From GA to TX to IN to TX and Why

Dear Family, Friends, Followers of Mosey'n Millers,

Since we have made radical changes in our lives, we thought we’d better get this annual letter out early.

Campsite at General Coffee State Park, GA

Last February, while wintering in southeast Georgia, we decided to live full time in our 40 foot 5th wheel trailer. The plan is to escape northern winters and in the warmer months, visit the rest of the beautiful USA. 

Park near Jasper, TX where we hosted.

We left Georgia and headed to Texas to establish our domicile there (our legal “home”).

The vacancy pastor at the little LC-MS church we attended in Jasper, TX suggested to Gary that the Texas district could really use him. So, we met with the District President who was very interested in Gary’s skills and background.

In mid-April we headed “home” to Indiana so we could be at Eli’s (our youngest grandson) first communion on Maundy Thursday. We hosted our family Easter dinner at our sticks and bricks home in Sheridan for the last time (?). 


On the way home our senior pastor at Cornerstone Lutheran Church in Carmel, IN contacted Gary to help be liturgist June-Sept. He was having hip surgery and another pastor was taking a 3-month sabbatical. Also, that District President from Texas encouraged Gary to start an email conversation with an Elder at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Zapata, TX.


Throughout May and June, we were cleaning our possessions out of the house so it could be put up for rent. Whew!


In July we were in Michigan for our Miller family reunion, back to IN and back to MI to visit Darlene’s brother & family in Traverse City, MI. 

Aug. 1st through end of September we were camped out at Tipton County Fairgrounds in IN. Our house was rented via God’s providing. While we were at the fairgrounds, we had lots of “entertainment” as various groups held their annual get-to-gathers: Antique Tractors and Threshers, National Jr. Sow & Gilt competitions, Regional Girls Pole Bending, Tecumseh Indian Pow-Wow, and Tipton’s Pork Festival. For 1 week we were at Lebanon, IN County Fairgrounds for an Escapee’s Rally (RV club), the town’s “Back to the 50’s Party” and antique cars, and a dog show. Lots of fun! 

An F-84F fighter. My dad was an engineer in their manufacture.

We got away for a few days to Dayton, OH to tour the U.S. Air Force Museum (over 1000 planes). Awesome. Then to Brookville Lake at White Water Memorial State Park, IN. 





In the meantime, God was providing Gary with a call to be pastor of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Zapata, TX. Abiding Savior was founded in the 1970’s by “Winter Texans” for snowbird Lutherans from all over the country. It has services from November through Easter after which the snowbirds flock home and the few locals find other worship homes while waiting for the Lutheran church to come alive again. Since we like to be in the south in the winter and because Gary habitually flunks retirement, he accepted the call. As it turns out, Darlene is also coming out of retirement to play organ for services on a shared basis with another lady.

We left Indiana heading for Zapata on Oct. 1. We took time to be tourists in Hannibal, MO. We visited “Seminary days” friends in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We toured the Oklahoma City Bombing Museum (a fantastic experience). We enjoyed relatives in Wimberly, TX and arrived in Zapata Oct. 15.

Zapata is circled

Zapata is situated on Falcon lake, which is an impoundment of the Rio Grande river. This is a different world here. It has been in a drought for the past 6 years. The population is mostly Mexican, U.S. citizens. To us it’s a different culture, language, plants, birds, etc. Since we have been here the temperatures ranged from 99 to 46 degrees. We are 2 hours north of McAllen and 1 hour south of Laredo. No Walmart, no doctors (only NP), no veterinarian, but 3 Dollar Generals and 2 Family Dollars. What a mission field!!!!!

We plan to leave Zapata after Easter and mosey our way to Indy by early June, see extended families through mid-July and then head towards Quebec to visit friends and then on to the New England states, God willing. Our bucket list is to camp in all lower 48 states. Maybe back to Zapata by early next November. We never assume how God will order our lives.

With grateful hearts we will celebrate Thanksgiving and begin the Advent season anticipating our Lord and Savior’s birthday celebration. He entered our world to live a perfectly sinLESS life so that our sinFUL lives would not separate us from God. By grace we are forgiven for Jesus’ sake and assured that we are “children of the resurrection.” Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, what more can we say but “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever.”

May God bless and keep you until our paths cross again,

Gary & Darlene Miller