Since my family and I went on the road full-time, my typical school day is anything but typical.

My name is Joe Stevens. I am 18 years old and have been home schooling for about 10 years. I have officially graduated from high school, but I continue to learn “free-lance”.

In the Spring of 1993 the Lord called my fami­ly into full-time ministry. We sold our house in Orland, CA, found homes for all of our livestock, our pets, our furniture, and almost everything else we owned. We said “good-bye” to friends and family, and hit the road. Now we travel the coun­try with our pickup truck and our travel trailer, singing Gospel music wherever we go.

February 14, 1995

7:30 a.m. The morning sun shines through my window, refusing to let me sleep any longer. I swing my legs out of the bunk I call my “room”, and start getting ready to face the day. I take a quick shower. After breakfast I wash the dishes and clean my room. Cleaning my room consists mostly of straightening out my sleeping bag. (That’s one big advantage to living in a trailer!)

Today we’re moving our trailer to Stonyford, CA, so most of my usual studying will have to wait. Dad and Mom left early this morning to run some errands in town, leaving my brother Josh and me to get the trailer ready to pull. We have to make sure that as we drive down the road, nothing gets broken. We take everything that’s not screwed or “Velcroed” into place, and move it all onto the beds.

On days when we’re not moving the trailer anywhere, I have more opportunity for studying. Because of the ministry the Lord has called me to, most of the studying I do involves either the Bible, music or both.

My favorite method of Bible study is memo­rization. I try to be constantly meditating on God’s Word. When I memorize a passage, I’m forced to read it over and over again. Each time, I notice something new. Another way I like to study the New Testament is to translate it directly from the Greek language. My pastor taught me how to read New Testament Greek a few years ago. I try to translate at least one verse a day.

For music, I usually spend two to three hours a day practicing the banjo, fiddle and guitar. I’m now also trying to learn to read and write sheet music. (Right now I just play by ear.)

For other subjects, like History and Theology, I use a curriculum I call “Library”. Basically, when I want information on a certain subject, I look it up. My mom always taught me that it was more important to know how to find information than to try and memorize facts out of a book. There is a tremendous amount of knowledge avail­able, free of charge, to anyone who knows how to use an encyclopedia or a library card.

11:50 Dad and Mom return. I haven’t got the juggling quite right yet, so it will have to wait for another night. Dad backs the truck up to the trailer, and we hook up all the various chains, cables and wires that keep every­thing connected. Soon we’re ready to hit the road!

By the time we’re ready to go, it’s time for lunch. So we stop on the way out of town for some sandwiches.

As we drive, I use my laptop computer for all kinds of things. I some­times practice typing, or play a game of chess against the computer. Sometimes I work on designing a computer pro­gram. For the last several months I’ve had the opportunity of learning computer programming from a friend in Oregon. My current homework project is to make a com­puter version of an educational board game my dad invented. Today, I just type up a letter to a friend, and then work on Bible memorization. I’ve almost finished memorizing The Sermon on the Mount. (Matt. 5-7)

As we drive, the scene out my window changes. The freeway is replaced by a long winding road. Valleys give way to foothills. We see squirrels running madly through the tree tops, while the deer graze in the meadows.

About 1:45 we arrive in Stonyford, a small town with about 200 people. Whenever we’re in Stonyford, we stay with the Pendel family on their ranch out­side of town. We set up our trailer next to the barn and go inside their house to visit. It’s been a while since we saw them last, so we have lot to catch up on.

3:07 I try working on Bible memo­rization, but I’m too tired to concentrate.

3:15-4:00 Nap

4:00 Time to get ready to go. We change into our “performing clothes”, and put all the instruments into the truck.

4:30 Leave for the Stonyford Grange Hall.

4:43 We arrive at the Grange Hall and begin setting up our sound equipment. Everyone carries in whatever they can. For the next hour and a half, Josh is mak­ing sure the instruments are ready to give their best. Mom is setting up the microphone stands, and preparing a list of the songs we’re going to sing. Dad is running cords to the microphones. I’m setting up the amplifier and the speakers. After we finish all that, we sing a couple of songs to make sure everything sounds just right. 6:30 It’s time for the banquet to start. We can only eat a little bit before we sing. This is tough because the food is really good! Then we’re on! The next hour is what makes the rest of the day worth the work! This is when we present the Gospel through our songs. We sing many differ­ent styles of gospel music, from acappela to bluegrass to contemporary. During our concerts, my brother and I perform come­dy skits we’ve written. Sometimes Dad and I also preach a little bit. Mostly, we share from God’s word how families can live together, work together, and minister together in harmony.

Tonight’s banquet is a Valentine’s Day outreach, put on by the church in Stonyford. Most of the people here tonight are unchurched (except the ones who put on the banquet). When we finish singing, the pastor gives a short message, closes in prayer, and everyone is dismissed.

Then it’s time to pack up. As we dis­connect all the cables and put the instru­ments back in their cases, we have an opportunity to talk to people. Many peo­ple share their blessings and their burdens with us. Some folks want to pray with us. Others just want to talk. It isn’t until after 9:00 that we actually leave for our trailer.

9:15 We arrive back at the trailer thoroughly exhausted. It’s been a good day, but very tiring. By 9:45 everyone’s ready for bed.

9:45 Family Bible reading and prayer.

10:05 - 10:30 Bible Memorization. (I finally finish memorizing the Sermon on the Mount!)

10:30 I close my Bible, and turn off the little battery-powered light above my head. I zip my sleeping bag up tight, and drift off to sleep.

What We Use

Guitar Mel Bay’s Guitar Class Method Volume 1 Mel Bay Publications, Inc.

Banjo (and music theory) Bluegrass Banjo by Peter Wernick Oak Publications

Fiddle You Can Teach Yourself Fiddling Mel Bay Publications, Inc.

Greek Essentials of New Testament Greek Broadman Press

Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek by Bruce Metzger

Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament by G. Abbott-Smith T. & T. Clark

Bible (Several English translations)

The Greek New Testament United Bible Societies

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible World Bible Publishers, Inc.

Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible by Dr. H. L. Willmington Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary Thomas Nelson Publishers

Juggling The Complete juggler by Dave Finnigan Vintage Books

Note: New Attitude does not necessarily recommend the products listed here.

Joe Stevens and his family pose in their cowboy duds.