Car Troubles

We are GLAD to get home safe and sound. Thank the Lord for his care this trip! For this past week, the children had spring break. We therefore traveled back to our parents in Centerville/Numa, Iowa. Spring melt was in full swing. The roads were muddy ruts and would cause your vehicle to lurch one way or the other. On the way to church on Sabbath, our minivan lurched to the side, out of the rut and into the ditch. This left us with the passenger side tires in the ditch and the undercarriage resting on grass.

Becky called her dad who brought his truck to pull us out. In the midst of the soppy muddy muck, I spread hay from the back end of his truck on the ground. I then put my Carhart coat on top of it. I--in my suit--then knelt down and wrapped the chain around my left front tire. In the process of trying to pull out the first time, the chain came undone, slipped off and hooked and broke my brake line. When I knelt done to hook it up again, I noticed a line dripping brake fluid in the mud! Uh oh!

On Monday, I had a local place order the part, which came in on Tuesday. Tony put my van on his lift and changed the brake line for me. Thanks Tony!

On Wednesday morning, I went out to start our truck that we had brought with us. It wouldn't start and come to find out, the alternator had went out. Jason and Keith helped take it off. I ordered a new one which came in Thursday morning and Jason installed it. It worked! Thanks Jason!

On the way home, the trailer that we were using to transport the 4-wheeler blew out on the edge of interstate. So I took the tire off. Fortunately, the Lord provided a place to put on a new tire just a few miles away. Then we were off!

As we pulled into Rochester, I noticed my pickup was overheating. By the time I got home and pulled into the garage, it had boiled over... I think a thermostat or radiator may now be in my future. As I said at the beginning, I'm just happy to be back home and done traveling for a bit!

The lesson that I taught Natalie though was one of optimism. I believe the Lord allowed these things to happen in the most convenient locations. What if we had been on the interstate when my alternator went out? At the beginning of our trip we asked him to give us a safe trip and He did. No photos for this long winded post!