We have officially hit the road full-time, living in our RV and roaming around the US (so far we have only made it to Missouri). It is quite an amazing feeling, seeing a dream that has been in your mind for so long become a reality. This particular dream has been a big giant step into the unknown for our family. We have left the comforts of a stationary home for a 300 square foot rocking home on wheels. Driving a 32 foot rig with a min-van in tow through traffic has been a real learning curve as well.

Brendan and his nature buddies

Through all the nerves and white knuckles and even the tears, we are very excited and have been awe struck as God has provided the means. We are blessed with our 32 foot rig, which we have dubbed Howard (started off as Home On Wheels and went from there.) Today as I was driving down interstate 44 I thought about what I loved so far about this transient lifestyle. Some of you may be wondering what is so great about this life. I came up with a few things for the wondering mind this afternoon.

I love that our family is together. In a house we too often go into different rooms and separate ways. We are sort of “forced” into learning how to live together in the tight space. I can already sense this has been good for us. My wife and I have a lot more time to talk sitting next to each other just riding down the street.

I love how we are closer to nature. Thursday we woke up to a beautiful fall morning in Mark Twain State Park. Our son Brendan loves nature and has already had his pockets full of acorns, buckeyes and little twigs. This particular morning he got his brother, David, to go out with him despite the cool air. Soon Brendan had both a snail and a caterpillar crawling all over him. Later in the same park we went for a hike and looked for animal tracks and all of us were so excited to actually find some in the soft mud.

I love the educational value of traveling all over. We stopped at the St. Louis Arch and went through the museum and our boys did the junior ranger program. Our 13 year old Blake has decided to help his brothers as we do these at National Parks across the nation. He commented to me that he learned more about the Arch than he thought was possible. Even Patsy and I commented on what we learned.

Finally I love the adventure. Yes we are a bit scared and bit apprehensive of how this thing is going to work out. But shouldn’t a life devoted to God have times of feeling a little nervous? I imagine Paul might have been nervous facing Kings and Emperors, that Hudson Taylor had butterflies in his stomach on his first boat trip to China and that Martin Luther lost some sleep over nailing the thesis to the church door. A life without risk isn’t really living.

Stay tuned as hopefully we will have the live cam up and running and will be holding Kidology to Go training sessions next month in Oklahoma and Kansas.