Wrights On A Mission

Midnight Visitors, Divine Appointments, and a Balanced Journey

It was around midnight when I was awakened by a strange sound outside the tent. In that half-awake state, I whispered to Melvin, “Are our neighbors making that noise?” He listened for a moment and pointed in the opposite direction. “I think it’s coming from over there.”

He quietly unzipped the tent door, peeked out, and then whispered excitedly back into the tent, “It’s the moose and her three calves!”

I quickly unzipped the small back window, and there she was. A huge mother moose stood just beyond our tent, calmly eating leaves from the hedgerow while one of the calves nursed beside her. It felt like we had been invited into a moment that belonged entirely to God’s creation.

I crawled out of the tent with my phone to capture a video, and our neighbor, who was standing near the end of the driveway to our campsite, noticed the excitement. I waved her over so she could take some photos too. For nearly twenty minutes we stood in awe, watching the mother and her calves slowly move down the hedgerow, feeding peacefully in the stillness of the Alaskan night.

As I watched them disappear into the darkness, Psalm 104:24 came to mind:

“O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.”

What a gift it was to witness such beauty from just a few feet away.

After the moose wandered off, we stayed outside talking with our neighbor. She lived in West Virginia, but her family owned land and a camp near Sacandaga back in New York. When she said she loved the Adirondacks, I smiled and told her it was only a couple of hours from our home. Even in the middle of Alaska, God kept connecting us with people who felt strangely close to home.

By the time we finally crawled back into the tent, it was nearly 1:00 a.m. But the night was far from over.

Around 3:00 a.m., the sled dogs in the kennels next door began barking, howling, and yipping. For hours the chorus continued. We tossed and turned, barely sleeping at all. By 7:00 a.m., I finally gave up trying to sleep, got dressed, and started packing for our ride to Wasilla.

It was only about a three-hour trip, but we needed to meet Joe from Stronghold Kustoms, who had generously offered to balance my rear tire even though they were in the middle of moving their shop to a new location.

We grabbed coffee and danishes from the camp store, and by 9:00 a.m. we were packed and ready to leave. Before pulling out, I checked my phone and noticed a missed call from an unfamiliar number. The voicemail mentioned a dog that had been found.

My heart skipped a beat.

My parents were watching our dog, Miley, while we were away, so I immediately called the number back. Sure enough, Miley had somehow escaped from my parents’ garage by unzipping the screen door and had been found wandering around the nearby college campus! I gave my parents the woman’s number, and thankfully they were able to pick her up. She was home safe and sound.

Even from thousands of miles away, God was watching over the little things back home too.

Before leaving the noisy KOA, we said goodbye to our new friends Al, Chip, and Jeff from Nevada. With big hugs and promises to stay in touch, we pulled onto the road once again.

The morning air was cool, around 55 degrees, with sunshine spilling across the mountains and scattered white clouds drifting through the bright blue sky. As we rode north on the Seward Highway, I saw stunning mountain views that I had completely missed when we rode this same route south in pouring rain just a few days earlier.

Snow-covered peaks rose above deep green valleys, and every turn revealed another breathtaking view. I tried to capture as much footage as possible with my GoPro, remembering how terrifying this stretch had been when I rode it in fierce wind and rain.

As those memories surfaced, I quietly prayed, Lord, help me not to ride in fear. Let me enjoy the gift of this day.

Isaiah 41:10 seemed written for that very moment:

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

And He did.

We stopped for gas at the Safeway station in Girdwood, and to our surprise, standing there was Phillip, the man we had met at Carney Joe’s house in Hope. Phillip lives on Social Security and disability, and Carney Joe helps him whenever he can because Phillip only has a small dirt bike for transportation.

He was in Girdwood trying to secure a job, and when he saw us, he came running across the pumps with the biggest smile. He was so happy to see Carney Joe’s CMA friends again.

After filling our tanks, we parked the bikes and spent some time talking with him. Knowing he was struggling, we offered to buy him lunch and gave him some money for gas. We snapped photos of the three of us with our three bikes before he headed off to his noon appointment with a potential employer.

As we watched him ride away, I was reminded of Hebrews 13:2:

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Sometimes ministry looks less like preaching and more like buying lunch, giving a little gas money, and reminding someone they are not forgotten.

Before leaving Girdwood, we enjoyed coffee and baklava from the wonderful bakery near the gas station. Then it was time to face the section of road I had nicknamed “Hold On for Dear Life Highway.”

To my great relief, the wind was completely manageable this time. Instead of gripping the handlebars in fear, I found myself laughing inside my helmet and soaking in the beauty around me. The Seward Highway curves along the Turnagain Arm, where vast blue water stretches beside towering mountains and the railroad tracks weave through the landscape like a silver ribbon.

It was absolutely breathtaking.

The same road that had once felt frightening now felt magnificent. Isn’t that often how God works? The storm changes our perspective, and when we pass through it with Him, we can return and see beauty where we once saw only danger.

By early afternoon we rode through Anchorage and reached Wasilla around 1:00 p.m. We stopped at Fred Meyer for lunch and sat under the shade of a tree, enjoying a quiet moment before heading to the bike shop.

We only had Stronghold Kustoms’ old address, and no one was answering the phone, so we took a chance and rode there anyway. A few people were loading shop equipment into a truck for the move. One of the young men kindly wrote down the new address and sent us on our way.

About ten minutes later we arrived at the new location and met Joe, who had been expecting us.

The shop wasn’t even unpacked yet. The tire machine had arrived, but many of the tools were still buried in boxes. Thankfully, I had my tool bag with me, including the exact wrench he needed.

The guys put Gracie up on her center stand since they didn’t even have their bike lifts set up yet. They removed the rear wheel and discovered it needed 70 grams of weight. The next challenge was finding the wheel weights! After digging through boxes for a while, they finally found some and balanced the tire.

Then came the truly old-school part. Using a piece of wood and a whole lot of muscle, they wrestled the rear wheel back onto the bike and rolled Gracie out of the shop.

I pulled out cash and asked, “How much do I owe you?”

Joe smiled and said, “Nothing. It’s on me.”

I was stunned.

“Please let me pay you,” I insisted. “You helped a complete stranger while your shop isn’t even open.”

But he refused.

Melvin and I thanked him repeatedly and gave him a Wrights On A Mission sticker as a small token of our gratitude. As we talked, we discovered that Joe knew Dave and had even ridden with CMA years ago. Before long we were laughing together about motorcycles, Alaska riding, and the question, “What would Jesus ride?”

It was one of those unexpected kingdom connections that keeps happening throughout this journey.

By 4:30 p.m. we were back at Dave and Angie’s house, where they had graciously welcomed us once again. Angie was sitting outside enjoying the beautiful afternoon, and we spent time catching up before their oldest son, Derek, arrived from Valdez. It was a pleasure to meet him.

When Dave got home from work, I immediately suggested ice cream.

The last time we stayed with them, he had taken us to The Big Dipper, and I had been dreaming about that ice cream ever since. Everyone piled into Angie’s car, and on the way we stopped at the home of Alaska CMA State Leaders Andy and Vickie to pick up gospel tracts and other ministry materials from their trailer.

It was wonderful to see Andy again and spend some time talking about motorcycles, Alaska roads, and CMA ministry.

Finally we arrived at The Big Dipper… and every light was off.

Seriously?

It was only 8:00 p.m.! A sign on the door explained that they were closed for an employee appreciation event. Of all the days for them to be closed, it had to be the one day I was back in Wasilla!

Dave quickly rescued the situation by driving across the street to Cold Stone Creamery. It wasn’t The Big Dipper, but after a long day of riding, fellowship, and answered prayers, it tasted pretty wonderful.

We returned to the house after 10:00 p.m. Exhausted from the sleepless night, I excused myself to my room to charge batteries, upload footage, and write this blog post while Melvin and Dave enjoyed one last evening of conversation together in the kitchen.

Tomorrow we head to Tok, about a six-hour ride. The forecast looks beautiful, and although the ride will be long, it brings us one step closer to the Canadian border and eventually to Haines, where we will catch the ferry south.

Tonight my heart is full.

God protected Miley back home.

He gave us a midnight encounter with a moose and her calves.

He replaced fear with joy on the Seward Highway.

He provided help for Gracie through the generosity of strangers who became friends.

And He surrounded us with fellowship, laughter, ministry opportunities, and even ice cream.

As Alaska slowly begins to disappear in our rearview mirror, I can already feel the bittersweet ache of leaving this incredible place. Yet Proverbs 16:9 reminds me:

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

This journey has never really been about New York, Alaska, motorcycles, or miles. It has been about learning that every step, every storm, every sleepless night, and every divine appointment is held securely in the hands of a faithful God.

And with a balanced tire, a grateful heart, and another day of adventure ahead, I’m ready to see where He leads us next.

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