Smile and rejoice

I use the title above because when trials come our way, the Bible tells us to consider it pure joy. You know, some may scoff, but those words of comfort really do help in times where otherwise one would be inclined to yell in anger, or wonder loudly "WHY?" Perhaps you still wonder why, but you know the ultimate "why" and the details are not quite so urgent afterwords.


Our latest unfortunate news starts with some great news. Oscar called me Saturday to tell me that baptisms were scheduled for the Church in Sampedrana the next morning. Praise God! He wanted to know if I could go, but we were already on tap to play the music for Union Church that Sunday so I could not go. We decided it would be good if he would go to be there for support, and get some pictures and video for the ministry. That is the good news. Three people were baptized with Christ and more seeds were planted in others that are still on the other side of the fence, if you will.


On the way back, well, long story short: A big truck (not a semi, the shorter, narrower trucks with big, tall boxes on the back for carrying as much cargo as possible...you can start to see where this story is going) came around a curve on two wheels, teetering and looking to fall into Oscar's lane. Ultimately the "box" portion of the truck hit Oscar's Ford. Damage abounds, but the truck is still drivable. (the poor mirror...the duct tape is for the impromptu purchased piece of mirror to still have a mirror, duh!) This picture does not do justice to the damage to the bed...it is movable, which is obviously not good. The front bumper is dented (from the trees that helped stop them), the mirror broken, and some damage to the components below in the steering as well.

More details? Well, after the truck hit (it did not fall over), one of the tubes on the back of the Ford flew off and hit a windshield of another car (total of about four cars involved)...luckily flat on, not straight on, lest there would have been a death for sure. Many aspects of the unfortunate incident were miraculous...if the trees on the side of the road had not stopped the truck, they would have went down "a hill" had they met the truck a little earlier, a bus full of people would have been involved, and had the truck hit another car and not our big Ford, it could have completely fallen over and crunched the opposing vehicle...causing potentially more problems.


The Ford is insured, so either way the judge decides we will be paying a deductable for the damages to our truck. Hopefully nothing more. On that note...the meeting with the judge will be Thursday in Comayagua, so pray for us as we head up that way then (and also making a trip taking construction supplies to the Church up there for the bodegea still in construction).