Terry Gibbs, Wycliffe Bible Translators
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your prayers and financial support this past month. I’ve arrived back in Colorado Springs so this now completes loop #3 (out to California and back to Colorado). My 4 weeks in California went by too quickly. I was able to stay with several families out there this time, and as usual I had great meals and good fellowship. At my home church I was able to visit several Sunday School classes and talk about the work of Wycliffe. I also had a chance to attend a Men’s Bible Study on Tuesday mornings at another church. The 4th of July was an event of food and fellowship at a supporters house up on a hill that overlook the San Francisco Bay Area with a panoramic view of some 40 miles. During my last week there, I was invited to take a short Kayak trip on the American River, and then a day later I went gold panning with college buddy. The next day we drove to the PiPi Christian Camp that West Point Community Covenant Church was hosting. I was able to speak for a few minutes there. I challenged the campers to be flexible, and let God lead them in a direction that they may not expect.
An item that I forgot to mention in May was that Jamie, with both girls in car seats, were sitting in their car at a red light, when a car rapidly came up behind them and never slowed down. The high speed impact destroyed the back of their car and drove their car into the car in front of them. Both girls are recovered by now from the bruises and muscle strains they had, but Jamie is improving more slowly. With some medication adjustments Meilina has just added a new safe food for the first time in 7 months. So I was able to be here and celebrate with them the addition of watermelon to her diet. The few days I’ve had here with Chris, Jamie, Meilina, and Siarrah has been good. It was fun to be with the kids and get an update from Jamie and Chris on how things are going.
This last part of the trip will be the completion of loop #2 which will be driving from Colorado back to North Carolina. Along the way I plan to visit Leilani again in Ohio. Keep Leilani in your prayers regarding something that happened in early July. Then later on July 14, with Micah driving, they were involved in an automobile accident in which a car ran a red light and hit them just behind the drivers side door and thus did not hit Micah directly. They both had bruises and aches and pains out of this, and are now doing ok. Both cars were totaled.
The truck is doing well, but someday I need to get the gas gauge fixed on tank #1 so I can see how much gas I have left, and then get the odometer fixed, so I know how many miles I’ve driven. Then it sure would be nice to have the Cruise Control work, to give my right foot a rest. Maybe next time I can get these items fixed before I take a long trip.
I’m especially thankful for your “Safe Travels” prayers. After I left California and was driving across Nevada on my way to Colorado I had a problem. As I was going down a steep grade at Pequop Summit (7,000 ft), the hydraulic steering stopped working, then seconds later I realized the brakes no longer worked, when the “Check Engine” came on, and then I realized the engine had stopped running. We were in construction zone in a long single line going down hill with a string of semi-trucks close behind me who were not ready to just stop in the middle of the road. There was no place to get out of the way. I quickly shifted into Neutral so that my truck would at least roll forward. Suddenly on my left was one of those “Authorized Access Only” turn around roads, so I forced the steering wheel left and rolled off the road to a stop. I thanked the Lord when I stopped that I was able to get off of the road safely, and I also asked Him for help. I had checked the power steering fluid, brake fluid and radiator water that morning. With the truck in Park, turning the key did not start the engine. I have two gas tanks on the truck, and switching to the other full tank did not help. The engine was electrically dead; it did not turn over. I used my voltmeter to check the battery and it was at 12.5v which was a full charge (so the alternator had been working correctly). I pulled several fuses and they were all fine. It did not make any sense. 10 minutes later I again prayed for help. I have AAA and I could have called a tow truck, and I had a good idea of where I was located. But that seemed like a waste of time and money. 5 minutes later, I tried again and the truck started. I drove on through Nevada, then through Utah and Colorado with no further problems.
I’m looking forward to getting back to work so I can rest.