Car Miracles

In December of 2009, our little 1986 Toyota Camry overheated. We bought it from my brother for $750 in January 2008, after it was stolen and then found a week later with the radio ripped out and the wonderful words of "f" you were scratched on the speedometer cover. Because it overheated, it destroyed the seals in one of the engine's cylinders. So basically it was now running off of 3 cylinders instead of 4. When my dad and brother confirmed what had happened. I just cried and cried. I know silly to cry over a broken old car, but it was just the final straw in a slew of other financial issues that we were having. I remember writing in my journal that day how sad I was, but also how grateful I was that I knew Heavenly Father was watching over us and all would be OK. My dad and brother told us that if we drove it carefully and avoided the freeways, it might last another 6 months. Fortunately we still had a Ford Explorer for Haans to get to work in. So the Camry became my "baby" that I drove my little infant Curly around town in. I just drove around town because I figured when it broke down, I would be able to call someone easily to pick us up.

Fast forward to December 2010, the Camry is still astonishingly running! Then one evening Haans was driving home from work right after it started raining. He took the freeway on-ramp a little too fast and the Explorer slipped, fish tailed and rolled once on the freeway. He miraculously didn't hit any other cars and walked away with only a scratch on his shoulder, a broken cellphone and a very squashed car. We had a lot of friends and family help us out till we were able to buy another car to get Haans to work since we still didn't dare take the Camry up the "Grade" on the freeway.

Fast forward again to August 2012. The Camry is still running!! A few things have happened to it in the process. The exhaust pipe rusted away and Haans and my dad were able to fix it with a soup can and wire! Talk about frugality and ingenuity. But there are other exhaust leaks and so it sounds like a "race" car as my neighbor's little son calls it. Meaning you can hear me coming down the road from a block away. A friend told me it wasn't a very good "get away car." I got used to the fact that when I drove down the road, people walking on the side of the street would stop and turn around to see what was coming down the street. The amazing thing was that in January 2011 it even passed it's smog test which we were for sure it wouldn't. It also had an oil leaking problem so I carried around a foil pan to catch some of the drips. Sorry to everyone that has some Camry markings on their driveways or in front of their houses. As my neighbor told me, it will help them remember us. Also some other issues it had was some yummy chili that my aunt gave me  rolled under the front seat and rotted away till we finally found were the stench was coming from. And also during an oil change, I didn't realize Haans put the old oil in the trunk and it spilled all over the trunk. Plus we never did replace the ripped out radio so we had this beautiful gaping hole in the dashboard.

SO I hope you have gotten an idea of the type of awesome car it is. This last week, I was able to participate in a government sponsored car retirement program. Because the Camry didn't pass this last smog check (shocker) we retired it and were given $1500. Yippee! Talk about an answer to prayer and a miracle. I still am in awe that Elvira, which is what my brother had named her, has lasted all these years. She was thought to only last 6 months and has lasted 2 1/2 years. I joke it is our "tithing" car because the Lord has promised to "open the windows of heaven" when we pay our tithing and he totally has in many ways, and especially with this car. I know we could have survived on one car, but I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who cares so much about my happiness that he helped an old clunker car last all these years. It was bittersweet to get rid of it because it helped me remember so many blessings Heavenly Father has given our little family.

We were also blessed to sell our other car this last week so we are car-less now till we find one in Hawaii. But again I know it will all work out!!