Wrights On A Mission

God’s Plans Are Better Than Ours

Today marked one full week on the road, and we officially made it to Calgary, Alberta, Canada!
We were incredibly blessed to spend the night with Ed and Beth, a wonderful CMA couple who graciously opened their home to us. We woke up to an incredible breakfast feast of French toast topped with real Canadian maple syrup, bacon, eggs, home fries, and, of course, much-needed coffee. The food was delicious, but the fellowship was even better. We spent the morning sharing stories, laughing together, and talking about our love for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Before long, however, it was time to say our goodbyes. We snapped a few last-minute pictures, shared hugs, and climbed back onto our motorcycles for another long day of riding.
Normally, I load our route into the Garmin on my bike, but I don’t enjoy navigating through busy cities, so Melvin entered the directions on his phone instead. About two hours into our ride, we realized we had been heading toward our campground rather than toward the Rocky Mountains—the very place I had been looking forward to seeing!
We stopped for fuel in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, and began figuring out a new plan. While chatting with the gas station clerk, he surprised us by giving each of us a free cup of coffee. In return, we shared a Life and Teachings of Jesus book with him before heading back outside.
Our original plan had been to travel the famous Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise, but since we had traveled much farther north than intended, we decided to take Highway 11 through the Rockies and connect with Highway 93 near Jasper, bypassing Lake Louise altogether.
Just before leaving the gas station, a gentleman named Jerry stopped to admire our motorcycles. We enjoyed talking with him about our journey. He told us he had lived in Sylvan Lake for 26 years after moving there to start a business. Melvin shared a “What Would Jesus Ride?” tract with him. Jerry smiled and replied that Jesus would probably drive an early 1950s automobile! We all laughed together, wished one another God’s blessings, and continued on our way.
For the next several hours, Highway 11 carried us straight toward the Rocky Mountains. At first, the mountains appeared only as faint silhouettes on the horizon, but mile after mile they grew larger and more magnificent. They looked as though they were wrapped in fog, but as we drew closer, we realized we weren’t seeing fog at all—we were riding toward a thunderstorm.
We quickly pulled into the little town of Nordegg just as the rain and thunder arrived. We decided to wait out the storm at The Miners Cafe, a cozy little restaurant beside the gas station. The café buzzed with tourists, while the aroma of fresh bread and homemade pies filled the air.
As we stepped up to the register, we discovered that a complete stranger had already paid for Melvin’s coffee and pie, leaving behind a “Pay It Forward” card. Once again, God reminded us that He often blesses us through the kindness of people we’ve never met.
While waiting for the rain to pass, we struck up a conversation with a local man who was eating lunch with his son and daughter. During our conversation, he shared about his years serving as a missionary in Belize. He graciously allowed me to video part of his testimony, which I hope to include in one of our upcoming YouTube videos from this Alaska journey.
At that moment, something incredible dawned on me.
All day I had been thinking we had taken the wrong road.
But God had us exactly where He wanted us.
If we had followed our original plans, we never would have met this man, heard his incredible testimony, received the unexpected blessing of free pie and coffee, or avoided riding the Icefields Parkway during a thunderstorm. What I thought was a mistake was actually God’s perfect direction.
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” — Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)
With renewed excitement, we climbed back onto our bikes and entered the Canadian Rockies. Words simply cannot describe the beauty surrounding us. Towering mountains rose into the sky, their snow-covered peaks cascading down sheer rock faces. Every curve in the road revealed another breathtaking view.
We stopped at a scenic overlook beside Abraham Lake, where crystal-clear turquoise water stretched for miles through the mountains. The peaceful silence of the wilderness left us speechless as we admired God’s incredible creation.
Eventually we connected with Highway 93, the famous Icefields Parkway, where we stopped again for fuel. There we met another couple who had just ridden their Harley-Davidson from Jasper through pouring rain. We exchanged stories about our travels, shared one of our gospel tracts with them, and once again witnessed another divine appointment along our journey.
Not long afterward, we caught our very first glimpse of a glacier.
The temperature quickly dropped into the low 50s, so we pulled over to add another layer of clothing before taking countless photos of the massive rivers of ice cascading down the mountainsides. Riding beneath those towering snow-covered cliffs in the crisp mountain air was one of the most exhilarating rides we’ve ever experienced.
As we continued north, we entered the area devastated by last year’s massive wildfire. Burned trees stretched for mile after mile, climbing the mountainsides as far as we could see. When we arrived in Jasper, the effects of the fire became even more heartbreaking. Many homes, businesses, and buildings had been destroyed. Yet there was also hope. Reconstruction was underway, tourists had returned, and the town was slowly coming back to life.
Around 6:30 that evening, we finally arrived at the Jasper-Hinton KOA. Before we left that morning, Beth had thoughtfully packed us ham and cheese sandwiches, which became our dinner after pitching our tent.
The rest of the evening followed our now familiar routine: charging batteries, uploading footage, writing the day’s blog, and preparing for tomorrow’s adventure.
The days are long. The miles are many. But through every unexpected detour, every conversation, every blessing, and every breathtaking view, the Lord continues to guide our steps.
Sometimes what feels like the wrong road turns out to be exactly the one God intended us to travel.