Last year, after the hike was over, I was intent on keeping the beard as long as possible…that lasted all of 3 days since we were heading to Mel’s 10 yr reunion…So, here are the pics of the beard coming off…thinking about growing it back, what do you think?

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I’d like to quickly address a few questions that have been raised over the past few posts, just to make sure everyone is up to speed.

First off, I don’t know how much we’ve been able to raise for the Trailblazer Campaign. Since we’ve been out of the loop, we’re kinda behind the times on all that info. I do know that we are presently a long way from our target of $100,000. It seems that since completing the AT is such a difficult task, as more that 75% fail in an attempt at a thru-hike, many people held off on their pledges of a certain amount per mile hiked until they knew how many miles we actually completed. I think the next few months will be more telling as it relates to reaching that goal. If you are totally in the dark about what I’m writing, the hike was a fundraiser for Rainbow Christian Camp to be able to build a new high ropes course that can accomodate up to 50 people at once and will also be handicap accessible. This will open new doors for ministry at the camp that we had, until this point, only dreamed about. School groups will be able to involve an entire class at one time in team building initiatives on the course and we’ll be able to minister to special needs children and their families in a way that very few other facilities can.  We feel God leading us strongly in this direction and are seeking to partner with anyone who sees value in this new ministry endeavor. All gifts are tax deductible and we’ll be able to keep you personally involved as the process continues to develop. Individuals, churches, and businesses are welcome to be involved. If you have any questions, check out the Get Involved section on the side of the page, or contact the camp @ 765-395-3638. You will also find information about how you can become a monthly supporter of the work that I will be doing at the camp. I am raising my own support to work there and would love to partner with you in ministry on any level you’d like.

Second (and mostly for Rick), I did get a picture of the soul patch and I’ll make sure to get it on here sometime in the near future. All of the remaining pics will be posted gradually over the coming weeks, as well as the remaining videos, including the first time we touched the sign on top of Katahdin marking the end of a 2176.2 mile walk. Please be patient but do continue to check back for those pics and videos to come in the near future.

Third, rather than posting “after photos” of our physical changes from the hike (since we forgot for the first week as we were eating everything in sight!) I’ll just tell you that Mel lost a couple pounds and lost some inches off her legs. Other than that, she feels softer on the whole and like she lost alot of muscle. I lost around 32-33 lbs and ended at around 188 or so. I’ve put a few back on and now sit around 193. In spite of the amount of weight lost, I also feel much softer and weaker than before we left. How can this be? Well, when you constantly expose your muscles to extreme exertion, and then give them no time to recover, the breakdown of the tissue causes muscle loss over time. So, even though we could walk for 100 miles or so without really hurting, especially if we had no pack on our backs, our muscles are in worse shape than when we started. My legs, which were roughly the size of an anorexic 2nd graders’ before we left, have actually gotten smaller. On top of all that, we, as well as everyone who we hiked with and have asked about it, are constantly in pain from the pounding on our knees and other joints for 25 weeks. Each morning we’ve awakened this past week, we’ve been more sore and stiff than any day on the trail. We’re not sure how long that will last, but we’re certain we don’t like it!

Finally, due to lack of reading material and such on the trail, I’ve been like a sponge these past few days, trying to catch up on everythinggoing on around us. I just recently finished a great read about the dangers and/or difficulties with the issue of same-sex marriage, and I was heartened to read a passage from 2 Chronicles 20 in the conclusion on the book. This passage isn’t just pertinent to the issue of gay marriage, but to all the issues/battles we face as it relates to living our lives in a world with increasingly hostile attitudes toward Christians. Chapter 20, verse 12 is the conclusion of a prayer uttered by King Jehoshaphat as the people of Judah prepare for a desperate battle with Moab and Ammon that they’re certain to lose. The king concludes his prayer with these words: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” In the midst of tumultuous times, when the world would seek to push an agenda of hatred toward a Christian world view and then seeks to force “acceptance” of everything else, may we incline our ears and hearts toward Christ. And oh yeah, Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah went on to win that battle! God bless you and thanks again for your prayers and support. We hope to see many of you in the coming weeks.

One of the things that Melissa and I are curious about during this journey is the physical changes that we will encounter while we are hiking. So, at the risk of being a little cheezy, we took some photos of ourselves and are giving our stats as of February 29th, 2008. You’ll find the photos listed below our current statistics. As we hike, we’ll make note of the changes, take some pictures and hopefully be able to show some pretty cool results. And yes, as has already been pointed out, I look like a huge tool in my pictures!

Joe:                                                 Melissa:

Weight: 205                                   Weight:123
Body Fat %: 17                              Body Fat %: 21
Waist: 34                                        Waist: 27
Chest: 46                                        Hips: 36

  Joe #1                                          Melissa #1
  Joe #2                                          Melissa #2