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W.O.G. You have two sons. Both married, how old? M.E. Both are in their 30's. Jonathan (the oldest) is married to Laura and he is a special educa on high-school teacher in Whi er, CA. Gabriel is married to Elizabeth and he is an ar st in the Bay Area. Gabriel and Elizabeth have a 2-year-old named Luna "Hushpuppy" Edwards! She is very special to her grandpa! W.O.G. Yes, the 'Social Media's Famous' granddaughter, Luna or…Hushpuppy. Tell us a li le about Hushpuppy. M.E. You don't want to get me started talking about my Hushpuppy! I LOVE BEING A GRANPA! I would men on, however, how sad I am for all those other grandparents who have to live with ugly grandchildren who are not as smart as mine. LOL! W.O.G. Back to chrome and horsepower. A er 18 years of logging in all kinds of miles on two wheels and now on three for the Lord, can you share with us a li le about how Black Sheep was in the early days different from today? M.E. When I went to college, I read lots of books about youth ministry. When I went to seminary I read books and a ended seminars on how to plant a church, but when I started a motorcycle ministry, there were no books or seminars. It was ALL trial and error. Therefore, to answer your ques on, Black Sheep 1999 and Black Sheep 2017 are very different. In 1999 all you had to do was own a Harley and "say" you love Jesus. Today there is a 4-5 month mentorship. Today, we are seriously focused and strategized! That's not to suggest that we have "arrived." We're s ll learning from our mistakes and moving forward one day at a me. W.O.G. Being the founder and Interna onal President of BSHDFC for all this me, what would you say was the hardest thing to face? M.E. Discouragement. We have some WONDERFUL people in BSHDFC. In fact, most of our members are solid Chris ans commi ed to God, their families, their local churches and this ministry. But it only takes a few people to discourage a pastor. Read the Book of Nehemiah and look at Sanballat and Tobiah and how the devil used them to discourage the building of the wall around Jerusalem. We have too many Sanballats and Tobiahs in the church today. Sandballats and Tobiahs have followed my ministry for over 40 years and I never get used to them. W.O.G. I would say you have had a "happy" life, serving the Lord in ministry from a young age, pastoring churches, married to the love of your youth, two sons, several motorcycles, but life is not always 'chrome and horsepower'. Can you share with us about a me that life was difficult for you? M.E. Most people don't know this, but I suffered for about twelve years with depression, which manifested itself through anxiety and panic a acks. It was hard being a pastor who was terrified of public speaking, but I'm over that now. W.O.G. And how did you get through it? M.E. Chris ans need to understand that we are PHYSICAL, MENTAL and SPIRITUAL beings. It took help in all three of these for me to be where I am today. It wasn't just a prayer or just a pill or just a Scripture that healed, but God used all three. I had some counseling, I took some medica on and I have spent a lot of me in prayer. Funny thing, my road name is "Slow Dog" – but what people don't understand, is what a miracle it is that I can ride at all. God has brought me a long way. W.O.G. Billy Graham said: "God doesn't comfort us to make us comfortable but to make us comforters". You have been a comforter to so many including me when I went through a difficult me in my life. To someone that is reading this interview and going through a hard me right now, what would you tell him or her to comfort them? M.E. Trust in God, stay in His Word and DO what it says. Stay close to your local church. Have a couple of people in your life that know EVERYTHING about you and can keep you accountable. Remember what I said about us being PHYSICAL, MENTAL and SPIRITUAL beings. God didn't take the Psalm writer OUT of the VALLEY of the shadow of death but He was there with him every step of the way. You are never alone! W.O.G. If tomorrow morning, you could start a chapter of Black Sheep anywhere in the US, where would it be? M.E. Wow, I don't know. WASHINGTON D.C. because it is the heart of our na on? NEW YORK CITY? HONOLULU? W.O.G. What about anywhere in the world? If tomorrow morning, you could start a chapter of Black Sheep anywhere in the world, where would that chapter be? M.E. Brisbane, Australia! I say that because we have a small team working very hard to make that happen right now. I've always had a heart for "Oz." Twenty-six Black Sheep rode from Brisbane to Sydney back in 2009. I would love to see this ministry ac ve in Australia. W.O.G. Can you share with us a story in the history of Black Sheep that really stuck with you? M.E. There truly are so many. Like the bike night I sat in the rain for hours and only had one rider stop by the booth…but he accepted Christ and joined BSHDFC a few months later. Or maybe it was the me my vice president shined the boots of a "tough biker chick." She wept when we wouldn't take a p or a dona on, saying, "a man has never wanted anything from me without a catch." Then there was the me in Laughlin when I walked up to a booth of outlaw bikers who were laughing at us. My knees were 28 WheelsOfGrace.com Issue 36