Pray For Me

I have not been blogging much not for lack of experiences that I really should have shared with you all and thoughts that I wanted to get out there, but rather an unfortunate deferred interest in blogging caused by distraction. I've been wrapping up my college experience and planning to hike the Appalachian Trail, which motivates this post.

I will be "blogging" from the trail by mailing posts to my wonderful mother to post here (they should feed through automatically to Facebook as well). The purpose of my hike is ultimately to glorify God through walking it in faithfulness and making it through by his provision and touching as many people as possible along the way for the Kingdom of God. Through the blog I will let you peek into what's going on.

Several people have asked about addresses of the post offices and other locations I will be checking for mail. They are posted below. But...

YOU MUST READ THIS ARTICLE BEFORE YOU SEND ME PACKAGES.

The article will tell you about how to pack a package for a thru-hiker, if indeed you would like to send me a package. If you're sending a letter, no worries, it's just paper. Try to send the mail no earlier than 2 weeks before my estimated arrival times.

The article doesn't make this clear:

The address label going to a POST OFFICE should read:

Zach Armstrong

c/o General Delivery

[Town], [State] [Zip Code]

HOLD FOR AT HIKER, E.T.A. ##/## [From Chart]

The address label going to a BUSINESS should read:

Zach Armstrong

c/o [Business's Name]

[Street Address]

[Town], [State] [Zip Code]

HOLD FOR AT HIKER, E.T.A. ##/## [From Chart]

Mileage	ETA (highly changeable)	Name of Location	Address
107.5	May 22 - May 24	Three Eagles Outfitter	78 Siler RD Franklin, NC 28734
271.4	May 31 - June 4	Bluff Mountain Outfitters	PO Box 114 Hot Springs, NC 28743-9231
414.1	June 9 – June 13	Kincora Hiking Hostel	1278 Dennis Cove RD Hampton, TN 37658
627.3	June 22 - June 28	Pearisburg Post Office	206 N Main Street Pearisburg, VA 24134-9998
933	July 12 - July 16	US211/HOME (45 min from AT)	7708 Riverside Farm Road Marshall, VA 20115
1112.9	July 25 – July 28	Boiling Springs Post Office	3 E 1st Street Boiling Springs, PA 17007-9998
1344.6	August 10 – August 12	Glenwood Post Office	958 Country RT 517 Glenwood, NJ 07417-9998
1570.8	August 24 – August 26	Chesire Post Office	214 Church ST Chesire, MA 01225-9998
1782.6	September 6 – September 8	Glencliff Post Office	1385 NH Route 25 Unit 1 Glencliff, NH 03238-9998
2029.6	September 23- September 25	Caratunk Post Office	172 Main St Caratunk, ME 04925-9998

Well, I'm leaving in two days. God has really prepared me for this emotionally; I could name instances where he really moved in my heart but I'll allow those to stay private moments between myself and those who were there to listen and/or pray for me.

As I titled the post, please pray for me. I will be relying on God very much and I want to glorify him with this trip; I want to seek his Kingdom first and be changed by it all. It has been confirmed through much prayer and speaking to others that the Trail is where I'm supposed to go... it really is a stepping out on the water moment.

I am in the midst of the most uncertain point in my life so far. I have no job lined up, no grad school to go to. I have no prospects to start a family anytime soon. My family is going through a lot. I am about to embark on a five month journey through the wilderness depending upon a God whom I have never seen.

Perhaps "uncertain" is the wrong word, because I have given up my worries about it all. I can only point to God for the peace that dwells in my heart about these things... perhaps we will call these times "reliant." Yes, I am in the midst of the most reliant point in my life so far. I trust that God is going to fill all the blanks, all the questions, all the unknowns, with Himself, however that ends up manifesting itself.

When you here what happens, you must either call me crazy (Freud and Hume will help you out there), a liar, or right. If I am crazy, pity me. If I am lying, avoid me. If I am right, follow me as I follow Christ. I can in no way promise to be perfect, but I can promise to follow the perfect.

And in two days I will be following Him from Springer Mountain to Mount Katahdin.