Day 39: Big Lake and the Reagan County Owls

This morning we woke up to WIND! It was howling like crazy and sand was blowing everywhere. We waited until a little later in the morning hoping that it would go away but it really didn't so we decided to go ahead and try our best to pedal at least a few miles. We came into Big Lake, TX about 11 am and the town was already buzzing about CJ's arrival. Turns out that the local paper had gotten word of our coming and had put the story on the front page! Even the workers at the gas station where we stopped for a break and to put diesel in the bus wanted to take a picture!

The "bus crew" separated from the "bike crew" for a while to stop at the grocery store. When they did and lady in the grocery store parking lot walked up out of the blue and said she saw the story in the paper this morning and God told her to give us $1500....she literally handed Kenadi 15 one hundred dollar bills!! We were BLOWN away! We are so thankful for her obedience to God's leading!
After the trip the to store the two crews met back up and finished out the day's ride in Barnhart, TX. Even with the horrendous wind, CJ and Craig still pedaled 34 miles today!

After riding this afternoon we stopped in at Grandma's Kitchen for dinner and then we were invited to come to a Reagan County Owls 7th and 8th grade football game! Of course the boys were all excited to go to a football game!!
We have definitely learned on this trip that Texas does not joke around when it comes to high school football! Back in Carlsbad we "happened" upon the local high school's homecoming PARADE! It was about as big as Walkertown's parade at Christmas. We were all shocked at the number of people who lined the streets decks out in Carlsbad Cavemen attire. Then in both Pecos and Crane we were amazed by the size and glitz of the high school football stadiums, large posters of the football players around town, and painted wooden stars with the football player names and numbers on the telephone poles lining the main streets.  So needless to say we were all a little excited about and interested to see what tonight's middle school game would be like. Let me just say, in my 12 years as a middle school teacher (Katie, mom, the one writing this blog tonight), I have NEVER been to a MS football game that had that many people in attendance!!  It was awesome to see how the whole town came together to support even the younger team! Everyone had one school colors or attire and actually CHEERED for the team and players by name! We certainly hope to have the chance to go to another football game while we are in this part of the USA!
The announcers at the game had CJ come up into the press box and tell about what he was doing then let CJ to go "take an offering"! CJ walked around and collecting money in the loveFAR "can" while several of the kids walked around with him and helped pass out his flyers to everyone. We are so thankful for the generous giving of the folks in this little town of Big Lake!! Even though we may never be in this town again, we will always be OWLS fans!