When faced with a challenging situation, do you see the glass as half empty or half full? Do you choose to pity or to praise? As we prepared for our 2024 Awareness Drive, we spent months planning every detail, but no amount of preparation could prevent the unexpected detours that only God can foresee.
In the first week of our journey, I made it a priority to see my best friends from Oklahoma. Since moving to Texas, it’s been tough to keep in touch, but we make sure to carve out time once a year to reconnect. Two days before we set off, we finally got our camper back from 360 Wraps. The day before departure, we were busy making sure everything was in working order, but our expectations quickly clashed with reality. AIMS Power and Battle Born Batteries, donated items for our solar setup, but we were having an issue with getting it to work. To make matters worse, the shoreline power wasn’t working either. Thankfully, Boss Bull Mobile RV Services came to the rescue. They were able to bypass the solar setup so we could at least stay functional for the trip, and we hit the road.
Midway to Oklahoma, as we prepared to leave an overnight stop, we discovered an issue with our slide-out—it was leaking hydraulic fluid, and wouldn’t close. Panic began to set in, and we were not sure what to do. We called a few RV Repair places but they could not come out and we had to hit the road ASAP. Thankfully we had our UBCO bike with us and we used it to make three different trips to town on for parts. We were able to patch the area that was leaking and add hydraulic fluid so we could at least get the slide closed. We then called one of our longest sponsors: Camperland of Oklahoma who immediately told us to stop by for a check-up. While the situation tested our patience, God’s faithfulness was hard at work. Our route took us through Tulsa, just an hour away from where Maggie had plans to meet with some of her girlfriends.
With Camperland being an unexpected stop, we used the time to visit a wonderful Angelman family we’ve known for years. We also reconnected with a Filipina friend and her husband. Our friendship with Jayne Fuchs Martin and her family blossomed after our early Angelman syndrome diagnosis. They had even stayed with us in OKC for a weekend when we lived in Oklahoma. Jayne, Joey, and Micaela graciously rearranged their schedules to support us during our detour.
Additionally, I got the chance to finally meet Analou Reyes and her husband. Analou and I connected during my last trip to Cebu, Philippines, and after she reunited with her long-lost love who lived in Oklahoma, we stayed in touch. This unexpected detour gave us the perfect opportunity to meet in person.
The first leg of our awareness drive was filled with uncertainties, but God’s hand was evident throughout. As Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Camperland identified the issue with our solar setup—not the panels or batteries themselves, but wiring that was too small, causing the batteries to go into safe mode and not charge. Even more important; they found the issue with our hydraulics for the slides. They replaced the parts and we were back on the road.
In the end, we caught up with dear friends, met new ones, and I even got to spend time with my girlfriends. What started as a whirlwind of challenges became a time filled with kindness, rekindled friendships, and clear evidence of God’s provision. Even through the chaos, He made everything work together for good.
