All I Want For Christmas Is My Car To Work

This has been kind of a slow news week so I thought I might reflect on the issues of vehicles and mechanics. A reliable vehicle is pretty much a necessity for the kinds of activities that we do here in Bolivia. The knowledge of how to keep a vehicle reliable is also very important. In our first years here in Bolivia, there was always somebody else in the mission who understood the mechanics of our vehicles - Mark Frink, Duane Erickson and Gary Healy, to be exact. It was fairly simple in those days. If I had car trouble I would tell one of them and they would take care of the problem. And always were glad to do it. But these days we seem to be short on in house mechanics. Bluntly put, none of us who are here know much about motors and vehicles which puts us at a definite disadvantage when it comes to buying, selling and repairing our cars.It puts us at the mercy of our mechanics. Nos that is not necesarily a bad thing, but not always a good thing either. A case in point:

We have a 2000 green Toyota Land Cruiser. Normally Land Cruisers are the best vehicle for here for our type of travel. But this one has been an exception and has needed a lot of repair. Last December after Christmas I noticed one day that there was a problem with the steering. I knew that the click, click, click that I was hearing was not right. So, not knowing what else to do, I took it to my mechanic. After he checked things out he informed me that it was the power steering gear box. But where to get one that would work. Five months and five parts later, he still had not been able to find a part that worked. By now it was May and we were heading to the States for General Conference. I will b ring back the part, I told him. Which I did. Now it is August. The car still sits at the mechanic's. He told me the other day he didn't think the new part was working. Soooo . . .what do I do? My plan is to take my car and try another mechanic, but will he have any better success? I don't know. In the meantime I have to take the other vehicle in. It too is showing signs of a problem with the steering. Let's see, at a modest estimate of, say, four months to fix it, I might have it back by Christmas. Oh well, at least I am not broken down on a Los Angeles freeway at rush hour while going the wrong direction or being attacked by a snake while drowning. So, Merry Christmas and God bless us, one and all.