And the Heavens Were Opened

"Prayer is the most powerful means of overcoming any kind of discouragement. It connects you with an omnipotent, omniscient Father who loves you unconditionally, who sees where you are and is going to help you in it." - Charles Stanley

This morning we started our trek across Iowa leaving Nebraska behind. Not far into our journey, the heavens opened pummeling the earth with deluge of rain. At some points it was impossible to see anything, which caused us to drive about 10 to 15 miles per hour. Any faster would have put us in danger. After about five minutes of this downpour we noticed that some of the drivers going the opposite direction had decided to stop on the side of the road to wait out the storm. Obviously, having come from the direction they were headed, we understood something that they didn't. They only needed to drive about five minutes to be out of the storm. When we have personal storms in our lives, sometimes it's necessary to take precautions and wait them out, and sometimes it's necessary to work through the storms. Obviously, not knowing the end result makes it difficult to know how to proceed. But we all have Someone who says, "I know how this storm ends. Trust in Me and I will guide you." So just as the heavens opened on us in Iowa this morning, the heavens are open to all of us everyday. We just need to ask.

Sisters' Log - Day 4

Today's blog entry is brought to you by the Letter I. I is for Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana.

We were not anxious to make the trek across Iowa, yet another corn state, today fearing a repeat of the 48 hours of the previous day. However, what a pleasant surprise. Iowa is a beautiful state of rolling green hills with farm houses and silos dotting the countryside. Yes there was corn, but it was a complement to the rest of the scenery. We crossed the Mississipi on the east side of Iowa, and Sandy didn't cry, but she did make Edie drive. Edie didn't cry either. We still have to cross the Mississipi one more time on the way home. Can't guarantee whether or not there will be any tears. Gas prices in Coralville, Iowa, were $4.09 per gallon.

There's not much to say about Illinois. It wasn't as boring as Nebraska, but it wasn't as beautiful as Iowa.

Indiana comes with toll roads. It also came with congested traffic around Gary, Indiana, during which we were crawling at around 20 miles per hour. We are staying the night in a Country Inn Suites in Elkhart, Indiana, and we're now in Amish country. We hope to explore the Amish countryside tomorrow before traveling farther east to our destination. Gas prices in Elkhart are $4.06 per gallon.

We must give a two-thumbs up to the Country Inn Suites. We liked so much the one we stayed in last night, that we chose to stay in one tonight as well. They are quaint, clean, have a friendly staff, and a very good complementary breakfast that includes scrambled eggs, biscuits, gravy, sausage, fruit, and much more.

We also must give a two-thumbs up the to rest areas west of the Missouri. Rest areas out west can't hold a candle to these.

Isaiah - We drove through three states today: Iowa, capitol is Des Moines; Illinois, capitol is Springfield; and Indiana, capitol is Indianapolis. We did drive through Des Moines, but not the other two.

Shout out to the McDonalds: Thanks for the tip on the Garmin. It has really made this trip much easier for us to navigate.

Today's blog is somewhat uneventful, because there has to actually be events in order for the blog to be eventful.

Thank you for your support.