Joseph Oler 
Are We Worthy? 

ARE WE WORTHY? It is a question that haunted Jake and Joey for over a month as they struggled to accomplish what so many people had told them was impossible. For a whole year leading up to the trip, people had gone out their way to tell Jake and Joey, "People don’t hitchhike anymore, morons! You’re gonna die out there if you really go through with this." The boys just gritted their teeth and held their tongue, for it wouldn’t be long until they flew across the country with a one-way plane ticket and a goal to hitchhike almost 3, 000 miles back to their hometown. IT TURNED OUT TO BE HARDER THAN THEY EVER EXPECTED… From swerving cars to paranormal experiences in the night, Jake and Joey had their eyes opened to a world of suffering they never knew existed. But every time they starved in the woods, every time they experienced hate, every mile their legs felt like giving out, the same mantra would ring through their minds. "ARE… WE… WORTHY…?" "Are we worthy of success?" "Are we worthy to make it home?" And on the darkest days, "Are we worthy to make it out alive?" This book is a story of vulnerability, heartbreak, and struggle, but through it all, there is a consistent pattern of hope and persistence, even in the darkest of times. We can all relate to the feeling of worthlessness or wonder whether or not we should give up. But if there is anything you can take from this book, it is that you are worthy to rise up and accomplish the impossible, just like Joey Oler and Jake Blue did in the summer of 2018.