My Amtrak Journal

Introduction

Ever since I had graduated from college, I desired to have a “wilderness experience.” I knew that before the Lord used many of his servants in public ministry, they had a time apart with Him. Since I didn’t have specific direction for a place of ministry, I knew this was an important time to draw closer to the Lord and get his mind for what I should do next. This is when I learned about the North American Rail Pass for thirty days on the Amtrak railways.

For Moses, it was forty years with the sheep; David hid from Saul in caves; Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness; and the Apostle Paul was taken for over three years to the Arabian Desert. What is interesting to note is that with Moses, David, and Paul, they each were murderers, but all found God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ. God brought them unto himself and used them as the greatest leaders of his people throughout history. Most notable however, is that they were each used by God to pen most of the words of Scripture. 

As I considered where I could go to be alone with God, I learned about the Bass River State Forest in New Jersey. I stayed there for about eight of the loneliest days in my life. The days were spent mostly reading my Bible, praying while taking walks, and writing in my journal. I cooked over an open fire and bundled up in my lean-to. I even survived a light snowfall! I really looked forward to my upcoming trip around the country.

Riding the Rails

A couple days after my campout in New Jersey, I boarded the Amtrak train in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was Easter Sunday, April 11, 2004, and I would spend the next month traveling across Canada and the United States on a North American rail pass. This pass cost only $500 – about all the money I owned at the time! This gave me access to the Amtrak trains and the VIA Rail in Canada, along with bus rides and ferry boats.

I would not only see the cities and countryside of this great land but would witness firsthand the provision and protection of God. I met people from all backgrounds from around the world, including world travelers and national personalities such as former Presidential candidate Al Sharpton in the Philadelphia train station and Hall-of-Fame baseball player Ron Santo when I visited Wrigley field in Chicago for a baseball game.

My adventures included sleeping on a bench at Fisherman’s wharf in San Francisco, losing my wallet on a Los Angeles bound train, and viewing the spectacular sights of the Canadian Rockies, the Grand Canyon, and Yosemite National Park.  

Climb aboard and take a seat next to me and watch how God would protect me from dangerous situations, provide when I was down to my last penny, and allow my journey to be so much more than just a tourist trip around North America. My faith would be shaped and shared by so many interesting encounters with people from around the world as we would experience traveling together in a train car!

If you are interested in learning more life-lessons from my experiences and travels, you may click here in another free online book title Fully Equipped: Having What it Takes to Give Your All.

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