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I didn't see how we'd have much to write about today because I had to go to Red Deer for a dental appointment. Red Deer is two hours away, so thats four hours of driving. So much of our life is spent traveling since we live somewhat remote. I just couldn't get up this morning because of consistent late nights and when I did it was a mad rush to get away. Everytime we go to town we have a long list to work on. When we need something we put it on the list and it has to wait until we can't wait any longer, or else have an appointment to go. In the mad rush I missed my time of praying for deliverance from the usual disasters that we constantly dodge, and halfway to Rocky I had a high speed collision with a deer. What I have to relate doesn't make any sense, but I'll describe it anyway. I was doing about 70MPH (for those in the U.S.) or 120KM. Any slower than that and everyone here is passing you. Two deer appeared on the dead run and within one second of seeing anything I hit the second one exactly in middle of the front of the truck and killed it instantly. I have managed to miss hitting them sometimes in similar situations but I must be wore out because this time I kind of went into shock and couldn't react fast enough. I sort of blacked out at contact for a second and didn't see it go flying, so I was very surprised to find it about 70 feet or more off the side of the road and almost as far down the road as it took me to stop. It was impossible for him to drag himself as the impact was so violent, and there were no tracks in the snow. That was an amazing flight through the air. How and why it went so far to the side is a real puzzle. It was a young buck with antlers. I expected to find the front end of the truck messed up very badly. Although I remember seeing the top of his back slightly higher than the hood just before I lost my vision, there was no damage above the bumper...all the damage was in the lower part of the bumper, even though the grill is plastic and the hood no stronger than a pop can! That is just not possible. Lest one think that God abandoned me because I was too rushed to pray, consider this: I had planned on driving the newer van that we use for highway trips and never drive in the mud on the Reserve. Even though I was in a big rush, God put it in my head to throw off the load of firewood and take the 4X4 which sets higher and has a stronger bumper. Several times I resisted doing that and decided to take the van, but the 4X4 won out and I threw off the firewood. The last time I collided with an animal was in a van and it was a write off. In recent years we have hit and killed moose, elk, deer, and a few years farther back, horses. They have a way of appearing out of no-where, on the run, and especially in the dark or setting sun aren't seen until too late.
I endured the torture chambers of the dentist without revealing any government secrets except my name, rank, and serial number (possibly because I don't know any government secrets)(Do you think I read too much Snoopy?). Our son David came up from Calgary and we worked on some of his banking together and had supper at a buffet.
Karen's list for today is as follows: Spent a lot of time making phone calls on a variety of mission business and prayer requests, a team coming from Saskatchewan for 3 days, and even concerning next summers VBS's. Sorted literature. Took teens to the Rocky Youth Group at the Nazarene Church. Spoke at a Ladies Meeting in Rocky about the mission. Home tonight about 11:30.
The first picture shows whats left of the bumper and how it buckled in the middle with no damage above or behind, to the oil cooler or radiator.
Here you can see the frame bent in some at the front bumper mounts. The wind deflector part of the bumper was torn off, but amazingly so little damage it just isn't possible! Everything was thrown off the seat from the impact.
The Ladies group in Rocky is making quilts for Sunchild tonight!
This is a scene at the Youth Group tonight.
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