Jael

Jael, who I introduced to you as “a woman you don't want to mess with,” has a rough exterior and is not timid a bit. She will speak her mind and if you ask her opinion she won't hold anything back. She is a “get it done” kind of person. Her chores are quickly and efficiently completed each day. She never needs anyones help. Beneath this rough exterior lies a very sweet and compassionate person. People will say this of her and then add, “You just have to look for it.” K has had a hard time fitting in with our little group. Sam goes off to work nearly every day and some days returns empty handed. Sam has been a huge help to us all and has made our existence much easier. But K seems to have nothing to contribute. The last person I would ever have expected for K to take up with was Jael. I was so shocked when I came back from town to see K and Jael together and not only getting along but enjoying each other's company. They are spending a lot of time together and this has made K feel good about joining us. It looks like they are building a close relationship with each other. When you see the two of them together Jael is like a whole different person. I am praying that through this close relationship that Jael will be able to lead K to the Lord.
Barzallai is not doing well. K brought Jael over to his house and introduced her to him. He still does not know about the rest of us. He might not have liked Jael “before K” but now Jael's compassion and sweetness keeps popping out. We tease her about it often. I think I see now why K had such influential friends in high places before. I am toying with the nick name “Noah” for K. As with the other nicknames I will take a straw poll of the group but so far I am batting a thousand with my nickname approvals. “Noah” means rest or comfort. People seem to be at rest and comfortable around K. I'll let you know if the name is approved.
Our prayers have been answered. Mary has returned to our fold. She came back one morning a few days ago. She confessed that she was not saved and knew that she would be exposed by the locust. She went to a friend's house and when her friend was no where to be found she inquired and found out that her friend had died in a building collapse a month ago. She was chased by the locust and barely escaped being stung. She had ducked into a portable john, and with the locust crawling all around looking for a way in, she begged God to save her soul. She claimed that at that very moment the sound of the locust crawling and flying all around the outside of the john stopped. “Everything grew quite,” she said. "I waited a bit and peeked out of the upper vent windows and the locust were standing still." She waited a bit longer and then with a thunderous roar the locust took off in flight. She stepped out of the john and dropped to her knees thanking God for His salvation. She ran as fast as she could back to the new pad. It is so good to have her back. Mary got her name because she is young and she prays the sweetest prayers. She was really good at praising God and now that she is saved her praises are even more moving. Our prayers continue for Hannah. She too was very pious in her conversation and could be such an asset to God's Kingdom if she would repent.
Pastor and Elisabeth are doing well. Her being back has made all the difference in his over all health and strength. They are a wonderful couple. David and Jonathan have been very good hunters and we are eating well. Hunger truly is the best seasoning for food. They came home one day with a canteen full of milk. We asked where and how they got the milk and the story that followed had us all laughing out loud.
The locust has given us a time of peace which we have not known for some time. The “M's” are all too busy trying to deal with these pests to worry about “S's.” I did run into some trouble in town last week. There were some men standing around which looked suspicious. I had to find another portal to the Web and much to my delight I found another very quickly.
We built a tee-pee and it is a very comfortable place to hold our worship services. We build a fire in the middle and all sit around in comfort out of the rain and cold singing praises to God. It sleeps six comfortably around the fire. Though we all have our own smaller tents it is nice to sleep by the fire on those really cold nights. If we get enough materials we will build a second one. The blogs of our children have not been updated in the past two weeks which is starting to cause us concern.

Locust

Our new home is working out very well. We have adequate amounts of water and firewood and our mighty men of valor have found game for our table. The chickens are molting and so egg production is low. We eat a lot of cornbread, potatoes, and beans. Trigger has not had much to eat and Sam was able to get a sack of horse feed for him last week. Sam is starting to have trouble getting work. More and more people don't want anything to do with those who will not take the Mark. Barzallai goes to town twice a month for groceries and has given K some things we have needed like bandages, soap, and a number of other things he has had for a long time and never used. K helped him clean out is closets and brought a large bag full of good warm clothes which my wife soon altered for various ones who needed them.
Our hearts have been saddened by a grim reality. The fifth trumpet has driven two from our little band. It seems that Mary has left us. We are not certain as to why. She departed quietly one night without saying a word to anyone. She did not seem like herself after Pastor read and explained Revelation 9:1-11. The next day she did her chores like usual but seemed very worried. I have a theory about why she left but I hope it is not true. If she had stayed with us the locust would have revealed that she was not one of us. She did not want to take that chance so left. There does not seem to be any other reasonable explanation for her sudden departure.
Hannah has also left us but not anything like Mary. When the locust came she was bitten by one as she was filling the water jugs at the well early one morning. At first we thought she had been bitten or stung by some kind of dreadful spider or scorpion. We never dreamed it could be one of the locust for we just knew she would have the seal of God in her forehead, being a saved person. The second time she was stung Pastor and I saw it. In her agony and pain she cursed us and left in a rage screaming. She left expressing that we were all against her, that we had misunderstood the Bible teaching about the fifth seal, and that we thought we were better than her. In her mind she is convinced she is saved and that there has to be some other explanation for her being stung when none of the rest of us have been. “Let her go,” Pastor said. “There is nothing we can do.” There is a fear that she will turn us in but we are hoping she will not. I am afraid that she will reason in her mind that the Mark is not really of the devil and will take it so she can survive. We now know how the disciples must have felt when they found out about Judas. Their leaving came as a complete surprise to us all. It might be that Mary is lost, knows it, and yet so far has done nothing about it. Hannah is lost, does not know it, and goes on thinking she is okay. We pray that they will repent and be saved.
The locust have been spreading like a plague everywhere. They seem to have no interest in eating vegetation like normal locust. There are reports that many have been bitten by them and their bites are very painful. None of the pesticides will kill them and they just seem to be everywhere. They seem to stay away from our camp for the most part. We have seen only one or two at a time whereas in town they are seen in swarms. Sam and K are very careful not to come in contact with these locusts. They are very afraid of them. So far they have not been touched and they credit that fact to their carefulness. They wear heavy clothing and look like bee keepers when they are outside. They think they're safe because they are careful and are in good standing with God since they have helped us. As for the rest of us, when we walk outside of camp the locust move out of our way and though they look like they would just love to bite us they don't even try. The chickens just love them. I assume they don't taste like chicken to chickens.
I noticed on our way into town that the hospitals are filled to overflowing with people who have been bitten. They seem to be in agony and even the strongest of men were weeping and wailing. It seems the sting and swelling only lasts for about a week but with so many locust one can't help but be bitten every week or even every day. Those who can, stay indoors with their windows and doors taped shut. There does not seem to be any medicine that will relieve the pain and swelling. Many are put on suicide watch because the pain is overwhelming. Heavy sedation works well but they can't do that for everyone.
We are down to 12 now and this plague will last for four more months. Only two more trumpets and we will be going home.

Barzillai

We made it to our new location after some very close calls. The well took some work to make it ready for use and that project took several days. There is an elderly man, we have nicknamed him Barzillai after king David's elderly friend in the Bible, whose house is fairly close to our new location. K has taken to seeing about him every few days. He has family but they only come round once or twice a year. His mind is not completely right and he does not understand, and at times does not even realize that he has the mark. We think he was taken by one of his children to get the mark and it was never explained to him what it was and why he had to have it. Often he is very confused but seems to know how to take care of himself. He loves company. He allows K to watch the news on his TV and to charge up the battery on our laptop computer. It is amazing to see what is going on in the world and not just to hear it. K often returns to describe what is happening in the world. Our radio still works and we still get most of our news from it. We all, being careful to stay out of sight, went and watched through the window the coverage of the two prophets. The two witnesses, or prophets as they are called by the Israelis, are being blamed for every natural disaster and misery that has come upon the earth. AC is about to have his fill of them. This means so much to us because, as Pastor says “When they go we go.” Barzillai is hard of hearing and that is why we could hear the TV while seeing the news. K has not let him know about us for security reasons.
We have given Bicycle Man a new name, Sam. Sam comes from the good Samaritan in the Bible. So when I refer to Sam you think of a good man who is not numbered with God's people but we hope he will be one day. Sam has been able to fall right into work. He rides Trigger to town, does his work and when he's through he takes for his services the box of goodies which he requested as payment, climbs back on Trigger, returns home and we all benefit.
It took a while to find Internet access. I am not 100% sure that it is safe and secure but it's worth the risk to keep friends and family informed. It is also needed for peace of mind as it is our only source of information about our children and their families. The news was not good from our youngest. Their experience, through these perilous times, has been much more violent than the rest of us. They are in an area full of over enthusiastic “M's.” These have a great hatred of “S's.” They do not seem content just to turn them in to the authorities but take the law in their own hands and as a mob have killed many “S's.” The people of our area are not at all that way. The worst we have seen is “S's” reported to the police and arrested. Since we stay away from the public eye we are left alone. There have been hunting parties where our youngest lives going out with dogs looking for “S's” that may be hiding in the woods. Hunting them like animals, destroying their camps, and stealing their supplies.
It is Christmas time and we are going to celebrate it as best we can. There is not much time left before the rapture. We have a rationing system that should see us through the winter. We are too far from the rendezvous point to check it any more. There will not be anymore joining us unless God sends someone our way. Winter's have been mild these past six years and we are hopeful this last one will be as well.
I have been asked to share a little more about our companions. There are twelve “S's” and two “C's” in our little band. Pastor and Elisabeth (pastor and his wife), David and Jonathan (our hunters and mighty men of valor), Shiphrah (our nurse), Ezra and Tabitha (me and my wife who is good at sewing thus the name), Sam and K (our kind and helpful “C's”), Isaac and Rebekah (a man who can find joy and humor in most anything and his wife who Isaac says “imitates a really good cook”), Mary and Hannah (the two ladies who escaped with Elisabeth), and Jael (a woman you don't want to mess with).
K got to watch some footage of a meteor hitting the earth. It caused an earthquake and a huge, massive volcano in Russia has erupted and begun to darken the sky. Huge billows of black smoke are pouring out of it. Pastor believes this may be the fifth trumpet. (Revelation 9:1-2; 11:3-12; Matthew 24:8-11; Revelation 7:13-17)

Night and Day

We are overjoyed to have Elisabeth back. That is the nickname we have given to Pastor's wife. She seems to have been well cared for in prison. She told us that after dark they would gather in groups and have prayer together. They would each quote as many scriptures as they could and then discuss their meaning. She is so glad to have and hold a Bible again.
Night and day are sort of mixed up now with all the smoke, ash, and such in the sky. We get about 6 hours of good sunlight and then several hours of dusk. Then after about 6 hours of darkness the sky becomes light again several hours before we actually see the sun. It has been very strange. No one has ever seen anything like it.
K and BM were waiting for us by the side of the road on our way home the last time we came to town. It seems they are in danger and are going to need to move to avoid trouble and to keep us out of danger. They followed us to the Pad one more time to say goodbye. After assessing their situation and our own it was decided that we needed to relocate also. Our registered well has been visited once and most likely will be again. The strange truck continues to be a concern. The escapees will be sought and we are not near far enough away from the prison. So it has been decided that we will move and that K and BM will go with us. With the daytime and nighttime being shortened it will allow us to travel farther in a days time than we could have before. Also aircraft and satellite surveillance have been hampered by all the debris in the atmosphere.
We have made a horse drawn wagon for our gear and supplies. We each will carry as much as we can and poor Trigger will pull the rest. My wife and I have come to town to blog and to say that we do not know if we will be able to have secure Internet access where we are going but as soon as we can we will let you know how we are doing. David and Jonathan have scouted out our route and our relocation point. It is not perfect by any means but sounds workable. The most important things we need are there like water and isolation. There is an unregistered well there with good water. According to their blogs our children and their families are surviving. They continue to have problems and close calls. They have even had a lot of illness but, like us, they have had friends, “C's”, who have been a big help to them. We can't thank God enough for “C's.”
When we return to the Pad we will be heading out for our new location. BM will still be able to do the thing he does for those who need his services in exchange for his “shopping list.” K will have no connections for support and must depend on God as we do for sustenance. (Revelation 8:12-13)

Wormwood

Bicycle Man came to the Pad rather unexpectedly. He asked us to gather round for news concerning Pastor's wife. “My friend has confirmed that it is your wife in the women's prison,” he told Pastor. We all rejoiced at this great news. Not knowing had been agonizing. “I don't want to get your hopes up but there is an outside chance that we can get her out,” He continued. “Lets just say we think it is worth a try.” He began to tell us his plan which would require the help of David and Jonathan. It was a risky plan that might end with four more in prison rather than one less.
Packed for a five day journey they headed off. The plan was for BM and his friend, whom I shall call “K” to go into the prison dressed as prison guards. K's cousin, who is the Warden, would have Pastor's wife brought to his office where he had paperwork to give them stating that she was being transferred to another prison unit. She would be taken from the prison in their custody. They would drive to a remote location and turn Pastor's wife over to David and Jonathan who would take her back safely to the Pad. No one in the prison system would know, except the Warden. The Warden was doing this favor for K in exchange for some property he had always wanted which had been in K's family for centuries.
Things did not go at all according to the plan. It was a long two day hike to the spot where they were to meet K and they left the Pad under the cover of darkness. Right after they left, there was an incredible meteor shower. It was unlike anything ever seen before on earth. Pastor said “Wormwood is here.” David, Jonathan, and BM walked all night. By the early morning light they could see what looked like patches of hailstones on the ground. Some places the patches were heavy and other places there was none at all. They believed that this hail was somehow connected with the meteor shower. The morning sun soon melted the patches of hail. It took another long day of hiking to arrive at the predetermined rendezvous point where they met K. They rested for a day and then BM and K headed for the prison. When they arrived there was no guard at the front counter. They waited a while and when there was no sign of anyone coming K climbed over the counter and walked toward the back. K returned and signaled BM to follow. A guard was lying on the floor dead. They took his keys and unlocked the door at the end of the hall. Inside they found more guards dead. They made their way to the Wardens office where they found him still in his chair also dead. Through the window they could see that there were many prisoners who were lying motionless on the ground in the courtyard. Others were sitting in small groups. K lead the way to the door that lead into the courtyard. They were greeted by those who had survived whatever had killed the rest. Pastor's wife was near the back of the group. K explained the reason for their being there and encouraged those who wanted to escape to leave. They told Pastor's wife that they had come for her and that her husband was waiting for her. She could not bare to leave two of her new found friends behind who had no place to go, so the five of them headed off. David and Jonathan led the way back to camp while BM and K went on their way.
It was day break when we saw a line of five figures come out of the woods and start across the meadow. We soon could recognize the leader was David followed by three women and Jonathan in the rear. Pastor and his wife embraced for the longest time while praising and thanking God for his mercy that endures forever.
We discovered later that the water at the prison had been poisoned by the hailstones which had melted and ran into the reservoirs from which the public water system got its water. Christians knew this was coming so they knew not to drink the water the day after the meteor shower hit. It would be two days before the prison would be found empty of prisoners, giving the escapees a good head start. You see, the off duty workers at the prison were also poisoned and so the relieving shifts of guards and staff never arrived.
We are making plans to relocate. Between the truck that keeps snooping around and the registered water well we have decided it is best to move. They will most likely check on the well again, looking for sources of good water. Thanks to Trigger's refusal to drink water from the stream, but eagerness to drink water from the well, we knew that the water in the well was fine. The radio says that scattered throughout the country there are pockets of death where whole towns have been killed. Yet there are other cities and towns which were not affected by Wormwood. We are blessed to have been in a safe zone. (Revelation 8:10-11)

No More Tuna

The grass in our meadow is beginning to sprout again. The leaves will not be back until spring. The radio says that this year winter will be very cold and hard due to the amount of ash in the air. Not much sunlight makes it through to warm things up. The radio has been a blessing. We don't go to town as often as before so our news comes from the radio and Bicycle Man. Yes, BM has been coming to see us every week and stays for a meal and Bible study. He brings groceries and most of all news. Due to the high activity of volcanoes there is a huge amount of Red Tide which has killed the fishing industry. Tuna fish is a luxury now and horded like gold. The tidal waves have devastated ports, destroying 1000's of ships and the docks along the water fronts. Sounds like the second trumpet has sounded for sure. The greatest news of all has raised our hopes. BM thinks his friend has found Pastor's wife. She is alive and in a women's prison. I say “thinks” because her name was found on the role of prisoners but it might be another woman with the same name. His Friend is going to find out for sure and let him know. Pastor cried uncontrollably at the news. His tears seemed to really affect BM and he is going to do all he can to get the news back to us as soon as possible. I walked BM back to the road where he confided in me that prisoners are not well treated. Due to earthquake damage they are kept in tents in a courtyard. Rumor has it that executions are prevalent and those who inquire about the welfare of inmates are often detained for long periods of time. When escapees are caught they are never brought back alive. Some of the ones who dare to inquire about prisoners have even come up missing themselves.
Our hunters, David and Jonathan, have taken on another important duty. They watch for intruders. There has been a truck seen repeatedly on the road near our camp. They saw it to our south and then on another day it was to our north. Our pad is not within sight of the road even with all the trees and underbrush now gone. We remain quiet and try not to bring any attention to ourselves. I am afraid that it was this truck that was sending out the wireless signal that my laptop picked up. I have not made that mistake again. I just hope that that one time was not enough to cause us a problem. David has been watching from the north and camping there at nights to keep his ears and eyes on the look out. Jonathan has been doing the same thing to the south. If there is trouble they will sound the alarm and we will follow our escape route to get away. We are talking about moving our location each night so we are never in the same place twice. It will be a lot of trouble but may be worth it. BM asked me what we would do if we had to run and relocate suddenly. Would it be possible for him to find us if that happened? I reassured him I would leave him a clue as to how to contact us.
We have been amazed that no one else has come to the rendezvous point. With all that's happening in the world you would think people would be coming to Christianity by the droves. I can now see how the rapture of the saints could go almost unnoticed by the world. True Christians have all gone into hiding. It's funny to think that we hid in plain sight before all this hit because we told virtually no one about our faith.
Our food stores are very low. God is blessing our hunters with game and occasional fruits and vegetables. They found some ribbon cane and we made some syrup out of it. That was a special treat. Pastor keeps getting sick. He is very weak and Shiphrah takes good care of him. We call our designated nurse/doctor Shiphrah after one of the midwives of Exodus 1:15. We have all taken on Bible nicknames. Mine is Ezra (the ready scribe) because I keep this journal of our experiences. Had these nicknames been handed out a year ago mine might have been Eglon (Judges 3:17) but that name would not fit any of us now. (Revelation 8:8)

Fire Storm

Forewarned is forearmed. We knew the firestorm of the first trumpet was coming so we got as ready for it as we could. The radio said that fires are burning out of control in almost every State. The fire reached our clearing from the south side late one night. The smoke was the worst part. We had buried everything that could burn and we hid in our underground shelter which gave us some relief from the smoke. We felt bad for Trigger but there was no way we could dig a hole big enough to accommodate him and us. It was cool in the shelter and though the smell of smoke was great it was not visible in the shelter. Trigger seemed to be okay after it was all over. It took just three hours for the storm to move through. Daylight revealed that the larger trees near the creek and by the pond had survived. Our firewood pile was untouched, being with us near the center of the meadow. Having come through at night the chickens were in their roost and were not hurt, though two of them are missing. Bicycle Man had given us some large boxes of oatmeal and we sacrificed one of them for Trigger. He will not have much to eat until the grass sprouts back out. We praised the Lord because Trigger brought us to town on the strength of that one box of oats.
It is very dangerous to go to town. The authorities have their hands full with all the disasters that keep happening. They don't seem to have time to bother rooting out undesirable Christian “Cells.” We encountered Bicycle Man on our way into town. He has a friend who thinks he can find out what happened to Pastor's wife. This friend is a “C” like B. M. (who, by the way, did not like that I called him “BM” for short). This friend has a unique relationship with the powers that be and should be able, through his connections, to help us. A lot of homes were burned in town. Several business were also burned out. The landscape looks sad with everything charred. Food continues to be in short supply and our stores are running low. “Give us this day our daily bread” has taken on a whole new meaning now.
According to their blogs our children and their groups are doing well. They have had serious problems but have survived them by the grace of God. Our oldest and their group were betrayed and had to flee. A few of their group were caught. They have reason to believe that they have been executed. It has caused us all a bit of concern. If the disciples of Jesus did not have a clue about Judas how would we have one of a traitor in our midst. I will have to admit that Mark 13:12, a scripture that is prophetic of these last days, has caused me a couple of sleepless nights. Thank you Lord for sparing my children and grandchildren. You truly are our Rock and our Fortress.
Summer is gone and Pastor believes we have but one year left to endure. When we see Jesus we will sing and shout the victory. I am so excited to be living during these last days. Many have been saved and many have been martyred. The way we worship now is so much better than when our lives were normal. We truly live by faith and see the Glory of God every single day. God use to be only a part of our lives and now He is everything. Not a single moment goes by that I do not feel His presence and His working. His Spirit is within me and though I do not hear an audible voice nor do I hear voices in my head still He speaks to me clearly. I listen and follow His lead.
Hind sight is 20/20. I wish I had not been such a fool all my life. I wasted so much of my life with things. I truly hate the things of this world now. I just wish I had always done so. Regret is a powerful feeling. I regret my past life and form of religion. I am glad that I was saved at an early age but regret now that I did not love the LORD as I should have. If I could go back in time and give myself some advice it would be to stop striving for wealth and success and start focusing on loving the LORD with ALL your heart. Give of your BEST to the MASTER not what's left over. Seek FIRST the kingdom of God. Spend more time with family and friends and no time watching TV. The eight friends I live with now I know way more about than any friend I ever had before and I have only known most of them a year. God forgive me for not spending more time building relationships with others. My life before the tribulation was all about me. Now it is all about HIM.