Wrights On A Mission

The Bikes May Be Pointed Toward Home, But the Mission Continues

What an amazing night’s sleep I had here at the campground in Devils Tower National Park. This has to be one of the quietest campgrounds we have ever stayed in. The only sounds were the chipmunks, birds, and, early this morning around sunrise, the sound of cows in the distance.

And then came one of the best parts of the morning—the CMA group we are camping with already had the coffee made when we got up! Oh, how blessed we are to sit with a warm cup of coffee and watch the sun rise over the horizon. There are some moments you just want to slow down and take in.

Mel and I walked a small trail to get another picture of Devils Tower. Along the way, we ran into Jeff, our state leader, who was also out taking pictures. He told us about all the prairie dogs around the park. They may be cute, but they can be quite a nuisance. Their countless holes can even create dangerous conditions for cattle.

We walked back to camp, and the ladies had breakfast all ready for everyone. What a blessing these people are! We had pancakes, oatmeal, eggs, sausage, and even breakfast burritos. Everything was delicious! A few of the park rangers even joined us for breakfast.

Afterward, we gathered for an amazing devotional, and the theme was exactly what this entire blog—and really, this entire journey—has been about.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” — Proverbs 16:9

We can make our plans. We can choose our routes, set our destinations, and decide where we think we are going. But God has a way of directing our steps in ways we never could have planned ourselves.

That has certainly been true on this journey.

After the devotional, everyone got ready for the day’s work. Some were parking bikes, some were making lunches, some were running errands, and I was assigned to pass out water to keep everyone hydrated while Melvin helped park the motorcycles.

Mel rode his bike up to the tower, and I took the shuttle a little later.

When I arrived, everyone went to their assigned jobs. Melvin found his spot for parking bikes, while I went looking for the water and snacks. But before I could even get started, two CMA members had already taken it upon themselves to be servants. They had their own water, snacks, and a wagon ready to go.

The job was covered.

So I went to help Melvin park bikes.

And honestly, I loved it.

Every motorcycle that pulled in was another opportunity to talk to someone. We helped people find their parking spots, but more importantly, we had opportunities to pray. We prayed with people for safe travels, for health, for healing, and for God’s protection.

It reminded me again that sometimes ministry doesn’t look like standing behind a pulpit.

Sometimes it looks like standing in a motorcycle parking lot.

Sometimes it looks like handing someone a bottle of water.

Sometimes it looks like asking, “Can I pray for you?”

And sometimes the mission happens in the middle of an ordinary conversation.

Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16

That is what we want this journey to be about—not just seeing beautiful places, but letting Christ shine wherever He takes us.

One of the coolest things to watch, besides all the incredible motorcycles we were parking, was the men rock climbing Devils Tower. Of course, I had to take some video of the climbers!

The ladies had lunch ready for everyone and delivered it to us. We had turkey or ham sandwiches, chips, and homemade oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies.

We are so incredibly blessed by these people.

CMA truly is a family. We care for one another, serve one another, pray for one another, and step in whenever there is a need.

While we were there, we met two young men who had ridden in on their motorcycles. One of them was pretty heavily bandaged, and we knew exactly what that meant.

He had gone down on his bike and had some serious road rash.

Of course, several of us gathered around them and prayed.

Then I had a moment to talk with him privately. Having cared for my own son through a similar situation, I immediately went into MOM mode.

I told him, “Now you need to keep those wounds covered, and don’t forget to use just a light layer of burn cream.”

Melvin laughed and said, “You got the MOM advice! You better listen to her!”

We all laughed.

But then we prayed.

I prayed for his healing and for both of them to have safe travels home.

And once again, God reminded me that we never know who He will put in our path.

Then the rain came.

Within minutes, the place cleared out.

Melvin and I stayed outside just long enough for the traffic to clear, and then we used the Wi-Fi in the gift shop to make one important phone call. There isn’t much cell service at the campground, and we wanted to call our grandson and wish him a very happy birthday.

Those moments matter.

Even when we are thousands of miles from home, family is never far from our hearts.

Melvin rode the bike back down to camp, and I took the shuttle bus. The park ranger we had met at breakfast and lunch, Ethan, happened to be on the bus. We had another opportunity to talk, this time about back home. He is from Pennsylvania and loves working here in Wyoming.

By the time I got back to camp, the rain had stopped, and the sun was trying to peek out from behind the clouds.

I had to put on some warmer clothes because I was now freezing from parking bikes in the rain wearing shorts and sandals!

We decided to start packing up some of our things that evening because tomorrow we are heading toward Custer KOA, and rain is in the forecast.

Then Jeff, our state leader, came riding back into camp on his BMW and parked right beside Gracie.

We started talking about our BMWs and adventure bikes, and I mentioned the noise Gracie had been making. Jeff took her for a ride and quickly figured out that the chain was just slapping.

So, there we were again—another little motorcycle repair in the middle of our adventure.

They put Gracie on her center stand and tightened the chain.

And then, perfectly timed, dinner was ready!

We had pork with apples, mashed potatoes and gravy, and watermelon.

And then came dessert.

Delbert was outside churning ice cream in an old-fashioned ice cream churner!

Fresh homemade ice cream.

We were all freezing by then, with temperatures in the low 60s and the wind blowing, but apparently it is never too cold for ice cream!

We laughed, ate, talked, and enjoyed one another’s company.

Eventually, we all decided it was time to turn in for the night. Because of the burn ban, we couldn’t have a campfire, so we all headed back to our own little places for the night.

As I lay there thinking about the day, I couldn’t help but think about how much God has woven into this journey.

The plans we made months ago could never have accounted for all the people we would meet, the places we would see, the challenges we would face, the prayers we would pray, or the divine appointments God would place along our path.

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” — Proverbs 16:9

Tomorrow, the bikes will point a little farther toward New York.

Home is getting closer.

The Alaska portion of our mission is behind us now, and there is a little sadness in knowing that part of the adventure is coming to an end.

But we also know there is still a road ahead.

And there is still a mission.

The bikes may be pointed toward New York now…

But our hearts are still pointed toward the mission.

If you want to continue riding along with us as we make our way back across the country, we’d love to have you join us on YouTube and Facebook at Wrights On A Mission.

Because the bikes may be pointed toward home now…

But the mission continues.

Until tomorrow…

Keep your eyes on the road, your heart fixed on Christ, and never stop following wherever He leads.