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 Traveling on the road, I meet lots of people, and many of
them wonder the same things I used to about these "evangelistic
teams". Now, I can't speak for all evangelistic teams, but as far as the
Galkin team goes, here are a couple answers to "FAQ's" that I get on
a regular basis...
Question 1: How does everyone travel down the road?
Answer: Since driving is an important part of our lives,
Bro. Will does a good job of making sure everyone is comfortable for these long
travel days. The Galkin family travels in their Volvo semi, which is rigged
with a table and bench seats, bed, and microwave, and works very well for their
family of seven. The Coffeys travel in their truck. Both of these vehicles also
pull the two fifth-wheel trailers that the families live in. The singles (Josh,
Reba, and I) travel in a white 13-passenger van, into which we pack (or cram)
ourselves, all our luggage (which is saying a lot, if you have ever seen or
carried our luggage!), the sound system, the instruments, our office supplies,
and other miscellaneous items that get thrown in at the last minute.
Although sometimes we doubt if it'll all fit, the Lord
always provides space, and our team gets safely and swiftly down the road!
Question 2: Where do the singles sleep? Do they sleep in
the trailers??
Answer: Thankfully, no! While the trailers are more
spacious than they'd seem, and while we singles love the Galkins and Coffeys,
we are
thankful to the kind people in the churches who let us stay in their
homes each week. It's a way for us to connect with a
family, and provides a sort of "home away from home". Every once in a
while, we get to stay in Prophet's Chambers, which are also fun. Reba and I
have had one trailer experience, and if you would like to know how it went,
read Reba's article "One Fateful Night".
Question 3: How do all the kids do school?
Answer: At this point, only three of the team's six
children are school-aged. Anna Grace is in first grade, and currently does the
BJU videos for most of her schooling, and seems to really enjoy it. She got the
opportunity to meet her teachers when we were at BJU this past January, and she
was very excited for that! William (in kindergarten) does school twice a week
with Stephanie, who has much experience in teaching children, from her time
teaching Michael Pettit and Anna Grace. Currently, Lilly and I try to meet a
couple times a week to do some preschool work--we are excited to be learning
about math right now!
Question 4: How did you all get together as a group?
Answer: Well, I think it'd be safe to say that almost all
of us have a common bond at Northland Camp in Dunbar, WI. Many of the team
members (Galkins, Coffeys, and Reba) traveled with Evangelist Steve Pettit in
the past, and were introduced to Northland Camp through his team.
Josh, of course, is family, and has also worked at camp
for many summers, and I started working there as a teen counselor three summers
ago. Last summer, when the Galkins had a need for a team, God provided his team
members through camp staff!
Question 5: What do you guys do all day??
Answer: Stay busy! :) We usually all meet at the church
by nine, and are expected to be spiritually and mentally prepared for the day.
On Mondays, we have staff meetings and devotions in the mornings; other
mornings, we all have individual jobs (Reba does all the music, Josh is Will's
right-hand man and in charge of various things like the website, I help with
Will's scheduling of future meetings, Aaron is in charge of teens and
childrens). We work until noon, when we all meet for a meal. At one o'clock, we
have a team meeting and prayer time, before starting on music practice, which
could last anywhere from an hour to two hours (depending on new songs, future
recording, etc.) During the afternoon, we finish up our work, run errands,
rest, and get ready for the service. The evening is the highlight of our day,
with the pre-session starting at 6:30 and the service at 7. Since we travel on
Saturdays, and usually have an early start, we get the morning off on Friday to
rest, do laundry, and catch up on personal matters.
Maybe you, like many people I've come across, have asked yourself one (or
all) of these questions. I'm glad to have been able to answer these intriguing
questions, and will happy to do so in the future! ;)
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