John Guthrie and his 17 year old daughter, Jenna, flew out to Portland Oregon on Jun
e 15th to begin their long bike ride from Oregon back to the Eastern shore of Maryland. This mission trip - their very first - was to go out and preach to all who would be willing to hear.
They were met in Astoria, Oregon by a closes family friend, Sidney Jones, who had taken a five hour bus ride from his home in Washington State just to spend time with John and Jenna and fellowship with them as they began this trip. Sidney asked John if he felt ready for this trip, and John had said that he did spiritually, but physically he had been dealing with a bad back and pinched nerve. Sidney prayed for a healing and John's back was better.
John and Jenna had to completely disassemble their bikes and put them into boxes to be able to bring them on the plane. John's plan was to put them back together, once they reached the airport in Portland. Michelle had called ahead and arranged for them to have a U-Haul truck for that first day, which they would need to drive two hours away to stop at a post office in Astoria to retrieve a care package Michelle had mailed ahead with provisions that they didn't want to take onto the plane. They would then also use the U-Haul to drive to the Pacific ocean to dip their back bike tires into (apparently, a tradition with riding your bike cross country-with the intention of then dipping your front bike tires into the Atlantic).
When Michelle called for the U-Haul, a very nice man named "Dave", 
who owned the company, had offered, completely on his own, to pick John and Jenna up from the airport and drive them to his U-Haul station. It would have only been three blocks away from the airport, but Dave said it had been "raining for two months" in Oregon and he didn't want them to have to start their trip out riding in it.
What a blessing in disguise this was !!!! John didn't even realize, until he reached Portland, that the TOOLS HE NEEDED to put the bikes back together were in that box that was mailed ahead to Astoria !
There are SO many amazing stories to share with you from this first month that John and Jenna have been traveling, but this would take up too many pages. They have ministered to so many people who have been willing to listen, many of whom have been practicing Bhuddism. They have made wonderful new friends, seen some of the most beautiful towns full of mountains and lakes, been invited to speak in churches, invited into peoples' homes, and just felt the power of God all around them.
There's been those "exciting times" too, being chased by a wild dog, walking their bikes at dusk in an area heavily populated by bears, Jenna being blown off the rode and into a ditch by a passing truck, spending the night in a "haunted" hotel, and as of today, surviving a tornado in Kansas !
After 67 long days of being away on their mission trip, John, Jenna, and Myra Guthrie finally returned home on August 2. A lot of amazing things happened along the way, and they are thankful to God for being with them.
The trip didn't end as they'd thought it would though. With only 750 more miles to travel, there was an accident and the trip was cut short. Even though John and Jenna didn't reach the "finish line"they had envisioned, they both agree that God erased that finish line, and
that this was a never ending journey-one which will continue for the rest of their lives whereever they may be. The purpose of the trip was to glorify God, and to tell others about Him.
On August 7th, with only four miles left to go to meet up with John and Jenna in Missouri, John's mother, Myra, had an accident. She is fine-although still recouperating from her injuries. John, Jenna, and Myra drove home together in Myra's truck as soon as she was released from a 12 day stay at Mineral Area Regional Medical Center in Farmington, Missouri.
We want to thank our family and friends for their prayers and support . For more information about the things that happened during this trip, you may go to johnandjennasjourney.blogspot.com
For the first time in its 30-year history, Adkins Arboretum's Native Plant Nursery is open to the public. The nursery offers the region's largest selection of native trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns, grasses and vines. Native plants provide food and habitat for wildlife and make colorful additions to home landscapes, whether in a perennial border, a woodland garden or a restoration project. In addition to growing and selling plants native to the coastal plain, nursery staff seek to educate the public about the role native flora plays in land conservation and the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
Nursery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 410-634-2847, ext. 32.
Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. Open year round, the Arboretum offers educational programs for all ages about nature and gardening. Through its Campaign to Build a Green Legacy, the Arboretum will build a new LEED-certified Arboretum Center and entranceway to broaden educational offerings and research initiatives promoting best practices in conservation and land stewardship.
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