A good friend of mine asked me a helpful question the other day regarding my recent car accident in the mountains of Tibet. In the context of discussing the possibility of purchasing a new car, he wrote me the following: "I have a question for you. You don't have to answer me, but think about it. What do you think [God] was trying to tell you all or individually by the car accident?" I did end up answering him and I thought what I wrote actually explained what happened that day better than my initial "crash report". So the following is the (slightly edited) response to my friend's question:
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Honestly, I grappled with that question from the minute the accident happened. I think we're so blessed that everything goes so well for us in our lives and then one accident gets us thinking if we are really on the right path.
You would have to have been on the trip and know all the details of what we were doing to get a feel for how we all felt to be alive after the accident.
It had been a near PERFECT day, unbelievable, as we got nearly everything done that we had planned. It was gorgeous, the sun was shining, we were going over an amazingly majestic pass and down towards the Tibetan border talking, sharing testimonies, listening to worship music and... ...snap! No brakes, careening down the pass...I yelled something out and then jerked the wheel towards the mountain... we went partly into the ditch then flipped onto our side, now heading diagonally across the road. We then rolled completely as we left the pavement and bounced on into the 10-15 yard wide rock and gravel shoulder that was now the only thing left between us and where the mountain dropped off dramatically. All I hear is metal scraping and a bunch of guys crying out prayers in Afrikaans. They really thought we were going to die! I was in shock at what was happening, but never thought we were going to go off the edge. I was amazed, however, when we all came out relatively unscathed, minus a few cuts and bruises and sore muscles/joints and a lot of dirty clothes and hair (all the windows were busted out and when the van stopped I was laying over out my down-facing window with my shoulder and head in the dirt and glass, my cell phone and a bunch of other junk scattered around me in the dust).
(By the way, we had some minor things fixed on the car, new tires put on, oil changed, and brakes checked all before the trip...so it wasn't simple negligence that brought about the accident. It seems God definitely had a hand in it!)
Anyways, that's what happened. We were all so thankful to be alive and that God had obviously protected us in an amazing way. But then for me, that's when the other questions started. What about the car? I had lived in that thing for over four years! I knew, however, that I wouldn't drive it forever and this year I had purposely NOT purchased full coverage insurance because the car was already so old and beat up. So we decided pretty quick that it was just going to stay behind.
So I'm out a car. What might God be saying in that? I've toyed with the idea of trying to live without one, but there are so many places we go (especially as a family) that we just wouldn't make it to without one. So the question has become not if... but when and what and for how much $$$?
Almost everyone we've talked to has encouraged us, with all the travelling we do, to try to get something more reliable than a Chinese-made minivan. After this latest accident, I am more inclined now more than ever to agree. I cringe at the thought of those brakes going out like that with my family in the car.
The other question, and semi-blessing, that has come from all this is that I'm learning a lot about some really cool cars that are available. By the way, "cool" for me means relatively inexpensive and GREAT gas mileage! Any new car we get, we'd like to equip, if its not already equipped, with an engine that runs on natural gas and regular gasoline. We can get a ridiculous 75-90 MPG in a car that runs on natural gas, which is a full 3 times better than my old van (which still got an impressive 25-30 mpg!).
So this gas mileage savings thing has really opened my eyes. With the amount I drive, I'm standing to save maybe 10,000 RMB ($1,500 USD) per year on gasoline alone with a new car. That's a lot of money and makes getting a new car worth it.
So that's my "apology" for getting a new car. Maybe God had mercy on us and trashed the old thing so that we can actually save money for years to come, and have the family be much safer in the process. And in the meantime, he used this "near death" experience to teach us a lot about His undeserving grace and gave me an object lesson in learning more about what my "needs" truly are.
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For some reason, I've had an extremely difficult time getting the above e-mail formatted correctly in this blog. So please forgive me if something doesn't look right or is difficult to read.
We are currently in the process of raising some money to buy a new, more reliable, vehicle to help us continue our ministry in the many remote and unreached places that are the reality throughout our region. So if you feel so led, you can find a couple of different ways to donate by visiting this page. Or you can e-mail me anytime if you would like more specific information as to what our needs are at this time.
Thank you so much for reading this and praying for our family!
For His Glory,
Eugene
