Evangelist Craig Cobb: ALMOST HEAVEN, WEST VIRGINIA!

We left West Virginia and traveled 600 miles yesterday. It took 13 hours and it was a rainy day all the way to Connecticut. We wound our way thru parts of West Virginia and Maryland that we have never been before. The scenery along the way was breathtaking - even with the rain. We also drove another way we have never been before - thru New Jersey and around New York City -- and if I never experience that again for the rest of my life it will be too soon!!! It was absolutely insane!

Anyways - back to the meeting in West Virginia. As you may recall from my last post, we were with Evangelist Don Hardman and his wife, Laura for a meeting he started back in 1998 at the Ritchie County 4-H grounds in Harrisville. I was a little off in my last post in that it was actually 2003 when Stacie and I were there for the first and only time until again this week. It was good to see some folks we met last time and then some new ones. Almost everyone who came to the meeting used to be a part of the churches Bro. Hardman pastored from 1980-1985.

We met each night at 7:00pm for the service. I led the singing Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and then had the privilege of preaching on Wednesday. During the day we visited with people, some of whom are not physically able to come out to the meeting. These are just good, down-home mountain folks from the Appalachians - very friendly and hospitable.

I wish I could take everybody who has never been in the mountains to this part of the country. Most people don't even realize that there are still places in the United States like what is there. It is a totally different culture and way of life. There were no malls, Walmarts, or shopping plazas within miles and miles of where we were - just houses, hollows, and single-lane roads (mostly dirt) that go on forever. You just have to be there and experience it for yourself to appreciate it.

We had a great time and have put this meeting on our schedule for next year. We got to the know the people so much and they were appreciative of us coming. We are already looking forward to next year!

For those who may be interested, I have created a photo gallery with more pictures. For those who know the Hardmans, I would like to point out that there are some pictures of Bro. Hardman's relatives on the photo gallery who came out to the meeting. Click here to view the photo gallery.

Here are some pictures from the mountains...