Here is our report from the last two weeks (end of June and beginning of July 2019) on the road. We attended a new event, for us anyway, in Quarryville, PA and then the annual re-enactment of the Battle of Gettysburg.
Quarryville was a small living history event at the Robert Fulton birthplace Museum. The place is very nicely kept and real pleasure to visit. Unfortunately for us they did not know where to set us so we were set in the dirt by the cornfield where the sutlers were to setup. I said “were to setup” because 3 of the four bailed out on the event. The only one to show was our good friend Gregory Newson from New York.
The weather was unbearably hot reaching 98 degrees. The rest of the re-enactor’s camps were on a rise that had shade and a nice breeze. These conditions really affected our physical condition, but we preserved. I was going to take Faith to a motel but there was none for 30 miles or more away. We did eat several meals, long meals, in a local run Mennonite restaurant that had a/c. The food was good too.
Saturday, after a long, very hot day of talking to folks, serving coffee and passing out tracts the storm clouds began to gather and the rumbling of thunder, which is very common in PA in the Summer, could be heard. We took the warning to start packing up all the relics and books and then it hit. The wind was very strong and many tents went down. Our tent stayed up but only with help from the Lord, another re-enactor, Gregory and Faith. We only sustained a minor rip in our fly.
After the storm blew past Faith started to prepare some supper. Since Gregory did not have any way of preparing supper we invited him to join us which he accepted. While we were sitting and talking, I started witnessing to him about his soul. He listened very intently. When I was done, he asked a couple of questions and then I told him he could pray and receive Christ right then and there, which he did. When he was done praying he hugged Faith and I and he had tears running down his cheeks. We rejoiced and shouted and just praised God. After we calmed down, Gregory looked at me and said something that struck me deep in my heart. He said he had said to himself that if I did not try to get him to accept Jesus or become a Christian that I was just a big phony and a liar and he was not going to have anything else to do with me. Folks that really hit me hard. I am so blessed the Holy Spirit has a direct line to my heart.
Sunday’s church service was not until 1 pm, strange time but we went with it. We did have several spectators in the service, maybe 40 all toll. When the invitation was given we had 3 adults to acknowledge accepting Christ as their Saviour. We went back to camp, talked to some folks and started striking camp. Faith and I left Quarryville about 7 pm for our 2-hour drive back to Gettysburg, totally whipped!
Monday we tried to take it easy and rest but I was having a real problem. I was alternating from sweating profusely to shivering uncontrollably. Tuesday it got worse so I had Faith take me to Urgent Care which put me straight into the ER. We were there 4 ½ hours. The only thing they really could find was I was dehydrated. The doctor said I was to stay out of the heat. Thank the Lord for our Gettysburg team as they rallied around Faith and me and set all our canvass up. The Lord also provided a home for two days so I could stay out of the heat.
Faith tells me that things were very busy on Friday. The demand for coffee was such that they had to fire another boiler with coffee. We ended up serving over 450 cups of coffee for the weekend. Everyone of those cups of coffee was served with a Gospel tract, a smile and a kind word. 
Saturday started out to be a repeat of Friday. Faith told me she did one TV interview for a local station and a photo shoot with a photographer from the Library of Congress. They wanted to chronical the coffee wagon for their collection.
Saturday also provided another one of those PA afternoon thunderstorms but this time it packed an 80 mph plus wind shear. Our fly was unable to take it and is ripped beyond repair. One sutler had his ten ripped wide open and most of his inventory (paper goods) was destroyed. Many, many more tents were either blown over or ripped up. Many of those who could not repair packed up and left for home Saturday night. Praise the Lord there was not one reported injurys.
Sunday morning Faith and I went out to the site to have breakfast with our team and prepare for church. It was a muddy site that welcomed us, but the sun was out as well as the Son. Time for church and the 46th PA Regimental Band and Chaplain Scott Sturdivant did a great job with the music. We had maybe 150 folks present and when the invitation was given, we had 5 adults to accept Christ. Preaching that sermon in that heat almost did me in again. But praise God he sustained me and held me up to the end. Our team rallied together and each one helped each other to pack their stuff up so they could start their trek home. Some had to head back to Maryland, New York, Virginia, Florida and Michigan. We could not be any prouder of a bunch of misfits as we are of our ministry team. They are awesome. We pray that now you may understand when we ask for prayer for safety, we are not just making conversation.
God bless.
Alan & Faith Farley