By Bobby J. Smith, Staff/The Daily Corinthian/AP Exchange
AP Exchange
CORINTH, Miss. —
Mark and Deb Harris are on a Journey for Jesus.
That s the title of the Harris blog, which tells the tale of their journey to spread the Word and find a new home as they travel the land in their homemade covered wagon.
The couple and their team — two Belgian horses named Bob and Casey — spent the night at Hallelujah Hills, near North Corinth Baptist Church, where they d been invited to stay while the rainy weather passed through the area. On Wednesday they told their story of faith and travel to a group of mostly young people at North Corinth Baptist.
Hailing from Perry, Michigan, the Harris’ have been on the road for over 130 days. They worked in the automotive industry before the economy took a turn for the worse.
“We had a nice little home and a couple of acres,” Deb recalled. “Then we lost our jobs and knew that season was over.”
While they were trying to figure out the next step, Mark told Deb that God had been speaking to him. He wanted the Harris’ to travel the land in a covered wagon, meet people and talk about Jesus while maintaining a mobile prayer ministry. At first Deb was skeptical.
You re nuts! she told Mark.
But several months later the Lord spoke to Mark three nights in a row. This time his wife was convinced.
A lot of times what the Lord asks you to do sounds kind of crazy because it doesn’t fit in with what you’d normally do in the world, she said.
The Harris’ are quick to point out they are not perfect — just normal people who were called on to do God’s work.
“You can tell by the tattoos on Mark s arms we re not saints,” she said. “We re just regular folks. We re all sinners and the Lord forgives us — if we believe in Him.”
They began their trek on Sept. 22. They make it about 10 or 15 miles each day before they must stop to rest and water the horses. Wednesday was their 133rd day on the road. They have no set goal in mind. Instead they are traveling until the Lord guides them to a new home.
They’ve faced tribulations along the way. Last week their wagon was sideswiped by a truck south of Henderson, Tenn. Some days even finding the right place to stop for the night, or a place to turn the wagon around can be a challenge, as is documented in the couple s blog, “Journey for Jesus.”
In the face of the journey’s challenges, the Harris’ have found an even stronger faith.
“The thing about traveling like this is you get up every day and leave a safe place,” said Mark. ‘Every day you have to leave. You don’t know what s in front of you — but God will take care of you.
The message they shared at North Corinth Baptist Church was a message of faith and prayer.
“Talk to God. Make God a bigger part of your life,” Mark told the congregation. “If you make God a bigger part of your life, you will never be sorry.”
To follow the Harris’ on their “Journey for Jesus,” visit walkinginthewill.blogspot.com.
