Where Pity Ends...

Where Pity Ends... begins with young itinerant preacher, Jean Baptiste DeLaPorte, traveling north from New Orleans toward his first post in Northeast Missouri. Now, some weeks into an uneventful journey, his life is about to change forever.Our story quickly transitions from the musings of this quiet man to his rise in regional famewhen he unwittingly saves an unarmed man from a notorious highwayman. Bro. John shoots the robber which sets in motion a series of events that delay his...
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Where Pity Ends... begins with young itinerant preacher, Jean Baptiste DeLaPorte, traveling north from New Orleans toward his first post in Northeast Missouri. Now, some weeks into an uneventful journey, his life is about to change forever.Our story quickly transitions from the musings of this quiet man to his rise in regional famewhen he unwittingly saves an unarmed man from a notorious highwayman. Bro. John shoots the robber which sets in motion a series of events that delay his travels, try his faith, and open his eyes to what lies within the hearts of men.On the road heading north, Bro. John is accompanied by Pete. While camping just outside St. Charles, Missouri, John and Pete befriend a local farm family through circumstances both humorous and inspirational. The Hayden farm would become the epicenter of the quake that would change the landscape of John's life and ministry.The Hayden's beautiful daughter, Sarah, launches an uninformed, verbal attack on BrotherJohn after he returns to the Hayden farm after a heroing clash with the Standard gang. John firesback in a prideful response and the two become estranged, yet strangely drawn to one another.Meanwhile, the Standards orchestrate a jailbreak, killing a deputy. While leaving town, theykidnap Sarah to gain an advantage of John and get their revenge. Much was changing in John's life. The many weeks working with Pete to improve the Hayden farm while waiting for things to "cool down", had taught him patience, humility, and more about love. Now, as he pursued those who had taken Sarah, a larger band of "misfits" asthe press called them, were joining forces with him. Besides Pete and a Blue Healer named Buster was a former slave from New Orleans named Maurice and a migrant laborer namedPedro. The latter two were duped into working for the Standards, but when they learned the truth they joined forces with the Pistol Packin' Preacher.As the crisis unfolds we find the conspiracy to kidnap Sarah and draw the preacher out was greater than was known to anyone. John secures Sarah's release by sacrifice of himself. It is at this moment that Sarah realizes her love for him. She fears it may be too late. John rides north with the enemy while Sarah rides south into more trouble. She encounters help along the wayand makes it safely home. John believes he is safe once the ransom exchange is made but is shotin revenge by Rumsfield, a member of Standard's gang. This becomes known only when the boat he should have been on arrives without him.By this time, the Pistol Packin' Preacher had become national news. Reporters converged onSt. Louis for the arrival of the seriously wounded preacher. Ma Jackson, the negro woman who had raised John, also made her way to St. Louis. The press and the people all wanted a hero butnow were having to face their own prejudices as this unlikely family of misfits were testing theirbeliefs.John recovers and he and Sarah declare their love for each other. But what of his call toMarion County? And, what of further danger? John contemplates these and other questions when the answer comes by way of Wes Standard, the youngest of the lot.What follows is a heart-wrenching series of events. Wes nearly loses his life as he tries to avenge his brothers. He is saved by those he aimed to kill. During his recovery he comes to knowfaith and even fights remnants of the Standard gang alongside our heroes.Wes Standard, his mother Bea, and two cousins all become part of this misfit family as guns blaze and faith wins in the end.John faces another kind of bigotry as the association that had called him to Marion County now reject him because of his unwanted notoriety. He struggles for answers. Does he find them? Does he make it to Marion County? Well, those answers lie Where Pity Ends... Providence, however, assures that John and his friends are right where they need to be.