Day 5

Today was a very eventful day. We started out from Erick, OK and needed to go through Oklahoma City. In OK City we had to transition from the 40 East to the 44 East. We were sad to say goodbye to the 40 since we had been traveling on it for so many days. The 44 East ended up being a turnpike...a toll road. We got on it before realizing that was what it was and we had not gotten gas or lunch yet. There was nothing for quite a while and were getting concerned about our gas tank getting pretty low. God is so good and took care of it. We eventually found one but had to pay to get off of the turnpike. We did not know we were getting on a toll road so were not completely prepared for this situation. It was a machine that wanted exact change. God is so good and had prepared us for this situation without us not knowing it.

While in Albuquerque, NM...two days earlier...I had tried to get Rory a water from a vending machine with a dollar bill. However, the waters were all out so it gave me change back in 4 quarters. I ended up needing those 4 quarters for the exit off of this turnpike.

The turnpike machine was not responding to the change I had put in. I ended up having at least $2 in change...God is good...but it still had a red light. I asked the driver behind me what I was supposed to do...since I am not used to these things...and he told me he would drive through. So, I took his advice and drove through. It beeped at me like I was breaking the law...but I knew I hadn't. I ended up asking the girl in the gas station we went to and she told me that we wouldn't get a ticket for it since the cameras didn't work in that area. I was thankful. I had paid...so I knew we were right before the Lord. While at this stop area, we got some lunch and ended up meeting a pastor and his wife. We talked with them for a bit about the ministry the Lord was calling us into and they told us of the ministry they were doing in that area. It was a neat time of fellowship. Rory ended up going after them, when they had left, and asked them for contact information and prayed with them. This was a divine appointment. God is so faithful!

Texas and OK are currently struggling with fires due to the dryness and heavy winds. We ended up driving through an area where there were fires next to our side of the highway. I had never been that close to a fire like that before. They were not big fires but there was a good amount of smoke. Both states have lost over 4,000 acres from these fires. Please pray that they will be stopped soon. God is good and kept us safe through that.

We made it to Rolla, Missouri. When checking in, the woman who was working the front desk told me that a week ago it had snowed 8 inches here. Not far away, where her daughter lives it had snowed around 1 1/2 feet...yet today it had been 83 degrees there. Wow! We had been prayed for before we left that God was taking us through a window to give us good weather and get us to our destination safely! I cannot tell you how much that has been true! This account of Rolla, MO was a GREAT example of this!! God is so faithful! We are so grateful!!!! He is soooo good!!! :)