Trip to Pennsylvania

Our church choir group left Sunday, August 9, about 11:30 pm for Secane, Pennsylvania. The first couple hours almost everyone was too excited to sleep and watched movies or surfed the internet but after that most of us got some sleep before our breakfast stop in Lynchburg, Virginia. We caught up with our pastor there and ate a Shoney's breakfast bar. Not long after getting back on the road we were informed that the bus (a large, nice Greyhound-type) was running a little hot. We made several stops on the side of the road. I don't remember the order of these but we had lunch at a Taco Bell and made a couple of other bathroom stops and one stop at a truck repair shop. We all 36 used two little bathrooms and waited and waited while the mechanics checked out the bus. Finally, we were told it would cost about $500 to repair our thermostat. A pastor from the area came and was about to take us by vanloads to his church to await the 1 1/2 hour fix-it job. At least at the church there would be plenty of seats and that would beat the showroom where we were sitting in chairs , on the floor , and some just milling about. But before we loaded up in the van for the first "evacuation" our own mechanic, Bro. Fuerst decided we should go on. He didn't think it was the thermostat and thought he could fix the bus after we arrived at our Pennsylvania destination. We went on few miles and stopped at a little store/antique shop/restaurant. We all got out again and went to restroom and got drinks. Yes, drinks. That's why we had to make so many bathroom stops. Sometimes it seemed the bathroom stops were too few and too far between! At our stop just mentioned Bro. Fuerst took a good, LONG look at the bus motor. We all just sat around in the parking lot next to the bus and near to the trash dumpster and fellowshipped and perspired. Bro. Fuerst made his diagnosis of a damaged pulley. He and Bro. Clark explained to me the problem but I barely understood. We slowly made our way on toward Pennsylvania and our pastor sent word that he had arrived at our hotel just as we left this parking lot somewhere near Fredricksburg, Virginia. We went through Washington, D.C. ( the edge of it) traffic right about 5:00 pm with our bus running hot and our driver doing the best he could in a traffic jam. God's hand was definitely on our bus and His wisdom with our driver, Bro. Shankles. We finally arrived at our hotel about 8:15 and hurriedly cleaned up and dressed. We arrived at the church around 9:15. Of course, service was almost over so we went straight to the basement. When service was completed 2 had been saved!! We rejoiced in the Lord! The church ladies had prepared lasagna and salad complete with desserts for all of us and the congregation. We told of our troubles and trials although they already knew in this day of cell phones, etc. We had already prayed and thanked our Lord. We knew there was a reason for all the delays and we trusted Him with it. We arrived back at our hotel around11:30 eager to sleep in a good bed and rest up for Tuesday. We went to sleep with visions of traffic, lasagna, and the historic Philadelphia we hoped to sightsee in on the morrow.