We actually felt some normalcy set in over the next several days as we toured the West Coast. We really felt a sense of accomplishment after Alcatraz and then headed to Yosemite.
Stephanie and I have visited ALL of the Lower 48 States. We have visited the majority of the National Parks in those states. I LOVE YOSEMITE. This would be our third trip and nothing has changed. The beauty of the valley and the majesty of the falls, the peaks, and the views always lead me to acknowledge there MUST be a GOD, a creator of all things.
On the way to San Fransisco, we stopped a Walmart and got all the camping supplies we needed that we did not already have in the fifth wheel. We purchased a tent, sleeping bags, compulsory AIR mattresses, and we were ready for our FIRST camping spot near Yosemite. We were blessed with a great camp spot at Bass Lake Yosemite Camp ground. It really was surreal camping in a tent again. No air conditioning, no comfort mattress, no modern cooking, walking to the restroom, and listening to crazy teenage girls giggling through the night, it was a special time.
Always in the background of my mind was the truck and the inevitable call about the "damages". We had a plan and knew we were going to have to take money from our savings to pay for the repairs. The call came while we ate breakfast in Oakhurst. I went outside and heard the explanation of what needed to be done. The total cost was $20,000. My heart sank! The damage would be repaired by a complete engine replacement including a short block and rebuild. But, we made the necessary plans and they began work. We were gravely concerned about how long it was going to take. Bodacious Diesel was committed to help us reach our deadline. Stephanie and I were scheduled to work a major Indiana Biker Event, the Indiana ABATE Boogie. We were completely in charge. We had all the equipment and we had to be there. We had 25 days to get back and get set up to serve. That had to include 3 days minimum to get back, 1 day to load up the supplies, and take the trip to Southern Indiana. BD made no guarantees. The comment was, "this usually takes us a couple of months to get everything done." They were NOT confident.
We knew we were dependent upon the Lord to direct all the little details that needed to happen to get us to Southern Indiana on time. Prayer has always been a huge part of our lives. Now we had a specific direction for our prayers.
Beyond the deadline we were under, my heart hurt because of the cost. Stephanie and I committed our RETIRED LIFE to the Lord. We had saved money and enjoyed a great teachers pension. We dedicated ALL of that to serving the Lord. Our plans were, and still are, to use our resources to directly serve the Lord. Our plans are to serve both out of the country and within the country in ministry. We LOVE working secular rallies. We had scheduled our first mission trip to Peru and we were looking at making sure that would be our NEW NORMAL. We wanted to work for the Lord with all our resources.
How could spending $20,000 help spread the gospel? How could spending this kind of money help US serve him now and for years to come? I have to be honest, I am not sure how this helps further his kingdom. But, WE DO TRUST in the Lord before we spent this chunk of change and we trust him now. We believe we are called to ministry. God can and will provide the money, he will provide ALL the resources we need to serve him. It might just be that he wanted to remind us of that fact. If we had $0 in the bank, God would provide. Still, I often drift back to the GOOD WORKS that could have been done with these funds. God knows what he is doing. I don't always need to understand why. So,Who am I to argue......... It's all your Lord!
We had a great time at Yosemite and Sequoia. We hiked to trail from Half Dome, we climbed Morro Rock and spent the day driving through the massive Redwoods. God was at work and our time was precious.
Here are just a few of the pictures from that wonderful trip to California. BUT, this saga is NOT over. The adventure never stops in our lives!
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