06/17/2026
We are running a day late and a dollar short! In about an hour we should arrive at a camp meeting in North Carolina. We will be an hour late due to leaving home later than we planned and getting an unsolicited free hour to sit on the highway in South Carolina behind an accident. To travel or not to travel is a difficult question. With all my heart, I want to travel with our team and do ministry for the Lord, and with all my heart I want to give Amanda the very best of care, also for the Lord.
It's hard. The decision is hard. The travel is hard. I guess I have always loved travel but packing is a chore. It is more of a chore trying to keep up with Amanda's routines and her need for me to be close much of the time. We were supposed to leave yesterday, but I didn't feel well and I couldn't get it together, so we delayed a day. A whole day!
What I used to be able to do with a whole extra day was amazing! I could clean my house top to bottom and manage about ten loads of laundry, and provide all the meals in between, but not today.
Today, I overslept; I worked as fast as I could to finish up housework; and finish packing all the things I forgot to pack yesterday. And, it wasn't just me; John, David, and Timothy were working, too. Still, I left some things undone and my house way less tidy than I like. At least, I think we actually packed everything we needed and then some.
I hate days like this. I am tired, crabby, and don't feel that great either. It feels like failure. It is important to remember God makes the hard days for His glory, too.
Worries creep in so easily. Amanda can't be anywhere that is musty, moldy, or full of chemicals. There are a lot of musty churches, hotels, and Air BnB's, and why, oh why, is there a sudden revival of Pine Sol? Even beautifully scented air freshener can bring on seizures, just like mold and harsh chemicals can.
So why travel?
From a human standpoint, it is not good for Amanda to be isolated. Her doctors think she needs to do things that were part of her normal life before. She needs to see people, especially the smiley ones.
On a spiritual level she needs to be in church, around God's people. It is a blessing, even when she can't always respond, to hear people remind her they love her and are praying for her. She needs the preaching, too, and while I am interpreting, I sometimes can see her respond to a truth from God's Word.
To some extent, we have to take her to Indianapolis anyway. Taking the trip in a single day is more than she and I can manage, even with the whole team pitching in to help. A stop is inevitable, so we try to take in a meeting or two on the way, as long as we are putting the miles on the car anyway. We have already racked up almost 45,000 on the new van.
Ultimately, God still called us to be missionaries, and Amanda being sick does not negate that call. It is tough sometimes, but God is still faithful. He loves us and he still meets our needs.
~Tricia
