Saturday, August 21, 2010

Old things made new


Our 1986 Nissan Patrol, "Big Red," fits all of us plus some. Patrick's a truck guy and this is a great vehicle to have because people in our country can take old things and make them new.

Yesterday on our return from a beautiful beach about 40 minutes from us, the car overheated. Patrick pulled to the side of the autoroute and within 2 minutes a road assistance car pulled behind us. (Before yesterday, I had never known that yellow road assistance cars existed here!) Patrick and the road man looked under the hood and discovered that the radiator hose broke. So Patrick ripped off the tape that had been holding it together for the past few months (See? If they can't find a part here, they turn old into new! And it had held up through many kilometers!) The car was returned to the correct temperature and the road man had the number for the tow truck.

Within 40 minutes a tow truck pulled up in front and after looking at us all (whole family plus one extra kid) told Patrick that we would need to get a taxi because he didn't have insurance. He changed his mind after Patrick talked his winsome ways with him and we began our ascent up the back of the tow truck. The top of the hook contraption that was pulling us looked like it was re-hammered on the front part of the truck (See? Old things into new!) Patrick's flipant comment, "If that snaps it will come right through the windshield, so duck," didn't quite quiet my fluttering heart! But there were no problems, we were all hooked in, and took off slowly down the highway, perched in Big Red. Two men on donkeys looked and pointed as I'm sure 6 kids, a mom, and no driver (Patrick was in the driver's cab) high in a big red car looked a little quirky. My favorite look was from our 1 1/2 year old neighbor when we drove up our street. He peered out their white curtained windows, looked at us, smiled and waved. He was so enthralled, I laughed out loud and waved back. Quite a day!

So today, Patrick was very cultural and made a new radiator hose out of two old ones. He travelled to a city about an hour away and looked through a junk yard, asked around, and managed to find three hoses that could possibly work. They didn't. He improvised. Hopefully it will work until he can travel to another big city about three hours away. I'm so proud of him always working so hard. And thanks be to God for always providing us manna when we need it and promising that one day He will make all things new.