Late-Night Escapade
I will keep you in suspense no longer! Here are the pictures from our little hike down to the end of the Bates’ driveway; you see, that’s where the mouth of the cave was.
Despite it being 10:30PM by the time the days work was done, dinner was cleaned up, the family meeting over, and the thunderstorm past, Dad and Mom let us go exploring. After all, it was the last opportunity.
At first, I thought it would be a relatively small cave; but it wasn’t long till I was assured that days could be spent in the exploration of this place!
The cave was full of winding tunnels, tight passages, and huge rooms.
It was important that each person had their own light, just in case. Because we were shy on flashlights, the Bates’ brought out their kerosene lanterns. It greatly enhanced the experience!
We had to watch out for many things, including drop offs, water collected on the floor, jutting rocks at head level, and old, rusty junk from previous visitors near the entrance of the cave.
Our time at the Bates’ was well spent. It’s refreshing to interact with a family so totally sold out for God. We experienced firsthand a clear principle of relationships: as each individual draws closer to God, they all become closer to each other. As seen at the Bates’, our Father is not only a creative Designer, He is an interpersonal God.
Well, this is just the end of the beginning of our trip to the Regional ATI Conference. Tomorrow, we head to Nashville!
WOW! That’s amazing! I have never explored a cave for real. I have visited Howe Caverns in central New York State, but the paths were smooth and well protected. This looks like a lot of fun! I am eager to explore such a cave some day. Perhaps when I visit the Bates family?
That was a lot of fun, Though I slip in a couple of puddles and hit my head once it was well worth it. Thanks for posting about it.
Wow! How exciting that must of been! I wonder what it was like seeing all those diffrent holes and passage ways. Looks like fun.:-)
It was a very enjoyable excursion! Everyone’s cautiousness and looking out for each other made it both fun and safe. It was amazing to see what God had hidden underground and allowed us to enjoy.
We’ll all have to go in the cave the next time. Because we were able to get your mother into our tree stand for a visit, there is a good possibility we can get her to join us for a little exploration of the cave.
What an adventure!
Found your wonderful blog thru a google search for the Bates (they are my inlaws!). These are great pics of their cave, and house! We were just there visiting, too and were amazed by both! Aren’t they a wonderful family? We are constantly inspired by their devotion to God and their loving, happy family.