from Jim

Sandy has been doing all the work with this blog, so I thought I would add a few lines while she is in the driver’s seat. We are headed to Caro, Michigan as I write this to pick up some auto parts, then back to Canada tomorrow morning. The roads are in poor condition up this way compared to those at home. They are rough from the winters and always heavily traveled.

This sort of life is challenging us with its demands. We are the new people and are treated as such…no mercy here from the dock hands to the other drivers. You sink or swim in a cut-throat world of “who gets there first” and what it costs to do it. We have met some nice people though, and have been blessed with safety. Getting rest is going to prove a difficulty. The job is around the clock and you never know when you have to get somewhere. Today for instance, we pick up this load in Caro at 4am and have to have it in Windsor by 9am. We will be “first out” on the Detroit board after this run and may have little more than time to refuel and get back on the road.

The country up here is green and nice between the cities. In town it looks like a every inner-city movie scene you have seen; dirty, smokey, large brick buildings, railroad tracks, cops, and a lot of people you probably wouldn’t spend much time with (besides, they talk funny). A person could let themselves feel used in this world. No one seems to have much use for you after you have met them or completed your task. You just go away and the next person comes along. Our truck is our haven, our place to carry love around, to pray, and to stay in touch with loved ones. We try to keep it clean, but in such a small place it is hard. It is our place of work, our kitchen, and our bedroom. Heck, we even have bunk beds!

This job is going to get easier and may become a source of joy and accomplishment with time. I am still glad we did this. I miss familiar faces and being in Texas. Just being out of the state feels weird. Please read this often and write back. It brings a smile to these two travelers to hear from you.