Trevor & Richard's Underground Railroad Roadtrip - Summer, 1996
In the summer of 1996, Richard Wiles (Black Friday) and myself (Trevor) decided it would be cool to visit a bunch of the ministries on the UR on our way out to C-stone. So we planned a 2 week road trip.
Seattle
It started with me taking the 3 hour bus trip down to Seattle where Richard and I met. We rented a car, but right off there was a glitch. The problem was, since Richard didn't have a major credit card, they told us he wasn't allowed to drive and since we had planned the trip based on both of us driving, there was no way we could do it. We prayed and cried out to God and asked that He would give us favor with them.
I called them back and asked if there was anyway they would accept his cheque cashing card, she told us, "Sorry, we don't normally do that, but just a second and let me check," when she came back on the phone she told us she talked with her boss and he said that this time he would allow it. Praise God! So we took off down the coast.
San Francisco
In San Francisco we stayed with Cathy Moon at the "Prodigal House," which is a 1/2 a block from the corner of Haight and Ashbury. It was such a cool place and we had a great time there.
After spending most of the day sight seeing around the city, we got back to the house just as they were heading out to the street. After we ate the dinner that they had graciously left for us, we joined them and spent a couple of hours doing worship right on Haight St. and talking with the people there. Later that night we went out to a gothic-industrial club to do some spiritual dance warfare.
Los Angeles
Next we headed down to LA and stayed with Avi and Rachel who are starting a ministry called the Church of the Undead. We went to Disneyland, to a mall where we met Dave Hart who was up from San Diego to promote Savior Machine, saw Rachel's band play at a coffee house and went out to another gothic-industrial club (right on the Hollywood strip) to do some more spiritual dance warfare.
Then on Sunday we went to the "Church on the Edge" which is pastored by a cool couple who used to be hard core punks. Even though we were there for only a short time, we really felt connected.
Flagstaff
After sightseeing in Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon we went and met Obidiah and Svetlana, in Flagstaff. They were very hospitable and took us out for pizza and let us sleep in their living room. Their ministry is in the area of drama and performance art. He also gave us a bunch of Christian Horror novels that a business man in Phoenix does. He writes the stories and then prints them up and hands them out for free to the people on the street.
Phoenix
In Phoenix we stayed with Steve and Barb, from "Beauty for Ashes." We had a great time of fellowship and later that night one of their friends (who was a security guard) took us out on to the roof of one of the tall buildings downtown. We got the best 360 degree view you could imagine.
Houston
We dropped in on Tim and Edye (Mission X) at the end of a long moving day and were able to pitch in and give them a hand. We had great fellowship and ended staying up half the night talking and then crashed in some of the empty rooms.
New Orleans
We got into New Orleans, just as the last of the team from Street Level was leaving to go up north to visit their families before C-stone. However, Jay and Andi had arranged for us stay in their place while they were away. They have such a cool place right in the French Quarter.
We had a great time there. We went out on Bourbon St. on Fri. night, which was a real trip. On Sat. night we were on our way to a club to do some warfare, when one of the women reading tarot cards called out to us. Her name was Genocide and until just recently was a gutter punk. She called us over because Richard was wearing a black Samurai skirt and she said that it was so cool and wanted to talk to us.
We talked for a while and then she offered to do a reading for us. We said no thanks, and she asked why and so Richard told her that we were Christians. She got this shocked look on her face and said "No way, gothic-industrial Christians, I don't believe it." Then Richard pointed to me and said that I was a pastor. "No way," Was her response again and she called to a bunch of gothics on either side of her. "Come and meet this guys, they are Gothic-industrial Christians, can you believe it? I also told them about the Church of the Undead in LA and they were again amazed. God definitely touched her that night, so please pray for her. She has since moved down to Florida, but she is keeping in touch with Richard over the Internet.