An unexpected connection awaited me at this little schoolhouse along the Appalachian Trail.
Some of the most memorable people I met during my eleven years on the Appalachian Trail weren’t hikers at all.
They were the people who crossed my path at unexpected moments, sometimes offering a meal, a ride, a word of encouragement, or simply a connection that would become part of my story.
Carol was one of those people.
As God would have it, our paths would cross directly and indirectly several times over the years, particularly in the southwestern Virginia region of the Appalachian Trail.
And it all began with another one of my Plan Bs!
A Cold, Rainy Evening and an Unexpected Invitation
After feeling ill on the Trail, I decided to abandon my hike.
As I sat in a shelter on a cold, rainy Sunday evening, trying to figure out how Plan B should unfold, I noticed a typed-up announcement.
A nearby church offered a FREE breakfast for hikers every Monday morning.
And shuttle rides were available, too!
Did I mention it just happened to be Sunday evening?
There was my ticket out of there!
The next morning, I arrived at the church and met Carol, one of a handful of trail angels serving up the most amazing country breakfast I’d ever seen.
Carol and I connected immediately through our mutual love for Jesus. We chatted away about Him as she gave me that promised ride back to my car following breakfast.
Carol and that wonderful little country church were literally a God-send for me that day.
Little did I know that our connection would become part of a much larger story.
A Little Trail Magic and an Orange Crush
Inside the historic Lindamood School, where an unexpected connection to Carol—and another little blessing from the Holston Conference—awaited me along the Appalachian Trail.
The organization behind that wonderful country breakfast was the Holston Conference, an arm of the Methodist Church.
Over the next several years, I would encounter its generosity again and again.
One Memorial Day weekend, my hiking partner Jennifer and I were making our way through the beautiful rolling farmland of southwestern Virginia when we came upon an old one-room schoolhouse sitting right alongside the Appalachian Trail.
The Lindamood School.
Inside was a wonderful assortment of trail magic—snacks, drinks, and even personal care items that backpackers might find themselves needing along the journey.
I personally availed myself of a very rare orange Crush soda on that hot day!
But two things were even more magical than that soda.
The schoolhouse had been named for Carol’s husband’s family, who had donated it many years before.
And the treats we’d just enjoyed?
Provided by none other than the Holston Conference!
The same ministry that had blessed me with that wonderful country breakfast.
And Then There Was a Cookout!
Trail magic comes in many forms. On this particular Memorial Day weekend, it came straight off the grill—courtesy of the Holston Conference!
A few days later, Jennifer and I finished our hike at an out-of-the-way trailhead.
Nearby was a privately owned picnic pavilion alongside the Trail. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy had warned hikers not to trespass on the property.
But on this particular Memorial Day weekend, we were invited in!
Hot dogs and hamburgers were grilling, and the picnic tables were spread with all the fixings.
After days of hiking, what a welcome sight!
And guess who was hosting this amazing trail magic?
You got it.
The Holston Conference!
Once again, the same ministry had found its way into my journey.
What began with a cold, rainy evening and a stranger’s kindness had become a recurring thread throughout my Appalachian Trail story.
But there was still another chapter to come.
Becoming a Blessing
A year later, after my dad passed away, I wanted to use a portion of my gift from him to bless some of the ministries that had blessed me over the years.
One of those ministries was, of course, the Holston Conference.
I had learned that among the many ways this organization serves others is through its Appalachian Trail Chaplaincy, sponsoring a thru-hiker to serve along the Trail.
Did you know such a ministry even existed?!
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to give back to an organization that had blessed me more times than I could count.
And I couldn’t help but think about where this particular thread of my journey had begun.
With Carol.
A woman who shared breakfast, offered a ride, and connected with me through our mutual love for Jesus.
Carol may never fully know how far that simple kindness traveled.
But I do.
And I’m grateful that God allowed our paths to cross.
The Ties That Bind Us
Carol and I have continued to stay in touch from time to time over the years.
I treasure the ties that bind us together—Jesus, history, service, and the Appalachian Trail.
Perhaps God will cross our paths again one day. And if not on this side of Heaven, then certainly in eternity!
Sometimes the people God places along our paths become part of our stories in ways we couldn’t have imagined when we first met them.
And sometimes He allows us to see how the kindness we received becomes an opportunity to bless someone else.
God is good!
One faithful step at a time,
Jackie