Well, our car DIED!! Now we are 'homeless' and 'carless'

Can't really complain that our car died. About a year ago when we knew we were planning to serve  a mission and knew that our car was getting old and having some issues we started praying that our car would last until we left on our mission which we thought would be in November. 

Well, our prayers were answered and it lasted through November, even December and then on January 16 it finally just gave up as we were driving to town. It started shaking and hesitating and was really scary to drive. We changed drivers and Steve managed to get it to his appointment, to run our errands and to the car dealership to be checked. 3 valves were bad and with an estimate of anywhere between $500 to $2000 to fix we knew it was time to say 'good-bye'. 

Our daughter came to rescue us and Steve skillfully drove it to a friend's car lot where it could be used for parts. By skillfully, I mean putting it into neutral each time he had to stop so it would not die. I guess that is the farm boy in him coming out that he knows how to do

that. Definitely beyond my skill set.

It is like saying goodbye to an old friend. We bought this Buick in the spring of 2001. It been driven only 33,000 miles. A few week later we drove from Brownsville, TX to Kelowna, BC for a family reunion and then through my old stomping grounds in Alberta.  Over the years we have driven to Nauvoo, IL, to Fort Wayne, IN, back and forth several times to Utah, to Star Valley, WY, moved up to Washington State, to Scottsdale, AZ, up the west coast on scenic Highway One, more trips  to Utah, to Banff, Canada, numerous trips to Seattle and Vancouver, plus all of the regular comings and goings

of our very busy life. 

Almost 16 years later our good old car had carried us well over 300,000 miles, often fully loaded with various items to deliver to our various children as we visited with them. 

One summer for our reunion we all posed in front of this car to recreate a family picture from many years ago. It was a great car and did not owe us anything. But it is still strange to be without a vehicle. It is just one more push showing us it is time to leave. Our daughter and her family have been great in giving us access to one of their vehicles when we need one so we are not stranded.   

And we will leave in just 3 more weeks. February 13 we will fly to Utah and visited a few days with our family there and then report to the MTC on February 20. Wow! all of a sudden it feels like it is coming up soon! and I am getting a little nervous.

There is so much to learn and even though we are skyping with the Sydney and Melbourne Self Reliance team for training every week ,and reading so much material, it stills feels like there is so much to learn. I am working on the Sydney Self Reliance page and on preparing the newsletter for the mission which helps me be more tuned in; but I still feel like I have along way to go.

When we enter the MTC on February 20 it will have been 10 months since we received our mission call on April 19. That is a LONG time. We have learned much and accomplished much and are grateful for our many great experiences. We also know that there is a reason or are reasons for us to experience this delay.

Now we are anxious to move forward and serve the Lord and the people in the Sydney area.