Chapter 18: Life on New Eden

Life became more serene after God purified the town Moses called Galilee with fire. The Adonai Technology Systems buildings could withstand most fires structurally, but every living thing ceased to exist. Thus new infrastructure was unnecessary, but the new residents that rolled into town on the bus renamed the town Seaside.

Earl and Georgia returned after they said their vows, as did Terry and Naomi and their families. Steve and his family went on the first bus after the borrowed tunnel boring equipment rerouted the road. Many from the second group of 55 moved on the second bus, including Silas and Tammy Hill. Unofficially adopted into the Hill family, Penny charmed George from the teen group into becoming the town barber.

Some of the 45 new residents were actually capable boatmen and anglers, the former raft guides among them. With the construction in the town of New Eden finished for the near future, they too moved on. Naturally, they needed a militia outpost, being a front line of defense, and Jophiel promoted Aaron and Tim to Major. All that remained at the New Eden Armory were three drones and a 12-man rifle squad.

Allen accepted his new calling as the pastor to the church in the town, now down to 77 after the third group moved on to Seaside. Thomas and Laura, and Juan and Jennifer from the first group were among those who left for the new colony. Juanita replaced Jennifer as the new mail carrier.

"Allen, Lena," Juanita called out, "there is a delivery for you at the airport."

"I wonder what the supply ship brought now?" replied Allen, taking the card. "What is a Super Turbo Angel?"

"Maybe it is a new aeroplane?" suggested Lena. "That will be nice, no?"

"This comes with it," said Juanita, "but it is heavy. Ray helped me to load it."

Allen took the box, and it was indeed heavy enough to be manuals. "Thanks, Juanita, I appreciate it. Let's see what weighs this much."

Inside the box were new Bibles. Allen was only slightly disappointed that there were not manuals for a new type of plane. "Let's all go see what it is. I wonder why He didn't have us print the Bibles."

"I am sure He will tell us soon," reasoned Lena. "Come along girls."

The Super Turbo Angel was indeed an airplane. It was a twin engine, 14-seat pusher turboprop built for short field use. It could either be piloted or be flown remotely, which Lena insisted that he do. Remote piloting had the option of flying airport-to-airport solely by the new computer system.

Somehow, the fun of flying came to mean little to Allen. While he could easily pilot the STA, it was more important to stay home with Lena and the two girls. If it served as a light transport to just one destination, the computer autopilot eliminated any chance of human error. If he wished to explore the country, he could use one of the drones to do so.

He signed the delivery document on the screen, and brought a copy of the program to Carl. "I have come to enjoy the peaceful life, Carl. I know it's smaller than you flew, but in my world the 206 was the largest I ever piloted. A Cessna 172 would be more my size, and the Mark 7 was an exceptional airplane, but I've had enough adventure to last two lifetimes."

"I had a feeling that if you didn't get back in the saddle right away, you wouldn't," said Carl. "I've seen it happen before."

"I wanted a plane when I was moving to Chile because it would've been useful there. Here, we have all we need or can get it one place or the other, and I'm not in that big a hurry."

"Your true age is emerging then. I noticed you're being a lot more careful now."

"Living an uninterrupted life is one thing, but yes, others can kill us, and that reality was too much to face that day. I hold Lena and the girls very dear to me, and I promised not to die on her."

"With the transport automated too, Sharon wants me to hang it up, as well. Our bodies are young and healthy, but we have a mature adult mentality."

"Ever since Galilee, things have been very peaceful around here," opined Allen. "Being Yeshua's assistant is pretty important, too. If I can reach the people, then the devil has a harder time taking them over."

"Your overall faith has grown," replied Carl, "and your daily life reflects this. I've heard others say that they noticed this, too. You helped save several of the previously married families, mine included, and I am grateful."

"That's one battle I've fought, and this time there is no lawyer or judge trying to pry you apart for financial or political gain. As long as everyone believes in Yeshua and follows the law, then families should stay together."

"We're not a jealous society here," noted Carl. "Once you accepted the loss of the plane and showed the folks that it was simply a material thing, they all kind of accepted that."

"Now that The LORD has replaced it with something that everyone will see as bigger and better, it could start again. I feel it best not to be associated with it the way I was with the Mark 7, and avoid the coveting altogether."

"It was easier to explain all the farm equipment was for the community when the market began to have plenty to trade for," Mark added. "Now, thankfully, we have fishing gear from ATS so all who wish to fish can."

"We also have trails to the lakes and headwaters now, and the instruction videos on each kind of fishing," Carl noted. "The ones on home gardens and various wild foods have really caught on with the wives. Like you say, God has blessed us abundantly."

"Well, the newspaper going digital gave us more time, and we were able to use God's gifts for the betterment of our new world as a whole. We don't need mail service other than just as a tradition, for example," Allen noted. "It's more a thread to our old world. Imagine a letter mailed in New Hebron in what was once Upstate New York on Earth, travelling through time and space to reach us. We now have that last vestige of contact, but it has its downside too. It proved that consequences of not accepting Yeshua are and were real, and all of us lost family when God's wrath fell on Earth."

"Of all the things you could preach about last week, that hit everyone between the eyes. Would He have delivered them here, or did they end up in hell? Then there is that eternal issue."

"Will we see them again if we have eternal life?" recalled Allen. "Then would we give up our salvation to see the ones in hell?"

"You got Sharon and I thinking and examining our own relationship with God. You may not speak as eloquently as those spiffy televangelists do, but you tell the truth, and it makes us all see that you care. That means something to us all."

"I suppose I'm qualified to do what God called me to after all," reasoned Allen. "I have a long way to improve, but I also have time to do so."

"That you do, my friend. That airplane will fly itself, so let it." Carl looked at his wrist device. "Yep, it's a fantastic piece of aviation technology, but in the end, it's just a way to get from here to Seaside in 35 minutes. The shuttle may be faster, but flying sure beats the bus."

"Then again it's a beautiful ride, and the roadside picnic area at Rocky Vista Monument Falls makes a nice stop. That's one thing I had to face again, and get beyond."

"Have you, I mean if you don't want to fly anymore?"

"Carl, my need for flying was caused by the fight or flight mechanism," reasoned Allen. "It was a means to get away from the Order that enslaved God's people back on Earth. Since accepting the ministry responsibility I have learned to trust in God totally."

"That's great, especially if you can get Robert Meadows to have your faith, and he can go do missionary work one day. Well, I'm headed home; keep us in your prayers, Allen, will you?"

"That's what I do, although I keep telling you, I can't do it for you. My prayers are that you and everyone here build your own relationship with Him."

Allen took another look at the new plane and knew he made the right decision. Flying just for its own sake was of little practical value. Every hour he did not spent pretending he was a bird, was an hour he could help someone come closer to God. He learned that turning loose of the things of the world freed him from his lack of confidence in public speaking.

Then there were the seven men and women that started the worship and praise team. At Seaside, when Earl and Terry truly came to The LORD, they too focused on what pleased God rather than men. It no longer mattered what had been popular in their culture on Earth. They refocused on the things that mattered. On New Eden there were no gangs, no drug lords, no prostitutes, and the only audience to please with music was God.

"Now we have a praise team in both towns," remarked Ben after watching them rehearse. "Hallelujah."

"Having seven angels as backup vocalists doesn't hurt either," said Allen. "We have so much to be thankful for. This may not be the heaven where we sit on a cloud playing a harp and grow wings, but it's a wonderful place to be."

"Amen to that, Brother," Mark chimed in. "I am happier than I ever believed was possible on Earth, and I have a wife that God has truly brought to me."

"He brought you to her, remember?" Jim reminded him. "Allen, as much as Carol and I enjoy life here, we have both decided that it is time to ascend. We have spoken to Yeshua, and He is agreeable."

"I understand," replied Allen. "You told me that to each other you are the embodiment of your former spouses, and want to be with them. I prayed for you both as well."

"It's one thing to fantasize about someone else when, you know? But Carol has actually become Sally at those times, and I became her husband. That's freaky, and our intimacy has stopped altogether because of it."

"I don't believe it's demonic," said Allen. "You told me the other day that she isn't really pregnant, like she believed. Perhaps it is best that you do ascend. We'll miss you, but then, one day we'll meet again."

"Then there's my parents and grandparents," Jim confessed. "I want to see them, too."

"I know that feeling," replied Allen. "The wife and kids I had on Earth were penance, but I miss my mom and grandparents. I forgave my dad and I prayed for him, but I also know he did not follow God."

"We'll depart tonight," revealed Jim. "We'd like for you and your family to join us for dinner this evening. Carol made pasta again."

"Nothing wrong with that," replied Allen. "We'll be there."

Dinner was nice, after all, who can be unhappy about friends who go on to the promised Heaven? You miss them, but if you indeed know The LORD, you know it is a temporary absence. After dinner, Lena helped to clean up, and Yeshua came for them.

"There will be more to come," said Yeshua, "and this land will flourish. James, Caroline, come with me."

He walked to the door, Jim and Carol followed, and they ascended together. Since coming to the new world Allen and Lena made many new friends. Jim had confided several times about his mixed feelings for Carol, and hers for him. Now they knew it was possible to ascend, or descend as the case may be.

Early the next morning Jophiel came for Allen and Lena to come to the airport. They left the girls with Salome and reported to the terminal. A longer transport shuttle came though the portal, opened, and 49 new people came out as if it were an airliner. It too conformed to the illusion.

"Welcome to New Eden," Jophiel greeted, and introduced them to Allen Parson as the pastor, and Lena, his wife. That was their new profession, and thus the surname by which he now adopted. There were 10 married couples with children, and two engaged couples that came from a former underground missile site in northern Montana. The group had been safe, but the globalist forces lured them out into a poison gas cloud by broadcasting a false all clear message.

The area from which they came was no longer habitable. Some went to New Hebron and others to an area of Northwest Texas. Both communities were part of the Adonai Mission system on Earth. Yeshua snatched them too out of harm's way. In a way that qualified as a rapture, save for the rejuvenated instead of glorified bodies.