Wrights On A Mission

Divine Appointments Along the Way

It was cold when we went to sleep, so I was all bundled up in my sleeping bag when I finally drifted off. But sometime around midnight, the winds died down and the temperature actually started to rise. I woke up because I was now too warm! I unzipped one of the screens to let some cool air into the tent, settled back in, and fell asleep again.

The alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. It was time to get ourselves ready and get back on the road.

Before we left, we shared one last meal with our new CMA friends. About 13 park rangers showed up for breakfast this morning, and once again I was amazed watching these CMA ladies work so hard to cook and serve so many people.

They truly are the hands and feet of Jesus.

There is something powerful about serving someone a meal. It may seem like such a simple thing, but hospitality can open a door for love, encouragement, and even a conversation about Jesus. Scripture says, “And do not forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.” — Hebrews 13:16

These women were doing exactly that—serving others with love.

After breakfast, we gathered for a short devotional. It was incredible to hear the testimony that was shared. He came from a Christian family but, along the way, found himself in the wrong places and making the wrong choices. Yet God never stopped pursuing him. Eventually, he found his way back to Jesus and experienced the saving grace of God.

What an incredible reminder that God’s grace reaches farther than our mistakes ever could.

No matter how far someone may wander, God is still able to redeem, restore, and make all things new. His grace truly is amazing.

Then it was time for us to leave.

Before we climbed onto our bikes, the entire group gathered around us and prayed over us. They prayed for protection, safety, and continued divine appointments along the road.

There is something so comforting about knowing that people are praying for you as you travel. We may be the ones riding the miles, but we are never traveling alone. God goes before us, and He surrounds us with His people.

By 9:00 a.m., we were on the road toward Custer, South Dakota.

It wasn’t a big mileage day, and the weather was cooperating beautifully—about 67 degrees with blue skies and no rain clouds in sight. After everything we’ve experienced on this journey, a beautiful riding day feels like an extra blessing!

Our first stop was Spearfish for gas, and then we continued through Deadwood. I would love to come back someday and spend some time exploring the historic downtown area, but today we had miles to make and a friend to meet.

Our destination was Custer, where we were meeting our friend Diago.

Melvin met Diago a few years ago at the School of Evangelism, and they have been friends ever since. Melvin has always spoken so highly of him and truly loves him like a brother in Christ. I had heard so much about Diago over the years, so I was really looking forward to finally meeting him.

We made one more fuel stop in Leeds and then pulled into the KOA in Custer around 12:30.

And guess who pulled in just five minutes behind us?

Diago!

We had just registered for our campsite and were walking out the door when Diago walked in. Talk about perfect timing!

God’s timing really is something special.

We set up our tent while Diago settled into one of the cabins. Then it was time for lunch, so we headed into town to the Purple Pie & Ice Cream Co.—a place I had noticed while driving through town.

It was such a blessing to finally meet Diago face-to-face. We sat together, talked, laughed, and listened as Melvin and Diago caught up on life and shared stories from the past.

Diago had ridden all the way from Cheyenne, Wyoming, just to meet us here in Custer.

That meant a lot.

I think Melvin and Diago formed a special bond at the School of Evangelism, and it was beautiful to see that friendship in person. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” — Proverbs 17:17

Lunch was delicious. Melvin and I split a turkey and bacon panini. Melvin had strawberry-rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream, while I decided to be a little adventurous and tried the raspberry-rhubarb jalapeño pie with coffee ice cream.

And yes—it was actually really good!

After lunch, we rode downtown and met up with another CMA group, Rushmore Thunder Chaper, that was manning the CMA tent.

As we parked our bikes, we met a man from Texas who was putting on his rain gear. We stopped, talked with him, and prayed for his safety as he continued his travels.

Another divine appointment.

Another opportunity to show someone the love of Jesus.

Sometimes I think we look for the big moments, but God reminds us that ministry often happens in the little moments—a conversation beside a motorcycle, a prayer in a parking lot, a meal shared around a table.

We never know what God is doing behind the scenes.

At the CMA booth, we met members of the Rushmore Thunder Chapter. Mike is the president, Shaun is the co-chaplain, their daughter Jessica is the secretary, Stephanie is the treasurer, and Mary is the Run for the Son lead.

And then there was Dozer—the chapter’s golden retriever service dog!

It was so nice to meet our new CMA family here in South Dakota. We spent some time getting to know one another and sharing stories about our travels and the ministry opportunities God has placed in our path along the way.

But the sky was beginning to darken, so we knew it was time to head back to camp.

I was especially thankful that we had already set up our tent.

Then Mike asked us a question I wasn’t expecting.

“Would you like a pop-up for your campsite?”

Really?!

Absolutely!

It would be so nice to sit outside our tent at the picnic table, eat our meals, and cook without being cramped inside the vestibule of our tent.

Once again, God provided above and beyond what we could have asked for.

Mike’s son came up to our campsite in their six-seat CF Moto side-by-side and delivered the pop-up and even a camp chair.

It wasn’t long after they finished setting it up that the rain began to fall.

Perfect timing.

Again.

I couldn’t help but smile.

God continues to remind us that He sees the details.

Sometimes His provision comes through a stranger. Sometimes through a friend. Sometimes through a CMA brother or sister we’ve only just met.

But however it comes, it is still God providing.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…” — Ephesians 3:20

For dinner, I ordered pizza from the camp store, and they even delivered it right to our campsite!

We sat underneath our new pop-up, listened to the rain, enjoyed our pizza, and shared fellowship.

We couldn’t have a campfire because of the fire ban. It would have been nice to have one since the evening was getting chilly, but we bundled up in our warmer clothes and enjoyed the evening under our canopy.

And honestly, it was perfect.

Another day.

Another road.

Another set of divine appointments.

Another reminder that God is in the details.

Tomorrow morning will be an early one. We’re heading into Sturgis, where the Lutheran church is hosting a pancake breakfast and CMA will be having a service at 9:00 a.m. We plan to be on the bikes and leaving camp by 6:30 a.m.

I’m excited to see what God has waiting for us there.

After 56 days on this incredible journey, one thing continues to stand out more than anything else:

The destination may be on our map, but the divine appointments are on God’s.

We may think we’re simply riding from one place to another, but God keeps placing people in our path who need encouragement, prayer, kindness, or simply a reminder that they are loved.

So we keep riding.

We keep praying.

We keep watching.

And we keep saying yes.

Because this isn’t just a motorcycle trip.

We’re Wrights On A Mission.

If you’d like 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.

The journey isn’t over yet, and we’re excited to see where God leads us next!