Traveling & Arriving at New Caney, Texas – Day 3 – My Journey

September 15, 2016

Tuesday, September 13

I took a few pictures after I posted on Tuesday evening and will start with those.

After supper we exercised our legs and walked around the truck lot at Flying J in Texarkana. By this time it was a busy place – with trucks continually arriving for the evening. We were glad we had a parking place.

I forgot to tell you about our waitress who told me that she had recently rededicated her life to the Lord. We had a neat conversation, and I prayed with her before we left.

There was a quick downpour while we were enjoying supper so everything felt refreshed when we were walking among the trucks.

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We were amused by all the birds who live at the truck stop looking for bugs on truck bumpers and grills. This one was even taking a drink from the oily water left behind by the rain.

3-2 Looking for bugs on a truck.

3-3 Cerwin helped this guy slide his tandem.

3-4 He was quite friendly and introduced us to his dog, Angel – who he rescued as an almost dead puppy. I was holding her leash when I took this picture.

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This was what I saw at the back of the lot – so you know I looked for some beauty among the briars and weeds.

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5-4 It was a beautiful evening to be in a truck lot.

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5-7 Cerwin cleaned the windows – a daily job – before we relaxed and went to bed.

6-1 We were up and on the road bright and early on Wednesday morning – long before I took this picture at 9 am.

Cerwin did not want to stop today, as he wanted to be at New Caney before lunch, so we enjoyed breakfast in the truck stop – for our 53rd wedding anniversary.

6-2 I didn’t take a lot of pictures during the five-hour drive as eastern Texas scenery doesn’t change a lot.

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6-4 Watching our shadow

6-5 About half an hour before getting to our destination we started getting bombarded with bugs on our front window. It became difficult to find a clear area for taking pictures.

6-6 Our exit

8-1 Cerwin’s first meeting with Chaplain Don. They have talked many times during the past few months and often prayed for each other, but this was their first hug and face to face.

8-2 Pastor Dennis and his son David taking pictures while Gary, a truck stop manager finishes cleaning the area for the chapel.

8-3 Cerwin pulling into place while David, truck stop general manager, arrives to see the chapel.

8-4 Gary directing Cerwin into place.

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8-6 Dwayne Johnson – TFC Vice President of Location Development – (white shirt) and the local team survey the parking position.

8-7 Pastor Dennis Parrish (red shirt), Chaplain Don, and David Parrish get their first look inside. The name, The Chapel at 242, coordinates with its church partner The Church at 242.

Pastor Dennis began praying for ministry at this truck stop when it was being built 20 years ago. The story of how this ministry dream came true will be in the November issue of Highway News and Good News.

8-8 Pastor Dennis and David, the General Manager.

8-9 Cerwin pulling the truck forward to drop the chapel.

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8-12 Dropping the dollies and leveling the trailer.

8-13 Now the work begins.

8-14 Digging a ditch for the electric line to the truck stop.

8-15 Notice Cerwin on the cell phone? He was calling me to see if I wanted to take a picture of the ditch digging. 🙂

I took the first two pictures from the door in the background. 🙂

I was in the cool truck stop – writing an article for Highway News and Good News about this chapel construction and delivery while the guys took turns digging in the hot Texas sun.

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8-18 They also put the awnings in place (one above this door) – which I missed because I was engrossed in writing the article – and listening to a couple near me argue for more than an hour. I would have liked to pray with them, but didn’t think an interruption of their frustration may be welcome – so I just prayed for them. A waitress near me said they had been arguing all day.