Saturday
Orphans
We now have six more mouths to feed. The orphan's have joined us. The youngest is 6 and the oldest is 16. They all have been saved, except the youngest, and we do not see them as a liability but as an asset. The 2 oldest ones are already in training with David and Jonathan. They are being taught how to use and hunt with a sling shot and a bow. They are learning what plants can and can not be eaten. They are fast learners and with God's blessings our food quantities may increase. They certainly have a lot of energy. Because of this I have named the oldest Cushi and the next to oldest Ahimaaz. These were the two young men who were runners that came to David with news about the death of Absalom. The younger four, two girls and two boys, help around the camp and Rebekah and Jael are teaching them in a makeshift school. The kids think school is a waste of time seeing that the Lord will soon be coming. Jael assured them that they need to know how to read and write if they are going to be able to understand the Book that is never going to go away. Cushi's sister is one of the girls and Ahimaaz's sister is the other. The two younger boys are brothers. All three sets of these children's parents died as a result of earthquakes. Cushi took them in and kept them together. He has a good heart and treats the others with great tenderness. It was Ahimaaz who first befriended Jael. These children still have nightmares and often awaken us in the night crying. Some of them lost not only their parents but grandparents, other siblings, and many friends. Some of their parents were “M's” and others were not. We console them as best we can and tell them to keep watching the sky for Jesus is coming soon and will make all things better.
The locust have begun to die out. Their five months is over. They have caused great misery on the earth. The “M's” will be so glad when they realize they are gone. Isaac's “M” detector has died but he has not released it yet. Isaac says, “Moses kept a sample of the manna so I'm gonna keep this one just for a reminder.” Sam and Noah are no longer wearing their “bee suits.” They believe the Bible and are convinced that now that the five months is over they are safe. They just have not yet professed Jesus as Savior. We plead with them gently but they still put it off. “The Seven vials of the wrath of God are just as real and certain as the Six Seals and the Seven Trumpets” Pastor told them, “The only way to escape what's coming is to be saved now.”
All around the world, everywhere that there is a fault line, earthquakes are happening every single day. New cinder cones are popping up almost over night along these fault lines. There have been thousands of these pop up in our State alone. Places where we never dreamed there was a fault line now have a row of cinder cones. There are two of these near us, one to our northeast and one to our south. Looks like the sixth trumpet has sounded and we are praying extra long and hard for those who are lost. The Lord will be coming for us soon!
The locust have begun to die out. Their five months is over. They have caused great misery on the earth. The “M's” will be so glad when they realize they are gone. Isaac's “M” detector has died but he has not released it yet. Isaac says, “Moses kept a sample of the manna so I'm gonna keep this one just for a reminder.” Sam and Noah are no longer wearing their “bee suits.” They believe the Bible and are convinced that now that the five months is over they are safe. They just have not yet professed Jesus as Savior. We plead with them gently but they still put it off. “The Seven vials of the wrath of God are just as real and certain as the Six Seals and the Seven Trumpets” Pastor told them, “The only way to escape what's coming is to be saved now.”
All around the world, everywhere that there is a fault line, earthquakes are happening every single day. New cinder cones are popping up almost over night along these fault lines. There have been thousands of these pop up in our State alone. Places where we never dreamed there was a fault line now have a row of cinder cones. There are two of these near us, one to our northeast and one to our south. Looks like the sixth trumpet has sounded and we are praying extra long and hard for those who are lost. The Lord will be coming for us soon!
"M" Detector
The locust, though tormenting the “M's”, continue to bring us peace. This should last another two months or so. No one has been snooping around our area looking for us. Our kids have also had some relief from their persecutions. They have been offline for a while but are back up now. They have suffered much more than we have during this past year so the locust have been a welcomed relief for them. The locust have made the “S's” to really stand out. You can tell an “S” from a mile away. They are the ones who do not fear the locust.
We have not had a lot to eat lately but we are getting by. Noah has taken to cooking for Barzallai. He is enjoying her cooking and Sam, her new husband, tags along. Two or three days a week they eat supper with him and he loves their company. We have enjoyed the spring weather and the fresh vegetables we have both grown and harvested from the wild. David and Jonathan have been used of God to keep us from starving and by adding a lot of water to the pot one small animal can make enough stew to feed thirteen hungry mouths. Sam brings us flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, dried beans and such when he can. The chickens have been laying eggs providing us with just short of a dozen a day. Our days are fairly routine. We eat breakfast, then have Bible study and prayer. We do our morning chores, cleaning, gathering wood, hunting, mending, and then we gather together for lunch. After lunch we read from the Bible and pray together. In the evening we watch the news through the window and then return to sit in a circle in the tee-pee and discuss what is going on in the world and what is about to happen.
The sixth trumpet is about to sound, according to our Pastor. He says this will kill 1/3 of the population of the earth. There will be an army numbering 200 million which will kill men with fire, smoke and brimstone. These sound like volcanoes but there are not 200 million of these on the earth. It causes us to invoke our favorite saying, “We will understand it better by and by.”
Jael usually goes to town by herself but since she has taken such a liking to Noah and Sam she goes with them to the edge of town where they go their separate ways. Trigger carries the ladies while Sam leads the way. Jael has been looking for those who have not become “M's” as yet. She speaks boldly to them almost like Pastor does. She tells them plainly they need to be saved. A few weeks back she befriended a young boy. She would see him every time she went to town. He was eventually saved and with the locust around you can tell quickly if someone has faith or not. As soon as he was saved he started chasing locust. He is an orphan living with a small gang of orphans who have been hiding from the authorities and refusing to take the Mark. They shoplift and break into houses to steal food and clothing. I think it was Jael's stern motherly image that caused this orphan to seek her out every time she came to town coupled with the fact that she too refused the Mark. We are praying that the Lord will help Jael and this young convert influence the rest of the orphans so that they will be saved also. When that happens she will bring Pastor to them and, if he agrees, they will join our number. They range in age from 6 to 16.
Isaac is amazing in his ability to find the humorous side of things. He caught one of the locust and put it in a jar and calls it his “M” detector. “Those that would join us,” he says, “must pass the “M” detector test.” When someone says something out of line or shows any ignorance of the scriptures Isaac reaches for the “M” detector and waves it over them. “Just checking,” he says.
People are amazing in that they have learned to adjust to the bad things that are plaguing the world. It seems that in just a few weeks life with the locust is the norm. They just adapt, do what they must, and keep going. They still carry on with their lives, business as usual. It is as if they say goodbye to their old life and accept the new. There was a backyard wedding that we passed on our way through town. They had spread a huge net over the yard to keep the locust out and it looked like they were having a great time. We see this a lot where humans are trapped indoors like animals in cages at a zoo and the locust are the visitors. People being dressed in bee suits does not seem strange to anyone. They still go shopping and sightseeing but dress as if they were astronauts on a strange new planet. It is quite a sight. If you want to blend in you must dress the same way when you go to town.
Sam and Noah are very close to being saved. They have been a bit distracted lately with the difficulty finding work and the wedding. I am not sure why they put it off. We do not hassle them about being saved though Jael is very vocal with them at times. They are kind of like Agrippa in the Bible, “almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” They were not raised as Christians and all of this is still new to them.
We have not had a lot to eat lately but we are getting by. Noah has taken to cooking for Barzallai. He is enjoying her cooking and Sam, her new husband, tags along. Two or three days a week they eat supper with him and he loves their company. We have enjoyed the spring weather and the fresh vegetables we have both grown and harvested from the wild. David and Jonathan have been used of God to keep us from starving and by adding a lot of water to the pot one small animal can make enough stew to feed thirteen hungry mouths. Sam brings us flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, dried beans and such when he can. The chickens have been laying eggs providing us with just short of a dozen a day. Our days are fairly routine. We eat breakfast, then have Bible study and prayer. We do our morning chores, cleaning, gathering wood, hunting, mending, and then we gather together for lunch. After lunch we read from the Bible and pray together. In the evening we watch the news through the window and then return to sit in a circle in the tee-pee and discuss what is going on in the world and what is about to happen.
The sixth trumpet is about to sound, according to our Pastor. He says this will kill 1/3 of the population of the earth. There will be an army numbering 200 million which will kill men with fire, smoke and brimstone. These sound like volcanoes but there are not 200 million of these on the earth. It causes us to invoke our favorite saying, “We will understand it better by and by.”
Jael usually goes to town by herself but since she has taken such a liking to Noah and Sam she goes with them to the edge of town where they go their separate ways. Trigger carries the ladies while Sam leads the way. Jael has been looking for those who have not become “M's” as yet. She speaks boldly to them almost like Pastor does. She tells them plainly they need to be saved. A few weeks back she befriended a young boy. She would see him every time she went to town. He was eventually saved and with the locust around you can tell quickly if someone has faith or not. As soon as he was saved he started chasing locust. He is an orphan living with a small gang of orphans who have been hiding from the authorities and refusing to take the Mark. They shoplift and break into houses to steal food and clothing. I think it was Jael's stern motherly image that caused this orphan to seek her out every time she came to town coupled with the fact that she too refused the Mark. We are praying that the Lord will help Jael and this young convert influence the rest of the orphans so that they will be saved also. When that happens she will bring Pastor to them and, if he agrees, they will join our number. They range in age from 6 to 16.
Isaac is amazing in his ability to find the humorous side of things. He caught one of the locust and put it in a jar and calls it his “M” detector. “Those that would join us,” he says, “must pass the “M” detector test.” When someone says something out of line or shows any ignorance of the scriptures Isaac reaches for the “M” detector and waves it over them. “Just checking,” he says.
People are amazing in that they have learned to adjust to the bad things that are plaguing the world. It seems that in just a few weeks life with the locust is the norm. They just adapt, do what they must, and keep going. They still carry on with their lives, business as usual. It is as if they say goodbye to their old life and accept the new. There was a backyard wedding that we passed on our way through town. They had spread a huge net over the yard to keep the locust out and it looked like they were having a great time. We see this a lot where humans are trapped indoors like animals in cages at a zoo and the locust are the visitors. People being dressed in bee suits does not seem strange to anyone. They still go shopping and sightseeing but dress as if they were astronauts on a strange new planet. It is quite a sight. If you want to blend in you must dress the same way when you go to town.
Sam and Noah are very close to being saved. They have been a bit distracted lately with the difficulty finding work and the wedding. I am not sure why they put it off. We do not hassle them about being saved though Jael is very vocal with them at times. They are kind of like Agrippa in the Bible, “almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” They were not raised as Christians and all of this is still new to them.
Wedding Bells
We are beginning to see more people riding horses. The frequent earthquakes keep closing roads and so the only sure way to get back home is an off road mode of transportation. The locust are still tormenting “M's” and we have been left alone. There have not been any of the locust in our new camp. I have seen a lot of them as I go into town and they are a comfort to us who are “S's.” When the locust are around the “M's” are not. The streets are very empty and I can blog without any fear of being seen. Our oldest child's blog has been hacked and they have had to resort to emergency plan B. Someone edited their last blog and said things that they would never say. It was an attempt to draw us out but it failed. We anticipated this possibility and came up with a plan B and that plan is working well. They are otherwise doing well. Still no word from our youngest. They must be having problems getting Internet access. They have not used emergency plan C yet so hopefully all is well with them.
Jael has been working on K and Sam. She has always been blunt and just speaks to them plainly that they need to be saved. Pastor is not so pushy. He preaches the Word and lets the Holy Spirit convict. She has made progress influencing them though. Her time spent with K has been good for them both. At the prodding of K, Jael has been spending a lot of time talking to Sam. My wife and I were not sure what was going on but we had our suspicions. Sure enough, yesterday Sam popped the question and K did not hesitate to respond with a resounding “YES.” Pastor performed the ceremony and David, Jonathan, and Isaac were the groom's men. Jael was the maid of honor and Mary, Tabitha, and Shiphrah were the bridesmaids. I gave the bride away. Rebekah, my guitar instructor, provided the music and Elisabeth sang. Everybody had a part. K wore Barzallai's wife's wedding dress which needed only a little alteration. Sam was even able to get a wedding cake and a set of rings. He had some trouble getting the cake home in one piece. Trigger did the best he could to give the cake a smooth ride home. Sam and Noah, yes they all liked K's nickname, seem to be a perfect match. They had been friends for a long time but never serious until the Mark hit. They had both made the decision that the Mark was not a good thing and though they knew very little about the Bible they knew taking the Mark would not be right. They are very close to being saved and I think they will be soon.
We go over to Barzillai's house most evenings to watch the news. The two witnesses have killed several people who have tried to kill them. They have been causing draught and other plagues throughout the middle east and Europe. There are currently 1500 active volcanoes on land and many others under the oceans. Earthquakes continue to be intense both in frequency and magnitude. They are hoping that the 1500 will not all go off at the same time. Such an event, they say, would be the end of our world. How little they know about how their world is going to end. When they do go off Pastor says that 33% of the human race will be killed. This will mean that Earth will have less than half the population it had before the tribulation began. Pastor has suggested that we be prepared for the coming eruptions. We have masks for the dust, ash, and smoke. We have chosen this location because it is not near any Volcanoes and with God's help we will be fine. We have even rigged up a makeshift mask for Trigger including some goggles for his eyes. He does not seem to like these at all but when he is faced with the alternative we expect he will accept them without hesitation. God has spared us and even blessed us through the seals and trumpets. Each has in its own way been a curse to the “M's” and a blessing to the “S's.” We have made us a storm shelter and fixed an air filtering system for it. It should protect us from the smoke and fire but brimstone is a whole different matter. We will pray that God will protect us from the sixth trumpet. (Matthew 24:38-39; Revelation 9:1-20)
Jael has been working on K and Sam. She has always been blunt and just speaks to them plainly that they need to be saved. Pastor is not so pushy. He preaches the Word and lets the Holy Spirit convict. She has made progress influencing them though. Her time spent with K has been good for them both. At the prodding of K, Jael has been spending a lot of time talking to Sam. My wife and I were not sure what was going on but we had our suspicions. Sure enough, yesterday Sam popped the question and K did not hesitate to respond with a resounding “YES.” Pastor performed the ceremony and David, Jonathan, and Isaac were the groom's men. Jael was the maid of honor and Mary, Tabitha, and Shiphrah were the bridesmaids. I gave the bride away. Rebekah, my guitar instructor, provided the music and Elisabeth sang. Everybody had a part. K wore Barzallai's wife's wedding dress which needed only a little alteration. Sam was even able to get a wedding cake and a set of rings. He had some trouble getting the cake home in one piece. Trigger did the best he could to give the cake a smooth ride home. Sam and Noah, yes they all liked K's nickname, seem to be a perfect match. They had been friends for a long time but never serious until the Mark hit. They had both made the decision that the Mark was not a good thing and though they knew very little about the Bible they knew taking the Mark would not be right. They are very close to being saved and I think they will be soon.
We go over to Barzillai's house most evenings to watch the news. The two witnesses have killed several people who have tried to kill them. They have been causing draught and other plagues throughout the middle east and Europe. There are currently 1500 active volcanoes on land and many others under the oceans. Earthquakes continue to be intense both in frequency and magnitude. They are hoping that the 1500 will not all go off at the same time. Such an event, they say, would be the end of our world. How little they know about how their world is going to end. When they do go off Pastor says that 33% of the human race will be killed. This will mean that Earth will have less than half the population it had before the tribulation began. Pastor has suggested that we be prepared for the coming eruptions. We have masks for the dust, ash, and smoke. We have chosen this location because it is not near any Volcanoes and with God's help we will be fine. We have even rigged up a makeshift mask for Trigger including some goggles for his eyes. He does not seem to like these at all but when he is faced with the alternative we expect he will accept them without hesitation. God has spared us and even blessed us through the seals and trumpets. Each has in its own way been a curse to the “M's” and a blessing to the “S's.” We have made us a storm shelter and fixed an air filtering system for it. It should protect us from the smoke and fire but brimstone is a whole different matter. We will pray that God will protect us from the sixth trumpet. (Matthew 24:38-39; Revelation 9:1-20)
Friday
Jael
Jael, who I introduced to you as “a woman you don't want to mess with,” has a rough exterior and is not timid a bit. She will speak her mind and if you ask her opinion she won't hold anything back. She is a “get it done” kind of person. Her chores are quickly and efficiently completed each day. She never needs anyones help. Beneath this rough exterior lies a very sweet and compassionate person. People will say this of her and then add, “You just have to look for it.” K has had a hard time fitting in with our little group. Sam goes off to work nearly every day and some days returns empty handed. Sam has been a huge help to us all and has made our existence much easier. But K seems to have nothing to contribute. The last person I would ever have expected for K to take up with was Jael. I was so shocked when I came back from town to see K and Jael together and not only getting along but enjoying each other's company. They are spending a lot of time together and this has made K feel good about joining us. It looks like they are building a close relationship with each other. When you see the two of them together Jael is like a whole different person. I am praying that through this close relationship that Jael will be able to lead K to the Lord.
Barzallai is not doing well. K brought Jael over to his house and introduced her to him. He still does not know about the rest of us. He might not have liked Jael “before K” but now Jael's compassion and sweetness keeps popping out. We tease her about it often. I think I see now why K had such influential friends in high places before. I am toying with the nick name “Noah” for K. As with the other nicknames I will take a straw poll of the group but so far I am batting a thousand with my nickname approvals. “Noah” means rest or comfort. People seem to be at rest and comfortable around K. I'll let you know if the name is approved.
Our prayers have been answered. Mary has returned to our fold. She came back one morning a few days ago. She confessed that she was not saved and knew that she would be exposed by the locust. She went to a friend's house and when her friend was no where to be found she inquired and found out that her friend had died in a building collapse a month ago. She was chased by the locust and barely escaped being stung. She had ducked into a portable john, and with the locust crawling all around looking for a way in, she begged God to save her soul. She claimed that at that very moment the sound of the locust crawling and flying all around the outside of the john stopped. “Everything grew quite,” she said. "I waited a bit and peeked out of the upper vent windows and the locust were standing still." She waited a bit longer and then with a thunderous roar the locust took off in flight. She stepped out of the john and dropped to her knees thanking God for His salvation. She ran as fast as she could back to the new pad. It is so good to have her back. Mary got her name because she is young and she prays the sweetest prayers. She was really good at praising God and now that she is saved her praises are even more moving. Our prayers continue for Hannah. She too was very pious in her conversation and could be such an asset to God's Kingdom if she would repent.
Pastor and Elisabeth are doing well. Her being back has made all the difference in his over all health and strength. They are a wonderful couple. David and Jonathan have been very good hunters and we are eating well. Hunger truly is the best seasoning for food. They came home one day with a canteen full of milk. We asked where and how they got the milk and the story that followed had us all laughing out loud.
The locust has given us a time of peace which we have not known for some time. The “M's” are all too busy trying to deal with these pests to worry about “S's.” I did run into some trouble in town last week. There were some men standing around which looked suspicious. I had to find another portal to the Web and much to my delight I found another very quickly.
We built a tee-pee and it is a very comfortable place to hold our worship services. We build a fire in the middle and all sit around in comfort out of the rain and cold singing praises to God. It sleeps six comfortably around the fire. Though we all have our own smaller tents it is nice to sleep by the fire on those really cold nights. If we get enough materials we will build a second one. The blogs of our children have not been updated in the past two weeks which is starting to cause us concern.
Barzallai is not doing well. K brought Jael over to his house and introduced her to him. He still does not know about the rest of us. He might not have liked Jael “before K” but now Jael's compassion and sweetness keeps popping out. We tease her about it often. I think I see now why K had such influential friends in high places before. I am toying with the nick name “Noah” for K. As with the other nicknames I will take a straw poll of the group but so far I am batting a thousand with my nickname approvals. “Noah” means rest or comfort. People seem to be at rest and comfortable around K. I'll let you know if the name is approved.
Our prayers have been answered. Mary has returned to our fold. She came back one morning a few days ago. She confessed that she was not saved and knew that she would be exposed by the locust. She went to a friend's house and when her friend was no where to be found she inquired and found out that her friend had died in a building collapse a month ago. She was chased by the locust and barely escaped being stung. She had ducked into a portable john, and with the locust crawling all around looking for a way in, she begged God to save her soul. She claimed that at that very moment the sound of the locust crawling and flying all around the outside of the john stopped. “Everything grew quite,” she said. "I waited a bit and peeked out of the upper vent windows and the locust were standing still." She waited a bit longer and then with a thunderous roar the locust took off in flight. She stepped out of the john and dropped to her knees thanking God for His salvation. She ran as fast as she could back to the new pad. It is so good to have her back. Mary got her name because she is young and she prays the sweetest prayers. She was really good at praising God and now that she is saved her praises are even more moving. Our prayers continue for Hannah. She too was very pious in her conversation and could be such an asset to God's Kingdom if she would repent.
Pastor and Elisabeth are doing well. Her being back has made all the difference in his over all health and strength. They are a wonderful couple. David and Jonathan have been very good hunters and we are eating well. Hunger truly is the best seasoning for food. They came home one day with a canteen full of milk. We asked where and how they got the milk and the story that followed had us all laughing out loud.
The locust has given us a time of peace which we have not known for some time. The “M's” are all too busy trying to deal with these pests to worry about “S's.” I did run into some trouble in town last week. There were some men standing around which looked suspicious. I had to find another portal to the Web and much to my delight I found another very quickly.
We built a tee-pee and it is a very comfortable place to hold our worship services. We build a fire in the middle and all sit around in comfort out of the rain and cold singing praises to God. It sleeps six comfortably around the fire. Though we all have our own smaller tents it is nice to sleep by the fire on those really cold nights. If we get enough materials we will build a second one. The blogs of our children have not been updated in the past two weeks which is starting to cause us concern.
Locust
Our new home is working out very well. We have adequate amounts of water and firewood and our mighty men of valor have found game for our table. The chickens are molting and so egg production is low. We eat a lot of cornbread, potatoes, and beans. Trigger has not had much to eat and Sam was able to get a sack of horse feed for him last week. Sam is starting to have trouble getting work. More and more people don't want anything to do with those who will not take the Mark. Barzallai goes to town twice a month for groceries and has given K some things we have needed like bandages, soap, and a number of other things he has had for a long time and never used. K helped him clean out is closets and brought a large bag full of good warm clothes which my wife soon altered for various ones who needed them.
Our hearts have been saddened by a grim reality. The fifth trumpet has driven two from our little band. It seems that Mary has left us. We are not certain as to why. She departed quietly one night without saying a word to anyone. She did not seem like herself after Pastor read and explained Revelation 9:1-11. The next day she did her chores like usual but seemed very worried. I have a theory about why she left but I hope it is not true. If she had stayed with us the locust would have revealed that she was not one of us. She did not want to take that chance so left. There does not seem to be any other reasonable explanation for her sudden departure.
Hannah has also left us but not anything like Mary. When the locust came she was bitten by one as she was filling the water jugs at the well early one morning. At first we thought she had been bitten or stung by some kind of dreadful spider or scorpion. We never dreamed it could be one of the locust for we just knew she would have the seal of God in her forehead, being a saved person. The second time she was stung Pastor and I saw it. In her agony and pain she cursed us and left in a rage screaming. She left expressing that we were all against her, that we had misunderstood the Bible teaching about the fifth seal, and that we thought we were better than her. In her mind she is convinced she is saved and that there has to be some other explanation for her being stung when none of the rest of us have been. “Let her go,” Pastor said. “There is nothing we can do.” There is a fear that she will turn us in but we are hoping she will not. I am afraid that she will reason in her mind that the Mark is not really of the devil and will take it so she can survive. We now know how the disciples must have felt when they found out about Judas. Their leaving came as a complete surprise to us all. It might be that Mary is lost, knows it, and yet so far has done nothing about it. Hannah is lost, does not know it, and goes on thinking she is okay. We pray that they will repent and be saved.
The locust have been spreading like a plague everywhere. They seem to have no interest in eating vegetation like normal locust. There are reports that many have been bitten by them and their bites are very painful. None of the pesticides will kill them and they just seem to be everywhere. They seem to stay away from our camp for the most part. We have seen only one or two at a time whereas in town they are seen in swarms. Sam and K are very careful not to come in contact with these locusts. They are very afraid of them. So far they have not been touched and they credit that fact to their carefulness. They wear heavy clothing and look like bee keepers when they are outside. They think they're safe because they are careful and are in good standing with God since they have helped us. As for the rest of us, when we walk outside of camp the locust move out of our way and though they look like they would just love to bite us they don't even try. The chickens just love them. I assume they don't taste like chicken to chickens.
I noticed on our way into town that the hospitals are filled to overflowing with people who have been bitten. They seem to be in agony and even the strongest of men were weeping and wailing. It seems the sting and swelling only lasts for about a week but with so many locust one can't help but be bitten every week or even every day. Those who can, stay indoors with their windows and doors taped shut. There does not seem to be any medicine that will relieve the pain and swelling. Many are put on suicide watch because the pain is overwhelming. Heavy sedation works well but they can't do that for everyone.
We are down to 12 now and this plague will last for four more months. Only two more trumpets and we will be going home.
Our hearts have been saddened by a grim reality. The fifth trumpet has driven two from our little band. It seems that Mary has left us. We are not certain as to why. She departed quietly one night without saying a word to anyone. She did not seem like herself after Pastor read and explained Revelation 9:1-11. The next day she did her chores like usual but seemed very worried. I have a theory about why she left but I hope it is not true. If she had stayed with us the locust would have revealed that she was not one of us. She did not want to take that chance so left. There does not seem to be any other reasonable explanation for her sudden departure.
Hannah has also left us but not anything like Mary. When the locust came she was bitten by one as she was filling the water jugs at the well early one morning. At first we thought she had been bitten or stung by some kind of dreadful spider or scorpion. We never dreamed it could be one of the locust for we just knew she would have the seal of God in her forehead, being a saved person. The second time she was stung Pastor and I saw it. In her agony and pain she cursed us and left in a rage screaming. She left expressing that we were all against her, that we had misunderstood the Bible teaching about the fifth seal, and that we thought we were better than her. In her mind she is convinced she is saved and that there has to be some other explanation for her being stung when none of the rest of us have been. “Let her go,” Pastor said. “There is nothing we can do.” There is a fear that she will turn us in but we are hoping she will not. I am afraid that she will reason in her mind that the Mark is not really of the devil and will take it so she can survive. We now know how the disciples must have felt when they found out about Judas. Their leaving came as a complete surprise to us all. It might be that Mary is lost, knows it, and yet so far has done nothing about it. Hannah is lost, does not know it, and goes on thinking she is okay. We pray that they will repent and be saved.
The locust have been spreading like a plague everywhere. They seem to have no interest in eating vegetation like normal locust. There are reports that many have been bitten by them and their bites are very painful. None of the pesticides will kill them and they just seem to be everywhere. They seem to stay away from our camp for the most part. We have seen only one or two at a time whereas in town they are seen in swarms. Sam and K are very careful not to come in contact with these locusts. They are very afraid of them. So far they have not been touched and they credit that fact to their carefulness. They wear heavy clothing and look like bee keepers when they are outside. They think they're safe because they are careful and are in good standing with God since they have helped us. As for the rest of us, when we walk outside of camp the locust move out of our way and though they look like they would just love to bite us they don't even try. The chickens just love them. I assume they don't taste like chicken to chickens.
I noticed on our way into town that the hospitals are filled to overflowing with people who have been bitten. They seem to be in agony and even the strongest of men were weeping and wailing. It seems the sting and swelling only lasts for about a week but with so many locust one can't help but be bitten every week or even every day. Those who can, stay indoors with their windows and doors taped shut. There does not seem to be any medicine that will relieve the pain and swelling. Many are put on suicide watch because the pain is overwhelming. Heavy sedation works well but they can't do that for everyone.
We are down to 12 now and this plague will last for four more months. Only two more trumpets and we will be going home.
Saturday
Barzillai
We made it to our new location after some very close calls. The well took some work to make it ready for use and that project took several days. There is an elderly man, we have nicknamed him Barzillai after king David's elderly friend in the Bible, whose house is fairly close to our new location. K has taken to seeing about him every few days. He has family but they only come round once or twice a year. His mind is not completely right and he does not understand, and at times does not even realize that he has the mark. We think he was taken by one of his children to get the mark and it was never explained to him what it was and why he had to have it. Often he is very confused but seems to know how to take care of himself. He loves company. He allows K to watch the news on his TV and to charge up the battery on our laptop computer. It is amazing to see what is going on in the world and not just to hear it. K often returns to describe what is happening in the world. Our radio still works and we still get most of our news from it. We all, being careful to stay out of sight, went and watched through the window the coverage of the two prophets. The two witnesses, or prophets as they are called by the Israelis, are being blamed for every natural disaster and misery that has come upon the earth. AC is about to have his fill of them. This means so much to us because, as Pastor says “When they go we go.” Barzillai is hard of hearing and that is why we could hear the TV while seeing the news. K has not let him know about us for security reasons.
We have given Bicycle Man a new name, Sam. Sam comes from the good Samaritan in the Bible. So when I refer to Sam you think of a good man who is not numbered with God's people but we hope he will be one day. Sam has been able to fall right into work. He rides Trigger to town, does his work and when he's through he takes for his services the box of goodies which he requested as payment, climbs back on Trigger, returns home and we all benefit.
It took a while to find Internet access. I am not 100% sure that it is safe and secure but it's worth the risk to keep friends and family informed. It is also needed for peace of mind as it is our only source of information about our children and their families. The news was not good from our youngest. Their experience, through these perilous times, has been much more violent than the rest of us. They are in an area full of over enthusiastic “M's.” These have a great hatred of “S's.” They do not seem content just to turn them in to the authorities but take the law in their own hands and as a mob have killed many “S's.” The people of our area are not at all that way. The worst we have seen is “S's” reported to the police and arrested. Since we stay away from the public eye we are left alone. There have been hunting parties where our youngest lives going out with dogs looking for “S's” that may be hiding in the woods. Hunting them like animals, destroying their camps, and stealing their supplies.
It is Christmas time and we are going to celebrate it as best we can. There is not much time left before the rapture. We have a rationing system that should see us through the winter. We are too far from the rendezvous point to check it any more. There will not be anymore joining us unless God sends someone our way. Winter's have been mild these past six years and we are hopeful this last one will be as well.
I have been asked to share a little more about our companions. There are twelve “S's” and two “C's” in our little band. Pastor and Elisabeth (pastor and his wife), David and Jonathan (our hunters and mighty men of valor), Shiphrah (our nurse), Ezra and Tabitha (me and my wife who is good at sewing thus the name), Sam and K (our kind and helpful “C's”), Isaac and Rebekah (a man who can find joy and humor in most anything and his wife who Isaac says “imitates a really good cook”), Mary and Hannah (the two ladies who escaped with Elisabeth), and Jael (a woman you don't want to mess with).
K got to watch some footage of a meteor hitting the earth. It caused an earthquake and a huge, massive volcano in Russia has erupted and begun to darken the sky. Huge billows of black smoke are pouring out of it. Pastor believes this may be the fifth trumpet. (Revelation 9:1-2; 11:3-12; Matthew 24:8-11; Revelation 7:13-17)
We have given Bicycle Man a new name, Sam. Sam comes from the good Samaritan in the Bible. So when I refer to Sam you think of a good man who is not numbered with God's people but we hope he will be one day. Sam has been able to fall right into work. He rides Trigger to town, does his work and when he's through he takes for his services the box of goodies which he requested as payment, climbs back on Trigger, returns home and we all benefit.
It took a while to find Internet access. I am not 100% sure that it is safe and secure but it's worth the risk to keep friends and family informed. It is also needed for peace of mind as it is our only source of information about our children and their families. The news was not good from our youngest. Their experience, through these perilous times, has been much more violent than the rest of us. They are in an area full of over enthusiastic “M's.” These have a great hatred of “S's.” They do not seem content just to turn them in to the authorities but take the law in their own hands and as a mob have killed many “S's.” The people of our area are not at all that way. The worst we have seen is “S's” reported to the police and arrested. Since we stay away from the public eye we are left alone. There have been hunting parties where our youngest lives going out with dogs looking for “S's” that may be hiding in the woods. Hunting them like animals, destroying their camps, and stealing their supplies.
It is Christmas time and we are going to celebrate it as best we can. There is not much time left before the rapture. We have a rationing system that should see us through the winter. We are too far from the rendezvous point to check it any more. There will not be anymore joining us unless God sends someone our way. Winter's have been mild these past six years and we are hopeful this last one will be as well.
I have been asked to share a little more about our companions. There are twelve “S's” and two “C's” in our little band. Pastor and Elisabeth (pastor and his wife), David and Jonathan (our hunters and mighty men of valor), Shiphrah (our nurse), Ezra and Tabitha (me and my wife who is good at sewing thus the name), Sam and K (our kind and helpful “C's”), Isaac and Rebekah (a man who can find joy and humor in most anything and his wife who Isaac says “imitates a really good cook”), Mary and Hannah (the two ladies who escaped with Elisabeth), and Jael (a woman you don't want to mess with).
K got to watch some footage of a meteor hitting the earth. It caused an earthquake and a huge, massive volcano in Russia has erupted and begun to darken the sky. Huge billows of black smoke are pouring out of it. Pastor believes this may be the fifth trumpet. (Revelation 9:1-2; 11:3-12; Matthew 24:8-11; Revelation 7:13-17)
Night and Day
We are overjoyed to have Elisabeth back. That is the nickname we have given to Pastor's wife. She seems to have been well cared for in prison. She told us that after dark they would gather in groups and have prayer together. They would each quote as many scriptures as they could and then discuss their meaning. She is so glad to have and hold a Bible again.
Night and day are sort of mixed up now with all the smoke, ash, and such in the sky. We get about 6 hours of good sunlight and then several hours of dusk. Then after about 6 hours of darkness the sky becomes light again several hours before we actually see the sun. It has been very strange. No one has ever seen anything like it.
K and BM were waiting for us by the side of the road on our way home the last time we came to town. It seems they are in danger and are going to need to move to avoid trouble and to keep us out of danger. They followed us to the Pad one more time to say goodbye. After assessing their situation and our own it was decided that we needed to relocate also. Our registered well has been visited once and most likely will be again. The strange truck continues to be a concern. The escapees will be sought and we are not near far enough away from the prison. So it has been decided that we will move and that K and BM will go with us. With the daytime and nighttime being shortened it will allow us to travel farther in a days time than we could have before. Also aircraft and satellite surveillance have been hampered by all the debris in the atmosphere.
We have made a horse drawn wagon for our gear and supplies. We each will carry as much as we can and poor Trigger will pull the rest. My wife and I have come to town to blog and to say that we do not know if we will be able to have secure Internet access where we are going but as soon as we can we will let you know how we are doing. David and Jonathan have scouted out our route and our relocation point. It is not perfect by any means but sounds workable. The most important things we need are there like water and isolation. There is an unregistered well there with good water. According to their blogs our children and their families are surviving. They continue to have problems and close calls. They have even had a lot of illness but, like us, they have had friends, “C's”, who have been a big help to them. We can't thank God enough for “C's.”
When we return to the Pad we will be heading out for our new location. BM will still be able to do the thing he does for those who need his services in exchange for his “shopping list.” K will have no connections for support and must depend on God as we do for sustenance. (Revelation 8:12-13)
Night and day are sort of mixed up now with all the smoke, ash, and such in the sky. We get about 6 hours of good sunlight and then several hours of dusk. Then after about 6 hours of darkness the sky becomes light again several hours before we actually see the sun. It has been very strange. No one has ever seen anything like it.
K and BM were waiting for us by the side of the road on our way home the last time we came to town. It seems they are in danger and are going to need to move to avoid trouble and to keep us out of danger. They followed us to the Pad one more time to say goodbye. After assessing their situation and our own it was decided that we needed to relocate also. Our registered well has been visited once and most likely will be again. The strange truck continues to be a concern. The escapees will be sought and we are not near far enough away from the prison. So it has been decided that we will move and that K and BM will go with us. With the daytime and nighttime being shortened it will allow us to travel farther in a days time than we could have before. Also aircraft and satellite surveillance have been hampered by all the debris in the atmosphere.
We have made a horse drawn wagon for our gear and supplies. We each will carry as much as we can and poor Trigger will pull the rest. My wife and I have come to town to blog and to say that we do not know if we will be able to have secure Internet access where we are going but as soon as we can we will let you know how we are doing. David and Jonathan have scouted out our route and our relocation point. It is not perfect by any means but sounds workable. The most important things we need are there like water and isolation. There is an unregistered well there with good water. According to their blogs our children and their families are surviving. They continue to have problems and close calls. They have even had a lot of illness but, like us, they have had friends, “C's”, who have been a big help to them. We can't thank God enough for “C's.”
When we return to the Pad we will be heading out for our new location. BM will still be able to do the thing he does for those who need his services in exchange for his “shopping list.” K will have no connections for support and must depend on God as we do for sustenance. (Revelation 8:12-13)
Wormwood
Bicycle Man came to the Pad rather unexpectedly. He asked us to gather round for news concerning Pastor's wife. “My friend has confirmed that it is your wife in the women's prison,” he told Pastor. We all rejoiced at this great news. Not knowing had been agonizing. “I don't want to get your hopes up but there is an outside chance that we can get her out,” He continued. “Lets just say we think it is worth a try.” He began to tell us his plan which would require the help of David and Jonathan. It was a risky plan that might end with four more in prison rather than one less.
Packed for a five day journey they headed off. The plan was for BM and his friend, whom I shall call “K” to go into the prison dressed as prison guards. K's cousin, who is the Warden, would have Pastor's wife brought to his office where he had paperwork to give them stating that she was being transferred to another prison unit. She would be taken from the prison in their custody. They would drive to a remote location and turn Pastor's wife over to David and Jonathan who would take her back safely to the Pad. No one in the prison system would know, except the Warden. The Warden was doing this favor for K in exchange for some property he had always wanted which had been in K's family for centuries.
Things did not go at all according to the plan. It was a long two day hike to the spot where they were to meet K and they left the Pad under the cover of darkness. Right after they left, there was an incredible meteor shower. It was unlike anything ever seen before on earth. Pastor said “Wormwood is here.” David, Jonathan, and BM walked all night. By the early morning light they could see what looked like patches of hailstones on the ground. Some places the patches were heavy and other places there was none at all. They believed that this hail was somehow connected with the meteor shower. The morning sun soon melted the patches of hail. It took another long day of hiking to arrive at the predetermined rendezvous point where they met K. They rested for a day and then BM and K headed for the prison. When they arrived there was no guard at the front counter. They waited a while and when there was no sign of anyone coming K climbed over the counter and walked toward the back. K returned and signaled BM to follow. A guard was lying on the floor dead. They took his keys and unlocked the door at the end of the hall. Inside they found more guards dead. They made their way to the Wardens office where they found him still in his chair also dead. Through the window they could see that there were many prisoners who were lying motionless on the ground in the courtyard. Others were sitting in small groups. K lead the way to the door that lead into the courtyard. They were greeted by those who had survived whatever had killed the rest. Pastor's wife was near the back of the group. K explained the reason for their being there and encouraged those who wanted to escape to leave. They told Pastor's wife that they had come for her and that her husband was waiting for her. She could not bare to leave two of her new found friends behind who had no place to go, so the five of them headed off. David and Jonathan led the way back to camp while BM and K went on their way.
It was day break when we saw a line of five figures come out of the woods and start across the meadow. We soon could recognize the leader was David followed by three women and Jonathan in the rear. Pastor and his wife embraced for the longest time while praising and thanking God for his mercy that endures forever.
We discovered later that the water at the prison had been poisoned by the hailstones which had melted and ran into the reservoirs from which the public water system got its water. Christians knew this was coming so they knew not to drink the water the day after the meteor shower hit. It would be two days before the prison would be found empty of prisoners, giving the escapees a good head start. You see, the off duty workers at the prison were also poisoned and so the relieving shifts of guards and staff never arrived.
We are making plans to relocate. Between the truck that keeps snooping around and the registered water well we have decided it is best to move. They will most likely check on the well again, looking for sources of good water. Thanks to Trigger's refusal to drink water from the stream, but eagerness to drink water from the well, we knew that the water in the well was fine. The radio says that scattered throughout the country there are pockets of death where whole towns have been killed. Yet there are other cities and towns which were not affected by Wormwood. We are blessed to have been in a safe zone. (Revelation 8:10-11)
Packed for a five day journey they headed off. The plan was for BM and his friend, whom I shall call “K” to go into the prison dressed as prison guards. K's cousin, who is the Warden, would have Pastor's wife brought to his office where he had paperwork to give them stating that she was being transferred to another prison unit. She would be taken from the prison in their custody. They would drive to a remote location and turn Pastor's wife over to David and Jonathan who would take her back safely to the Pad. No one in the prison system would know, except the Warden. The Warden was doing this favor for K in exchange for some property he had always wanted which had been in K's family for centuries.
Things did not go at all according to the plan. It was a long two day hike to the spot where they were to meet K and they left the Pad under the cover of darkness. Right after they left, there was an incredible meteor shower. It was unlike anything ever seen before on earth. Pastor said “Wormwood is here.” David, Jonathan, and BM walked all night. By the early morning light they could see what looked like patches of hailstones on the ground. Some places the patches were heavy and other places there was none at all. They believed that this hail was somehow connected with the meteor shower. The morning sun soon melted the patches of hail. It took another long day of hiking to arrive at the predetermined rendezvous point where they met K. They rested for a day and then BM and K headed for the prison. When they arrived there was no guard at the front counter. They waited a while and when there was no sign of anyone coming K climbed over the counter and walked toward the back. K returned and signaled BM to follow. A guard was lying on the floor dead. They took his keys and unlocked the door at the end of the hall. Inside they found more guards dead. They made their way to the Wardens office where they found him still in his chair also dead. Through the window they could see that there were many prisoners who were lying motionless on the ground in the courtyard. Others were sitting in small groups. K lead the way to the door that lead into the courtyard. They were greeted by those who had survived whatever had killed the rest. Pastor's wife was near the back of the group. K explained the reason for their being there and encouraged those who wanted to escape to leave. They told Pastor's wife that they had come for her and that her husband was waiting for her. She could not bare to leave two of her new found friends behind who had no place to go, so the five of them headed off. David and Jonathan led the way back to camp while BM and K went on their way.
It was day break when we saw a line of five figures come out of the woods and start across the meadow. We soon could recognize the leader was David followed by three women and Jonathan in the rear. Pastor and his wife embraced for the longest time while praising and thanking God for his mercy that endures forever.
We discovered later that the water at the prison had been poisoned by the hailstones which had melted and ran into the reservoirs from which the public water system got its water. Christians knew this was coming so they knew not to drink the water the day after the meteor shower hit. It would be two days before the prison would be found empty of prisoners, giving the escapees a good head start. You see, the off duty workers at the prison were also poisoned and so the relieving shifts of guards and staff never arrived.
We are making plans to relocate. Between the truck that keeps snooping around and the registered water well we have decided it is best to move. They will most likely check on the well again, looking for sources of good water. Thanks to Trigger's refusal to drink water from the stream, but eagerness to drink water from the well, we knew that the water in the well was fine. The radio says that scattered throughout the country there are pockets of death where whole towns have been killed. Yet there are other cities and towns which were not affected by Wormwood. We are blessed to have been in a safe zone. (Revelation 8:10-11)
No More Tuna
The grass in our meadow is beginning to sprout again. The leaves will not be back until spring. The radio says that this year winter will be very cold and hard due to the amount of ash in the air. Not much sunlight makes it through to warm things up. The radio has been a blessing. We don't go to town as often as before so our news comes from the radio and Bicycle Man. Yes, BM has been coming to see us every week and stays for a meal and Bible study. He brings groceries and most of all news. Due to the high activity of volcanoes there is a huge amount of Red Tide which has killed the fishing industry. Tuna fish is a luxury now and horded like gold. The tidal waves have devastated ports, destroying 1000's of ships and the docks along the water fronts. Sounds like the second trumpet has sounded for sure. The greatest news of all has raised our hopes. BM thinks his friend has found Pastor's wife. She is alive and in a women's prison. I say “thinks” because her name was found on the role of prisoners but it might be another woman with the same name. His Friend is going to find out for sure and let him know. Pastor cried uncontrollably at the news. His tears seemed to really affect BM and he is going to do all he can to get the news back to us as soon as possible. I walked BM back to the road where he confided in me that prisoners are not well treated. Due to earthquake damage they are kept in tents in a courtyard. Rumor has it that executions are prevalent and those who inquire about the welfare of inmates are often detained for long periods of time. When escapees are caught they are never brought back alive. Some of the ones who dare to inquire about prisoners have even come up missing themselves.
Our hunters, David and Jonathan, have taken on another important duty. They watch for intruders. There has been a truck seen repeatedly on the road near our camp. They saw it to our south and then on another day it was to our north. Our pad is not within sight of the road even with all the trees and underbrush now gone. We remain quiet and try not to bring any attention to ourselves. I am afraid that it was this truck that was sending out the wireless signal that my laptop picked up. I have not made that mistake again. I just hope that that one time was not enough to cause us a problem. David has been watching from the north and camping there at nights to keep his ears and eyes on the look out. Jonathan has been doing the same thing to the south. If there is trouble they will sound the alarm and we will follow our escape route to get away. We are talking about moving our location each night so we are never in the same place twice. It will be a lot of trouble but may be worth it. BM asked me what we would do if we had to run and relocate suddenly. Would it be possible for him to find us if that happened? I reassured him I would leave him a clue as to how to contact us.
We have been amazed that no one else has come to the rendezvous point. With all that's happening in the world you would think people would be coming to Christianity by the droves. I can now see how the rapture of the saints could go almost unnoticed by the world. True Christians have all gone into hiding. It's funny to think that we hid in plain sight before all this hit because we told virtually no one about our faith.
Our food stores are very low. God is blessing our hunters with game and occasional fruits and vegetables. They found some ribbon cane and we made some syrup out of it. That was a special treat. Pastor keeps getting sick. He is very weak and Shiphrah takes good care of him. We call our designated nurse/doctor Shiphrah after one of the midwives of Exodus 1:15. We have all taken on Bible nicknames. Mine is Ezra (the ready scribe) because I keep this journal of our experiences. Had these nicknames been handed out a year ago mine might have been Eglon (Judges 3:17) but that name would not fit any of us now. (Revelation 8:8)
Our hunters, David and Jonathan, have taken on another important duty. They watch for intruders. There has been a truck seen repeatedly on the road near our camp. They saw it to our south and then on another day it was to our north. Our pad is not within sight of the road even with all the trees and underbrush now gone. We remain quiet and try not to bring any attention to ourselves. I am afraid that it was this truck that was sending out the wireless signal that my laptop picked up. I have not made that mistake again. I just hope that that one time was not enough to cause us a problem. David has been watching from the north and camping there at nights to keep his ears and eyes on the look out. Jonathan has been doing the same thing to the south. If there is trouble they will sound the alarm and we will follow our escape route to get away. We are talking about moving our location each night so we are never in the same place twice. It will be a lot of trouble but may be worth it. BM asked me what we would do if we had to run and relocate suddenly. Would it be possible for him to find us if that happened? I reassured him I would leave him a clue as to how to contact us.
We have been amazed that no one else has come to the rendezvous point. With all that's happening in the world you would think people would be coming to Christianity by the droves. I can now see how the rapture of the saints could go almost unnoticed by the world. True Christians have all gone into hiding. It's funny to think that we hid in plain sight before all this hit because we told virtually no one about our faith.
Our food stores are very low. God is blessing our hunters with game and occasional fruits and vegetables. They found some ribbon cane and we made some syrup out of it. That was a special treat. Pastor keeps getting sick. He is very weak and Shiphrah takes good care of him. We call our designated nurse/doctor Shiphrah after one of the midwives of Exodus 1:15. We have all taken on Bible nicknames. Mine is Ezra (the ready scribe) because I keep this journal of our experiences. Had these nicknames been handed out a year ago mine might have been Eglon (Judges 3:17) but that name would not fit any of us now. (Revelation 8:8)
Friday
Fire Storm
Forewarned is forearmed. We knew the firestorm of the first trumpet was coming so we got as ready for it as we could. The radio said that fires are burning out of control in almost every State. The fire reached our clearing from the south side late one night. The smoke was the worst part. We had buried everything that could burn and we hid in our underground shelter which gave us some relief from the smoke. We felt bad for Trigger but there was no way we could dig a hole big enough to accommodate him and us. It was cool in the shelter and though the smell of smoke was great it was not visible in the shelter. Trigger seemed to be okay after it was all over. It took just three hours for the storm to move through. Daylight revealed that the larger trees near the creek and by the pond had survived. Our firewood pile was untouched, being with us near the center of the meadow. Having come through at night the chickens were in their roost and were not hurt, though two of them are missing. Bicycle Man had given us some large boxes of oatmeal and we sacrificed one of them for Trigger. He will not have much to eat until the grass sprouts back out. We praised the Lord because Trigger brought us to town on the strength of that one box of oats.
It is very dangerous to go to town. The authorities have their hands full with all the disasters that keep happening. They don't seem to have time to bother rooting out undesirable Christian “Cells.” We encountered Bicycle Man on our way into town. He has a friend who thinks he can find out what happened to Pastor's wife. This friend is a “C” like B. M. (who, by the way, did not like that I called him “BM” for short). This friend has a unique relationship with the powers that be and should be able, through his connections, to help us. A lot of homes were burned in town. Several business were also burned out. The landscape looks sad with everything charred. Food continues to be in short supply and our stores are running low. “Give us this day our daily bread” has taken on a whole new meaning now.
According to their blogs our children and their groups are doing well. They have had serious problems but have survived them by the grace of God. Our oldest and their group were betrayed and had to flee. A few of their group were caught. They have reason to believe that they have been executed. It has caused us all a bit of concern. If the disciples of Jesus did not have a clue about Judas how would we have one of a traitor in our midst. I will have to admit that Mark 13:12, a scripture that is prophetic of these last days, has caused me a couple of sleepless nights. Thank you Lord for sparing my children and grandchildren. You truly are our Rock and our Fortress.
Summer is gone and Pastor believes we have but one year left to endure. When we see Jesus we will sing and shout the victory. I am so excited to be living during these last days. Many have been saved and many have been martyred. The way we worship now is so much better than when our lives were normal. We truly live by faith and see the Glory of God every single day. God use to be only a part of our lives and now He is everything. Not a single moment goes by that I do not feel His presence and His working. His Spirit is within me and though I do not hear an audible voice nor do I hear voices in my head still He speaks to me clearly. I listen and follow His lead.
Hind sight is 20/20. I wish I had not been such a fool all my life. I wasted so much of my life with things. I truly hate the things of this world now. I just wish I had always done so. Regret is a powerful feeling. I regret my past life and form of religion. I am glad that I was saved at an early age but regret now that I did not love the LORD as I should have. If I could go back in time and give myself some advice it would be to stop striving for wealth and success and start focusing on loving the LORD with ALL your heart. Give of your BEST to the MASTER not what's left over. Seek FIRST the kingdom of God. Spend more time with family and friends and no time watching TV. The eight friends I live with now I know way more about than any friend I ever had before and I have only known most of them a year. God forgive me for not spending more time building relationships with others. My life before the tribulation was all about me. Now it is all about HIM.
It is very dangerous to go to town. The authorities have their hands full with all the disasters that keep happening. They don't seem to have time to bother rooting out undesirable Christian “Cells.” We encountered Bicycle Man on our way into town. He has a friend who thinks he can find out what happened to Pastor's wife. This friend is a “C” like B. M. (who, by the way, did not like that I called him “BM” for short). This friend has a unique relationship with the powers that be and should be able, through his connections, to help us. A lot of homes were burned in town. Several business were also burned out. The landscape looks sad with everything charred. Food continues to be in short supply and our stores are running low. “Give us this day our daily bread” has taken on a whole new meaning now.
According to their blogs our children and their groups are doing well. They have had serious problems but have survived them by the grace of God. Our oldest and their group were betrayed and had to flee. A few of their group were caught. They have reason to believe that they have been executed. It has caused us all a bit of concern. If the disciples of Jesus did not have a clue about Judas how would we have one of a traitor in our midst. I will have to admit that Mark 13:12, a scripture that is prophetic of these last days, has caused me a couple of sleepless nights. Thank you Lord for sparing my children and grandchildren. You truly are our Rock and our Fortress.
Summer is gone and Pastor believes we have but one year left to endure. When we see Jesus we will sing and shout the victory. I am so excited to be living during these last days. Many have been saved and many have been martyred. The way we worship now is so much better than when our lives were normal. We truly live by faith and see the Glory of God every single day. God use to be only a part of our lives and now He is everything. Not a single moment goes by that I do not feel His presence and His working. His Spirit is within me and though I do not hear an audible voice nor do I hear voices in my head still He speaks to me clearly. I listen and follow His lead.
Hind sight is 20/20. I wish I had not been such a fool all my life. I wasted so much of my life with things. I truly hate the things of this world now. I just wish I had always done so. Regret is a powerful feeling. I regret my past life and form of religion. I am glad that I was saved at an early age but regret now that I did not love the LORD as I should have. If I could go back in time and give myself some advice it would be to stop striving for wealth and success and start focusing on loving the LORD with ALL your heart. Give of your BEST to the MASTER not what's left over. Seek FIRST the kingdom of God. Spend more time with family and friends and no time watching TV. The eight friends I live with now I know way more about than any friend I ever had before and I have only known most of them a year. God forgive me for not spending more time building relationships with others. My life before the tribulation was all about me. Now it is all about HIM.
Saturday
Life Outside of Babylon
Life outside of “Babylon the Great” (Rev. 18:4) is not as bad as one might think. When God said for us to come out of her I must admit that we were full of doubt how we would be able to survive. What we found instead was a life which God intended for us to live all along. He said, “The just shall live by his faith,” and that is exactly how we live our lives now. I can remember the time that I thought loosing my health insurance coverage would be the end of the world. I laugh at that now. Pastor said, “We have the same health insurance that Abraham had and it's the best on earth. We have the same housing that Abraham had, the same hope as Abraham, and we look for the same city for which Abraham looked. We serve the same God which Abraham served.” So an outhouse is not such a bad thing; neither is sleeping in a tent. Eating as Abraham ate is actually healthy. Speaking of food we inherited fifteen chickens. That's a long story in itself but suffice it to say we built them a roost and they return to the nests we provided and so we each get an egg a day. Life is good outside of Babylon. We don't have to worry about paying bills or balancing a check book. Truly Caesar, and by that I mean the government of men, invented money and we are glad to have given it back to him. I have not had to file a tax return for three years now and that in itself is a big plus to life outside of Babylon.
The largest earthquake to ever hit the earth came at the Seventh Seal and It was tremendous indeed. Trigger warned us and laid down on the ground and we followed his lead and waited for it. We stayed down until he got up. Sometimes I think, though I know it surely can't be so, that Trigger is actually an angel in disguise. This quake was followed by one of the greatest storms I have ever experienced. We had everything tied down and were as ready for it as we could be. A lot of trees were downed and the lightning was non stop. Dozens of lightning bolts hit the trees and ground within our sight. It was awesome and terrifying. In spite of our best efforts we all got wet. Water ran into the tents by way of streams on the ground. The wind tore the seams in places allowing the rain to come in. There was nothing we could do but ride it out. We heard on the radio that every volcano and cinder cone on the earth is now active. They say that if they were all to erupt at once, it would be the end of our world. They don't expect that to happen but just a fourth of them going off at one time would drastically change life on earth. We know the outcome of these things so we are not worried as they are. After the storm passed and things dried up Pastor suggested we burn the grass in our meadow because of the coming fires of Revelation 8:7. “Let's keep the grass around our campsite and just burn the edges,” I said. Pastor patted me on the back and replied, “When the Bible says ALL it means ALL.” We started at our campsite and burned a big circle around us of about 300 feet in radius. We plan to go literally under ground to escape the coming smoke. We are digging a storm shelter in the ground and hope to have it ready for when the fire storm hits. We also have been storing up hay for Trigger, since the return of the grass will most likely be slow. Insects will flee to our little bare spot when the fire comes and the chickens should have a feast. I better sign off for now and get back to digging. Hope each of you are fairing well. No word yet from Pastor's wife. She has not been seen by anyone since Pastor was arrested. We stop by the rendezvous point every trip to town but so far no one else has joined us. We see Bicycle Man almost every week. He has not yet consented to visit us at the Pad but I think we are wearing him down. He gives us a couple of sacks of groceries and other items every time we see him. We now know where he lives and it may be safe enough for us to go there to visit some day. He is going to do some snooping around and try to find out something about Pastor's wife. We told him to be careful. It could be a trap. We get a WiFi signal at the pad now but we think it unwise to use it. I opened the laptop to compose a blog entry before heading for town and the signal showed up. I turned off my WiFi as quickly as I could and hoped it did not give our position away. (Revelation 8:1-7; 18:4)
The largest earthquake to ever hit the earth came at the Seventh Seal and It was tremendous indeed. Trigger warned us and laid down on the ground and we followed his lead and waited for it. We stayed down until he got up. Sometimes I think, though I know it surely can't be so, that Trigger is actually an angel in disguise. This quake was followed by one of the greatest storms I have ever experienced. We had everything tied down and were as ready for it as we could be. A lot of trees were downed and the lightning was non stop. Dozens of lightning bolts hit the trees and ground within our sight. It was awesome and terrifying. In spite of our best efforts we all got wet. Water ran into the tents by way of streams on the ground. The wind tore the seams in places allowing the rain to come in. There was nothing we could do but ride it out. We heard on the radio that every volcano and cinder cone on the earth is now active. They say that if they were all to erupt at once, it would be the end of our world. They don't expect that to happen but just a fourth of them going off at one time would drastically change life on earth. We know the outcome of these things so we are not worried as they are. After the storm passed and things dried up Pastor suggested we burn the grass in our meadow because of the coming fires of Revelation 8:7. “Let's keep the grass around our campsite and just burn the edges,” I said. Pastor patted me on the back and replied, “When the Bible says ALL it means ALL.” We started at our campsite and burned a big circle around us of about 300 feet in radius. We plan to go literally under ground to escape the coming smoke. We are digging a storm shelter in the ground and hope to have it ready for when the fire storm hits. We also have been storing up hay for Trigger, since the return of the grass will most likely be slow. Insects will flee to our little bare spot when the fire comes and the chickens should have a feast. I better sign off for now and get back to digging. Hope each of you are fairing well. No word yet from Pastor's wife. She has not been seen by anyone since Pastor was arrested. We stop by the rendezvous point every trip to town but so far no one else has joined us. We see Bicycle Man almost every week. He has not yet consented to visit us at the Pad but I think we are wearing him down. He gives us a couple of sacks of groceries and other items every time we see him. We now know where he lives and it may be safe enough for us to go there to visit some day. He is going to do some snooping around and try to find out something about Pastor's wife. We told him to be careful. It could be a trap. We get a WiFi signal at the pad now but we think it unwise to use it. I opened the laptop to compose a blog entry before heading for town and the signal showed up. I turned off my WiFi as quickly as I could and hoped it did not give our position away. (Revelation 8:1-7; 18:4)
Poke Salad Revival
We heard on the radio that the two witnesses, or prophets as the people in Israel are calling them, have caused a lot of Jews to believe that Jesus was and is their Messiah. They say there was a rally just outside the temple in Jerusalem and that there was a crowd of about 200,000 people there. So many that they filled the streets in all directions. AC is not happy about it and persecution of saints has been stepped up by FP. Since the time AC was shot in the head and recovered FP has been the one causing trouble. It use to be that we did not fear going to town for it seemed to be enough punishment for “S's” just to not be able to buy or sell. But now “S's” are seen as unpatriotic and rebels. They have taken to stopping people in public and asking to see the Mark. We still go to town to blog and talk to those who are trustworthy then head back as quickly as we can. On our last trip to town a man tried to follow us at a distance. We had Trigger take us off road across a pasture and then down through the middle of a creek for a good ways so as not to leave tracks. We stopped for about half an hour and waited to see if we had lost him and when we felt he was gone we took a long round about way to get back to the pad. We got lost a time or two but Trigger seems to have a good since of direction and got us home.
Yesterday when we had all gotten up and were about to get started on our daily chores we noticed that something was different. It seemed eerie that no wind was blowing and no birds were singing. It was as if all nature just stopped and stood in silence. We gathered up and had prayer together and Pastor read from the Bible about the seventh seal. He said the prayers of the saints have been heard so we should be ready for a great storm and another great earthquake. Nothing has happened so far and since it was our turn to go to town we chose to make a quick trip. Hopefully we will be home before the storms come. Trigger is good about warning us in advance of earthquakes and we all keep our eyes on him throughout the day. I mentioned chores earlier and these have been divided up by twos. Two gather firewood each day, two prepare the meals and clean up afterward, two fish and hunt for food, two tend to the garden, carry water, and make repairs on tents and tools, and Pastor, still weak and somewhat frail, studies and prays. They starved him in prison and kept him in solitary confinement and he, even now, does not eat much and seems to avoid being indoors as much as possible. I feel he is grieving the loss of his wife. We still pray she will turn up okay.
We have been blessed with food lately and are eating a little more than before. David and Jonathan (not their real names), the two hunters in our group, using very primitive weapons and snares have been able to provide us with ducks, squirrels, fish, doves, and quail. They even found some Poke Salad which Mary and Martha (not their real names), our cooks, boiled thrice according to southern tradition to dilute the toxins. The part I have not enjoyed about wilderness living is bathing only once a week in a #3 wash tub in only slightly warm water. We have an out house which is not very pleasant but workable. The problem with it is that we have to stand it back up after every serious earthquake. The well has water in it again but we treat it before drinking. The sky is growing dark; looks like the storms are coming. (Revelation 7:1-17; 8:1-6)
Yesterday when we had all gotten up and were about to get started on our daily chores we noticed that something was different. It seemed eerie that no wind was blowing and no birds were singing. It was as if all nature just stopped and stood in silence. We gathered up and had prayer together and Pastor read from the Bible about the seventh seal. He said the prayers of the saints have been heard so we should be ready for a great storm and another great earthquake. Nothing has happened so far and since it was our turn to go to town we chose to make a quick trip. Hopefully we will be home before the storms come. Trigger is good about warning us in advance of earthquakes and we all keep our eyes on him throughout the day. I mentioned chores earlier and these have been divided up by twos. Two gather firewood each day, two prepare the meals and clean up afterward, two fish and hunt for food, two tend to the garden, carry water, and make repairs on tents and tools, and Pastor, still weak and somewhat frail, studies and prays. They starved him in prison and kept him in solitary confinement and he, even now, does not eat much and seems to avoid being indoors as much as possible. I feel he is grieving the loss of his wife. We still pray she will turn up okay.
We have been blessed with food lately and are eating a little more than before. David and Jonathan (not their real names), the two hunters in our group, using very primitive weapons and snares have been able to provide us with ducks, squirrels, fish, doves, and quail. They even found some Poke Salad which Mary and Martha (not their real names), our cooks, boiled thrice according to southern tradition to dilute the toxins. The part I have not enjoyed about wilderness living is bathing only once a week in a #3 wash tub in only slightly warm water. We have an out house which is not very pleasant but workable. The problem with it is that we have to stand it back up after every serious earthquake. The well has water in it again but we treat it before drinking. The sky is growing dark; looks like the storms are coming. (Revelation 7:1-17; 8:1-6)
The Help of a Sheep
Our children are doing well. They have been blessed and though life is tough for them they are surviving. Where they live I can not reveal but they have made very good choices and I thank God for that. We miss seeing them and the grandchildren but we will see them soon.
All is well at the Pad. There are still just nine of us and I will not tell on this blog who they are nor much about them. They are all good people and a mix of young and old. We take turns coming to town and checking on things. When it is our turn I post my blog when I can get an Internet connection. That is becoming increasingly difficult.
One day last week as we were returning to the Pad we met a man who was resting on the side of the road. He had been to town and was on his way home. He was not an “M” and usually if a person is not an “M” by now he is not going to be. We talked to him about the Lord and he said “My jury is still out on all of that.” He had some large sacks on either end of a pole that he had been carrying. He opened the sacks up and began to pile cans and bags of various foods on the ground. He took a plastic sack out of his pocket and filled it with the items he had placed on the ground. The items included rice, dried beans, macaroni, peanut butter, a couple of cans of fruit, crackers, and some canned meats. He handed the sack to us and said "Here take this." We accepted it reluctantly until he explained that he had plenty. “Where did you get all of this,” we asked. “Well,” he replied, “I have a skill that few have and so the “M's” (not his word but ours) need me and are willing to pay me with whatever I ask. So I fix things for them and they give me whatever is on my list. I have all that I need and like to share with people I meet.” It seems the “M's” put up with him and, though I dare not reveal his skill and connections, God truly has blessed him. Words were not enough but we thanked him as sincerely as we could. Everyone was excited to see the goodies we brought. It was enough food to last us a week at the rate we have been rationing. Pastor suggested we have a feast and so double portions were prepared for our noon meal. The picture is of the pot of beans and rice with a can of corn beef mixed in cooking over the fire. It was wonderful. They say the best seasoning for food is hunger and this tasted outstanding. I have asked Pastor what he thinks about inviting the benefactor of our feast to the Pad and he thinks it would be okay. I think this man is a “C” for sure and maybe we can help him to become an “S.” Pastor has a way with the Word and the Holy Spirit sure seems to work overtime when he preaches, so if we see this man again we will invite him to join us. Oh, by the way, his bicycle was being repaired and, yes, it was the one we had seen from half a mile away. (Matthew 25:33-40; Revelation 7:14-17)
All is well at the Pad. There are still just nine of us and I will not tell on this blog who they are nor much about them. They are all good people and a mix of young and old. We take turns coming to town and checking on things. When it is our turn I post my blog when I can get an Internet connection. That is becoming increasingly difficult.
One day last week as we were returning to the Pad we met a man who was resting on the side of the road. He had been to town and was on his way home. He was not an “M” and usually if a person is not an “M” by now he is not going to be. We talked to him about the Lord and he said “My jury is still out on all of that.” He had some large sacks on either end of a pole that he had been carrying. He opened the sacks up and began to pile cans and bags of various foods on the ground. He took a plastic sack out of his pocket and filled it with the items he had placed on the ground. The items included rice, dried beans, macaroni, peanut butter, a couple of cans of fruit, crackers, and some canned meats. He handed the sack to us and said "Here take this." We accepted it reluctantly until he explained that he had plenty. “Where did you get all of this,” we asked. “Well,” he replied, “I have a skill that few have and so the “M's” (not his word but ours) need me and are willing to pay me with whatever I ask. So I fix things for them and they give me whatever is on my list. I have all that I need and like to share with people I meet.” It seems the “M's” put up with him and, though I dare not reveal his skill and connections, God truly has blessed him. Words were not enough but we thanked him as sincerely as we could. Everyone was excited to see the goodies we brought. It was enough food to last us a week at the rate we have been rationing. Pastor suggested we have a feast and so double portions were prepared for our noon meal. The picture is of the pot of beans and rice with a can of corn beef mixed in cooking over the fire. It was wonderful. They say the best seasoning for food is hunger and this tasted outstanding. I have asked Pastor what he thinks about inviting the benefactor of our feast to the Pad and he thinks it would be okay. I think this man is a “C” for sure and maybe we can help him to become an “S.” Pastor has a way with the Word and the Holy Spirit sure seems to work overtime when he preaches, so if we see this man again we will invite him to join us. Oh, by the way, his bicycle was being repaired and, yes, it was the one we had seen from half a mile away. (Matthew 25:33-40; Revelation 7:14-17)
Friday
Oh Happy Day
He said it felt like Paul and Silas. The quake hit and the prison walls came tumbling down. His prison cell was open and the guards were all dead. He walked out and, like Peter set free by the angel, he headed into town. That's right Pastor is alive and though very weak he is doing well. He was waiting at the Rendezvous with six other people. They had found him laying exhausted on the side of the road. After finding our fish box they had been unable to figure out the riddle so after nursing Pastor back to health he told them what they must do to be saved. “Being saved”, he told them, “is more important than figuring out a riddle.” “Be saved” said he, “and you'll understand the riddle.” So taking the Bible in hand he showed them the way to righteousness. They all fell to their knees and begged God to have mercy on their souls. Assured by Romans 10:13 they arose with tear filled eyes and likened to have hugged pastor to death. “Don't thank me” Pastor said, “Give God the glory.” Pastor handed the paper containing the riddle back to them and said “Now read it again.” They did and then their faces lit up and with Pastor in tow they knew right where to go.
When we saw Pastor in the group through the binoculars we were overwhelmed with joy. Without any hesitation we rode Trigger as fast as he would carry us to meet them. We embraced them all and sat together to hear their story. We got control of our emotions and then, almost like Christ's triumphal entry, we put Pastor on Trigger and led him to the Pad, like a parade, singing God's praises with great joy. Pastor does not know where his wife is. No one seems to know but we will try in the coming weeks to find her or at least what has become of her.
We have church every day with just the nine of us. It's how we start and end each day. I have never been to more sincere worship services in all my life. We study the Bible as if cramming for a final exam. It's like we don't want to be embarrassed when we meet the Lord, having spent our lives in church and not knowing any more than we do about His Holy Word. We play this game kind of like charades where you have to get the others to guess a secret word or phrase and the only words that can come out of your mouth are quotes from scriptures. The ones who win this game are those who have memorized the most scriptures.
When we saw Pastor in the group through the binoculars we were overwhelmed with joy. Without any hesitation we rode Trigger as fast as he would carry us to meet them. We embraced them all and sat together to hear their story. We got control of our emotions and then, almost like Christ's triumphal entry, we put Pastor on Trigger and led him to the Pad, like a parade, singing God's praises with great joy. Pastor does not know where his wife is. No one seems to know but we will try in the coming weeks to find her or at least what has become of her.
We have church every day with just the nine of us. It's how we start and end each day. I have never been to more sincere worship services in all my life. We study the Bible as if cramming for a final exam. It's like we don't want to be embarrassed when we meet the Lord, having spent our lives in church and not knowing any more than we do about His Holy Word. We play this game kind of like charades where you have to get the others to guess a secret word or phrase and the only words that can come out of your mouth are quotes from scriptures. The ones who win this game are those who have memorized the most scriptures.
One of the six people who have joined us at the Pad can actually play the guitar. She is teaching me and I have been doing it all wrong. Music, worship, games, and work keep our minds off of our empty stomachs. We are rationing the food and we each try to reverse cheat by eating less than our fair share to leave more for the others. Misery loves company, they say, and something about our love for God has made us love each other supremely. There are two of us who have “extra” weight on our frames. We joke as we skip meals that we are dieting to be slim and trim as the rest. We are filtering water out of the creek and a near by pond for drinking water. Up to this point we had not needed our water filters and bleach. Each filter is good for about 50 gallons of water and we should be all set for drinking water. The garden we have planted lacks enough sunlight to flourish but it looks like we will have at least a meager harvest. Pastor believes that the rapture is about a year and a half away. I am praying the Lord will help us make it to end.
Saturday
The Big One
Trigger warned us of the Big One about 30 minutes before it hit. We had noticed that before any of the mild earthquakes, such as we get weekly, he would act a little strange. Well this time he went berserk. We knew that the sixth seal would be the biggest earthquake to ever hit the earth so we knew this must be it. We rushed into the Pad and drug out what was left of our supplies. We drew up water and got all our containers full. We took down the tent and packed everything away. We moved out into the open field and laid down. Trigger followed us and paced back and forth and round and round. When he stopped and seemed to suddenly brace himself we embraced each other and started to pray. It hit with incredible force. The Pad collapsed immediately and completely. We were rocked violently back and forth and had we been on our feet would not have been for long. The food barrels fell over and began to roll three feet one way and then three the other. Trigger fell over onto his side and was sliding back and forth on the damp grass. It lasted for about 30 minutes. When the shaking stopped we remained down knowing after shocks would come and they did. All day we spent in that field under a cloudy sky enduring the after shocks. We snacked between quakes and decided to set our tent up out in the open away from trees even though they had shed most of their limbs due to the shaking.
We have come to town to blog and to check on things after the quake. Horse back, or major 4 wheel drive, is the best way to travel right now. We have waited these two weeks to let things settle down. The sky is always dark and the sun can barely be seen during the day. The radio said that seven major volcanoes erupted at the same time when the quake hit. Air planes are having to fly at very low altitudes because of the ash in the upper atmosphere.
We are not currently afraid of people and of going to town for there are not many people left anyway. We go to town and see about things and talk to friends whether they are “S's” or not. We are not outspoken about our faith but we are not silent either. We don't feel persecuted so much but our move to the Pad was a form of self protection. Town was about what we expected. All houses and buildings were severely damaged and some completely. In two weeks they have cleared the roads and put up a lot of temporary shelters. We were surprised that the stores have reopened and the electricity was back on. We did have a hard time finding Internet access and have had to drop our guard a bit just to get this blog posted. There are water trucks available for drinking water and most people are still without running water to which we say “welcome to the club.” People were being asked to show the Mark to get water from the truck so we stayed away. We are headed to the rendezvous point for surely this quake has made believers out of some. We went to where we could see our old house and it was in shambles. I'll let you know next time what we found at the rendezvous. God blessed us with a sack of groceries today. Someone on an overloaded bicycle dropped it and rode off without it. We saw this from a half mile away. When we got to it he was long gone. We thanked God for it and asked Him to bless the one who lost it. (Revelation 6:12-17)
We have come to town to blog and to check on things after the quake. Horse back, or major 4 wheel drive, is the best way to travel right now. We have waited these two weeks to let things settle down. The sky is always dark and the sun can barely be seen during the day. The radio said that seven major volcanoes erupted at the same time when the quake hit. Air planes are having to fly at very low altitudes because of the ash in the upper atmosphere.
We are not currently afraid of people and of going to town for there are not many people left anyway. We go to town and see about things and talk to friends whether they are “S's” or not. We are not outspoken about our faith but we are not silent either. We don't feel persecuted so much but our move to the Pad was a form of self protection. Town was about what we expected. All houses and buildings were severely damaged and some completely. In two weeks they have cleared the roads and put up a lot of temporary shelters. We were surprised that the stores have reopened and the electricity was back on. We did have a hard time finding Internet access and have had to drop our guard a bit just to get this blog posted. There are water trucks available for drinking water and most people are still without running water to which we say “welcome to the club.” People were being asked to show the Mark to get water from the truck so we stayed away. We are headed to the rendezvous point for surely this quake has made believers out of some. We went to where we could see our old house and it was in shambles. I'll let you know next time what we found at the rendezvous. God blessed us with a sack of groceries today. Someone on an overloaded bicycle dropped it and rode off without it. We saw this from a half mile away. When we got to it he was long gone. We thanked God for it and asked Him to bless the one who lost it. (Revelation 6:12-17)
Trigger
He walked up in the middle of the night and liked to have scared us to death. We call him Trigger. We were awakened about 2:00 in the morning with the sound of a horse. We could tell he was close by and our fear was not of him but of his rider. Well when I crawled out of the tent to take a look he had no rider. He was saddled but riderless. When it was daylight we looked him over and determined that he had had that saddle and bridle on for quite a while and when I removed them he seemed so happy. He took off for the creek and took a long drink of water and stayed there eating grass for the rest of the day. Each night he comes back to within about 100 feet of our tent and just hangs around. He is very gentle and friendly. He seems to like attention. After a few weeks of his hanging around and his saddle sores healed I put a blanket and the bridle on him and led him to a place where I could climb onto his back and he took me for a ride. I know nothing at all about horses but when I said whoa he stopped right away. My wife and I rode him to within about two miles of town and released him. After checking on things in town and blogging we headed back to the Pad expecting that Trigger would be gone. He was right where we left him and he gave us a ride back home. He can walk so much faster than we can. He is truly a blessing. We shower him with attention and he loves every minute of it. At night he seems to like to hang near us and does not seem to mind my poor guitar playing.
The “Mark” is officially here and most have it on their right hand and very few on the forehead. It is cold out so we can hide our right hands with gloves for now. We check on our friends and visit the nursing home while in town. Pastor and his wife are gone and no one knows where. We heard that they were arrested but that is just a rumor that we can not confirm. One of our friends told us that the police raided the home of one of the other pastors in town and they got onto his computer and found illegal pictures of kids on it. These were most likely downloaded to his computer by a virus he got from the Internet. I bet you can guess the source of the virus. They will do anything to get “S” leaders discredited and out of influence. There are many “S's” missing and we fear that they have been secretly executed. There is much fear and no one asks questions fearing the same fate.
No one, as yet, has shown up at our rendezvous point needing our help. With “M's” being very apparent now and all means of buying and selling controlled by FP's new law we will check the point every week. All of our children have already been joined by some and they expect to have to start turning people away soon. We must strictly abide by the protocol for safely helping others else we put ourselves in danger which might end our helping anyone. If these disappearances are the fifth seal then the sixth will soon be opened and the biggest earthquake ever is about to hit the whole world.
We live each moment as if it were our last. Just like we never expect Trigger to stay, we return to the Pad expecting that all our food stores and supplies will be gone. We have our backpacks with us at all times and can flee at a moments notice. We are ready for the big one. The well may cave in and the Pad may collapse but we will be okay. (Rev. 13:11-18; Rev. 6:9-17)
The “Mark” is officially here and most have it on their right hand and very few on the forehead. It is cold out so we can hide our right hands with gloves for now. We check on our friends and visit the nursing home while in town. Pastor and his wife are gone and no one knows where. We heard that they were arrested but that is just a rumor that we can not confirm. One of our friends told us that the police raided the home of one of the other pastors in town and they got onto his computer and found illegal pictures of kids on it. These were most likely downloaded to his computer by a virus he got from the Internet. I bet you can guess the source of the virus. They will do anything to get “S” leaders discredited and out of influence. There are many “S's” missing and we fear that they have been secretly executed. There is much fear and no one asks questions fearing the same fate.
No one, as yet, has shown up at our rendezvous point needing our help. With “M's” being very apparent now and all means of buying and selling controlled by FP's new law we will check the point every week. All of our children have already been joined by some and they expect to have to start turning people away soon. We must strictly abide by the protocol for safely helping others else we put ourselves in danger which might end our helping anyone. If these disappearances are the fifth seal then the sixth will soon be opened and the biggest earthquake ever is about to hit the whole world.
We live each moment as if it were our last. Just like we never expect Trigger to stay, we return to the Pad expecting that all our food stores and supplies will be gone. We have our backpacks with us at all times and can flee at a moments notice. We are ready for the big one. The well may cave in and the Pad may collapse but we will be okay. (Rev. 13:11-18; Rev. 6:9-17)
They Found the Well
This picture is of what we call our Microwave Oven. It is our alcohol stove and we consider it a luxury item and use it sparingly because we have very little fuel for it. It is good to set it outside our tent door to heat water for a hot drink when it is cold and raining.
I have a friend that I have always felt was a “C” and it turned out that he was except now he's an “S.” His name is Frank and he found a way to get on the Internet more securely than ever. I cannot give it away here but it definitely works. Frank always was a geek.
Life at the Pad has been interesting. The nights are cold this time of year but we stay warm enough in the tent. Hurricane season is finally over and we have collected as many containers of rain water as we could for later use. Which reminds me, the well was registered after all and a man in a State vehicle carrying a GPS came and looked at it. I can't help but believe that he knows that it has been used lately, though we try to leave no evidence on the surface of it. He shined a mirror down the well and then replaced the makeshift cover. He tagged the well with a danger ribbon which will be difficult to get around. The well water stays a little cloudy due to the earthquakes but seems to be alright.
We are awakened frequently by earthquakes and our tent is covered with duct tape patches. The Pad is well disguised and looks completely untouched. The well man did not even attempt to look inside. Our food is safe from animals and the weather. The porch roof has fallen down now making it look even worse than it did. We do not enter it by the doors but through some loose boards on one of the sides.
We spend our evenings after dark sitting around a small fire. The smoke can not be seen at night and we are to far from civilization for it to be smelled by humans. I am learning to play the guitar which my children gave me long ago and I never had time to learn to play it. I have nothing but time now and will trade it in for a harp soon. I enjoy hearing my wife sing as I play. The radio is still working and at night we get a different channel than during the day. They are reporting that there is peace in the middle east but we know that when they say “peace, peace” then sudden destruction comes. That peace will not last. Christians are being condemned by the news media or at least shown in a bad light. We are seen as pessimists and dooms day freaks when quite the opposite is true. Things are about to get a whole lot better than they have ever been. We spend our days listening to the news, reading the Bible, praying, and watching the eastern sky.
I have a theory about that coyote attack a few weeks ago. I think it was the Lord letting us know that the fourth seal had been opened. We have seen other wild animals but none of these came near us. God is looking out for us. Another hunter came by within 100 feet of our tent and did not notice us. We ration our water and food and try to get by with as little as possible.
According to our children's blogs they are doing well. On our trip into town to blog we went by our pastor's house and he was not home. We went by the church and he was not there. I hope he is doing alright. He is very outspoken and will not hide but is constantly preaching to people all over town. Mostly people just ignore him or mock him. We heard he was arrested and released last week. They say he is disturbing the peace and being a public nuisance. One of our friends, a “C” who lives a few houses down from us said that Pastor was meeting at different homes with different small groups for Bible study. The church building looks sad standing vacant and the yard unkept. I am hearing rumors that some Christian leaders are missing and no one knows what happened to them. Could it be the fifth seal has been opened? We will pray for safety for AC will make war on the saints and will overcome them. Christians are the only ones who know about and read Revelations and with them out of the way no one will be hearing what the Bible says about what is coming. (Revelation 6:9-11)
The Beasts of the Earth.
We were attacked by a coyote yesterday. We had gone to the Pad to drop off a load and when I saw him come through the door I grabbed the shovel and charged at him. He was suppose to be afraid and run away but instead he lunged at me and I caught him in mid-flight with a blow from the shovel. It stunned him enough that I got in a second hit to the head and killed him. I would have normally thought he was rabid but all of the news I have seen lately indicates that wildlife attacks on humans have dramatically increased due to the shortage of food even in the wild. I have a shotgun but am afraid to use it. I do not want to draw attention to our Pad.
I almost hate to pick up the ear piece to the foxhole radio anymore since the news seems to always be bad. I never dreamed that here in the USA people would be dying by the thousands from hunger. People are killing one another in food lines and the riots are killing more than the wars did. Tomorrow we will move permanently to the Pad. AC will be in complete control soon so the time is right to get out of here. We plan to leave everything in the house, as is, including some food in the pantry, and leave the car, (it has not been of much use to us anyway), in the driveway. The food left behind will help others and will throw off suspicion concerning our flight. They will think we are among the many who are missing from one of the many earthquake collapses. Our next door neighbor has been missing for a month now and his house has been looted. We will put our backpacks on and take off about 2:00 in the morning which will get us out of town unnoticed. It will take us three days to get to the Pad on foot. (I am so glad I took up the sport of hiking!) We will depend on the Lord to protect us from harm. I fear robbers more than animal attacks. I don't mind killing an attacking animal but just can't bring myself to kill someone who is hungry and just wanting our food.
Our health has been good and we have not fallen prey to the pandemic. It has been cool and raining since Victor came through. The Pad has survived the three hurricanes very well. It will be perfect hiking weather. Jesus said “pray that your flight be not in the winter...” and He has answered our prayers. We get to choose when to flee but the Jews have no Idea what is about to hit them. They think AC is their friend but he certainly is not. It will be more difficult to blog after the move. I will compose my blog entries ahead of time and then my connection to the Internet will only last a few minutes at the hot spot. It's the long walk to the hot spot that I dread. I will copy and paste your blogs and read them later so that I will not be online long. Thanks for sharing your experiences. They have been a big help. T.J.'s modified car was a brilliant idea.
I thank God that He revealed in His Holy Word how long this is going to last. Knowing how long has helped us to prepare. These are exciting times. I could not help but pause and watch a backyard wedding last week. People have adapted to hard times and chaos. They have chosen to go on with life as usual and seem very content to go about their daily lives not knowing what is about to befall the earth. Kind of sounds like those in the days of Noah.
I was asked about our children and want to let you know that they are fine and better prepared than we are. The grandkids, mostly the younger ones, are excited about their new homes and just love camping out. It all seems like a fun game to them. They trust their parents to take care of them so they have no worries. I trust the Lord to take care of us and our children and so I have no worries. The picture I have posted here is one I found on the Internet of a foxhole radio and is easy to make.
(Matthew 24:15-22; Revelation 6:7-8; 13:5; Luke 17:26-27)
I almost hate to pick up the ear piece to the foxhole radio anymore since the news seems to always be bad. I never dreamed that here in the USA people would be dying by the thousands from hunger. People are killing one another in food lines and the riots are killing more than the wars did. Tomorrow we will move permanently to the Pad. AC will be in complete control soon so the time is right to get out of here. We plan to leave everything in the house, as is, including some food in the pantry, and leave the car, (it has not been of much use to us anyway), in the driveway. The food left behind will help others and will throw off suspicion concerning our flight. They will think we are among the many who are missing from one of the many earthquake collapses. Our next door neighbor has been missing for a month now and his house has been looted. We will put our backpacks on and take off about 2:00 in the morning which will get us out of town unnoticed. It will take us three days to get to the Pad on foot. (I am so glad I took up the sport of hiking!) We will depend on the Lord to protect us from harm. I fear robbers more than animal attacks. I don't mind killing an attacking animal but just can't bring myself to kill someone who is hungry and just wanting our food.
Our health has been good and we have not fallen prey to the pandemic. It has been cool and raining since Victor came through. The Pad has survived the three hurricanes very well. It will be perfect hiking weather. Jesus said “pray that your flight be not in the winter...” and He has answered our prayers. We get to choose when to flee but the Jews have no Idea what is about to hit them. They think AC is their friend but he certainly is not. It will be more difficult to blog after the move. I will compose my blog entries ahead of time and then my connection to the Internet will only last a few minutes at the hot spot. It's the long walk to the hot spot that I dread. I will copy and paste your blogs and read them later so that I will not be online long. Thanks for sharing your experiences. They have been a big help. T.J.'s modified car was a brilliant idea.
I thank God that He revealed in His Holy Word how long this is going to last. Knowing how long has helped us to prepare. These are exciting times. I could not help but pause and watch a backyard wedding last week. People have adapted to hard times and chaos. They have chosen to go on with life as usual and seem very content to go about their daily lives not knowing what is about to befall the earth. Kind of sounds like those in the days of Noah.
I was asked about our children and want to let you know that they are fine and better prepared than we are. The grandkids, mostly the younger ones, are excited about their new homes and just love camping out. It all seems like a fun game to them. They trust their parents to take care of them so they have no worries. I trust the Lord to take care of us and our children and so I have no worries. The picture I have posted here is one I found on the Internet of a foxhole radio and is easy to make.
(Matthew 24:15-22; Revelation 6:7-8; 13:5; Luke 17:26-27)
Fish Box
I have been trying to warn as many as I can about the coming of the Lord but most just will not listen. Many have forsaken church services because of fear. I have taken to giving people the facts and then just leaving it with them. I feel like Jonah running around Nineveh giving people just the facts. If they are C's they will believe and be all right and if they are M's persistent argument will not change their minds. Real S's are easy to spot now and that is both good and bad I suppose. Good in that you know who you can trust and bad because the M's can spot us also. Love for family may be our undoing according to Matt. 10:36. We love our family and do not want to see them condemned but that love may be turned against us. We want to be a witness as long as we can but at some point when our witness keeps falling on deaf ears we will flee. We have a plan in place for those who want a second chance. If after we have gone into hiding they want our help they can follow the instructions that we leave behind and these instructions will protect us and them.
We went to the Pad and found tracks there which were not made by us. Nothing was disturbed and the house had not been entered. We know this because our indicators had not been disturbed. I think it may have been some hunters. With the food shortages there are more hunters than ever. We took some extra clothes and blankets getting ready for the move. I expect by the next time I blog we will be officially in hiding.
Earthquakes continue to be a problem and hurricane Shawn is about to make life even more miserable for us. The roof at the Pad leaks a bit and will not stand much wind. The shelves at the stores continue to be empty and highway robbery is on the increase. Trucks have to be guarded on route and loading docks have armed security. The national guard have their hands full watching farm land and food processing centers. We made a recording for those we leave behind when the Lord comes for us. It tells them what to do to be saved and how to prepare for the wrath to come. M's will not be looking for us or for answers but C's will be and that is why we have left them the “fish” box.
We went to the Pad and found tracks there which were not made by us. Nothing was disturbed and the house had not been entered. We know this because our indicators had not been disturbed. I think it may have been some hunters. With the food shortages there are more hunters than ever. We took some extra clothes and blankets getting ready for the move. I expect by the next time I blog we will be officially in hiding.
Earthquakes continue to be a problem and hurricane Shawn is about to make life even more miserable for us. The roof at the Pad leaks a bit and will not stand much wind. The shelves at the stores continue to be empty and highway robbery is on the increase. Trucks have to be guarded on route and loading docks have armed security. The national guard have their hands full watching farm land and food processing centers. We made a recording for those we leave behind when the Lord comes for us. It tells them what to do to be saved and how to prepare for the wrath to come. M's will not be looking for us or for answers but C's will be and that is why we have left them the “fish” box.
Tribman: Government Registration
A few years ago our state government sent out a form requesting all land owners to report the location of all wells on their property. The reason for this request sounded good and so I sent mine in. My fear is that the well at the Pad has been registered with the State as abandoned and eventually someone will be sent to see if it has been filled in or not. Looking for the well they might find our stores and steal or report them. I am going to try and find out if it has been registered to set my mind at ease. I may move some of our supplies to another location just in case.
The news media and the government have begun condemning the hording of food. It seems the rich are not concerned about the prices and buy up all they can. The government is putting limits on how much each family can buy. It is too late now to store up supplies so what we have now will have to do. Rationing and terrorist tracking will be the two biggest reasons given for allowing the government to control our ability to buy and sell. People in a panic will give up their freedoms for safety and security. You will not be able to cheat the system. I wish I had listened to you guys and not lost that first six months.
Time is passing quickly. We are now in the second year and the 3rd seal has been opened and the fourth is coming very soon. I see now that our Pastor was right. Each seal prepares the way for the next. The wars (2nd seal) led to famine and inflation. Famine and inflation (3rd seal) will lead to diseases and violence and so on.
They had the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem a month or so ago and the Jewish people are back to offering sacrifices. There has been little in the news about it due to the coverage of the economy and food shortages. Life goes on with business as usual for almost everyone. They have no idea what is about to happen. People just don't want to think about the possibility that the Bible is right. Church attendance has begun to dwindle. I thought that there would be a great revival due to these events being so obviously apocalyptic but the new has worn off and we are back to the faithful few. Pastor said it would be so but I just did not want to believe it. People are in a panic over the food shortages and hatred for those who were prepared for it is growing. We are eating only enough to get by and are loosing a pound or so a week. I can stand the weight loss but my wife can not. Someone broke into our home this week and ransacked the place. Very little was taken so I think they were just probing. They may have thought because we are Christians that we had a lot of food stored up. I am sure they will go back to tell their friends that we are no better off than they. We go to the Pad every other week and pick up a few jars and some dehydrated foods. We sure miss fresh milk, powdered is just not the same. I mentioned in my last blog that when the shortages start we would move but as long as we have electricity and water here we will stay.
These are exciting times. Margaret and Frank both got saved this week, Hallelujah! Just think, the Lord will soon be here!
(Revelation 6:5-6; Revelation 13:17; Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3)
The news media and the government have begun condemning the hording of food. It seems the rich are not concerned about the prices and buy up all they can. The government is putting limits on how much each family can buy. It is too late now to store up supplies so what we have now will have to do. Rationing and terrorist tracking will be the two biggest reasons given for allowing the government to control our ability to buy and sell. People in a panic will give up their freedoms for safety and security. You will not be able to cheat the system. I wish I had listened to you guys and not lost that first six months.
Time is passing quickly. We are now in the second year and the 3rd seal has been opened and the fourth is coming very soon. I see now that our Pastor was right. Each seal prepares the way for the next. The wars (2nd seal) led to famine and inflation. Famine and inflation (3rd seal) will lead to diseases and violence and so on.
They had the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem a month or so ago and the Jewish people are back to offering sacrifices. There has been little in the news about it due to the coverage of the economy and food shortages. Life goes on with business as usual for almost everyone. They have no idea what is about to happen. People just don't want to think about the possibility that the Bible is right. Church attendance has begun to dwindle. I thought that there would be a great revival due to these events being so obviously apocalyptic but the new has worn off and we are back to the faithful few. Pastor said it would be so but I just did not want to believe it. People are in a panic over the food shortages and hatred for those who were prepared for it is growing. We are eating only enough to get by and are loosing a pound or so a week. I can stand the weight loss but my wife can not. Someone broke into our home this week and ransacked the place. Very little was taken so I think they were just probing. They may have thought because we are Christians that we had a lot of food stored up. I am sure they will go back to tell their friends that we are no better off than they. We go to the Pad every other week and pick up a few jars and some dehydrated foods. We sure miss fresh milk, powdered is just not the same. I mentioned in my last blog that when the shortages start we would move but as long as we have electricity and water here we will stay.
These are exciting times. Margaret and Frank both got saved this week, Hallelujah! Just think, the Lord will soon be here!
(Revelation 6:5-6; Revelation 13:17; Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3)
Tribman: "Guns or Butter"
It has been 3 weeks and I have resigned myself to the fact that there is no way I am going to be able to blog every week. Bloging must take a back seat to more pressing matters. There are so many that I need to visit to help them understand the urgency of preparing for the coming of the LORD. I am starting to evaluate people and categorize them as C's, M's, and S's. Most, unfortunately, are M's, C's come in second and S's are dead last.
The second seal has been opened and I had no idea that there could be so many wars going on at once. That is all that is on the news lately. The US is broken financially and has had to pull most of her military back home, closing most foreign bases. There is a heavy concentration of troops on the border with Mexico and it is looking like we may intervene in that war. I have been watching the news and it looks as though a nuclear strike may be imminent. The world is crying out for some solution to these violent world wide wars and AC is poised to end them quickly but at a great human cost. Countries are spending millions on war and the “guns or butter” economic models are not looking too good. This is going to set us up for the third seal with its scarcity of food and runaway inflation. I am so glad this is only going to last another 6 years.
I am doing all I can, as I am sure each of you are, to store up dry goods against that day. Dried beans, rice, pasta, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cream of wheat, oatmeal, vegetable oil, and dried fruit are cheap and available right now but not for long. I have purchased as many freeze dried meals as I could get my hands on and my wife has been caning as many jars of food as she can. Our dehydrator is running round the clock. We make weekly trips, being sure to stick with the protocol, to the pad to unload supplies. We found 3 metal 55 gallon drums with removable lids. These make excellent rodent proof storage for our food. We are trying to store up enough for us and as many as we can help. Food lines are coming so be ready.
It took all morning to prepare the old well at the pad. I used the device shown in the picture to clean out the gunk from the bottom of the well. It is 40 feet deep and we had to use a bucket and rope to dip as much water out as we could. I measured the depth and diameter of the water in the well and came up with how many gallons of water it contained. I poured in a cup of bleach and will let that set for a week or two before spending another half day or so bailing it out again. This should make the water safe for drinking. That well has not been used for 35 years. Looks like we will be ready to go when the third seal comes. When the shortages start we will abandon our home and spend the rest of our days at the pad. I built a foxhole radio and it works. As long as AM radio does not go digital we can keep up with the news with no batteries. A foxhole radio has no electronics and can not be detected, (remember the protocol). Google foxhole radio, they are easy to make.
Our pastor read a scripture that used to not make since to me but it sure does now. Daniel 8:25 “And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.” I can now see people in a panic will do anything for peace even if it means the death of millions. (Rev. 6:3-6)
Tribman and Bills
Sorry I could not blog last week. I was just too busy. With all the road and bridge repairs due to the recent earthquakes it is hard to get around. First let me report some great news. Bill got saved last week! We were talking about old times when out of the blue he said he wanted me to help him with something. I said “sure, anything.” He said show me what the Bible says about how you can know if you're going to heaven when you die. I got out my Bible and in just a little bit he said he wanted to be saved and asked me if I would pray with him. I did and when we finished he said with a tear in his eye “Thank You, LORD!” I have seen more people saved this past week than I have seen in the past 10 years. Our church attendance is way up and the preacher is preaching three times as long as he did before and no one seems to mind at all. He is teaching us about the coming of the LORD and we hang on his every word. He has a steady stream of people through his office wanting to know more and many wanting to be saved. He says they even come to his house and I asked him if he was getting any sleep to which he replied “I'll rest up there.”
I cashed in my 401k and it should be direct deposited in about a month. I hate to loose all that money because of early withdrawal but it's better than losing it all. The “Covenant” will do away with cash in less than two years and we will all be on the Acme so I have refined my shopping list and have already started buying, with cash, what we will need. Between the earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes the stores stay sold out of a lot of the items we need. I truly thank God for small "Mom and Pop" stores that don't have security cameras and don't keep records. If I had listened to you guys I would not be having this problem. I guess I should quit kicking myself about that. The picture is of our pad and it definitely is not a second honeymoon suite. It does not look like much from the outside and that is the way we want it to look, vacant. It is out of sight from the road and only our children know of its location. We have a good tent and due to the danger the frequent earthquakes pose we will spend most nights in it. Living like Abraham did will not be so bad. For the first time in my life I will truly feel like a pilgrim on the earth. We will enjoy our house for as long as we can. I have prepaid our electric bill so we will have a sizable credit with them, enough to last a year or so. They seemed more than happy for me to overpay our bill. I have done the gas bill and internet service the same way but the water bill can only be pay as you go. I figure we can live here for the first year of the second half and then we will have to move to the pad. ….Whoa got to run, earth is shaking bad. I can see why Jesus called this time “the beginning of sorrows.”
(Matthew 24:4-8) (Romans 10:13)
I cashed in my 401k and it should be direct deposited in about a month. I hate to loose all that money because of early withdrawal but it's better than losing it all. The “Covenant” will do away with cash in less than two years and we will all be on the Acme so I have refined my shopping list and have already started buying, with cash, what we will need. Between the earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes the stores stay sold out of a lot of the items we need. I truly thank God for small "Mom and Pop" stores that don't have security cameras and don't keep records. If I had listened to you guys I would not be having this problem. I guess I should quit kicking myself about that. The picture is of our pad and it definitely is not a second honeymoon suite. It does not look like much from the outside and that is the way we want it to look, vacant. It is out of sight from the road and only our children know of its location. We have a good tent and due to the danger the frequent earthquakes pose we will spend most nights in it. Living like Abraham did will not be so bad. For the first time in my life I will truly feel like a pilgrim on the earth. We will enjoy our house for as long as we can. I have prepaid our electric bill so we will have a sizable credit with them, enough to last a year or so. They seemed more than happy for me to overpay our bill. I have done the gas bill and internet service the same way but the water bill can only be pay as you go. I figure we can live here for the first year of the second half and then we will have to move to the pad. ….Whoa got to run, earth is shaking bad. I can see why Jesus called this time “the beginning of sorrows.”
(Matthew 24:4-8) (Romans 10:13)
Tribman Online
Well I have followed the protocol and visited each of your sites and now I have mine up and running. It is my prayer that this will work and serve us all well. I have a “hot spot” picked out and found a secure place to access it unnoticed. I have also located a secure power source for charging my battery. This is all new territory for us and we will need to help one another discover what works and what does not. I have my “Pad” chosen and it meets all the criteria we have been discussing.
I wish now I had not been so stubborn and blind but had believed you guys when you tried to convince me that “The Treaty” was “The Covenant.” I have lost precious time, a full 6 months, with which to prepare for the second half. I will work extra hard now knowing the time is close. Can you believe how fast the Temple is going up? I have my emergency pack ready and as you can see from the picture I have included the Bible. I am so glad now that my brother introduced me to the sport of hiking a few years back. The survival skills that sport has taught me will sure come in handy during the coming disasters. I can see that the next 6 years will see us all doing a lot of hiking. I want to thank JS for the food ideas and the book you recommended is great. I have always wondered what life was like for my mother when she was a girl living in the country back in the 1930's and now I guess I will get to experience that life for myself. If she could do it so can I. Got to run, I have less than three years to get ready and the first order of business is to say goodbye to 401K. As agreed I will blog again next Saturday.
(Daniel 9:27)
I wish now I had not been so stubborn and blind but had believed you guys when you tried to convince me that “The Treaty” was “The Covenant.” I have lost precious time, a full 6 months, with which to prepare for the second half. I will work extra hard now knowing the time is close. Can you believe how fast the Temple is going up? I have my emergency pack ready and as you can see from the picture I have included the Bible. I am so glad now that my brother introduced me to the sport of hiking a few years back. The survival skills that sport has taught me will sure come in handy during the coming disasters. I can see that the next 6 years will see us all doing a lot of hiking. I want to thank JS for the food ideas and the book you recommended is great. I have always wondered what life was like for my mother when she was a girl living in the country back in the 1930's and now I guess I will get to experience that life for myself. If she could do it so can I. Got to run, I have less than three years to get ready and the first order of business is to say goodbye to 401K. As agreed I will blog again next Saturday.
(Daniel 9:27)
Tuesday
Tribman
This blog will be a fictional account of a man who is going through The Great Tribulation. This fictional character will post every Saturday. He will tell what things have happened in the world and in his own life during that week. The intent of this blog is to stir the mind of the reader to consider the details of The Great Tribulation and suggest possible scenarios of life during those troublesome times. I hope that you will enjoy this fictional blog and that you will be drawn to a closer walk with God.
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