"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.

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

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.

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.

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)

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)

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)