Monday, December 24, 2012

CAR TROUBLES


December 14, 2012

A MONTH AGO our car was towed from our place in Jataity to Asuncion (5 hours away). 

WEDNESDAY Jeff and Ryan took a 4:30AM bus to Asuncion to get the car. 

THURSDAY at 2:00 they arrived back in Jataity.

FRIDAY we all packed up and headed into Asuncion for medical/dental appointments, to Christmas shop and run various errands and to attend our annual mission training.  It was raining and muddy from the night before and we slipped and slid for 1 ½ hours till we hit pavement.  It was then that we realized that the transmission was not working!  We limped our way to the next “big” town and called a tow truck.  Once it arrived, we all piled in the car which sat on the tow truck.  Sound safe?  Well, the driver assured us that most of his clients ride that way.  We figured it might actually be safer (and cooler) than a bus (which Jeff wasn’t too keen on taking since he had just ridden on a bus a couple days ago and nearly tossed his cookies).  It was a scary feeling being so high up on the platform, weaving through traffic and going around corners and being so not in control.  But we survived.  We made it into Asuncion 8 hours after starting.

                Now we are in the city - carless and with a pared down to-do list.  Mission training begins Monday.

Doesn't our car scream "wash me!"?
This is while waiting for the tow truck.


UPDATE: a few days later we got our car back, praise God.  I went out to shop with a friend and after our 2nd stop the gear shift wouldn’t allow me to put it in park.  Praise God, another missionary family was just around the block and came to the rescue. He called the mechanic for me and within 30 minutes the mechanic arrived.  After looking under the hood, under the dash and under the car, he finally figured out the problem.  It was a simple fix.

A few days later we headed out of Asuncion and we cruising along until we hit the muddy road.  Immediately we started to loose traction.  Jeff went to put the car in 4x4 but it wouldn’t work!  We slid and slid and finally ended up in a ditch waiting for a tractor to come along and pull us out.  As we waited, we saw about 5 other people also being sucked into the bank, needed to be pulled out as well.  We made it home without a hitch after that.    

Jeff checking out the owner's mannuel while stuck in the mud.
 
I'm so glad that our kids are good travellers because we travel a lot.
 

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