Follow Your Dreams, Eh?

Hey everyone, how’s it going? Nothing big? Well, I have news. We’re leaving, but not for the next leg of the caravan. We’re getting out of dodge. Or at least, that’s what Dad says. He said he had a dream where God told him that people were planning to kill him, and that we all need to head to the wilderness.

The realtor admitted the location is sub par, but at least we won't be crowded by neighbors.

And the thing is I kind of believe him (maybe not the dream, but definitely the fact that he’s made some enemies). A couple buddies were telling me their parents are concerned about Dad. One of them even called him a wolf in sheep’s clothing because of the way he twists the scriptures to condemn our religion. I don’t know why Dad insists on pursuing this path, but he’s apparently not so crazy (yet) that he can't sense when he’s making enemies and causing contention. I think most of us would prefer to live our religion in peace.

Anyway, hopefully this’ll blow over and Dad will realize dreams just happen. I have some crazy dreams, and I’d be even crazier for trying to live my life according to them. I’ll be praying for dad. If you read this blog, please join me. I’ll keep you updated.

Trade and Bookkeeping

Dad and Laman will probably be returning from Ramoth-Gilead in the next day or two. He has a lot of connections up there, and some trusted trading partners. He asked me to get all his records in order before he gets home. When he returns from Ramoth-Gilead, we’ll need to quickly record his inventory so we can be on our way to Egypt without delay.

Dad’s never been one to care too much for all the accounting that goes along with the trade business, so his bookkeeping is a mess. I’ve been working through it the last couple days, and found some weird errors. He’ll often buy things, but then there’s never any record of selling it or dumping it (dumping happens when there’s something that he wasn’t able to sell;in the target market, and it’s not worth bringing back home). It’s almost like he just gives stuff away sometimes. I’ll have to ask him about these inconsistencies when he gets back.

As you can see, it's a total mess. And yeah, I know, one of the goats got a hold of this page.

Anyway, it’s definitely going to take all my time the next day or two to get the books prepared for our caravan to Egypt. Which leads to the first lesson I’ll pass along to anyone aspiring to get into this industry—make sure either you or someone in your family has a mind for bookkeeping. If you’re the type of person who primarily likes to travel and work with people, you’ll want someone that can keep track of what you’re buying, for how much, what you’re selling, and for how much. If you’re not making enough profit on your sales, you won’t be able to finance your caravans, and there goes your opportunity to do what you really love—travel and working with others.

I’ll be busy the next couple days, so I don’t think I’ll have time to post about the logistical preparations (the gear, taking care of the camels, etc). But if all goes well, my next post will be from somewhere out west of Kadesh-barnea, and I’ll try to recap how to handle the logistics at that point.

First Post!

Hey everyone, I’m starting my own blog. I’ve gone on two minor trading trips with Dad and Laman (my older brother) recently. In a couple months, I’ll be traveling with them all the way to Egypt to learn the trade business there. I figured I’d start this blog for those who haven’t had the opportunity to see this kind of travel.

I’ll be chronicling how we get ready for a caravan trip, what we take with us, and I’ll include lots of stories and pics from Egypt (hopefully said stories will include some Egyptian girls too). I’m thinking that in addition to getting into the trade business myself, I can help others using what I learn and share on this blog. Also, please send this blog to any friends you have that might be interested in getting to this industry.

Thanks everyone! I look forward to your comments in future posts.