The Car, "It Is Over"

For anyone who's been reading my blog for a while (all five family members) you know I like to use phrases picked up in Uganda. And this one certainly fits the situation. Our car? It is over! Didn't quite make it until we left, but close enough :-)

The same thing that happened to us in Atlanta last year during pre-field happened today, only the other side. The ball joint gave out.

But this time, with less than a week left, we are NOT fixing it!

Our daughter and her Man Friend are driving up after work tonight and had planned to carpool but now they'll drive both their cars so we can use the daughter's for our final meeting. We're speaking at one of our supporting churches in Caledonia, Michigan, on Sunday and since it's a two-plus-hour trip, we'll go up tomorrow evening.

*sigh*

I'm amazingly calm about the whole thing.

After packing enough boxes to fill a TWENTY FOOT CONTAINER, this is nothing. We didn't think we could fill it, but we surely did! Eight square pallets and one long, skinny one, loaded to the gills. I'd take a picture but it's dark and I'm too tired anyway.

The other-associate-pastor-who-lives-in-the-parsonage helped us this morning and our son spent all afternoon and into the evening re-enacting his old role as dad's-right-hand-man. THANKS ROB AND JON!!! We're amazed (and extremely grateful!) that we're basically ready for the container which is due to be delivered at 1 p.m. on Monday. All that's left is to load a couple small items on the last pallet either Sunday evening or Monday morning.

And figure out where to put the 300 hymnals arriving at 7 a.m. Monday. Fifteen boxes of hymnals shipped second day air in order to arrive in time. We're just praying that the boxes are smallish in terms of width. We can stack 'em high, but we're seriously limited on floor space.

Back at the beginning of this process the hubby said, "Let's just buy everything there." But I said, "We already have the stuff. Why not just take it?" Silly me!

I cannot emphasize emphatically enough, I NEVER WANT TO DO THIS AGAIN. What goes to Argentina, STAYS in Argentina.

Except maybe my sewing machine.

'Cause I totally have my priorities straight.