This is our car, medical our one and only – a black 2003 Aztek – after another trek from Michigan to Atlanta at the beginning of this month. To say this car has been through a lot is a great understatement. We pile on hundreds and hundreds of miles every month, viagra sale take it through snow, ask sleet, rain and it rarely complains. Last week, however, it decided enough was enough!
We had just finished a weekend in Macon, GA and drove to Mableton, GA where a dear friend of ours, Nerissa, was keeping Maggie. As we pulled in her driveway we talked about how we were nearly home and we were looking forward to an evening in our sweats, watching TV, playing games and relaxing. We all piled back into the car and when Corey started to leave the driveway the car made some weird noises and plumes of smoke started puffing out of the hood. Uh-oh! I thought at first that Corey was just playing with the brakes, testing them out since it was a rainy day, but in fact what happened was that the brake line had just ruptured.
We put it in park and headed into Nerissa’s home to figure out what to do next. This was the beginning of a realization that we have the most incredible friends. We called AAA to send a tow truck and laid out a plan while we waited. That evening, Nerissa fed us and the kids, drove us to pick up Corey from the auto shop, helped us run errands so that we wouldn’t have to spend extra money and was willing to drive us down to the airport to get a rental car. That wouldn’t be necessary, though. While we were out running all over town, Joyce, another dear friend and Nerissa’s mom, was on the phone calling people from Calvary Church asking if anyone had a car. While we were out and about figuring out the best plan of action, Miss Joyce called and told us that a family from the church, John and Lena, had a car for us to borrow. It just so happened we were right in the area of where they lived!
We went to their house to pick up the car and I was a bit stunned when they pulled out their BMW for us to use! I thought that was incredibly generous especially because they knew we had to drive another great distance the next day yet they were willing to entrust us with thier car. We finally got home that night with relief and assurance from the auto shop that the car would be fixed in the morning and it would cost us about $250.
But then…the next morning as we were finishing up a service in McDonough, GA, Corey got a call from the auto shop saying they could not fix the car, that we’d have to take it to a dealer. That felt like a pretty major setback. We headed home to figure out what to do next, knowing we’d have to pay for another tow truck driver, pay the auto shop for the inspection and now pay a dealer probably much more for repairs. Our friend, Jason, happened to call and Corey told him what had happened. Turns out Jason has a friend who drives a tow truck and a friend who is a mechanic.
The next day Jason picked up Corey and took him to take care of the car. (I should mention that all of these friends live somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 miles away from us – these were not short jumps over). The first auto shop did not charge us anything because they felt bad about telling us they could fix it and then not being able to. That was a relief! Then because of Jason’s friend we got a discounted rate on the tow to the next shop. Corey and Jason got the car dropped off at the new mechanic’s shop and from there we waited. Two days later we got a call that the car was ready and it was only going to cost $150! Now we just had to get to it! Mr. Steve, another great friend and the missions director at Calvary, took time out of his work day to pick Corey up and drive him to the other side of town to get the car. Such a kind sacrifice.
In the end, our car was fixed for less than we originally expected and once again we were shown God’s faithfulness in keeping us safe in all of these travels. Had that line ruptured 15 minutes before or after it did, we would have been on a major Atlanta interstate amidst lots of traffic on a rainy day. That could have been disasterous. We were also reminded that we have dear, dear friends who are willing to put their schedules aside to help a friend in need. We are so grateful!
Thank you, Nerissa, Joyce, John, Lena, Jason and Mr. Steve. You are our heroes! We also need to thank Pastor Shell and Missy. They were checking on us all along, contacting their friends and offering their support. We are truly grateful for your friendship.
~Tona
