The Hurricane

One of the craziest experiences of our time in the states was an unexpected trip. After the devastating hurricane hit Texas, you can imagine how anxious Floridians were when one of the strongest storms in Florida’s history came barreling towards us. It was like something out of a movie! People rushed out of towns, schools closed for weeks, gas stations went dry. At the last minute, we decided to go ahead and leave town as well. The storm had shifted and was most likely to hit right in our area. We figured it would be a good opportunity to visit friends and family, which we hadn’t planned on doing because of the boy’s school schedule. So we packed up and hit the road! Traveling was crazy. Lines of cars were backed up as far as the eye could see, and no one seemed to be in a patient mood. It took us eleven hours to make it to our friend’s (and former missionary colleagues) home in South Carolina. We had a blast getting to see them, their town and their church. And the boys loved getting to go fishing with a pro! 

From there we drove north to D.C., where we stayed with my brother and his wife and three kids. This “special” family time did not turn out anything like we planned. My brother’s family had just purchased this beautiful new home, complete with an amazing basement (with its own kitchen, dining room, bedroom, game room, and theater room). They set up a nice guest room for us downstairs and we were all excited to be able to get some extra family time in. Unfortunately, during our first night there, one of our children (whom we shall not name), used the bathroom in the middle of the night and clogged the toilet. Even worse, the toilet did not stop running and it overflowed. For hours. When we saw it the next morning the water had seeped under the wood floors. The repairmen were called, and they quickly determined that all the wood floors, cabinets, and side boards had to go. In the entire basement. It was like something you would see in a movie. I am not sure if it was a comedy or horror. Thank goodness they had insurance, but that cut our trip a little short and I am pretty sure we will never be invited back (just kidding – they were so kind to us throughout the whole event). The irony is that we went there to avoid any flooding!

One good thing that came from the great flood of 2017 was we were able to visit our friends from seminary in West Virginia. This family encourages our hearts in such a unique way. God knew what we needed, just when we needed it.