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Jay & Karen’s Farm

Leaving Rochelle

Wednesday, October 31 & Thursday Morning, November 1

Wednesday

After enjoying the ladies Bible study, I went back to our motel room to work on a few things – answer emails, update my blog, and begin our end-of-year newsletter.

Cerwin and Jay fine-tuned a few things at the chapel and Karen did the end-of-month reports for TFC. About the middle of the afternoon Cerwin called to ask if I wanted to go along to Jay and Karen’s farm – to feed their animals.

Their barn.

Notice their testimony on the barn.

They did a lot of work on the house and made it quite beautiful.

It is a very old house. I think I remember Karen saying that the original part was built in the early 1800s. This is the house where Jay grew up.

The original keys.

Jay taking care of their horses.

He and Karen both compete in the equestrian sport of mounted shooting (using balloons.) He is known as “The Preacher.”

Karen and Jay in front of their chicken house that houses more than chickens.

Karen said, “No, these will not be eaten for a Thanksgiving meal.”

We were so pleased to see their place.

The evening closed just like the previous three nights – supper in the truck stop and an inspiring service in the chapel.

Leaving Rochelle at 7:00 a.m. Thursday.

Our days here were a mountaintop experience, making it rather difficult to leave – but life must go on, and there are more chapels to build.

It was very satisfying to see the encouragement the new chapel brought Chaplain Jay, Karen, their many volunteers, and the truck stop manager and employees.  

Special thanks to Glenn and Rachel for going along with us to bring this project to a close so ministry to the drivers at this location can continue for many more years.

God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause.

2 Corinthians 9:8 (Good News Translation)

Completing the Rochelle, Illinois, Chapel Setup

Bible Studies

Tuesday and Wednesday, October 30 & 31

The Rochelle (Illinois) Petro Travel Plaza is one of the busiest truck stops I have visited in a while. There is room to park 400 trucks.

In this photo I am standing on the chapel steps watching trucks come and go. Sometimes we have to wait awhile to walk across this driveway to go to the truck stop. However, many drivers are courteous and stop to let us cross.

They told us that 100 trucks enter here every hour.

Whether arriving or leaving each driver must go by the chapel.

The Petro management even gave the chaplains their own parking space next to the chapel.

Glenn and Cerwin watch as Jay and the electrician, Cliff, prepare to hook up the electric.

Cliff checking on something inside the chapel.

He was impressed with the electrical work that had been done on the chapel – making it easy for him to do the final hook up.

He was also impressed with the heat pump (heating/cooling system). It was delightful to finally have a warm chapel.

Glenn and Rachel left for home after the electric was hooked up. Glenn was anxious to see the heat pump in operation. There we a lot of smiles when heat starting coming out of both air handlers. There was a bit of concern that travel would disengage something as the heat pump is installed under the chapel.

Supper in the Petro – Cerwin, Dave (volunteer chaplain who skillfully hooked up the hifi system), Chaplain Jay and Karen.

Cerwin’s supper.

One nice thing about truck stop restaurants is that you can get breakfast anytime of day. Petro Travel Plaza’s have Iron Skillet restaurants – thus most food items are served in skillets.

Cerwin, Denny, and a driver who stopped in several times in the past few days. He was the one who helped unload Jay’s pickup truck of supplies (from the old chapel) unto the new chapel in yesterday’s post. I did not get his name.

Karen showing Denny’s wife, Lorrie, the new chapel.

Lloyd (a local man) was waiting for us when we entered the chapel for Tuesday night’s Bible study. This is usually a men’s Bible study, but Jay quickly adjusts when ladies happen to be there.

While the chapel was being set up for the evening Bible study, Cerwin showed Karen how to set up the sofa bed air mattress.

The rear view of the chapel at night as we walked to our motel. This is what every driver sees as he enters the truck stop at night.

Shortly after we left, a driver entered the chapel to “argue religion” with Jay and Dave. He didn’t stay long because the men did not agree with his very strange theology.

Chaplain Jay’s wife, Karen, (right) leads a ladies Bible study on the chapel each Wednesday morning. (She also adjusts if a male driver comes into the chapel during this time.)

I greatly enjoyed the study and meeting Sylvia (left), Lisett, and Nancy.

I wanted to get a few “official” photos of the chapel after setup was finished.

Seeing this makes me smile with great joy and peace.

We have not been to Rochelle for many years, so it has been good to meet some of the fabulous people from the truck stop, drivers, volunteers, and supporters who pray for the ministry – especially here in Rochelle.

Don’t be afraid!

I will provide for you and your children.

Genesis 50:21 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

~~~

This verse blessed me this morning as I searched verses on God’s provision. He provided skilled men and equipment for us as we set up the new chapel here in Illinois. He also provided safety for our children, grandchildren, our house, and their houses who were in the path of Hurricane Sandy – in Pennsylvania and Maine. We were grateful that our daughter Diane and her daughter Hannah were in Pennsylvania and took good care of our house – also that our son Jere made sure Diane, Hannah, and our house were okay during the rain and six-hour power outage.

~~~

Pulling Out the Old Chapel

Pulling in the New One

Monday, October 29

The morning view from our motel room.

Karen and Denny cleaning out the old chapel.

Cerwin preparing to move the old chapel.

Rachel moving a piece of carpet to Jay and Karen’s pickup truck.

Karen bringing a Highway News rack to their pickup truck.

It was amazing that God brought this driver (Dan) to us today. He saw us arriving on Sunday morning, and when he arrived at the truck stop on Monday, he came to ask if he could help.

Pulling the tractor away from the chapel.

While they were working on that process, Jay removed the old awning. The fork lift was loaned to us by Petro, as well as Chris, a Petro employee.

Glenn pulling the old chapel away from where it has been for the past twenty years.

Dan used his truck to back the new one into place.

Now the challenge – backing the tractor into place. It does not run.

Dan got in the drivers seat, Cerwin and Glenn pushed it, and Jay and Chris tried to keep it from coasting too fast by holding it back with the skid loader.

I think Dan was having way too much fun!

Cerwin, Luke, and Glenn doing the pushing.

Perfect!

Chris, Cerwin, Denny, Jay, Dan, Luke, and Glenn

A very happy team of workers that God put together for this job. In Cerwin’s wildest dreams and plans he never thought this process would go so well.

Next job was to deliver the old chapel to a man who gave a donation for it. He plans to live in it while he builds a house.

While Rachel, Karen, Denny, and I watched Glenn back the chapel into place, we also kept an eye on the combine across the road from our car.

This was not an easy task as the area was narrow, and he had to make a u-turn on the blind side – meaning his rear view mirrors were mostly useless.

The old chapel at its new home.

Now it was time to set up the new chapel. Chris and the forklift were a great “gift” from the Petro as Cerwin and Glenn attached the window and door awnings.

Setting up the steps.

While Glenn, Cerwin, and Jay worked on the inside, Denny (earlier photo) began unpacking chairs and things like lights, microwave, refrigerator and putting them in their places. His construction skills were a great help.

Jay and a driver unloading Jay and Karen’s pickup truck into the emergency door of the new chapel.

The first service in the new chapel – Monday evening when there was no heat. We had light because of a drop cord.

As you can see, Cerwin’s tools are ready for doing the inside work on Tuesday.

~~~

Cerwin, Glenn, and Jay could hardly wipe the smiles off their faces because so much had been accomplished by Monday evening.

~~~

Enter his gates with a song of thanksgiving.
Come into his courtyards with a song of praise.
Give thanks to him; praise his name.

Psalm 100:4 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

Traveling From South Bend, Indiana

To Rochelle, Illinois

Sunday, October 28

Glenn was driving the chapel for the last leg of the trip, so filled out his log before we left the motel.

Rachel is ready for her first ride in the truck during this trip.

We got into a short period of rain when we were south of Chicago – and saw more electric and tree trimming trucks heading east on I-80.

Before long we were back in sunshine and looking at a much flatter landscape than we are used to in Pennsylvania.

There were hundreds and hundreds of acres of fields where corn had been recently harvested.

We turned north on I-39 toward Rochelle and learned that this is a major truck route.

I enjoyed the flatland scenery.

As we approached Rochelle, we saw hundreds of windmills.

Eighteen more miles to our destination. We will get there just in time for morning worship on the chapel.

10:53 a.m. – we’re here!

We drove ahead of the chapel for the last few miles so i could photograph it entering the truck stop.

Backing into the space that Jay reserved for the new chapel.

We quickly joined the seven drivers who were already in the chapel.

Chaplain Jay leading a song.

Jay sharing the morning message.

After worship and lunch in the truck stop, we checked into our motel which is within walking distance.

I took these photos as I walked back to the chapel.

Doug and Ellen Kraus drove down from Wisconsin to see us and the new chapel. Doug is TFC’s Director of Location Development.

A driver (brown shirt) came to the chapel hoping there was a service before he had to leave at 5:30 p.m., so we had a neat time of sharing, listening to his testimony, and praying for him.

Evening worship at 7:00 p.m.

Karen and Chaplain Jay singing before the evening message.

~~~

Just before the service closed my cell phone rang, so I went back to the living quarters to answer it. It was our grandson Ian calling to tell me that he accepted the Lord into his heart during evening worship at our church back home.

Oh, wow! That pleased this Grandpa and Grandma.

Jay was closing the chapel service with prayer, so I kept Ian on the phone and when the prayer was over, announced to everyone that my phone call was from a grandson who had just accepted God’s plan of salvation. The chapel erupted in cheers and applause – then Chaplain Jay prayed for him.

Those of you who know Jay can understand when I say that began another short sermon.  

Blessed are those who find strength in you.
Their hearts are on the road that leads to you.

Psalm 84:5 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

Delivering the New Chapel to Rochelle, Illinois

Saturday, October 27

5:45 a.m. Cerwin starting his log book.

The new chapel is ready to begin its journey from Marietta, Pennsylvania, to Rochelle, Illinois.

8:25 a.m. Cerwin and I were in the chapel for the first two hours, then Glenn drove, Cerwin was in the passenger seat, and Rachel and I followed in their CRV.

This car was obviously having trouble under the hood.

10:30 a.m. Glenn and Rachel follow us out of a rest stop.

Leaves in this area were beyond their peak.

However, there were many times we saw pretty leaves.

A field of pumpkins.

Yellow pumpkins

As we approached western Pennsylvania, we began seeing electric trucks heading east due to the coming storm, and by the time we were in Ohio it became obvious that someone is preparing for a major power outage on the east coast.

If that barn could talk.

2:35 p.m. we received a phone call from our friend Gene Gehman asking where we were. He read my blog from last night saying that we were heading west on I-80 today. We were about two miles apart in Ohio heading toward each other!

What fun to see him. Thanks for calling Gene.

An old rusty railroad bridge.

A beautiful sky.

A pretty little church

This tractor looks like it is well equipped to do field work.

We continued to see electric truck after electric truck heading east.

A grass fire along the road.

About this time we learned that Rachel was counting the electric trucks.

Though we saw most of them in Ohio, we continued seeing them in Indiana.

By the time we reached our exit in South Bend, Indiana, she had counted 400 – and thought fifty had probably gone by before she started counting. And she only counted the ones that looked like this. There were also lots of other style electrical service trucks and big rigs hauling generators and tree trimmers. I expect we saw between 500 and 600 vehicles heading east to participate in storm damage assistance.

5:18 p.m. Our exit near South Bend.

Glenn, Rachel, and me in the Bob Evans next to our Micro Motel. We all look like we had a long day  – and we did.

Bed looks good tonight!

We are looking down on the chapel.

~~~

We plan to be at our destination for the 11:00 a.m. worship service on the old chapel in Rochelle tomorrow morning, so it’s time for me to get to bed.

You watch me when I travel and when I rest.
You are familiar with all my ways.

Psalm 139:3 (GOD’S WORD Translation)