This year was off to an adventurous start on the Alaska Highway. We were driving in my dad's truck, his new GMC, and left Anchorage a little bit later than we expected. My mom, her friend Dorcas Bloom, my older brother Timothy and younger brother Nelson were all prepared to make it home to ring in the new year. The drive was very long, and the weather is always warm around the Matsu area leaving Anchorage.
That was until we drove into Healy. The temperatures read -40 outside. Our truck seemed to react by shaking, our peaceful roadtrip all of a sudden became pretty intense. So me, Dorcas, and my mom began praying. We prayed into the small city of Nenana, if you watch the movie Balto you'll hear it mentioned a couple times. Might be in a Jack London book, it's a pretty famous Alaskan town. So, my brother Tim pulls the truck into a Chevron gas station and we look inside and it was closed.
We pull out of there and made our way to the community hall (still praying). It was getting a little cold in the truck by this time, the heater was beginning to blow cold air. The building just became empty, we caught the tail end of the New Years celebration. My mom spoke to a middle-aged man and was just beginning to tell him our car trouble, when she realized he kind of looked like her brother-in law Howard (who is a mechanic). This man didn't know anything about cars, he kept repeating this too. So she thought, "I need to call Howard." the young man left so my younger brother Nelson called his friend from Nenana and they decided that we go to the O'Brien's house (yup, we Alaskans stick together).
In that same moment my mom was on her phone with uncle Howard and he told us that we need to put Heet into the fuel line right now or else the entire engine will cease (because our fuel was literally freezing). So both of them get off of their cell phones and give us the next step which was, "Were going to the O'Brien's" and, "We need to get Heet, now." so we all get back into the truck (which was super cold by then) and park outside the O'Brien's. I don't know how to describe the warm fireplace we met inside their house. Now I grew up with a fireplace and I've got a lot of great, warm memories. But this fireplace is now in my top 5 fireplace moments ever. When its 40 below outside, these things take on a whole different feel and meaning. It was so comforting, I believe even to my bones! Matt O'Brien sat with us in his living room at about 1 am telling us awesome stories about the power of prayer and how God protected his meat from animals when he would go hunting. It was a short visit and he did have an extra bottle of Heet, a real answer to our prayers.
We sat there for about an hour and it was just an awesome time. The Lord really orchestrated it all. We got in the truck in freezing temperatures and settled in for the 45 minute drive to Fairbanks. We all were quiet when the heater began blowing hot air and the truck ran as normal. We went for 15 minutes and then began to praise God for his guidance! And for answering our prayers! Such an exciting New Year!
A FEW LESSONS I'LL CARRY INTO 2012:
- As this year unfolds, keep learning through your circumstances.
- Have humility! Help could come from anybody, anywhere!
- Make detailed observations.
- Don't harden your heart, keep a heart of flesh in prayer!
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