Awoke this a.m. to the weather radio streaming a severe thunderstorm warning for Jasper County. Yep, that’s Joplin. The storm passed through without incident but maybe because we’re in Joplin and we’re rebuilding after a tornado it was a bit unnerving. Also, I was questioning my ‘executive’ decision to get an early start today, when I really just wanted a massage.
Our work continues as we transition from mud to sand. We worked until lunch so we could spend the afternoon visiting Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR. God had other plans. We were just pulling out of the parking lot when I pushed the brake pedal to the floor and barely stopped the van. Ooh, that didn’t seem good.
Denney Rives and I looked under the hood (I wasn’t sure at what), when Denney pointed out the container for brake fluid was empty. Still not good. Oh, and the line to the passenger side brake was unattached. Really not good. What was good was the great mission team here. Leann and Denney went to Walmart (our third trip this week) for brake fluid. Ruth called the church. John Clemmer (our fearless new business guy) offered sage advice. I was to take the van to the Firestone shop. Denney refilled the fluid, attached the brake line and was brave enough to ride in the van with me as Kelley followed in her car to the shop. The brakes seemed to be fine (key word there is ‘seemed’). So the van will spend the night in detention at the Firestone shop and we went about our afternoon. We shifted to plan B: some of us went for walks (some for exercise, others for retail therapy), or got lost in a good book. We were all glad to NOT be sanding or mudding.
Peace,
Betsy
