Skiing On Ice

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We woke up in Estonia and hoped in the car for a day’s drive to Latvia. The sun was shining on the drive so everyone was looking forward to a relaxing uneventful drive to Latvia. The first part of the drive I worked on the accounting (we each have practical jobs to take care of for our tour and mine is the “Economy Responsible”) and had my PT. On the second half of the drive I took over driving the passenger van and I was able to have some really good conversations with Talitha. Beat has always gotten car sick while reading in a vehicle so those in the back prayed for him and now he is okay! Praise God!

We ate dinner at a little diner in Latvia. For 200 Kr or about $30 the whole team of 9 had a hot meal. Once we got back into the vans for the final two hours we pumped up the heat to fight the -25 Celsius weather outside, which unfortunately that heat did not last long…

After about 20 minutes I notice the temperature light on the dash board lit up. I asked Kaspars B about it, and then flashed the lead vehicle signaling them to stop as I pulled over the van. As I stopped the van and cloud of smoke came out of the hood. Kaspars K inspected our van and concluded that a pipe has busted and that we could not drive anymore. He asked me if I have ever steered a vehicle while it was being pulled by another vehicle. I replied no and he told me just to put our van in neutral, keep the rope tight and just stay behind him. It was a little unnerving at first but I trusted him and I always enjoy an adventure! The ‘funness’ of the situation quickly faded though as the temperature inside the car started rapidly decreasing and the windshield began frosting over.

I was having great difficulty seeing and so I flashed my lights to pull over so we could scrap off the ice. This only helped for a few minutes as the ice quickly appeared again, so I just focused all of my attention on the two break lights in front of me. It felt a little like water skiing but with a blindfold on. The rest of the team prayed and then sang praise and worship songs to keep our minds on God and off the fact that the vehicle was very cold. We didn’t’ realize it at first but cold air was blowing from under the dashboard. Since Talitha and I were in the front we were getting the most cold. The ones in the back were bundled together in jackets and sleeping bags but I couldn’t put a sleeping bag on me because I wanted to be able to move freely. Talitha still put gloves on me and a blanket to my knees and also put her beanie on my head. I didn’t have my wool socks on unfortunately (though I do now as I write this and don’t plan on ever taking them off again). Talitha kept asking how I was doing. I had to admit that my toes were getting pretty painful and she said her feet were the same. After about 1.5 hours of this I finally realized it was stupid for me to continue doing this and risk what could possibly be real damage occur to mine and Talitha’s feet. I blinked my lights at the lead car (which did have heat) and asked for two of the three of them to switch with Talitha and myself.

When we got into the heated vehicle we quickly took off our shoes. I sat on one of my feet and one of Talitha’s (as my booty was still warm) and put the other by the heater. I could tell Talitha’s feet were not responding as well as my feet and that the whole situation had shaken her a bit so as I rubbed her feet I just prayed. Thankfully after a few minutes I could see her relaxing again.

She told me she had asked God what it was that she was supposed to learn from me. She told me she saw how well I had handled the whole situation so fearlessly as I guided our vehicle while in pain and with little sight. She said she wanted to learn to this fearlessness from me. I told her I knew as well what I am supposed to learn from her. Even though for the most part situations don’t’ really scare me (thanks to my dad - both my earthly and Heavenly Father) it is people who scare me. She has such an effortless love and openness for people that I want.

When we saw the church where we were meeting the people from the church, we were so happy. God is so good; He got us to our destination safely. He even kept the rope that tied the two vehicles together from breaking right up until the moment we pulled into the gas station!

That night we all stayed together in a food filled little apartment.

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