Furlough - May 24th through the 30th, 2009

Sunday, 24th May, 2009 – Today is our 24th Wedding Anniversary
I taught the teens in Sunday School at Shasta Baptist Church (about 40 of them) on Why I Do What I Do, and Love It. The teens were great. Afterward, I preached in the Teen Church on the Missionary’s Wish – and the altar was full!
In the afternoon, Pastor Johnson, his wife, and Bro Evans and his wife took Nita and I out to Olive Garden for lunch. Had a good time of fellowship. Then went to Starbucks to get online and we talked for almost an hour with Claudio and Despina. Just tried to encourage them. They are so awesome of a family who are handling some big burdens by God’s great grace!
After that, we got delayed at the nearby Mall, and got very behind! We finally arrived at the church at 5:40, just 20 mins before church began and quickly set up my display table and went over my message. Joshua and Sarah spent the afternoon at the Switzer home, and then Joshua went with some of the guys swimming over at the Smith’s home.
I preached this evening on “Something for My Grandkids!” It went very well, and the pastor took us on for support right after the message and invitation were finished! We were flabbergasted!
We are all wrecked tired, and not excited about travelling 8 hours down to Lancaster to pick up Ruth, and then the travelling afterward toward the Arizona border. Oh well.
It was a great number of days here in Redding.

Monday, 25th May, 2009
Travelled down from Redding to Lancaster. Boy did it get warmer the further south we drove. We arrived at West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster at 8pm, and picked up Ruth, and then drove around looking for a hotel that would provide a roll-away bed, and the Comfort Inn worked out great. We knew we just could not go any further towards Arizona tonight. Very tired!

Tuesday, 26th May, 2009
Headed east for Phoenix! The terrain changes dramatically as we travel, and becomes a REAL desert! We didn’t arrive at Chuck and Alaine’s until about 9pm after eating at the Olive Garden, and then dropping Ruth off at the Minerva’s. She will be staying there throughout the summer, working at a local school in the library organizing books all summer long!
We arrived at the North Valley Baptist Church’s Missionary Apartment at about 11pm. Met Pastor Loveless, and plan on meeting with him for lunch tomorrow.

Wednesday, 27th May, 2009
Kind of a catch-up day today. I went to lunch with Pastor Loveless and his associate pastor, Paul, at a BBQ restaurant and we had fried ochre! Amen! Good fellowship! After that, I went to meet Pastor Minerva at a Starbucks, just to find out more about him. I was blessed. Ruth will be staying in his home for the Summer, and I think she will be fine!
In the evening, we were at North Valley Baptist Church, and I showed my DVD presentation, and then preached on Doing Our Father’s Business. It went very well. The pastor gave me a love offering of $150.
Sarah was allowed to have Katlin stay overnight with us which was fun for her.
We also all went over to the Dicken’s home to have a cake and sort of party for Ruth’s 19th birthday! Another family came over who have 10 kids, so altogether, there were 31 people over at the house, plus one friend!
I took Ruth back down to Pastor Minerva’s (30 minute drive), and on my way back got stuck I traffic for nearly an house just 1 ½ mile from the exit to the church.

Thursday, 28th May, 2009 – Trip to Grand Canyon
I took Sarah to find a doctor who would look at her hands and her feet because they are peeling real bad! Two and a half hours later, I found a place that would take a new patient just one time, and for $112, we were tod it was just a bad case of Athlete’s Foot! We didn’t get on the way to Grand Canyon until about 11am.
I went to the Chase Bank to cash the check from North Valley Baptist Church, and it took nearly 30 minutes, and $6 to cash it! Oh well.
Charles Dicken is driving, and there are 14 people in his 15 passenger van travelling today! We probably won’t be back in Phoenix until about 10pm!
The Grand Canyon is absolutely magnificent! It is so massive and awesome in sight! I don’t think my kids perceive how big and complex it all is. It is beautiful! We must have stopped about 10 times, and then had a dinner at a cafeteria type of restaurant right off the edge of the canyon. We were there for the sunset!
We arrived back at Midnight! Whew! What a full, full day!
Tomorrow we have to get going east towards Texas
Make sure you check out the pictures on our personal website www.craigledbetter.com

Friday, 29th May – Heading through New Mexico
Today we got going at about 10am and had to drive over to Chuck and Alaine’s to drop off a few things that had been left in car.
We then headed south to Interstate 10, and then east to Las Cruces.
The land was so beautiful, with loads of unique mountains. The drive is SO pleasant, and even though we drove 8 hours, it was easy.
We stopped at a road side stand that sold Fireworks and Indian stuff. It was way cool. We bought a big pack of fireworks for Joshua, and a turquoise ring for Sarah.
I did not want to stay over night in El Paso, so we stopped in Las Cruces.

Saturday, 30th May
We left Las Cruces, thinking we would be able to make it all the way to Brady, Texas, when in Fort Stockton, we stopped for some lunch at Pizza Hut, and a massive rainstorm opened up the heavens! There was some serious rain and flooding! We waited for an hour, and then decided to make a break for the highway. But, as we started the car, it ran very poorly, roughly.
The check engine light was on, and NAPA Auto Parts store across the road advertised a free check on what it meant, so we stopped.
He said the computer said our gas cap was missing (which was right, since Tuesday), and that there was a misfire in two of the cylinders.
I bought another gas cap, and he reset the computer in the car and we drove off. It still wasn’t running right, but he said, give it 15 minutes.
I drove as far as Ozona, and stopped at an Exxon.
We found out the problem was not going to be easy to figure out, and would have to stay until Monday morning.