A Very Special Praise for God’s Protection

I have a major praise to share. I broke a tie rod in my 4-Runner! What? That doesn’t sound like a praise to you? It is, and let me explain why.

Over the last seven months I have driven that vehicle thousands of miles with many of those miles being over extremely rough and remote roads. It has been pounded by rocks and ruts and crossed dozens of streams. Some of the miles have been in the mountains with treacherous curves and no guardrails separating us from steep edges. During the far majority of these travel times, the breaking of a tie rod would have been catastrophic, resulting in serious injury or loss of life. In many cases, even if I had avoided an accident, I would have been left stranded for hours (or even overnight) with a long walk or wait for someone who could help.

Yet with all these possibilities and rough miles, the tie rod in my vehicle snapped AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF OUR COURTYARD. I heard a loud pop and suddenly realized that I had no steering. So, I pulled forward a few feet, put it in park, and took the van instead. I have called my mechanic, Ali, who is coming to my home on Monday to make the repairs. While he is here I am going to have him check out the rest of the suspension and steering to look for other potential problem spots. Not only did God help me realize that there was a serious problem, but he did in in a way that created almost no inconvenience.

For our rural village ministry we pray several things:

1. That Jesus will receive all the glory and that we will receive none
2. That we will share Jesus boldly and with sensitivity to the movement of the Spirit
3. That God would guard us from those who would do evil to prevent His work
4. That God will protect us as we travel, keeping us free from accidents and breakdowns

This last request was answered yesterday right here in our courtyard.

To all of you who pray regularly for us, I want to say a very heart-felt “Thank you!” Your prayers are being heard and answered.

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew