Providences of God Part 2

I must confess, I am an adoption blog junkie.  I follow quite a few blogs plus read perhaps dozens of others occasionally.  One recurring theme that I have seen in these blogs actually could be our story as well.  Let me tell you the story...
After our first trip to Russia to meet Z and sign our petition to adopt, we figured we really needed some relaxation and some family time.  We had worked so hard to get in all that paperwork and we also had been painting our house, adding some flower boxes around our windows and planting flowers.  We spent a few days playing with D & L.  Then a serious situation arose in the extended family that we felt we needed to be there to help with.  So off we went on the 14 hour trip to Groveland, CA.
We had to start after church and we drove until about 3 in the morning and stopped at a rest area outside of Selma, CA.  We woke up about 5:20 and got back on the road.  I was driving.  About 3/4 of a mile out of the rest area, after I had just gotten up to the highway speed of 70 m.p.h., I saw some kind of debris on the road ahead.  I tried to get over in the other lane but there was a car approaching, so I looked to get over on the shoulder of the highway but it was to late.  I was already on top of the debris.  It looked like a metal pipe but I really wasn't sure.  We immediately started hearing a clunk and metal dragging along the ground.  So I started to pull over as soon as I could slow down.  As soon as I stopped Trent opened his door and we could smell gas and both Trent and I said to the kids, "out of the car now!!!!"  We all ran from the car.  Trent had his cell phone and called 911.  
And we waited and waited and waited. (Meanwhile pacing back and forth wondering how much damage was done, how we were going to proceed on our trip---which had an urgent reason behind it in the first place-- and what would happen if any spark came close to our van.  And we prayed and sang and tried to stay positive. We even tried to find as many positive things in the situation as we could.)  And no one came for some time.  We were expecting any minute there would be flames but nothing happened. 
Finally after about 45 minutes, a Selma city police stopped and asked if we had called for help.  We told him we had.  He called the CHP and found out they were confused where we were.  This police was very helpful.  He called  a tow truck for us.  Finally after another 30 min. a CHP officer stopped by.  But we didn't need help at this point.  The truck came shortly after and towed us into the Toyota Dealer in Selma.  Because it was Sunday and the next day was July 4, it was closed until Tuesday.  And the tow truck guy took us over to the car rental and it turns out it was closed until Tuesday!  We prayed about what to do.  
I suddenly remembered that Trent's Uncle and Aunt lived within 20 miles of that place.  Trent called Aunt Ruth up.   She called up their son, Bruce and he cheerfully came and picked us up and took us into Fresno.  We went to the airport to rent a car.  So we rented a car and stopped to get food at WinCo.  Then we drove on to Groveland.  We ended up being about 4-5 hours later than we expected but still got there with no injuries or death. PTL!!!!!!

These pictures are of the gas tank.  When we went back to get our van, Trent went out and asked if he could take pictures of the tank.  We were curious how big the hole was.  Also we want to always remember this incident.
While Trent was taking the pictures, I went in to pay the bill.  The Customer Service man was so in awe.  He told me straight up that he could not fathom how our van did not catch on fire.  After all the gas tank had a huge hole with that had had gas gushing out, while the pipe was stuck there and being dragged along the pavement, most likely causing all kinds of sparks to fly.  Yet the gas didn't catch on fire.  Sure it is not that easy to get gas to catch on fire.  But I believe that our guardian angels made sure that it didn't.  And the Customer Service man said he had to agree with me there!
So what is this recurring theme I have read in adoption blogs?
The day that people commit to adopting a child, things begin to go haywire at a much faster rate than usual.  I mean that Satan goes on the war path.  Things begin to break down, accidents happen, problems with paperwork and with uncooperative people at many diverse locations and businesses, health problems and much more.  
Why do you suppose this is the case?  What is it to Satan anyway?
Stay tuned for my take on it next time. :)

Providences of God

I am not a person that has routinely kept a journal or diary in my life except on two occasions.  The year I spent in S. Korea as a missionary, I kept a journal.  It is a treasure to me to reread about that year of my life.  I relive the time in my mind.  I reaffirm to myself that that decision to be a missionary for a year, was the best decision I had ever made up until that time, outside of accepting God as my Lord and Savior and being baptized.  I remember how God protected me and helped me over some rocky way.  I see the providences and encouragements of God in the different incidences I wrote about.
The second time period in my life that I kept somewhat of a journal was during the adoption process for our youngest daughter Z.  I look back over the journal now and remember especially how God gave us little assurances along the very rocky, difficult almost impossible way, that He was with us.  He was providing for us in little providences and encouragements.
Many of the things I wrote about and remember were actually very little things.  But they had such big consequences.  For instance, at one point, we were told our paperwork had to be to Russia by such and such a day (which was only a 4 days away).  The thing was that the paperwork had to be redone (again) because of mistakes and expiration dates etc.  Then after getting the paperwork done one has to get it apostilled (which means the Secretary of State's office in your state has to put a special seal on each of the documents, verifying that the notary that notarized the document is authentic).  
Of course, the Secretary of State is in Phoenix which is about 3 hours plus drive for us.  Usually we mailed them to be apostilled, which would take roughly 7 days to be returned.  But because of the demand from the Russian authorities, we only had a few days, D and I drove down to Phoenix to get the documents done.  I had printed out directions for the nearest Post Office, from the Secretary of State's building.  However, following the directions did not end me up at a Post Office.  I drove around and around hoping to bump into one.  But after 30 min of that I decided it would be better to drive back home.  I hoped to find the Post Office in the town of Payson on our way home.  It was only about 3 hours until closing time of the Post Office and I knew I had better hurry.  
Just before the exit onto the correct highway, I saw a sign for an exit for what I thought was for WalMart.  So I got off at that exit, because I needed something from there.  But I didn't see a WalMart.  Instead, there was the main Post Office for the city of Phoenix and the main distribution center for the whole State.  If I had sent it from Holbrook or Payson by "overnight" mail, it might get there the next afternoon (24 hours later) or possibly even 36-42 hours later (yes we live in a very rural community).  But from the main Post Office of Phoenix it took less than 12 hours to get to Washington state, to our agency.  And from our agency it was sent on to the agency in Russia and it took 4 days! (Normal time frame would have been 7-10 days).
I had been super stressed when I couldn't find the Post Office near the Secretary of State's office.  I stressed out even more when I realized I had forgotten the address I had to send it to.  I was even more stressed when I found my cell phone was out of minutes and couldn't call anyone for the address or directions.  
I had a mini meltdown and then I decided to pray (now isn't that how we so often do that!).   I prayed like crazy.  And God led me to the one place in the State, that would get my documents to where they needed to go, the fastest possible way.  And after another saga (of which I won't recount here, but believe me, it was another almost identical saga as trying to find the Post Office) of trying to get minutes on my phone to call someone for the address, I got that accomplished too.
Thank-You God!  It sure is a blessing to belong to the best Father in the Universe!

The PARTIAL stack of documents for the adoption.  This stack is about 2 1/2 inches thick the final stack was closer to 4 inches!

What an apostille looks like in the State of Arizona