At about midnight on Sunday, June 28, 2009 I realized I hadn’t printed the map/directions I needed to get from Superior, MT to Riggins, ID.  I had just finished a wonderful day of visiting/watching the two Montana teams participating in our Youthmark Mission Venture.

I jumped online at the church in Superior and Google Maps suggested two different routes I could take.  One taking approximately six hours and the other, about five.  Naturally I chose the six hour route, right?  Of course not.  I think most of us would choose the quicker route…

I didn’t have access to a printer so I simply emailed the directions to my phone so that I had the written directions at my disposal at all times.

I got about five hours of sleep and long before any of the Snohomish Free Methodist students were awake I was out the door and on my way to visit the NW Bible Church team in Riggins.

Headed east on I-90 for about 15 minutes and took the exit that Google told me to take.  Jumped on Fish Creek Road as Google demanded.  Approximately 2-3 miles in the roadway turned to gravel… hmmm?  Fortunately I had my phone and read that I was to stay on Fish Creek Rd. for a good 32 miles until I got to Hwy 12.

What I didn’t anticipate was the 11 times while on Fish Creek Road that I would encounter junctions (sometimes a Y, sometimes a T and even a few times a four way intersection of gravel confusion).  There was not a road-sign/marker to be found; I had no idea which was Fish Creek Road and which was Death Trap Road!  Stopping and asking for directions was not an option, I was in the middle of the forest, with no cell signal and only my XM Radio and Dan Patrick’s voice to comfort me!

82% of the time I made the right choice… however, those 2 wrong turns cost me a lot.  At one intersection I chose what looked to be the wider road, 11 miles later it stopped at a trailhead for what I am sure was a great hike.  After traveling back the 11 miles I then chose the right path only to come to another intersection of three choices… I chose wrong one more time, this time costing me 6 miles each direction.

My non-GPS road-trip cost me an extra two hours (it took me seven hours instead of the five or six Google suggested).

The spiritual analogies are flowing, This material WILL show up in one of my devotionals, training sessions or mission prep workbook, GUARANTEED… in fact, more guaranteed than a Google Map!

Grace,

Brian