Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Cars....Who Needs 'Em? We Do!

It is interesting to note that we don't always realize how much we use cars until they aren't around. A couple weeks ago, I went to pick up our niece at the airport in Rome. When I hit the major Rome traffic, something happened with the car. I had been in snail speed traffic for about forty minutes, when all of a sudden the car died and never restarted. I wasn't sure what to do, but then a emergency tow truck came by, he looked at it and then said I needed to have him tow it to thier garage......it looked bad. I still hadn't picked up our niece, but had no choice but to let him take me and the car to the garage. After the mechanic looked over the engine he delivered the bad news. The engine block had overheated and they wouldn't be able to get me the car for several days. I had to leave it in Rome. I called a friend who lives outside of Rome (about forty minutes from where I was) and he got me and our visitors from the airport. He and his wife provided us with lunch before we took the late afternoon train back to Ancona.

About a week and a half later, we returned to Rome, via train travel, and picked up the car. It is a staggering large amount that three of our churches helped us cover. When supporters rise to our needs it always makes us feel supported, and basically feeling the love of God through his Body. About five minutes after picking up the car, the air conditioner stopped, then I noticed the level of gas was noticeably lower than when I had left it in Rome. Start the conspiracy music......Not only do I think they overcharged me, because I was a foreignor, but I also think maybe they even siphoned my gas and took out my freon for the air conditioner!

We came drove back to Ancona, with the windows down the whole way, reminding me of when I would ride with my Dad in his ol' green pickup truck also with no air conditioner. It wasn't bad, but for a four hour ride it the noise got to you a little. That was about a week ago, today I took it into our mechanic here in Ancona. He thought that they definitely overcharged me too, but agreeing there wasn't much I could do. Hopefully, the air conditioner just needs freon, but I'll find out tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, I am thankful to God for the life He has provided for Angie and myself. Thankful for all the good that we have seen in our lives. And thankful for seeing God's people act.

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