PA. TOUR

By Rev. AL Paquette

      I just got back from an exciting 3,400 mile bike ride. It was exciting because this was the 4th year I have been invited to help out a place that is run by Rick Beatty called the Hope Center. But sad because Sharon could not join me this year. Sharon has a friend, Flo, who she helps out. We have been planning this trip all year and as the time to leave came closer Flo’s health became worse.  As a matter of fact we really did not know if Sharon could join me until the night before. But God did. You see for our 35th anniversary on June 7th we bought a couple of bicycles and joined a gym so we could get back in shape and lose weight. But little did I know that I would have to make this 3,400 mile motorcycle ride to PA. But God did.

     On that Wed. morning I had my bike packed and headed out the door at 5:20 AM. I will be honest with you. I have not taken a long ride since before the accident last June so I did not know if I was ready physically or emotionally. I headed out on I-4 and the traffic was minimum. As I blasted down I-95 the traffic started to pick up and after soaring through Jacksonville, FL. I knew that I was regaining my confidence back. I was  getting into the groove of kicking back and enjoying the ride. As I passed the Georgia state line I felt the presence of the Lord and I knew that this was going to be a journey that was fruitful. I passed the So. Carolina border at 10 AM and took I-26 east to I-85 north. I took 601 out of Charlotte, N.C north and this road was not as congested as the highway. I was very excited when I made it to Mt. Airy by 6 PM. I wanted to make it there but did not know if I had it in me. 680 miles the first day was not too bad of a ride. I got my room and called Sharon to tell her how much I missed her.

     I got up the next morning and headed to downtown Mt. Airy. This is the Mayberry town. I went to the   souvenir store and got my bobble head Barney and took some photos. All I could think about is how it is not the same without my best friend. I was ready to leave and jump on   I-81 when I ran into another biker, Fred. He told me that I-81 to Roanoke, VA.  was a very busy highway so he gave me a map and showed me a better route to take.  I headed out of town on 89 to 704 and I was on the Blue Ridge Parkway by noon.  Thanks Fred.  I then took 221 to 220 to 581 to 81 to 11 which all had some great scenery to look at. As I was heading down   I-11 it started to rain so I figured it was time to stop and get a room. I planned on making it to Bellwood that day but it was 5 PM and I did not like to ride in the rain in the mountains. Now you had to be there. I pulled into a motel in VA. and I walked into the lobby soaking wet with the grime of the road all over me and the people in the lobby just froze. I could tell the one desk clerk was comfortable around bikers but the other gal was scared of me. The one gal told me it was so cool that I was riding in this nasty rain. And she was really impressed when I told her that I just rode all the way from Orlando, FL. She told me not to worry because the other gal was not comfortable around bikers but she loved bikers.  I broke the ice and told them that I was an ordained minister on tour and I was heading to PA. to do some prison ministry. The scared gal then told me, “Oh, I go to church!” I  asked her if her  pastor ever preached about judging a book by it’s cover. Me and the other gal had a good laugh and she gave me $40 off the room for riding on a motorcycle.

     I got up the next morning and after talking to Nancy she told me that a bad storm was heading my way so I took I-81 to I-77 to 522 to I-81 to I-99 to Bellwood, PA. and arrived at Ricks by 11 AM.  I saw a red fox along the way and had a great ride. 1, 158 miles and safe and sound.  As the slogan for Harley Davidson says, it is not the destination rather it is the journey. And what a journey it was. 1158 miles and only 5 miles of rain. Thank you Lord.

      The next morning, Sat. we had the bike run to benefit the Hoper Center. It seems that the weather was not cooperating with us and there were some storms in the making. That would explain for the small number of bikers that showed up. 28 in all. We fed the bikers a breakfast with  the help of volunteers from Logins Baptist Church and the cream puffs and raison squares that were made by Clarabelle  and her husband were very much enjoyed by the bikers.  We started off and the skies were clear for the scheduled 100 mile run. After about an hour it started to rain on us and we cut the run short so we would not have anyone getting hurt. When we got back to the Hope Center I gave my testimony and invited the bikers back the next day for a Bikers Sunday.  I guess they enjoyed our company because almost all of the bikers came back the next morning and many of them never attend a church.  I spoke about values and how their soul is the most valuable thing so we they must invest in it for eternity. After the service we went for a fun ride and ended up going to a great place called Hinery View which was 93 miles one way. 

On Monday I made a visit the local motorcycle club in Altoona. That is what bikers call protocol because this time I was riding my bike and wearing a club patch so I need to make my appearance to them in person. I new that they owned a tattoo parlor and they would be there so Rick and I rode to meet them. We rode by the shop and it was  one way street so we had to circle around the block so we did and then parked in their parking lot. Well I did not know but  they later told me that they saw me ride by and saw my patch and that they did not know who I rode  with. So when Rick and I walked into the shop there were 6 of them and they were all members of this club and you could cut the tension with a knife, I approach the counter and ask who was in the club which I got a response, “Who do you ride with?” I explained that I was an        ordained minister from Orlando and that I was the chaplain for the NFLCOC there and that I was in PA. doing prison ministry and that I wanted to meet them to make sure that I would be safe riding with my patch on. That was all it took to make friends with the local M/C that day. Of course I got a souvenir tattoo and when I left we were friends. He invited me back anytime and assured me and Rick that we would be welcomed riding our colors in Altoona. That Mon. night we had a benefit night at the Chili’s in Altoona for the Hope Center and there was a good turnout there.  10 % of the meal tab went to the center.

    On Thurs. and Fri. night I taught a bible study in Cresson Prison and the attendance was great. Chaplain Ladd is  always a big supporter for us going into his prison.  I then preached 2 sermons on Sunday morning. We had 2 first time decisions for Christ. When we pulled up to the prison we saw 3 deer so I knew that was a good sign.  On one run we saw 4 black bears. That is when you know you are in the country.

After an awesome time and staying at Nancy and Ricks house all week I had to head to Woodstock, VA. on Labor day to preach at a local church. It was hard to leave and the goodbyes are not easy. I pulled out of their driveway knowing I had another mission to complete before my tour would be done and I could get back home to see Sharon.  It rained most of the way and I got to Woodstock by 1 PM. I called George and he and Kevin meet me at the motel and we headed to their church where they had fixed a chicken dinner. PTL. We then had the service at 7 PM and there was  good turnout.

     I got up the next morning and rode 600 miles on Tues. and 500 miles on Wed. to get home to a much missed wife. Now I know what the life of an evangelist is all about. There will be times that I will have to leave home and be alone but just knowing that my wife  Sharon, supports me and all my friends pray for me and that God approves of me going I will always be ready for the open rode.

     3,400 miles with the wind in my face and Jesus by my side is always a good tour.  PTL

Sharon and I celebrated our 35th anniversary on June 7th and we decided to get back in shape. I was in good shape (for a pear). As a result from the bike wreck I had last year, which I tore a few ligaments in my left hand and I broke a rib; I could not lift any heavy weights.  I was in a pack of 12 bikes and a motorist coming the other way crossed into our lane and hit the pack head on. Three guys lost their legs and there were a total of 12 people injured. So I took some time off from pumping iron.  Well the weeks turned into months and I got fat. I know that because every time I spoke in a prison or went on a bike run everyone would tell me, “You got fat.” Like I needed to be reminded of that fact.  The truth is I got busy and did not make my personnel fitness a priority.  Also it was too many buffets and bar b ques. I guess it bothered other people more than it bothered me. But I do have to thank God for my health. I turned 55 this year and all I take is a few vitamins. I don’t have anything else wrong with me. But if I continue to gain weight I will have all the stuff that comes with being overweight.  I am reminded in          1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. It is all about balance.  So we ride our bicycles 2 miles to the gym, work out and then ride 2 miles home. We do this 3 days a week. We have both lost weight and are eating right.   We never know when God will have us out on the road so we must be ready for the endurance it takes to be in ministry. Plus we are spending much more time with each other. That is a big plus. Sharon and I have been together since 1973; we have had 19 motorcycles and have logged in over 1,000,000 miles riding all over this and other countries. Sharon tells the girls in prison that after riding that many miles on a motorcycle 3 inches apart and we still get along at the end of the trip that is the grace of God.

    Woody Allen once said, ” A relationship, I think, is like a shark, you know?  It has to constantly move forward or it dies. 

     What are you doing to invest in your relationship today?

The Good Lord is really keeping us busy lately. I guess we must be doing something right. We are excited about teaming up with the ministry of  “Child Evangelism Fellowship” from  Missouri. This program is very dear to us.  I always say watch what you pray for. My prayer has been to reach more folks in prison that the crusades were not reaching. So the CEF ministry called us and asked  if we could help out which we replied, yes.

Our first time joining this group we went to Florida State Prison. I know that not too many ministries are going into this prison and we were excited about this opportunity. We met the other men in the prison parking lot and that time Sharon could not join us so she had to stay in town because this was a man thing only. We entered t prison and was greeted by the sergeant at the front desk. She was very helpful and made us feel welcomed.

They searched us and checked the boxes of brochures that we were bringing in.  They gave us a visiting id and we walked into the prison. I thought to myself that this was way too easy for a maximum security prison like this.   We were walking down the long hallway when we were stopped and sent back to the front desk. Now that is more like it. If Satan is going to try to stop us he would have to make this adventure a hassle so we would  become discouraged.

They told us that we were not cleared. We assured them that the chaplain had preformed our background checks and that we were indeed scheduled to come in on this day. They told us that they did not do the background check so we would have to wait for them to approve us to go in. So we sat for an hour and prayed that we would be able to perform this ministry. Of course God being in charge they let us in and we made our way down the long hallway.

There are over 1,400 men at Florida Sate Prison. They let us visit every man at his individual cell. This is a hard ministry because the door is a solid piece of steel with a 12″ X 12″ Plexiglas that has 5 holes drilled out to speak into. So with all the other noise in the prison I found myself shouting to almost everyone.  That is a rude way to witness to someone.

When I walked up to a cell many men were on the defense. “What do you want?”  was most of the greetings I received. I told them that I was here representing a ministry that cared about their kids. They did a national research and found out that 70% of the children of incarcerated men and women will end up in prison.  I then told them that this ministry would send their kids a bible study and a brand new bible. When they seem to want to argue with me I rephrased my question. “Do you want your kids to make the same mistakes that you made and end up in a place like this?” Every man said no.

I would say that about 80% of the men appreciated us being there that day. But then there was the other 20% that let us know that we were not welcomed. Some men are just mad at the world and continue to push God out of their lives.  I really knew that this is where God wanted me that day. I got to pray with over 400 men and let them know that they are still loved. The awesome part of going into these prison is that the CEF schedules me to also speak in the chapels while we are there.

Since then Sharon has joined me to introduce this program to 4 prisons and we are scheduled to visit many more this year. Please pray for the extra finances to be able to travel to the different prisons throughout Florida. We are able to reach hundreds more than before for Jesus.

 
IN HIS WIND

Rev. Al Paquette

My story is a crazy journey but it has a happy ending. I started off living in Mass. That is where I dropped out of school in the 9^th grade. I had a problem breaking into houses, stealing cars, robbing people, doing drugs (daily), drinking way too much and just about anything I could do to get in trouble. I was in & out of jail and my life was going down the toilet fast. I was a (street) gang leader for over 2 years and that only lead me to do LSD daily so I could stay violent. I tried joining the Army but that did not work. I finally moved to Florida to try to get away from all of the trouble. That was a joke. My problem was not the place I lived,  it was inside of me all the time. I thought that all I needed is to join a Motorcycle Club and I would be set. I started to work out and gain muscle mass and I learned martial arts and started to tattoo myself.  I was getting myself ready to leave society. My main ambition in life was to be in a motorcycle club. When I moved to Florida from Mass. In 1973 the first group of bikers I met was the AOA, we hit it off  and I have had the upmost respect for them ever since.

In 1985 I found myself married for 11 years, a son, and a daughter and addicted to drugs and alcohol for 16 years. Man, what a life. Not only was I dragging myself down but also my family. I was raised French Canadian and I knew better than to do that to a decent family that God trusted me with. But I did not have the answer. I always knew about God, but I did not know Him personally.  I did not have control of my life.  I started to train to fight in the Badman Contest. That is where 50 guys fight in the boxing ring 2 at a time.  I trained from April till July and on July 8^th I fought a full contact karate dude that was tough and mean. He had just beaten the Hawaiian champ 2 months prior to our fight. I put up a good fight but he kicked me more times than I punched. He won on points but I put a good knot on his head. I lost that night and I wish I could say it changed my life that night but I went right back to getting high & drinking.

Then one night a friend that had been talking to me about God explained the gospel like I never heard it before. I did not change that night but something did change in me overnight. It was so real that I did not even know that Jesus came into my life.   The next day I woke up and had a bad pain in my heart & I really believe that God ripped Satan out of my heart which was my desire to get high. I went to work and could not cuss, did not feel like getting high and did not get drunk that night for the first time in 16 years.  My life was not just changed it was new!!!

I played with my kids and they now had a daddy that they never had. I was a mechanic at the time and I started to go to church and got involved in the Kairos Prison Ministry for the next 10 years. God was real and I believed that He did have a plan for my life. I just had to stay focused on Him.  For the first time in my life I was in control of my life and I could now be the husband that I never was and the father that my kids never had. The more I read the bible the more I realize that God loved me just the way I was. He says the He chose me I did not choose Him.  The best part was that I could be a Christian & still be a biker.

I always take everything to the extreme. When I ran the street I wanted to be the best at everything. I wanted to be the best fighter, best drugger, best drunk and best gangster. Now that I was a Christian I wanted to be the best there was. I wanted to see just how far God could take this old scooter tramp. Well I was in for the ride of my life.   In 1991 I was out of school for 20 years with a 9^th grade education but God called me to go to school so I got my GED and enrolled in 2 colleges. I was working 50 hours a week, teaching automotive 2 nights a week, going to a community college 2 nights a week, preaching at the jail twice a month, doing my seminary college at home and doing motorcycle ministry on the weekends. I was busy!!!  But I knew that God called me to do this for a reason. I got my 2 year degree in 4 years and my 4 year degree in 15 but I got it. I now have a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and I have been ordained since 1997. I just don’t look like it. God is good. I was able to retire as a mechanic in 2000 and I now have my own ministry and get to travel all over the USA. I visit Puerto Rico & the Dominican Republic every year for the last 7 years. I love Caribbean islands.  It reminds me of Canada and the people are just the same, they have integrity and that is what it is all about.  I have been clean & sober for 23 years & still married to Sharon for 34 years.  I want to encourage you to continue to press on for your cause. They may take away your freedom but they cannot take away your integrity.

I know that you have heard it before but I am here to tell you that God has a very special plan for your life and He wants to start right now, right where you are. When I gave my life to the Lord I thought I was the only Christian Biker out here. God is still in the business of beating the odds and He wants to use you.  I started to read about other bikers that had gotten their lives right through a relationship with Jesus Christ and I always thought that it was ok with them but not for me until I tried it. It is awesome.   I now get to travel all over the country and encourage folks like us and help them in their daily sobriety. Where I was once part of the problem, now God has made me part of the solution. I hope that my story has encouraged you and I will continue to answer any questions that you may have.

In the last 36 years I have owned 19 Harley’s and in 2005 I built from the ground up a custom chopper, called DOIN TIME, that has been in 51 prisons so far.  She is dedicated to all the men doin time in the world. I have also been the Chaplain for the North Florida Confederation of Clubs for the last 6 years. I get to represent them at the N.C.O.M. convention every year.