Read The Valley of Dry Bones Online
Authors: Jerry B. Jenkins
The Valley of Dry Bones (37 page)
“Yes, I was one of the few who answered Pastor Bob's challenge so long ago when he sent out the call, not âWho will go?' but rather, âWho will stay?' My wife and I felt called to stay right here in California to share the good news of Jesus with others who either chose to stay or had no choice but to stay. We've seen people come to faith, many after years of searching, others after years of running from God.
“We have with us tonight one who just found the Lord today as an answer to more than a decade's worth of prayers on his behalf on the part of his dear aunt, who I dare say had to wonder what ever became of him.”
Zeke turned to Willard. “Isn't that right? She must have prayed and prayed, not even knowing if you were still alive, wondering if her miracle would ever come.”
Willard nodded, looked wholly embarrassed.
“Wouldn't you love to let her know?”
“I would. I surely would.”
“Wouldn't it be something if she were here tonight, right here, right now?”
“What?”
And here came Myrtle Geer, housedress swishing, white purse swinging, church shoes kicking up dust in the tiny Nuwuwu settlement in Southern California more than 2,200 miles from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Willard, mouth agape, staggered to her and grabbed her, swinging his aunt in a circle before apparently realizing that might not be appropriate just before a burial.
A
UNT
M
YRTLE AND
W
ILLARD
were the hit of the morning TV shows, and their reunion went viral. After they spent two nights at the holdouts' compound, he spent six weeks at her home in Pigeon Forge before returning to join Zeke and the others full-time.
Zeke, Doc, and Bob were detained overnight in a mobile military lockup before Commander Kendall led a regiment on a search of the underground complex. Following his report to an inquiry board, the three were exonerated, the suspicious Arabic document identified, and Operation Dry Bones roundly vilified by the press.
Jennie Gill surprised even Doc by lingering ten more days before passing. Memorials were held in both California and Arizona, where she was buried. Bob Gill reconciled with his son-in-law and returned to the holdouts a month later.
Clarence Cianci was convicted of bribery and sentenced to federal prison.
Cristelle Muscadin's leg was spared, but she walks with a limp.
Derrick Scott lost his bid for reelection.
And Internet geeks discovered an anagram of Zeke's last name they didn't believe was coincidental.
J
ERRY
B. J
ENKINS
's books have sold more than seventy million copies. Twenty-one of his titles have reached the
New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly
, and
Wall Street Journal
bestseller lists. The phenomenally best-selling Left Behind series inspired a movie starring Nicolas Cage. Jenkins has been featured on the cover of
Newsweek
, and his writing has appeared in
Time, Guideposts, Parade
, and dozens of other periodicals. He and his wife, Dianna, have three grown children and live in Colorado.
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