Day 43 / May 16, 2012

In day 43 I woke up at the church off the 49 just south of Collins MS. I woke up at around 9 and had slept pretty well. This was the first night I can remember not being bit by a mesquito since Alabama and staying with the family there. Even though I slept on concrete I was pretty rested and slept ok.
       When I got up I needed to put a new coat of duct tape on the soles of my shoes and also on my carts wheels as well. I spent about 30 minutes doing that. I charged my stuff again before I left while I ate 2 bananas given to me from the day before for breakfast. I filled up my waters and left around 10:30.
         I headed back to the highway 49 and headed north. Not even a mile into my walk and a man pulled over. He said he saw me and so he ran home and brought me leftover t bone steak, sausage, and potato scalps. He also brought me a water and 1 beer. He said a month before that he got out of rehab and was homeless for a month in Dallas and knew how much it would mean. He also let me know the rehab didn't work.
          I kept walking and another mile up a car pulled off ahead of me. A man got out, waved to me, set a bag down and took off. I walked about a hundred yards up and picked up the bag. It was chips, 2 bananas, a soda, and 2 waters. And already I had too much food. My cart was full and I could haul it all. So I took some of it and threw some out in the next houses garbage can out by the road.
           Another half mile up a lady pulled off and brought me a half sandwich from arbys and some fries that she had leftover. She gave me a soda too that she had in an ice chest in the back of her SUV.
            About 2 miles up a man and his son pulled off. They handed me some cracker snacks and bars. They gave me a lighter and a green tea too. And mind you, these were all complete strangers that are not twitter followers, all of the people that stopped this day are strangers I've never met. Also my food sign was covered after the second guy stopped.
         Another mile up a man and wife pulled off to make sure I was ok. They gave me $10. They also got my twitter name and follow me now.
        About another mile ahead a man pulled off pretty far ahead. He walked back to me pretty far. He gave me $5 and said there was a burger king in the next town, and to stop and get myself lunch.
        5 minutes after that a lady pulled off to give me 2 sandwiches and a Gatorade. She said she saw the last man helping me from her house across the street. So she made sandwiches real quick and brought them out to me. She said her daughter received a medical blessing recently and they wanted to share a blessing with me as they were thankful.
           A few miles ahead a truck pulled off. A young guy brought me back a whopper meal from burger king and a poweraid. He wanted to say a prayer for me also.
          I took a break in Collins where I ate some of the food. I was so overwhelmed from the help I was receiving that I don't even have words to describe it on here. But I was ecstatic all day and so thankful to God! Then I got back onto the road.
       Right as I left Collins a car briefly pulled over to offer me a box of leftovers. I said I was full but thanks and God bless.
          Another half mile up a guy, his wife, and his baby pulled off and offered me a ride. I told them I couldn't but thanks anyways.
           A mile up two young guys pulled off and offered me a ride. I told them I couldn't but they still ended up giving me $12. They got my twitter name and now follow me.
        Another half mile up a girl pulled off and offered me a ride to Jackson. I passed and told her thanks for the offer though.
        Right after that a lady pulled off and also offered me a ride. I said I was only walking but a prayer would be appreciated.
        Another couple miles up just before the dark one last lady pulled over and gave me a banana and an apple..
        This day was incredible! I had 14 people stop to offer me help! It was really amazing and it honestly felt fake and like they were hired to be there and to help me. It was pretty wild!
       I finally got to where the church was on my GPS. Except there was no church. It was a house and this has been the first time my GPS has failed me. Luckily across the street there was an auto broker lot where I found an outlet. I had charged up a little on my stop at a church in Collins but I was running low. So I plugged in for a while. I was still in the country and next to the dealership there was some bare land. There was a cement wall around a propane tank there and I slept behind it.
         The spot was a little rocky but I was tired and it was out of sight, so I just roughed it. I laid down and finally fell asleep around 11 or so. I woke up as I felt bites on my arms. When I got my iPod and light the ground up I was right in a red ant hill. So I got up and brushed the ants off me and my sleeping bag. The bites REALLY itched. I moved back a ways to get away from them. I woke up again in the middle of the night and my eyes felt tight like it had a bite or a bump on it. I felt it with my hand and it did have a bump on it and it was irritating. But I ended up falling back asleep.