray to a customer. I met her at the counter at which time Shannon told me she wasn't getting a break. I told her I would wait a few more minutes. I also asked her for the keys to her vehicle so we could put the two boxes of tomatoes and the Avon gifts in her car. Shannon said she couldn't even break long enough to go to the back to get me the keys. She suggested that we stop by the house because her son, Jason and her husband Bill were home. I said my farewells and left. It was good to see Shannon - even briefly- before we left on this journey.

Cephas and I drove to our daughter's home to find that no one was home. We missed hugging our grandson Jason and saying farewell to our son in law Bill. Nevertheless, they came home to surprise boxes on their back porch. We left two large boxes of our home grown tomatoes and some Avon gifts along with a package of socks for our grand daughter Destiny. They were her favorite Aeropostale socks. Knowing that we made the effort to see some of our family before setting off on this long journey, we felt good as we got in the car and drove away.

Cephas was determined to make it across the Mississippi/Missouri River. It took us four days but we did it. Today we are enjoying a cup of Starbucks and some internet time. It's been a hectic four days. Now we are regrouping to reset our focus on the mission of this trip. We have to conduct fund raising and start making contacts in Petra. Stay tuned for more of the first five days update and continued coverage of our journey to Petra, Jordan.

The Midnight Writer
Cephas and Summer Breeze