So Nate Smith calls me up and tells me he thinks he knows somebody who will by my ticket for Skid Row. "Who, I say?" Nate tells me quick stories about his friend Karl in Huntington Beach who has donated money to multiple outreach trips. I think nothing of it, because as we know, punk rock kids like Nate always are turning over rocks looking for change. I figure he’ll bother some Huntington Beach guy for a week and then tell me he came up short.

Before Nate came on board with Enoch, we never asked people for donations to go on our trips/ documentaries. I just put the trips on a credit card and then relied on God to help me pay it back. That may sound unresponsible, but it has completely worked on our last two trips. It worked for me and my relationship/understanding of God and how he works…Nate taught me this lesson: Sometimes God will NOT give you all the money you need for your mission trip. So what do you do? send out more support letters? Maybe, but for us it’s "Go," and let God handle the uncertianities. And before I put the flights on my credit card, there’s usually a grace period. This is when you are totally not sure if this will come together or not. Should I buy the tickets in faith? Is God in this at all?

So, as you can guess, Nate’s friend Karl (whom I’ve never met) DID come through with the ticket and purchased my Skid Row passage! I received an email with my flight itinerary; name, dates, everything in perfect order. This is a little confirmation code that I recognize from the Lord. On all our trips and documentaries, I notice that the initial idea is great, but then things become more complicated and uncertain….so you pray. For me, I decide that it’s a "Go’ if we start seeing "doors open." For the Lightheaded Documentary the "open door" was Othello joining the tour to complete the trio. Scotland’s "open doors" were just all the encouragement we got from Bob Hill and David who were willing to let us stay at the castle, use their van and join in on some meals! Skid Row is different because we don’t know the people down there. But, the free ticket that I didn’t ask for is an "open door."

I asked Karl in an email why he bought this ticket for me. He said, "I was on the phone with Nate and he was saying that three of you were planning a trip back to California to do some evangelism.  He mentioned you guys had enough for a couple of tickets, so hey, I am a selfish guy and wanted to be a part of the blessing that God has for you.  So what better way than to help out with a little transportation… :-).  You guys are warriors on the front lines taking down the strongholds in the lives that may not seem to matter to Joe Public but are most important to Him who created them….Blessings on your trip"

Ask me if Karl’s chaps are on.