Update #12 - Feb 28th, 2002
Gulfport, MS - 2,357 miles

The ride through the rest Louisiana from Eunice went okay. I crossed the Mississippi River on a toll ferry between New Roads and St. Francisville. The crossing took just ten minutes. From St. Francisville, I had a eighteen mile ride to the Mississippi State Line just south of Woodville.

The ride the past couple of days has been okay. Nothing major happened which is great in itself. No bike problems to mention. There have been good shoulders to ride along. For the last couple of days, the only problem that I've had has been the cold weather. Yesterday, the temperature got into the low thirties but with a wind chill factor in the twenties. Today, it is to be in the fifties with a brisk crosswind coming from the Southeast at about five to ten miles per hour.

Overall, the reception that I gotten in Louisiana and Mississippi has been a lot better than what I received in Florida. Last night was really special at the First Baptist Church in Brooklyn, MS. Rev. James Taylor asked me to give my testimony and talk about my ministry. Afterwards, a love offering was taken up. It came to nearly $150. After the service, a lot of the teens came up to me and wanted me to autograph their Bibles. The youth minister, Rod Wallace, thought that it would be best for him to take me on into Gulfport and get a motel room. The highway that I was on was one of the worst for traffic accidents in Mississippi.

I'll be retracing my route between Gulport, MS and Sopchoppy, FL. I should be in the Pensacola, FL area this coming Monday. Plans are still being made for the ride to Kentucky and then on to Northern New York and possibly Maine.