"And the Lord turned the captivity of Job" (Job 42:10)

We have been blessed again this week. It started with the death of the Sentra (SEE POST: Dead Sentra) at church last Sunday. It was funny because when it wouldn't start Steph and I looked at each other and decided that it was time to ditch the car. We prayed and asked for guidance and felt the time had come to sell it and find something else. But what?

As we start looking at everything from mid-sized cars to suburbans (Steph said no to the 'burbs) we weren't sure what to do. Prices and sizes were going through our heads and didn't seem to line up. We really wanted a mini-van to take us through at least two more kids without having to up the vehicle size again soon, but how?

Wednesday I went and applied at the BYU Bookstore for a job since the Math Lab TA position didn't pan out (sigh). I was hired that afternoon. Then, while dropping some money into a credit union for a friend in Tucson I ran into an old mission pal who was the assistant branch manager there. He told me to let him know if there was anything he could do to help us.

Steph found OUR van the next day. It is a 2004 sienna with 103,000 miles and in excellent condition inside and out. She was infatuated by it and despite its $9,990 price tag couldn't stop thinking about it. It isn't that this was overpriced, for a Sienna in this condition it is priced low, we just hadn't planned on a car loan, especially that big. So she and I started talking numbers.

Friday she filled out online paperwork through the same credit union that my mission friend worked at and by the end of the day we had been approved for our loan! We called my friend and he offered to let us come and sign the papers at his branch on Saturday (normally only the drive-through is open then) once we had the contract with the dealer, CAR SCOUT, in Midvale - I highly recommend him. We got that Friday night.

Saturday the loan process was smooth and fast. Our other friends have been driving us as needed and took us back up to Midvale where we got the van and drove home. This van is perfect. Turns out it was a fleet vehicle for most of its life which means lots of highway and professional drivers with plenty of regular maintenance. Then, it is also an eight seater which is hard to find. That means we can fit three more kids in there! So, if we stop at six or less we are set and if more we won't need a new car for close to 10 years (average of 2.5 years in between and we still have time from Sophie before the next)! We even bought an extra service warranty to cover any pumps, parts or valves that break under the hood for the next five years.

I don't know how else to describe this than that this is OUR van. It all fell together perfectly. In fact, the Sentra has started twice in a row now (first time while showing it to a buyer) with no troubles and I think perhaps it was stopped on Sunday to make us look for this van. We are set for years now rather than having to upgrade every few years. Thank you all for your prayers and faith in God and us. We are so blessed by all of you!

God Watches Over Us All

I meant to post this months ago, but I think I didn't because I was a possible witness and wasn't supposed to talk about it at the time. So here it is from May 9th, 2010:


So last night I went to Smith's in Provo to pick up a couple of things. I passed by a Hollywood video that was closing down and advertising 99 cent DVD's and once I parked I went to see if any were left. Finding nothing there (every one had been sold) I walked over to the store and went inside.

I went towards the Peanut Butter and texted my wife to see what everything I needed to get was and then went to look at the bread. Once she responded I texted again and went to the back aisle. I paused at some bacon in a refrigerator bin and looked through a bunch before a crowd of people rushed by screaming "He's got a gun!" and "Get down!"

The butchers next to me ducked out a back way and I followed them and others hearing shots on the way. Once we were outdoors and safe I came around and waited to give the police the details I had seen and heard.

From the KSL website http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=10707188 I learned that a man had been shoplifting beer and when confronted by the management became hostile. They marshaled him into an area at the front of the store while calling police. When they arrived they tried using a taser and then the man pulled out his gun and pointed it at them. Fortunately for the officers the shots I had heard were their guns taking the suspect down and not his own gun.

What was amazing to me was when I heard the time on the news clip. It said around 8:40pm is when the cops were called in. My first text was at 8:41 according to my phone. I had barely missed the initial incursion by about the time it took to walk to Hollywood and back to the store. Then my meandering caused me to be at the back when the shooting happened.

God had kept me out of the path of the entire showdown while simultaneously leading me through the midst of it. I was never really worried, but strangely unafraid. My family was glad I was safe as was I and seeing my wife and children that night was slightly more meaningful than normal - though it should be noted we just brought home our new-born daughter a few hours before the incident. It filled me with wonder at how close I had been to harm and yet divinely protected throughout. God truly does watch over us!