Many Thanks to the Roten Family for hosting me for a pair of nights in Hope Hull, Alabama.
The story of how I met them, indirectly, is fun to share:
Upon preparing for the Walk, in 2009, I did my share of online research of those who have walked across America or are in the process of doing so. BJ Hill had finished his Walk across America in the beginning of 2009, and had received great local coverage across the nation. BJ made national news on ABC  as well. Upon talking to BJ on the phone for an hour, asking him a long list of questions about my upcoming walk, BJ also advised me to talk to Garth Poorman, who had also recently begun his own pilgrimage, from NY to New Orleans. I contacted Garth, who gave me great advice.

We’ve all loosely stayed in touch across the miles.
Though it had been well over a year since I’d been in contact with Garth, Lee Peacock, a newspaper reporter in Evergreen, Alabama, was taking my story when he shared with me the story of a Christian man who’d visited Evergreen in 2009, as he was walking across America.
“Garth Poorman?” I asked.
“Yes!” Lee’s eyes lit up.
From there, I knew I had to catch up with Garth again.
On the phone with Garth a couple of days later, he told me he’d like to contact some of his former hosts–to see if they may wish to host me as well. Walking the opposite direction Garth did, I’d be unzipping almost his exact route from Evergreen to Atlanta. He soon sent me a list of names and contact info for all towns inbetween.
Many of the bases I’d already covered. Hope Hull, however, was an exception. I contacted Dustin Casey, his Hope Hull host, and was rerouted to their neighbors, the Roten Family.
Brian & Stacey Roten happily invited me into their lives for a pair of nights, before I proceeded into Montgomery itself.
They showed me the area, introduced me to friends and neighbors of theirs, and even took me to a local, multi-denominational Wednesday-night church service– which was a fascinating experience for me.
The Roten Family ended up being the only family who hosted me via the Garth connection–as many of the other blanks between Montgomery and Atlanta had already been filled in. We continue to stay in touch across the miles. Great People!