Event One

There are times when I simply sit alone and savor the moment. This early morning was one of those times. We have been so busy lately after work every day scrubbing the food truck to get it ready for today. When you convert a snack foods delivery vehicle to a food truck the major expenses and work involved for the builder are such things as: purchasing and installing appliances; wiring the truck so electricity will be available when running a generator; and plumbing the entire vehicle for LP gas so the oven, stove and fryer can be used when needed. The removal of stickers and other such memorabilia from the previous owners and final cleanup and polishing are not the priority for the mobile kitchen builder, nor should they be. Sarah and I can take care of those things ourselves. And we have been. We are constantly learning new things and have become very flexible in our thinking and preparing for this project.

Wading through the paperwork so we can receive the proper food licensing from the health department is also a big chore. We had to wait for a lot of it until we had the actual truck, because some questions can only be answered by seeing the final product and measuring and writing down serial numbers. That paperwork will be submitted soon and then we wait for the health department to inspect and pass us. We also discovered we need a hitch for the truck because the generator will be installed on a cargo carrier on the back of the truck,  which requires a hitch. Sarah and I cannot be moving a 200 pound generator around every time we go out to serve.

So I have been making phone calls in search of the proper hitch. And I have learned that a step van requires a special hitch, apparently. Which now leads me to search for someone capable of fabricating the hitch we require. We also need to locate the proper hose and gauge for the propane tank. Then, additionally, we have searched far and wide to find an establishment with the capabilities of painting such a large vehicle. Not to mention the time spent seeking out someone to provide the final graphics. There is a process for everything we are doing and it takes time for people to get back with us with information we need. We find ourselves constantly fighting our impatience to get the truck on the road. Sometimes when the prize is so near you can almost touch it, it can nearly drive you crazy. 

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But we do understand everything we are doing is important and in the end is moving us forward to the most rewarding experience of our lives. Today we actually took the truck out to an event, to help and also to get some exposure and meet people while serving as the refreshment stop for the Brighton area Crop Walk. I spent a great deal of time praying for this day. More than anything I want God’s Presence to be with us whenever we are out representing The Torch. And I feel like He was there. We met a lot of really nice, interested people and this is just the beginning.

It has been a very long and sometimes painful journey to get here. We are constantly learning new things about ourselves as leaders and about running a food truck. It has been a challenging and scary and invigorating and draining experience. Today was just a taste of what is in store. We gained great insight into what it could look like when we actually have people approaching the truck and we serve them through our serving window. Already we are thinking about how we will accommodate people when we are cooking a variety of meals. As often happens in life, we are discovering this is going to be a process of baby steps requiring great patience in order for us to grow in our ability to utilize this resource to its fullest. We laugh sometimes now as we look back over the previous year and marvel at how much we did not know that we did not know. 

I think usually it’s a good thing I can’t see into the future. I might end up too afraid and uncertain to move forward in trying anything new or unknown. If I had realized a year ago what the big picture of The Torch might look like as I am experiencing it and learning from it now, I quite possibly would never have applied for the Articles of Incorporation or the 501(c)3. The Torch would have become yet another one of the many “what ifs” in my life. And I would miss out on moments alone savoring the Presence of God and basking in the glow of walking in His will and preparing to serve Him like I enjoyed this morning. I come away from all this knowing it’s so worth it. I am blessed to be used in this way.