(Amish) Country Living

We just wrapped up two weeks in THE Ohio state and, well we experienced our toughest time thus far. As Nikki mentioned in the last blog, she has been challenged with some physical ailments, both of which continued to get worse. We were struggling to figure out if it was time to go into a doctor and how on earth do we do that on the road? Arrrrggg. Then the car had electrical issues, a couple of jumps and we knew it was time to get that looked at as well…how do you find a trustworthy mechanic on the road? I also was hoping to get some maintenance done on the trailer, but maybe now it would have to get postponed. Three months on the road and it felt like the wheels were coming off the wagon!

But God provides, all the time.

Despite the chaos, we were able to stay the course and visit our good friends Brian and Linzy along with their 18 month old daughter Wynn. Brian and I were teammates back in the navy years, and it was just fantastic to be able to reconnect and exchange stories. They were such fantastic hosts, giving us a taste of downtown Cleveland with its beautiful fall weather, exploring an international food market, and relaxing in a real home. Linzy had also managed to set Nikki up with a local doctor to help out with her back pain (More on that in a minute). We drove back to the RV the next day and our spirits had been lifted. Keeping the positive momentum was a dinner with our old Pastor from Hawaii and his wife. They had lived literally down the street from us in Kailua. It was great to see Pastor Tom and Kristen, catch up on old times, and see what was going on in their lives. Pastor Tom had grown up minutes from the restaurant, I love being able to connect with people’s past. This was a huge recharge for us.

God’s “fix it plan” went into work the following week. Although feeling better from all our visits, we were both admittedly still full of angst on how to get all these things resolved.  I realized that giving up control, waiting for things to happen, allowing God’s plan to unfold was much better than stressing out. It’s hard, because I want to always make things happen but I am quickly realizing that relinquishing control is a very freeing experience. Of all places, He chose the Amish Country to make this happen. Nestled between Cleveland and Colombus, this area is an interesting trip back in time. Horse and buggy’s replace fast paced cars, drying lines decorate front porches, and there is a sense of peace and serenity throughout. Though not everyone in the area is Amish, it seems that the values of the Amish lifestyle are revered -you get the sense that everyone is sincere. I drove my trailer to an Amish shop where Lee, despite not understanding my hitch system, promised to give it his best shot. He did, and in 30 minutes the problem was solved along with some welding on my stairs. The best part was afterwards, he took me into his office and asked about my 1 year RV trip. He wanted to know details, he stopped is work,  even showed me some places to visit—-this never happened to me before, I could sense that he valued being present in the conversation. Oh, and to top it off, when it was time to pay, he asked if $50 was ok, as if to say that he didn’t helped me for financial gain. This exchange left a huge impression on me and made me really think about what life would be like if things slowed down, if we weren’t thinking about our next appointment, if we unglued from our screens. Maybe we would have more time for the important things. Thank you Lee and thank you Gingerich Trailers.

My truck received equal love. After searching the internet for the perfect mechanic (good luck in a foreign area right?) I somehow found one that stood out, namely because it was a family owned and run business. Usually, I will make at least 3 calls to do  price comparisons, but in this instance God said “you’re done”. Amazing service— within 60 minutes they sent me a detailed electronic report of the vehicle along with pictures and videos of their findings. I mentioned my trip and my constraints and they worked with me, even gave me a loaner vehicle for free. They were able to wrap up all the repairs ahead of schedule and were the absolutely nicest folks I have ever worked with on a vehicle. They, like Lee, were genuinely interested in my families well-being and making sure that my vehicle was safe and running for the remainder of the trip. I even got a followup call the next day. Nate, Joe, Ella, Sun Valley Auto, thank you!

Meanwhile, Nikki was going still in pain. We took another trip to Cleveland for Nikki’s doctor appointment, at this point it was becoming urgent. We prayed ad nauseam for the appointment. It’s hard for me to see her in that condition,  flashbacks of her Chemotherapy returns I watch her lying in the bed while I struggle to fill her role. But once again God delivered. The doctor was able to work some things in the office that immediately provided relief. And most importantly, she helped give Nikki a strategy going forward that would leave her in much better spirits. He always delivers enough to reassure us of his presence, while simultaneously reminding us how much we need him. Brian and Linz— thanks so much for connecting us to your doctor!

The time in Ohio finished off on with several other God winks…. I got to play speedball with a former boss/teammate (speedball’s a game played only at the SEAL teams, but we convinced some folks from the local area to join), we moved to an RV park with an indoor pool and HOT TUB, and to top it off we had an enjoyable visit with the Daniel’s family (they are from our Bible Study group in San Diego) at Chuck-E-Cheese where Daniel had been consistently asking to go for his birthday.

As I sit here typing away in the RV, staring at the map of America on the wall, I focus in on the swing state and I can’t hold back my smile. What was originally the toughest time of our trip had become the one wrought with the richest experiences. One of my friends/mentors is a filmmaker. He’s always reminding me that stories aren’t great unless the main character has to overcome adversity. In fact, the gap between expectations and reality is where story takes place. I suppose that’s what this trip has taught me the most.  The journey isn’t about arriving safely at a destination, but rather it’s about getting thru the storms and the people who help you along the way.

Much Aloha,

Loco