2025 Fall NYS RV Show – by Michael and Karen Steele

The FCFI booth is all set up and ready to share the Gospel of Lord Jesus Christ with whoever stops by. There were walking sticks for people of all sizes and a welcome mat declaring “Got Jesus?”

The Pennsylvania Northern Tier Chapter (PANTC) of the Fellowship of Christian Farmers, International (FCFI) recently attended the 2025 Fall New York State RV Show at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY. This marked FCFI’s first ever appearance at the NYS RV Show, which holds a Spring show in March and a Fall show in September. Show hours were 9 AM–7 PM on Friday and Saturday, and 9 AM–5 PM on Sunday.

The show was entirely outdoors, with non-RV vendors set up inside two large tents. Approximately 12 vendors shared this space, including the FCFI booth, manned by Michael and Karen Steele.

Sharing the Wordless Bible in a New Way

Because this was an RV show, the FCFI staff referred to their Wordless Walking Sticks as Wordless Hiking Sticks. Campers were encouraged to use these sticks as Hiking Journals—marking each campground or trail visited with the date and location. After a year, they can review all the hikes they completed, and after five years, see just how frequently they explored new trails!

A highlight of the first day involved a lady whose hip was in pain. She was scheduled for hip replacement surgery the following Tuesday. To make walking easier, FCFI staff added a rubber chair leg tip to her stick to prevent slipping on smooth surfaces like hardwood, tile, or concrete. This also helped her navigate the steps of campers and motorhomes safely.

Meaningful Encounters

The show attracted an estimated 4,000 attendees, highlighting the close-knit RV community in the Syracuse area (population ~425,000). Several memorable interactions included:

• A father and his family returned to the booth a second day to receive additional Wordless Walking Sticks and learn more about the colored bead messages.
• A vendor with a gifted five-year-old son took home a prayer paper to share with her child, encouraging him to consider accepting Jesus.
• A mother and son both received sticks, with the son excited to have what he called a “Bible Stick,” and the mother inspired to start her own hiking journal stick.
• Three Jesus Calling devotionals were distributed for free, along with Bibles, supporting spiritual growth for anyone who wanted them.

On Day 2, a mother and daughter stopped by skeptical of the Christian message. After learning about the Wordless Bible, she was moved to tears by the volunteer staff’s willingness to share freely, reflecting the grace of Jesus.

Impact Beyond the Booth

FCFI’s presence also drew attention from other vendors and public servants:

• A young man from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision praised the booth and said, “There should be more Christian booths like this at public events sharing the Gospel.”
• A neighboring vendor noticed the Wordless Bible banners and was intrigued. Although not ready to accept Christ immediately, he took a walking stick, manual, and prayer paper for himself and his roommate, considering faith in the future.

These encounters are a testament to how prayer and financial support allow FCFI to reach people across the United States and Canada, sharing the message of Jesus through meaningful, personal interactions.

Here are some highlights captured in photos from the event!

This man stops by and tells FCFI witness Michael Steele (left) he has a bad back and could use a Wordless Walking Stick to get around the grounds. Michael was very happy to give him a stick and share the salvation message of Jesus with him

FCFI witness Karen Steele (left) shares the message of the Wordless Bible with another vendor. The vendor felt it was time to come back to her faith and being able to talk with the FCFI volunteer staff helped her

The FCFI booth had one box devoted to Wordless Walking Sticks for adults. Included are several painted orange (for the local university Syracuse Orange). Also, some of the classic old rake and shovel handles repurposed as hiking sticks. There are also the usual 48″ and 54″ pine natural sticks

The kids also have a box of Wordless Walking Sticks just the right size for them. Notice the nice array of sticks and sizes ready for owners to take them hiking

Another vendor (already a Christian brother) stops by to see what is going on at the Christian Farmers booth. After hearing the message he had to have his own stick!

Having an end spot is a great benefit. FCFI witness Karen Steele (left) slides over and shares the message with this young lady. The smile on the young lady is awesome as she reads the manual!

A vendor just outside the vendors tent could not leave his work station since he was there alone. So, FCFI witness Michael Steele (left) takes a stick out to him

The booth across from the Christian Farmers was a cutlery stand run by a Christian brother named David (holding the walking stick). David was talking to one of his customers who happens to not be Christian and so David came to the FCFI booth and asked for a Wordless Walking Stick to share Jesus with the young man. It looks like David has the young mans full attention!

Mom stops by to get Wordless Walking Sticks for her two children. They picked out there own sticks from the stick box and here an FCFI witness shares the Gospel of Lord Jesus Christ with the children as Mom watches on

A lady stops on the last day of the RV show for her own Wordless Walking Stick. Here she looks through the Owners/Operators Manual as the colors are explained to her by Michael Steele

A husband and wife stopped by for their own hiking sticks to use while camping. A great thing to have waiting in the pass thru storage compartment of any RV!

Again, a vendor was very intrigued by the Wordless Walking Stick and the sharing of Jesus Christ. He is not a Christian but had to come over and get the message. Yes, he ended up taking a Walking Stick (and a manual and a prayer paper) as his own!

Sometimes it is more than a walking stick that brings people to the FCFI booth. This young husband and wife were having difficulties in life and needed to talk a little. There was then a moment of prayer for them as they held hands with the FCFI staff. It was a very special moment for all of them. Then they enjoyed the RV show with their own new FCFI Wordless Walking Sticks. It is so awesome how the Lord brings other Christian brothers and sisters into your path when you could use a moment of encouragement

FCFI witness Michael Steele is handing a Wordless Walking Stick to this young lady as her husband watches on. They even stopped by later as they were leaving the RV show to thank the FCFI volunteer staff again!

FCFI extends heartfelt thanks to Deborah Kessler of Kessler Promotions and the RV Dealers Association of Syracuse for welcoming us to this exceptional show. The 2026 Spring NYS RV Show is scheduled for March 5–8, 2026. Anyone near the Syracuse region is invited to attend, see the latest RV models, and receive a Wordless Hiking Stick at the FCFI booth!

God bless you all, and thank you for helping make this outreach possible.