Home called us, and we came slowly

Today is the perfect day. That doesn't really have anything to do with our trip home from Montana, but I thought I would write it anyways. I was laying down at my work and the breeze flowed through the windows and across my face. I was delighted with the freshness and the beauty that I felt and I whispered a thanks to God. He really is amazing.

Perhaps that does have to do with our trip home. He really was present and taking care of us even when we seemed at the end of our rope. Prepare yourself, this is going to be long.

Our whole crew from Momentum Youth Ministry left Hungry Horse around 1pm after a quick stop for pie and ice cream at the Huckleberry Patch. (A delightful gift shop/ ice cream treat parlor.) We were all frustrated with figuring out seating arrangements for the trip home. Not going to go into that though. Our car left from the larger group after 5pm from Missoula. It was our same foursome in Mike's car: Joe, Mike, Carrie and I. Mike was at the wheel for much of the day and into the night and then I took over.

We had planned to go through the black hills of South Dakota, but realized that it would be in the middle of the night when we drove through. So we decided to go the northern route through Bismarck instead- hoping that some of us could catch some Zz's at his parents house when we drove through.

An hour out of Billings Carrie had to go the the bathroom. She was appropriately teased for needing to use the restroom again after us stopping only an hour before. When we stopped we smelled an odd smell of burning rubber. I claimed I didn't do it, and Mike agreed saying I probably had no idea how to burn rubber in his car. Which is probably true. (Because it is a stick shift, and I can barely drive it sometimes.) We chalked it up to someone else's car.

As I was driving down the ramp to the freeway from the rest stop there was a shaking and a weird noise. Mike thought it sounded like a flat and after stopping it was confirmed-- we had a flat tire at 2am in the middle of nowhere. Praise God that it didn't pop when we were going 80 miles an hour. Hats off to Carrie's bladder!

Mike put the donut on we tried to decide what to do. Billings was an hour the other direction, the next biggest town was Bismarck that would possibly have something that would work for his odd shaped tire. We decided just to keep driving and not back track. We didn't think there would be anything open this late even if we did go back to Billings. We drove all the way to Bismarck. 400 miles on a donut, driving 60 miles an hour. Wow, it is amazing how 15 miles under the speed limit feels. Like a snail or something slower perhaps.

A couple funny things along the way: Joe and Carrie were completely zonked out in the back seat. They just slept and slept for hours on end. Around 6 in the morning Mike and I grew hungry and so we stopped in Beach, ND. We remembered that there was a buffet breakfast there. We woke up the two "backseat buddies," as they called themselves, half asleep they said to just leave them alone.

So we did. They slept in the car while we ate a scrumptious breakfast. It really was one of the best breakfast buffets I have ever eaten at. Maybe it was because I was so hungry... no it really was amazing.

We arrived in Bismarck at 11:30am. Joe and Carrie woke up complaining about being hungry. We told them that we woke them up asking them if they wanted to eat about 4 hours ago but they said no. They didn't believe us and were upset. Jokingly of course. We may have rubbed it in a bit that we ate so well. Anyways we dropped them off at Denny's and Mike took me to his house so I could sleep. I was the next driver up after we left.

His parents had left for a family reunion in La Crosse, WI. The water heater in the house had sprung a leak and they had to turn off the water. Mike left to go find a tire and I conked out on the bed. A couple hours later they arrived back. After a potty run to a local place, Carrie went to sleep again in Mike's parents' room and Joe on the couch.

Mike was completely exhausted and spent after getting only a couple hours of sleep and after a tiring week before that. I was a little better with the sleep that I got. He came back with bad news. There were no tire anywhere in Bismarck that matched his others. He would have to buy a whole new set if he wanted to get them in the city.

After calling around there was one in Dickinson, a city we passed a 100 miles earlier; and one in Fargo another couple hundred miles. We didn't want to drive anymore on the poor donut. It's tread was already wearing pretty thin. It was 3pm and the place in Dickinson closed at 5:30, if he bought the tire it would still have to be mounted and balanced. So he would have to leave very soon if he wanted to get there on time. There was no way that he could get there on our donut at 60 miles an hour even if we wanted to.

He was completely spent and didn't know what to do, and I had no idea what to do either. I looked for buses that ran between cities and found none. I was praying constantly inwardly but then I started to pray aloud. We needed an idea and some Divine wisdom fairly quickly.

Before I was even really done Mike grabbed his phone and made a phone call. I didn't even really get what he was doing until he was almost finished. He asked his friend Dan if he could get a ride to Bismarck. From his side of the conversation I understood that he got a ride. He hung up and was completely undone. After being asked his friend had said "Thank you for giving me a chance to give back to you after you helped me out so many times before." We were so thankful that God gave Him that idea and that his friend was so willing to serve. God is awesome.

I slept some more after they left and Carrie and Joe were still asleep. Mike and Dan arrived back a little after 8. Mike changed the tire and we woke up Joe and Carrie and loaded everything back into the car.

We were hot and sticky and since there was no water in the house for showers we decided to go swimming at the river It was beautiful as the sun set and the water refreshingly cool. Afterwards surprised Mike's grandma at her house. It was fun, Mike's Grandma is a riot. We finally left town after 10:30pm. And arrived home at 5am in Minneapolis.

Oh my what a long trip. Despite our fatigue and all the drama. It was an awesome trip home. The four of us got to see a lot of beautiful countryside and had a good time being together. Our attitudes remained optimistic even in our dire state. God was with us the whole way and protecting and leading us. Perhaps that is the best part, just seeing His hand at work in our lives. I think it will definitely be a trip to remember for a long time.