Early Saturday morning, I checked my email to check on Crystal's condition and saw an email from Jill. She said they had just gotten on their way to Utah at 6:37 p.m. The original plan was to leave by noon to make it to Caishalynne's graduation at 7:00, and still get things ready for Hunter's baptism on Saturday. Cody had had an allergic reaction to a medication for a sinus infection and had been violently throwing up. She asked me to keep him in our prayers, so they could still go ahead with Hunter's baptism the next day as planned. I immediately knelt down and included him in our fast and prayers.
I hurried through the laundry and cleaning and got ready to go to a teaching appointment outside Hazy View, over an hour from our flat. We were doing Temple Preparation lessons for two sisters in our Branch. We still needed to video my Baptism talk just in case skype didn't work for some reason or another. We finished in time, but had to leave while it was still downloading on the computer.
We had a lovely lesson. This single sister had her teenage daughter and six year old son come to be a part of the prayer and lesson, which was on the "Plan of Salvation". The lesson went well. We finished, had a closing prayer and got on our way. It was a few minutes before 5:00, so we thought we were good for getting home in time to get the computer set up. As we were driving down the lane to the main road, which is about 2 blocks over very deeply rutted roads, filled with tall four feet high grasses, and many large rocks. We had to be careful that we didn't high center on some of the deep ruts in the road. In order to dodge some of the pitfalls, we had to move to the left or the right of the ruts. Not far from Thundiwe's house, Elder Baxter leaned to the left to avoid high centering. All of a sudden, we heard a loud thud as the car's left front wheel dropped down and the car stopped. When we tried to go, all the car did was spin it's wheels! Elder Baxter got out and surveyed what had happened.
It looked as if the left front wheel had dropped into a large hole and was just suspended there! He tried to go forward, but again it just spun. Lynn tried again, and all it did was just spin the wheel.
He got out the GPS to find the nearest wrecker. No luck, the closest one was 15 K away and it was starting to get dark. Even if they could come, they probably wouldn't be able to find us since the road was up a very curvy, rutted road with no street lamps. Lynn's first words were,"I'm sorry but I don't think we're going to make it back in time for the Baptism!" I told him that we HAD to be back. There was no one else to give the Baptism talk. He decided to walk back to Thandiwe's house to get her to see if she and her daughter and Lynn could push us out of the hole. While they were gone, I said a silent prayer asking Heavenly Father to help us get the car out so we could make it back home in time.
Soon they came back, and began to push while I gave it a little gas and steered it. Nothing happened!
The left front wheel continued to spin while the car sat there! Thandiwe sent her little boy to the neighbors to come help. Three very large, "Sumo Wrestler" type ladies came out, one was holding a baby. They tried to push while I continued to give it a little gas, but nothing happened. A few of the neighbors could see that the car was really stuck, and people started coming up the road and over the small hill to help. Lynn spotted some cinder blocks down by a shed which he brought to put under the wheel to give it something firm to sit on. Another fellow brought a small log to help. None of these things helped. One of the fellows said, "Let's just lift!" It reminded me of the story that President Uchtdorf told about "Lift where you stand." Still praying silently, on the count of three, they all lifted. My gentle touch of the gas actually moved the car, and instantly, we were on flat ground!! Everyone started to cheer! I put the car in park and got out to inspect what had actually happened. With tears running down my face, Elder Baxter and I kept thanking the people for the miracle they had helped to happen.
These were the people who helped save the day. Thandiwe is the one in the red shirt, her daughter, Nolwazi, is next to her in the white blouse and her little boy, Thabiso, is in front of her. I didn't have any treats with me at the time, but I promised to make treats and bring to them.
Some of the other people had already started walking home.
Fast forward two weeks. Here are our helpers with the treats that
we promised for their help that day!
This friend had already set her treats on the table where she was ironing.
She asked Thandiwe if we would come in and give a prayer on her house, so we did.
Thandiwe, Nolwazi, and Thabiso, after helping us deliver our treats.
They are Branch members.
We finished our drive home and arrived a little before 6:30. The Baptism was to start at 7:00, our time. Elder Baxter turned on the computer, while I started some dinner. Just after it got booted up, Cody was ringing us on Skype to see if the connections were good. After a few minor adjustments, we were ready to begin.
We had the opportunity to talk with some of the family while we were waiting for the last ones to arrive. Once again, I was silently thanking Heavenly Father that the technology was working so we could be a part of the Baptism. Everything worked perfectly! Hunter looked so handsome in his white baptism clothes. I got teary just looking at him. Soon we were ready to start. Everything was perfect! I was able to give my talk and Hunter kept looking at me so that I could speak right to him. The rest of the program went as planned. Hunter and Jill sang a "When Jesus Christ was Baptized". It was so touching to have the baptism candidate sing about his own baptism.
We couldn't see the baptism taking place, but we could hear the prayer and hear the splash as he was immersed. After Hunter and Cody were redressed, Katherine or Gubby as her grandkids call her, gave a very nice talk on the Holy Ghost. All the grandkids then sang, "When I Am Baptized". Hunter was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by his dad, Cody. The closing song was by Mikayla and Milayni. It was one of my favorite songs, "If the Savior Stood Beside Me."
It was a beautiful service, and I felt it was nothing short of a miracle that we were able to be a part of it as well as participate in it. I have definitely felt Heavenly Father's influence today in response to our fasting and prayers. Even though Crystal didn't go into labor to be able to go to the hospital to have her baby, we felt that the Spirit had been with her as well to continue to help her body to get ready to deliver her her sweet princess.
Sunday as I checked my email, I noticed a comment from Cristee that she was at the hospital waiting for an x-ray and a C T scan. I panicked wondering who had been hurt. As I read further, I saw a picture of Aubryn, her 5 year old daughter with masive bruises on the side of her face and wearing a neck brace. It turned out that Aubryn had been playing at her brother Treyson's ball game and decided to climb on a platform by the flag pole. She fell and landed on the cement down below. When she came to Cristee, she was walking strangely and couldn't talk. When they realized she had been seriously injured, they hurried off to the E R. Once again, blessings were pronounced on our family as the test results showed only a concussion. Her speech returned and with some bed rest, she was the same bouncy energetic girl! Another miracle!
When we began our fast Friday evening in Crystal's behalf, we had no idea of the additional blessings that would come from our fasting and prayers. We feel very thankful for the blessings and miracles that we were blessed with that day!
