Wherein we prayed all the way home that the car wouldn't explode

We took our co-workers' daughters into Cordoba for their piano lessons last evening and went to the book exchange while we waited. On the way home we suddenly started smelling gasoline. When we dropped the girls off Ivan got out to check on the problem. BIG leak and nothing he could do without his tools. We live almost directly south of them and it's all downhill so we hightailed it home, praying all the way that the car wouldn't explode. Obviously it didn't since I'm here to write about it.

Upon investigation Ivan found a small part that had worked its way completely out of place, leaving hefty leakage in its wake. He thinks it may have started a while back when an SUV in front of us suddenly went into reverse and slammed into our little Fiat Uno. He epoxied the part into place but that's a temporary fix so looks like we'll be taking the car BACK to the mechanic again. Last week it was the electrical system, this week something to do with the fuel injection pump.

Of course that's the way it is with older cars. Always something.

At least we were able to get home safely last night. For that I'm very thankful!

Didn't get a lot of books in the exchange but did find a series my co-worker will enjoy. Am missing the first out of six books; will have to see if I can find it online. Met two young couples as well as a single lady from Germany. Of the two couples, one husband is Argentine and was born near one of the places Ivan lived as a child. So the two of them were jabbering up a storm in Spanish.

We weren't surprised by the six degrees (or so) of separation we found existed. The lady hosting the book exchange is with an organization headed up by the man who used to be Ivan's roommate in Bible Institute. One of the wives is from a small town in northern Ohio not far from where we lived in southern Michigan and she knows people at one of the churches we've visited. The uncle of the lady from Ohio was a pilot with MAF in Indonesia where the other wife spent six years when her dad was a pilot with the same group. And the single German lady knows missionaries we know through our cousin in Oklahoma. Got all that? lol

Tonight will be the first English conversation group combining the women and men. (Which means I can't spend too much time on the computer because I need to get ready for it.) I'm a little nervous about it but Ivan will be there to help. I sent text invitation/reminders to nine people and have received positive responses from three but am expecting more.

I'm under strict orders not to mention how many days until my daughter arrives (you're not reading this part, are you Tina?) but if you'll notice what day it is and you know that she arrives on December 17th, you can figure that out and know why I'm doing the happy dance :-)