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Stryker in Williams County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

What About That Arrow?

 
 
What About That Aarow? Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Doda, September 11, 2021
1. What About That Aarow? Marker
Inscription.
Carlos Estrada in Profile
Home: Rural Stryker
Family: Wife, Rafaela; children, Cassandra, Rafaela Ebony, Carlos James (Jimmy) and Joselyn
Career: Carlos spent many years at General Motors in Defiance and is now retired. He still works a lot as a handyman, doing many different kinds of things to keep his hands busy as he says he is a hands-on kind of guy.
Education: 1972 graduate of Four County Joint Vocational School, now the Four County Career Center.
Something you may not know about Carlos: He sees himself as "a pioneer,” someone who forges a path for others to follow. Posing at the base of the arrow near a cross which is draped with a purple sash, Carlos Estrada joyfully shared the meaning of each part of his yard art. (Staff photo by Rebecca Miller)

What about that arrow?
By Rebecca Miller
Times Reporter

Stryker - Driving from Stryker to Archbold on Ohio 2 will reveal the sight of a 56-foot arrow sticking into the ground near the beautifully landscaped home of Carlos and Rafaela Estrada.

Next to the arrow is a cross with a purple cloth draped over it, and four different colored poles around it. On the ground are three stone pathways, two in the shape of arrows and one narrow
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one that leads straight to the cross.

"This thing I have in my yard,” Estrada said, "is a spiritual gage, like an oil dipstick, for all who look at it. It points to The Source, Jesus Christ, and each person driving by will feel a response to it.

"Some will have a sense of joy and feel re- vived and encouraged. Others will be revolt- ed.” Many vehicles have been seen pulling over in the yard to look at it, while others just slow down to get a good look.

Specifically, each item in the work of art has a meaning to Estrada:

• The arrow, which looks like it fell from the sky, is sticking in the ground at the foot of the cross, saying that Jesus is the only place where God wants all believers to join togeth- er. "There are over 900 religions and licensed denominations,” Estrada explained, "and God wants all believers in Christ to realize that He alone is the point of our unity. Jesus is The Place we are to be."
• The stone pathways to the colored poles give direction, starting with the straight one, from the red pole, that goes to the cross. "Once we realize that Christ shed his blood for us (the red pole) and go to the cross,” he said, "we have a desire to follow him into the waters of life (the blue pole which represents baptism and life in Christ) and then we are drawn by the Holy Spirit (the purple pole which
What About That Aarow? Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Doda, September 11, 2021
2. What About That Aarow? Marker
represents royalty) to live in unity with other believers and follow Jesus fully!" Estrada pointed out that "this is a simplified explanation and meeting the Lord and fol- lowing Him fully is so much more exciting and fulfilling than this short description can say."
• On each of the poles are scripture ref- erences that will explain their meaning or encourage people in their walk with Christ. Estrada said he plans to change the referenc- es whenever he senses God leading him to do so. Verses now on the poles are: red pole, Matthew 26:28 and Acts 2:38-39; blue, Acts 8:18 and Matthew 3:15-17; purple, 1st John 3:18 and Romans 9:11; and brown, Isaiah 64:6 and John 3:3-21.

Estrada is a first generation American as his parents, Juan and Dolores Estrada, moved from their homeland of Mexico to northwest Ohio in 1943. Carlos was the sixth child of 10 brothers and sisters in the Estrada family who grew up in Pettisville. “I graduated from Four County in 1972 and then have attended the school of hard knocks,” Carlos said with a laugh.

In 1978 he was a groomsman for a friend's wedding, he explained, and was matched up to walk down the aisle with a lovely bridesmaid, Rafaela Murillo of Hamler. The next year they fiance, Toledo and near Stryker before pur- chasing the almost nine acres on which they were married. Carlos and Rafaela
What About That Aarow? Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Doda, April 30, 2018
3. What About That Aarow? Marker
lived in De- now reside.

Their four children range in ages from 32 to 10 years old, with 19 ½ years between the last two.

"In 2nd Corinthians 3:2 it says that we are an epistle, read of all men, and it is true that our lives are like a book with different times being like chapters,” Estrada said.

Chapters in the lives of Carols and Rafaela have included homeschooling their children, buying and rebuilding the home and barn on their land, being among the founding mem- bers of Northwest Ohio Christian Home Ed- ucators, building covered wagons and becom- ing professional historical reenactors.

Their oldest daughter was the first 16-year- old in Ohio to be allowed to take the G.E.D. due to Rafaela's persistence. And they have designed a self-sustaining, towable covered wagon, and traveled with it for three months at a time.

Now, as a family of three with only the youngest child still at home, the Estradas are reaching out to the world through this newest venture of yard art.

"I hope that Christians will realize the truth, that we are chosen, called out and we need to stand in truth and reality,” Estrada said. "Not what the world thinks is reality but God's truth!

"We are in the age where only the real truth must be our focus. God wants to show His power and those who
What About That Aarow? Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Doda, September 11, 2021
4. What About That Aarow? Marker
meet each other in Jesus will find unity, because we are eternal. In this world we are mortal, but in Christ we are eternal. That thing out in my yard is to point people in that direction."
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & ReligionHispanic Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1972.
 
Location. 41° 31.267′ N, 84° 23.34′ W. Marker is in Stryker, Ohio, in Williams County. Marker is at the intersection of Ohio Route 2 and County Road 22.75, on the right when traveling east on State Route 2. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7503 County Rd 2275, Stryker OH 43557, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Stryker (approx. 1½ miles away); September 11, 2001 (approx. 1.7 miles away); Grisier Funeral Home Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.8 miles away); Stryker Depot (approx. 1.9 miles away); Stryker's Railroad Heritage (approx. 1.9 miles away); a different marker also named Stryker (approx. 1.9 miles away); Knight's Landing (approx. 2.1 miles away); a different marker also named Stryker (approx. 2.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Stryker.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on October 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 23, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 459 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 23, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024