TRIP TO DEARBORN, MICHIGAN, AND POINTS NORTH

Henry Ford; my car is
named after this guy.

If Cleveland is the armpit of the nation, then what is Detroit?

Don’t ask.

But we would not be in Detroit, only passing through it. Our goal, driving West from Pennsylvania, was Dearborn, Michigan, where Henry Ford said you could have a Model T in any color you wanted, as long as it was black.

Terry Clemens was my traveling companion, who I’d lovingly nicknamed "Young Terrence." Our goal for the day was the Adoba Hotel in Dearborn, where our Indian friend Harsh Bhavsar had booked a room for Young Terrence, Dan Sheridan and myself. We were all in Michigan, not only to see Dean Hough—longtime friend and editor of Unsearchable Riches magazine—but also to fellowship with and bring mature Scriptural truth to several of Harsh’s friends he’d met at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

First stop was the home Harsh shares with six or seven other people in Ann Arbor. Harsh had prepared us some delicious Indian food, which we enjoyed with two of his roommates. 

Lunch at Harsh's, Ann Arbor

Then it was back to the Adoba (a fabulous hotel), to meet several young men in one of the well-appointed sitting rooms off the lobby.

We talked truth for four hours. One of Harsh’s friends, Brian, later told us: “I learned more truth in those four hours than I did in my entire time growing up in denominational religion.”  These are the times Dan Sheridan and I live for.

The next day, Brian went with Dan, Harsh, Young Terrence and myself to Almont, Michigan to see Dean Hough. (Almont is about thirty miles north of Detroit, into the “thumb” of the “mitten” of Michigan.) But first, we headed to a meeting at the home of Jerry Upton in a nearby town whose name I'm failing to recall.

Harsh Bhavsar

I told you how influential Dean Hough had been in my early walk, especially between the years 1993 and 2000. I'd heard him speak at over fifty conferences, and it is from him I learned the essentials of Paul’s evangel of grace. Dean Hough is probably the world’s authority on the book of Romans, although he is much too humble to ever entertain such a though. So I got to hear Dean teach again in Jerry’s living room. Hearing Dean teach is a greatly comforting thing.

The Adoba Hotel, Dearborn, MI

Lobby of  the Adoba. Harsh went all-out for us.

Sitting room, the Adoba.

Gang of believers at the Adoba.

At Jerry's house, Dean taught out of Deuteronomy. But guess what? In my lap was the original Concordant Version of the Old Testament, the very manuscript on which was E.H. Clayton and A.E. Knoch’s handwriting, in pencil—Mr. Clayton having written the Hebrew element beneath each typed Hebrew word, and Mr. Knoch having contributed the translation line. This was the very first “Concordant Version” of Deuteronomy and, by the way, the most accurate translation of the book since Moses penned the original. And it was in my lap. While I was listening to Dean Hough teach. While I was sitting next to Dan Sheridan. 

Sometimes the stars just align, folks. It would have been a great time for the snatching away. But alas.

With Dan and Dean.

At Jerry Upton's.

Tony Nungesser, or Abraham Lincoln?
We gave Tony such a hard time over this beard,
he shaved it that afternoon.

Gisela Hough, Harsh, Brian

Original manuscript, Concordant Version of Deuteronomy.
E.H. Clayton inserted the English equivalents (directly
beneath the Hebrew words); the lines beginning "Jehovah," "your God",
"statutes," "within the land," are A.E. Knoch's translation lines.
(Click photo to enlarge.) 

The entire original translation of the Concordant Version of the Old Testament.

That night, after a wonderful steak dinner compliments of Jim and Gary Best, Dean put up Dan and me at the Super 8 in Imlay City, 8 miles north of Almont. This is where we recorded our two shows, after chomping down our leftover rib eye steaks.

Brian and me.

Sheridan and me recording at the Super 8 motel in Imlay City. 6:30 a.m.

On my way to take Young Terrence to the bus station, I stopped at 6800 Hough Road to say a final good-bye to Dean and Tony Nungesser. This is the farmhouse formerly belonging to Dean’s Uncle Howard, where A.E. Knoch once stayed on his way to Germany in the 30’s. (Almont was also home to George Rodgers, who wrote Studies in the Book of Romans.) The house is currently the new home of the Concordant Publishing Concern, as it was moved from southern California last year.

Sad farewell to Terry Clemens.
Greyhound bus station, Detroit.

The last stage of the trip was to drop Young Terrence off at the bus station in downtown Detroit. I am going to miss that guy. We all will; he’d become a part of our family. Young Terrence was heading off to visit his parents in London, Ontario, then would fly back to Banff, Alberta, on Tuesday. Tears filled my eyes as I hugged him good-bye, turned, and walked away. He’d been with us for a month. He promises to come back this summer.

I love traveling for the sake of the truth. Every moment of ever mile and event is meaningful. We shall return to Michigan, to these young men who want to know more about out great God, and about our expectation among the celestials.

You can have any color you want, as long as it’s effervescent grace.

© 2013 by Martin Zender