He's okay!!

I'm so thankful that he called!! He called and said, "I'm at the Cookie Lady's house." She's a lady on the trail who's been making cookies and giving them out for years.

He's had a very hard week. There were many things that happened, but from what I gathered the common thread is loneliness. He's struggling with MA. He says that ME and NH were very friendly and helpful, but he hasn't found the same in VT or MA. He hasn't been able to get rides into towns so it's added precious time to his days. He set out to go into a town one day that was 7 miles away. I guess once you're committed, you don't go back and you just assume someone will pick you up. No one ever did. He went in to eat at Wendy's. Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best reason or choice on his part. But poor thing. When he got there, it was closed down. So he headed back out and didn't get a ride then. So that day he walked 14 extra miles for no reason. These are life lessons. This might be an example of what an 18 year old does on the trail as opposed to a 30 year old. But he's learning.

When he's gone into towns he's felt very ostracized there. He feels like everyone is looking at him weird. It seems to me that people would be pretty used to seeing thru hikers. But he said that out of 25 people maybe 1 might want to talk to him. He's taking that personally right now. It's not strengthening my view of Northerners. Sorry, just saying. ;) I need people to be kind to him, to smile at him, to act like he matters. He told me today, "Tell people to pick up hitch hikers for me!!" :) Ha!! Especially if you're near the AT, pick up hitch hikers!!

He's been trying all week to catch up to a couple of guys that he knows. He started last week two days behind them when he had to wait for a package. Today when he called, he broke down crying when he said "Now they are two hours in front of me." That's why he decided to walk the next 2.2 miles to hopefully find them tonight. I pray that he found them. I pray that they were where he thought they would be.

I told him today that when I got his message yesterday that all I wanted to do was get on a plane and come find him. If I hadn't had five other kids at home, I would've. I think he wanted to say, "Come anyway." I think for the first time on this trip he's wanted to ask me to come. I think he's the most desperate he's ever been. I told him he's going through his wilderness. Everyone has a wilderness. His just happens to be TRULY the wilderness!! I feel like today was one of the first time that he's really listened to what I had to say. I mean, he's always thought he's listened. But today he knew he NEEDED to hear what I had to say. He hung on every word. That hardness is being softened. He's becoming moldable. He's being shaped into the man that God has planned for him to be. I gave him a verse to meditate on as he hiked the last 2.2 miles this afternoon. His Savior is calling him to himself. He's learning who his true anchor is.

Thank you for caring. Thank you for loving him and me. Thank you to all of you who have messaged me and care enough to drive over an hour to look for him and give him supplies and a hug from his mom. It does so much for his heart to know that people care about him. He was overwhelmed that my post from yesterday has already had over 450 hits. He was in a much better state when we hung up. He was ready to do what it took to get to the place where he'll pick up his next package from me on Thursday that will contain his body glide, phone, and a change of clothes. Pray that his spirits stay high. Pray that he finds those friends. Pray that he continues to allow God to penetrate his heart, teach him what he needs to learn, and that he will feel the love of Jesus pouring into him.

Thank you, friends.