Boise break and Story time

So how did this all get started? Well, it kind of started with running, believe it or not. Running in itself is a huge blessing in my life. I was never able to run when I was younger due to my weight. I was one of the kids in junior high that walked the mile in PE class when it was time to time our laps. I was the kid that couldn’t do any pullups and lagged far behind the others on situps. When God began to transform me in early 2023, I lost most of the extra weight I had been carrying around all these years. One day I got the random desire to go for a run, so I did. I ran for about 1/8th of a mile and then, out of breath, slowed down to a walk. Once I could breath again I started running again. This process continued over the course of several weeks and I found myself able to run 1/2 mile without resting, then 1 mile, then 2 miles, and on and on. When I run, I choose to spend that time talking with God. I have brought so many concerns and thoughts to God in this way. It is such a wonderful way to be able to really focus on Him without the distractions that come at me during the day to day.

One morning I was out running and having my morning chat when it occurred to me just how far God had brought me in such a short time. I was suddenly capable of so much more than I had been in the years since my youth. I found myself wondering what was next, and brought that question to God. “God, what is next for me? You have brought me so far in such a short period of time… What are you molding me and shaping me for? What’s next? I certainly can’t stay in this apartment forever working out and eating steaks. What should I be doing with myself going forward?”. In the Bible Matthew 7:7 says “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find”. This requires patience, but as I paid attention to what God was doing around me and showing me, the picture began to come into view.  

I was in Boise in late August for my niece’s birthday and my parent’s were discussing RV’s one morning. They were interested in two different models of motorhomes: the Thor Axis and the Tiffin Wayfarer. Both of these are only about 3 feet longer than the Travato but offer way more room due to the width and the addition of a slideout. The big thing they wanted was the extra bed for their 8 year old grand daughter, Alice. As we poured through the numerous listings on RV Trader I was just in awe of how cool these things were, especially the Thor Axis. It just had a really neat look and so much space available inside despite its small footprint. I began imagining myself cruising down the road in one of these things and having all sorts of adventures. We spent several hours together that morning going through countless listings on RV trader and comparing the different features. I introduced them to Facebook Marketplace were we found even more listings in the surrounding area to pour through. We couldn’t get enough.

I began to get really excited for them. I could see how God was working in their lives through their RV adventures. I wanted them to be able to have more, go farther, and extract more life from all of their travels. I think my excitement inevitably fed their own excitement, and this idea of theirs began to mature into a hard goal. Dad and I toured all the RV lots in town just looking at all the different models and setups. I began making a mental checklist of all the features I would need to be able to live long term in one of these things… it was a fun fantasy to have. And at the time, that’s really all it was for me, a fun thing to imagine and dream about. In any case, it was a fun way to spend time with them while I was in town for Alice’s birthday. 

From there I headed back home to my apartment in Post Falls and back to my routine. As the weeks went by I found myself checking RV Trader and Facebook Marketplace several times a week just to see what had come available and reporting my findings to my parents. The fantasy wasn’t fading as I expected it to… in fact, the more research I did, the more this seemed like something I could actually do. I looked at the events of my day to day life and what I would need out of one of these things in order to continue living my new lifestyle completely out of a motorhome. Things I would need such as floor space, large water reserves, a shower, electricity available fulltime, all these began helping me whittle down the endless options into a few choice floorplans. I started learning about solar and all the ins and outs of installing and operating a system full time. I learned about running an maintaining a generator, septic systems, and various modern upgrades that an RV in my price range would need. Each new bit of knowledge led to another rabbit hole of researchable goodies, and I soon found this new passion of mine taking up a huge portion of my free time.

This went on for a few months, talking to God about it all the while. I definitely felt like He was guiding me to this, but is He serious? This whole thing seems kind of crazy to me… dropping the life I know to head out on the road in an RV. Besides, where would I go and where would I stay? What would I do when I got there? As I continued to ask these questions the answers slowly began to come. I stumbled across some videos on the internet that led me to programs for full time RVers like Boondocker’s Welcome and apps that mapped out countless free camp sites across the country. Things like water and dump stations were no longer difficult things to find thanks to the advent of technology. As for what I would do when I got there, the answer had been staring me in the face the whole time. 

For a few weeks now I had been volunteering at a local thrift store run by the church I attend. I really enjoyed working at this place. The people are just wonderful there and so appreciative. They had a room basically filled with various video games and computer stuff that they weren’t sure what to do with. They didn’t know how to test the equipment and so it just sat there. I am actually pretty well versed with this stuff so over the course of several weeks I had been going in to sift through the pile and make some sense of it all. The pile slowly whittled down and the money came flowing in. It felt great to be able to offer some knowledge that the store was lacking and provide revenue from an area that was otherwise burdensome to them. It was during this time that it hit me: volunteering. I have many talents that God has graced me with through the years. Having been a big help to this place, I could undoubtedly be a big help to others out there in all sorts of ways. Why not travel around putting these talents to good use for benefit of others? What better way to thank God for providing me with them in the first place? 

The plan was beginning to come into focus… but it was still looking like a very unlikely dream. At the time, I was still pretty swayed by the ways of the world, and I had a feeling that no one would support this idea. I feared they would think I was crazy and fill my head and my heart with doubts. I was especially concerned about bringing this idea to my parents. They have spent their whole lives working hard and have done pretty well for themselves. To tell them that I was planning on striking out into the world on my own dime and offering to work for others with no income seemed like a losing proposal. As Christmas approached, I began bringing this idea to some of my closest friends just to see what kind of reaction I could expect. Surprisingly, every single person I told this idea to was overwhelmingly supportive.

Thanksgiving was approaching, and I knew I would be back in Boise with my parents soon. I decided to tread lightly and throw a few seeds out here and there and see how they reacted. Again, much to my surprise, I found nothing but support as I dropped my hints. I remember one afternoon when my Mom and I were alone in the living room looking through more RV listings… I kind of just casually threw out there “what would you think if I just bought one of these things and traveled around in it for a few years?”. Unbelievably, she launched into a story about how her favorite time in her life was when she was traveling for work going from town to town and seeing all kinds of amazing sights and having crazy experiences. I couldn’t believe my ears. I followed up with some other “hypothetical” questions like “What would I get?” and “What if I found myself out at a campsite and needed to make a quick run into town?” to which she (even more unbelievably) replied, “You’d need a motorcycle or something.”. Little did she know the can of worms she opened when she said that. 

It was brilliant. Get a motorcycle and strap it to the back. Total freedom of movement in any camping situation. I reminisced on how much I used to love riding my old Kawaski around in my 20’s before the constant hangovers led me to giving it up. I spent the next few weeks endlessly researching motorcycles and various ways of carrying them on the back of an RV. I found that the best option is a carrier they make that fits right into the tow hitch on the back. They have their limitations, 600lbs max, but their utility and affordability are unmatched. This, of course, led to more motorcycle research for options in the 400lb range as not not exceed the capabilities of the hitch.

I looked at several different options, all had their benefits and downfalls, and then I came upon it, the Honda Rebel 500. A beautiful little street bike, famously easy to ride, fast enough to go on the freeway but not too fast to scare Mom, ABS, fuel injected, water cooled, 420lbs wet and just totally awesome looking. I fell in love. It was the coolest motorcycle I had ever seen and was affordable to boot. I think I watched every single video on Youtube for this thing. I had to have it… heck, I figured I’d get one regardless of whether or not I bought an RV, I just had to have this thing. 

This was an interesting time in my life. I’m not used to having desires. In fact, I have spent the last 20 years of my life killing all the desires of my heart. This was all very new to me, being excited about new things, places, and most of all, adventures. I had given up on the idea of this kind of life, or any life for that matter, being available to me. God was working in me in so many ways it was almost overwhelming. I found myself constantly asking Him over and over if this was just me or Him working in me. I decided to go slow and give Him a chance to show me. Just one thing at a time, I figured, and we’ll start with the motorcycle. I’ll see what available out there, make some calls and give God a chance to do His thing. 

There were several for a sale in the area, and I called or messages about a few, but it was about halfway through December when I found this absolutely stunning one for sale in Moscow, Idaho, about 70 miles south of me. It was a beautiful shade of green and black, had 500 miles on it, and was sitting pretty close to my price range. I set up a time to go check it out and met with the owner on a Saturday morning. I met the gal at her storage unit where the bike was being kept. I hopped on and took it for a quick, but freezing, ride down the street and back and was immediately hooked. As We stood in the cold discussing the bike I learned that she had purchased this thing from the original owner and darn near sticker price. She rode it for about 40 miles and ended up deciding it was just too scary for her and hasn’t ridden it since. Not only that, but she had financed the bike through her credit union and was now stuck making minimum payments on it along with the cost of keeping it in a storage locker so the weather didn’t destroy it. Basically, this thing was totally eating her lunch. 

It was in immaculate condition and came with several nice upgrades that the previous owner had installed when he owned it. I made her an offer on it a good amount below asking but still quite fair and she happily accepted. The negotiation was short and mutually beneficial. We met over at her credit union and paid the bike off which was a very simple process. From there I drove over to Uhaul and was in and out with a trailer hooked to my truck in 10 minutes. Then it was back to her place the bike was loaded up and secured within 15 minutes. The whole process went unbelievably smooth, all the pieces just fell nicely into place. She got out from underneath this massive burden, and I got the most beautiful bike I have ever seen at a very good price. God had blessed this endeavor and everyone involved. 

Feeling inspired with new confidence in God’s plan for me, I continued the search for the perfect RV. I found a few here and there in the area, but nothing really jumped out at me, and it was time to head to Boise for Christmas. I spend close to two weeks there with my family and had a lovely holiday season. The cat was pretty much out of the bag at this point as to what I was doing, so I was able to be a little more open about my plans with everyone. Again, I was met with way more support then I was expecting from both family and friends. Dad and I kept going around to the various dealerships now looking at each RV through two lenses: their needs and my needs. It was fun, and the whole thing was starting to become a reality.

I think it was the day after Christmas that I was on Facebook Marketplace and came across a particularly good looking listing for a 2021 Thor Axis located in Modesto, California. I showed it to my parents and they immediately fell in love. There were about 30 pictures of it online and it looked absolutely immaculate. The price was fantastic as well, several thousand below the dealership prices we had seen here. My Dad jumped all over it and got in touch with the owner that day. They chatted for over an hour about it and shortly thereafter Dad was making arrangements to rent a car and drive down to see it. They left a few days later to make the long trip south while I headed back home north to Post Falls.

I was so excited for them, they found just what they were looking for and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, would soon be the proud owners of their new adventure machine. They reached their hotel in Auburn that night and called to express their excitement for the coming day. Tomorrow they would go buy their new motorhome! I couldn’t wait to hear the good news. 

I didn’t hear much from them the next morning. I figured everything had gone so well they were stuck doing paperwork and chatting up the previous owners. Then in the early evening I got a text from them that simply said “heading home, in the rental car”. My heart sank. I quickly called them up and Dad told me all about the bad news. The RV had been a total lemon, and none of the pictures had showed any of it. The walls were bubbled from water damage, the bathroom was disgusting, trim pieces were falling off, it was just a total wreck. We had heard horror stories about “Covid era” RVs being poorly built, but this was far worse than any of us had imagined.

I felt terrible. That was my find. I had led them there, 700 miles from home in a rental car through snow covered passes to this utter disappointment, now they had another 700 mile drive home through horrible weather to lament on their bad luck. And where was God in all this? What was He trying to tell me through this experience? I was sure He had blessed them with the perfect RV through me, but oh how wrong I had gotten it. As the hours ticked by I had some dinner and just sort of sat in front of the TV brooding. Then, around 9:00 I pulled out my phone and started browsing RV trader. I wanted to see the pictures again so I pulled up the Thor Axis. The pictures looked so good, I just couldn’t believe this had gone so wrong.

I put in another search for Tiffin Wayfarer and pawed through a few listings… and then suddenly, there it was. Not only was it the best looking one on the page, not only did it have the lowest mileage, not only was it the lowest priced one on the the page, and not only was the floorplan perfect, but it was in Sacramento, right down the street from where they had just been. I couldn’t believe it… was God messing with me? Why couldn’t I have seen this hours ago when they were still in town? They will be over halfway to Boise by now… they were just there! I couldn’t believe this stroke of bad luck. I sent my Mom a text with the link saying “I sure wish I would have found this sooner, sorry”. About 20 minutes later I got a text back “We decided to stay in Auburn again, this is right down the street, we’re going to go see it in the morning.”

How many times in the past year with God have I faced these crisis of faith and questioned Him? Again and again He has proven Himself to be faithful and generous. This was a big one. God did this, all of it. I thought it was me, but it was Him. He used me to guide them to that RV, not because it was a nice thing for them to have, but because of the life and joy that it brings them. They texted me the next morning, they bought it. They purchased it from a really nice guy who had been trying to sell it for months that needed the money for his wife’s cancer treatments. It was a beautiful way for God to bring the whole thing together. 

Fueled with new vitality from this latest blessing, I continued to search for my new home. I found several online and called on a few. None of them panned out. One, that looked absolutely perfect, had just moved 500 miles away the day before I called. Another got buried in a snowstorm the day before I was supposed to go see it. I learned my lesson though and didn’t lose faith. If God wants me to go on the road, He will find a way to equip me for that journey. 

A few weeks later I was once again pouring through the listings on Facebook just passively looking at listings I had seen dozens of times already and as I scrolled way, way down in the listings something new caught my eye. It was a 2013 Fleetwood Storm. I don’t think it was even listed properly under vehicles, but there it was, a model 28f. 28 feet long, two slides, one for the entire left wall and one from the back to make the bedroom nice and big. It looked pretty clean and had the most floor space of any RV in its class that I had seen, which meant there would be plenty of room to work out in it on rainy days. It had everything I was looking for, oven, big refrigerator, good sized bathroom and shower, queen bed, tons of clothing storage, massive holding tanks… the works. And the best part, I could afford it. 

I quickly sent off a message to the seller who referred me to her father, Ron, and gave me his number. I called him up and asked a barrage of questions. He was very kind and answered everything I asked honestly. He gave the thumbs up to many things but was forthcoming about the things that were in need of some work. We built rapport quickly and I found myself thinking “this could be it”. After answering every question I could think of I began telling Ron why I was looking to purchase this thing. I told him my whole story about being saved by God the year before and how He has been leading me to go on the road and try to help people. He quietly took in my whole testimony and then let out a little chuckle. “That’s an amazing story… I became a pastor last year”. My jaw hit the floor. “You what?”, “Hah, yeah, I just became the pastor of my church last year.”

Man, riding with God is just non stop surprises.

Ron and I did a facetime walkthrough of the RV the next day and pretty much everything looked legit. We determined it needed rear tires, which is a pretty sizable expense on an RV (there are four tires on the rear), and the generator was not working, likely due to a clogged carburetor. I started doing a little math and checking bluebook values to come up with some kind of idea of what to offer. I scheduled a day with him and rented a car for the long drive. Ron and the RV were about 300 miles away in Dayton, Oregon. We had to schedule a few weeks away because the weather had been so bad in our areas. We were having a pretty heavy winter. Finally the day came, the weather cleared, and I picked up the rental car and made my way to Oregon. 

I pulled up to Ron’s house around noon on a beautiful day. As I got out of the car and shook his hand I noticed the RV was all up lifted completely off the ground on the leveling jacks. I commented on how he had cleaned it all up and had even shined up the tires. “No, those are new tires” he said. “Wait, you put four new tires on this thing?!”, he smiled “No, I put six new tires on this thing”. “Why?!” I cried, “Because I knew that if you bought it you were going to have to drive it 300 miles home and I didn’t want you driving it that far on unsafe tires.” This just blew my mind. “And I’m not going to factor them into the price because it needed them anyways” he said. The amount of goodwill that this man put out that day still just staggers me every time I think about it. 

We toured the RV and inspected it carefully. He had his parents come by so I could meet them, as it was their RV that he was selling. We all chatted and had coffee while I pondered over the possible purchase. Ron and I went for a ride and I had my first ever massive class A motorhome driving experience. It wasn’t bad. It doesn’t handle very well, and its not very fast, but I got used to it pretty quickly all things considered. We pulled back into his driveway and parked and there wasn’t really much more to talk about. That’s about the moment the crisis hit me. 

Pretty much all at once the weight of what I was doing came down on me. It was a massive full body panic. What was I doing? Am I crazy? I can’t buy an RV and live on the road, this is insane. I don’t want to move out of my cozy apartment and my isolated, safe life into the unknown. What am I even doing here? It was a massive crisis of faith.

“Ron, do you mind if I take a minute and pray on this? I just need a few minutes here…”. “Of course” he said, “take your time” and left me sitting alone in the strange RV. I sat down in one of the chairs facing the kitchen and bowed my head in silence. I don’t know how long I sat there talking to God, but I was just asking Him over and over again “Are you sure about this?”, “This seems crazy to me”, “I don’t think I really want to do this”, “Are you sure?” and then finally, not really receiving the answer I was looking for, I opened my eyes and looked up, and a strange thing happened. I was looking at the kitchen and a calm overcame me. It was a familiarity… a comfortable sight. I wasn’t just seeing a kitchen, I was seeing my kitchen… the one I would be spending my time cooking in. It looked inviting and comfortable. All the fear and anxiety was gone. I had my answer. 

The negotiation with Ron went just as smooth as the one for the motorcycle. He gave it to me at a wonderful price, and his parents got to pay it off and be unburdened from it. I drove it home all through the night and got home at 2:00 am. Exhausted, I parked it on the road next to my apartment and slogged my way up the stairs. I collapsed in front of my bed and knelt for prayer before getting some much needed sleep. I spoke to God and simply said “Father, are you sure about this? Did I do the right thing?”… a moment later I felt a strong hand squeeze my left shoulder and a massive chill wash over me. Once again, I had my answer.