A Noahide’s Journey, Part 1
by Paul Penrod

The journey of a thousand miles begins with but one step, “and so goes the old Chinese proverb accredited to Lao-tzu a Chinese philosopher (604 BC-531 BC)”. My personal Noahide’s journey began with a “step out”. With the pressures of Chiropractic school and family obligations, I wanted a night out of entertainment so I chose to go see Vendyl Jones* and David Fasold* at a fascinating presentation of the “Eclectic Viewpoint*” called “The Lost Arks”, in the D/FW metroplex.

That was circa 1992, I believe, and yea the topic was a bit geeky and conspiratorial but the “airs” in the metroplex felt electric that night and like I said I needed a break from my intense studies. I took along with me a young, but inquisitive, Adam Penrod and Woody a friend from school with, of course, a blessing from Mollie, my loving wife.

I really came to see John Fasfold and hear his presentation on “Noah’s Ark” because it held a higher fascination quotient for me but I had to listen to Vendyl Jones first and his presentation on the lost “Ark of the Covenant”. Looking back, the term “Noahide” or the “Seven laws of Noah” may never have been mentioned that night but because of the events extending from that seminar to the present, I’d have to say that the influence of Mr. Noahide himself, Vendyl Jones, thereafter was enormous.

Yes, on that night Vendyl Jones was a superstar and I was duly impressed. The crowd surrounding him after the presentation had a rock-star quality and they were ten deep, in a circle, asking questions trying to get closer but his booming voice was clear from where I stood at the edge of the melee. People wanted to know about these seeming supernal “kind of things” and were deeply fascinated. The image of Indiana Jones and the 1981 movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was all over Vendyl, while wearing his kaki outfit and famous safari hat at the event. He would tell his “snake fear” and “bullwhip” stories later in his Sunday Torah classes. Yes, this was Indiana Jones with a twist.

Though captivated, I was unconvinced about his claims. Where was the “Ark of the Covenant” and what would the recovery of the Ark mean? Was it really located in a desert hide out somewhere in Israel called the “Cave of the Column”, that he, Vendyl Jones, had mapped out then tracked down the location taking years of his life while dragging his large family to Israel to discover it. That rang true to me because it sounded a bit like what I had put my family through to go thru Chiropractic school. Over the ensuing years I discovered more, much more!

I continued my studies and graduated in 1994. Woody moved to North Dakota and I’ve lost contact with him. Adam has an expanding family and is currently undergoing the conversion process to Judaism in the metroplex. We’ve lost Vendyl Jones, of blessed memory, and now we carry perhaps a new “Noahide Nations*” vision of the future. Me, well here I am trying to do my small part for the “Noahide Nations Newsletter” by tapping out a short story about my first little “step out” in 1992, where my inner eye was forever open on that special night long ago.

*http://www.bnainoah.net/VJRI/whoisvendyl.html

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Fasold

*http://eclectic.cgis-creative.com/events.php

*http://noahidenations.com/

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