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Kidnapping attempt foiled by victim's uncle; suspect in custody
Fatal crash: Motorcyclist killed on Ellijay Road
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Modern-day pilgrims walk across America
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News
Modern-day pilgrims walk across America
By Colin McCandless
Press photo/Colin McCandless HOPEWALK 2008 participants, from left, Travis Maddox, Matt Priddle, David (last name withheld) and Troy Sutton of Crossroads Christian Rehabilitation Center in Franklin will depart Aug. 4 for a 3,000-mile trek across America to spread a message of hope of freedom from addiction through the Gospel.
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Four students of a local nonprofit Christ-centered drug and alcohol recovery program for men are set to embark on a 3,000-mile walk across America to raise awareness of the hope for salvation from addiction through the power of the Gospel.
Matt Priddle (age 31), Travis Maddox (30), Troy Sutton (38) and David (24-last name withheld by request), of Crossroads Christian Rehabilitation Center will undertake the info on modern ceramic pottery arduous journey, entitled "HOPEWALK 2008." Center director Mike Warriner will also participate in the cross-country trip.
Priddle came up with the idea as an offshoot of the Macon Christian Ministerial Association's HOPE 2008 event Aug. 3 at the Franklin High School football field.
They have been planning the trip for a month now. The men were putting up posters and banners for the modern golf clubs HOPE 2008 event and Priddle began talking modern raised dog feeders about applying modern furniture in lexington ky the concept on a bigger scale.
When asked why he decided to pursue this challenging endeavor, Priddle said, "I haven't been a Christian too long. This is a 10-month program and part of what we've learned along this course is that our mission in life is to spread the word.
"I've always been sort of an adventurous guy. I can't think of any better way to finish off this program and to grow myself, then to go out on a journey and spread the word of Christ."
Maddox said he believes they can assist other people who are suffering from addiction find that missing piece in their lives through the discovery of Jesus.
"It took me 15 years of trying outpatient treatment, detoxes, family support-and I was missing one thing-I just wasn't reading the Bible and following Jesus," Maddox said.
"That pretty much helped me. I know it will help others, if they'll see."
Priddle said it has been 14 years since he has been sober. "Five months ago I found absolute rock bottom in my life," Priddle said. "And I mean it the factors of the modern novel was pretty destructive to me as a person. This program (Crossroads) has pulled me back up.
"So if there's time and opportunity to be able to go out and keep a grammar of modern contemporary persian people from getting to where I got, then by all means let's do it," Priddle said.
The Crossroads trekkers will launch their HOPEWALK 2008 trip across the country 8 a.m., Monday, Aug. 4 from the Macon County Courthouse. Their odyssey should take them at least as far as Seaside, Ore., on the Pacific Coast.
However, the route will remain flexible to accommodate direction from the Lord and invitations to minister, Warriner said.
They will walk an average of 20 miles a day all week except for Sunday, their day of rest.
If they maintain this pace, it would take approximately150 days to reach their initial target, though weather and other unforeseen variables will ultimately determine the journey's length.
They will be accompanied by their travel-tested van (133,000 miles) with supplies and communications equipment.
Warriner and Priddle will switch driving duties, taking it to each day's endpoint, but also shuttling back to bring water and any other support advances in modern technology the walkers might need.
They anticipate being invited to speak in churches along the way to spread hope and promote Warriner's new book, The Church in the Wilderness. All proceeds from book sales will help with expenses along the way.
They will begin each day with devotions and end each day with Bible study and prayer. The group plans to sleep in tents at night and cook from a camp stove along the road.
They have been walking six miles a day through the Cowee Valley area to prepare for the journey.
The tentative route will avoid major interstates and limited access roads but will likely pass through cities such as Chattanooga, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver, Salt Lake City, Boise and Portland.
However, Warriner modern earthtones paints emphasized it's an open schedule, noting that inclement weather will make travel impossible on some days, and that they might even have to return during winter and pick up where they left off when conditions improve.
"We don't have to be in any certain place at any certain time," Warriner said. "If we need to rest we can, if we feel like we can go farther in a day we will.
"We're just truly leaving it in the hands of God. He said to european influences on modern curriculum go into all the world and preach the gospel. Just like Paul and those other guys did back in the Bible, that's what we're doing today. We expect God will bless us along the way."
Asked what he thought the most challenging part of the trip would be, Priddle quipped that it would probably be walking 3,000 miles.
On a more serious note he added, "the glory that is going to come out of it is our eternal reward. modern military aircraft gallery We can bring people to Jesus and hopefully free them from their addiction and spread the word."
Crossroads is a Christ-centered program that is nondenominational and supported by area churches, according to Warriner.
As members of the MCMA, the men will be serving as representatives and messengers of Franklin and its Christian ministry.
"These guys can tell people what Jesus has done in their life," said Warriner, who is undertaking his second such cross-country mission trip. In 1980, he participated in a similar Christ-inspired walk from Gainesville, Fla., to Seaside, Ore.
'These guys can say 'I may not know all the details of the Bible and everything yet, but I do know this-I used to be this and now I am something new. And I know God had to do it."
The idea behind calling it "Hopewalk" is because it aims to spread hope in Jesus.
Warriner said that there a lot of people out there with addiction problems of some kind, whether alcohol, sex, pornography, prescription drugs, etc.
"We want to let those people and their families know that there's hope," Warriner said. "There is a way out, There is a solution. There is an answer. There is hope for a cure. Of deliverance.
"And that's our real message. For everyone we want them to know there's hope in Jesus, but particularly for those who have suffered through addiction as we have with ourselves and our family."
Warriner said there is a sort of a taint to addiction, that is mostly brought upon addicts by themselves. "Most people really respect somebody who goes into a rehab," Warriner said.
He explained for instance that Crossroads is a voluntary rehab center, and its students chose to be here.
"To me that says a whole lot about who they are down deep," Warriner said. "So I think these guys are worthy of respect and we want other addicts out there to know it's not all negative and there's some real respect that goes with getting help."
Warriner would know, for he's a recovering addict himself and as he said, "just an example of what God can do with a lost soul and a drug addict."
Understanding employers
Despite the extended time they must take off from work to complete their trek, Priddle and Maddox will still have jobs waiting for them when they come back.
Priddle works for a corporation that has a program for "Compassion in the Workplace" in which his boss will leave his job open for him while he finishes the Crossroads rehab.
Additionally, some people in the company donated vacation time so Priddle could continue to support his family during his stint in the program.
Maddox said his employer has also promised him his job will be there for him upon his return. "They thought it was a great idea," Maddox said. "They told me to look them up when I got back and I'd have a job waiting on me."
Hopewalk updates
WPFJ, The Dove, will broadcast updates on the trip's progress and the local office and phone for Crossroads will remain open. They also intend to keep kaba modern lisa shaw The Press informed of their advancement and whereabouts and plan to send photos.
They have also developed a website specifically for the trip at www.hopewalk1.com that will update supporters on their state to state progress and share success stories.
As for what will become of Crossroads rehab center, currently located in Cowee Valley next to Perry's Water Gardens, Warriner said he didn't know for sure.
Their board of directors will be searching for another facility. They will see if it will it remain a rehab center, become a missionary evangelism center or a combination of the two. Warriner said he would set up the basement of his home as a temporary place for the center when he returns.
Donations are greatly appreciated for the HOPEWALK 2008 journey. If you would like to support this mission, contact Crossroads at 524-8963 or you can donate online modern dinosaurs at www.crossroadschristianrehab.com or mail donations to: PO Box modern day art galleries 454 Otto NC 28763.
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