Amazing testimony of the love among brethren in Christ and the faithfulness of God

May 2023

So I was headed down for a Christian “conference” kind of a large gathering of believers, about a 4 hour drive on Friday. Well, right around at the middle point of the 220 mile drive, when I had been on the local street for several minutes, my car started heating up. The temperature was climbing higher and higher. So I knew I had to pull over. Now I personally knew no one in the area. I tried contacting some local car shops but it was close to 5pm on a Friday and so none was available to help with the problem. So I contacted a few brothers if they knew anyone that knew about cars in this area. After some waiting one brother came out to help. We knew there was a problem with the coolant part because when I checked, all the coolant was gone. And after taking a look and the brother examining, it seemed likely the water pump. So this brother had come out to the rescue with coolant and extra water and by then, it being around 6pm, I slowly was giving up on making it to the camp that evening and this brother (who I never met before – Matt 25:35) knowing I was a Christian brother invited me over to let me spend the night at his place. I got to meet his family with many kids, I gave some small gifts to the kids and we had a good time of fellowship. They were also planning on going to the camp just for a day the next day. So the option was either I can for now give up on my car and carpool with this family and then stay till the end of the event a few days and seek a ride from someone coming back in this direction where my car is left (but then, I had a plan to visit someone else after the conference and that would have to be changed) or attempt to just drive almost exactly 100 miles with this car with water prepared to fill the coolant system a few times every time it is emptied and the temperature starts going up. Now, that evening I had talked to a few car mechanic brothers (wonderful brethren that took their time to hear the symptoms and explain what they thought the problem was and what needed to get fixed) and one brother who is a mechanic who was already at the camp told us that it seems like a water pump problem so if you can come to the camp with a new water pump, and based on my car model, in order to get there you need to remove the timing belt anyways, so might as well do the timing belt also and that he would do it (this is family in Christ).So… I decided.. I will seek to just trust the Lord and (literally) drive with faith. : D I had seen that it seems like when I’m going at a high speed, the water doesn’t leak much but when I go slow (40 mph or less), that’s when the coolant starts draining more. And I was told, from that location to the camp, it’s mainly highway with a few little local areas here and there and there was a little high elevation point that would be a little concern… but.. I had to seek the Lord’s mercy and try to get my car there. So the brother filled a few containers of water for me and the plan was for me to leave early in the morning earlier than them and if it just doesn’t seem to work, I will leave the car and carpool with them. The next morning God had me wake up very early around 4am (when there would be no traffic though it was a memorial day weekend and so I can drive fast with no traffic) and so I got ready and I filled the car coolant with water but when I checked the bottom of the car, it was draining at the bottom of the car. I was disheartened and briefly thought I guess I need to give up, but then when I turned on the engine and checked again, it was only dripping. So I just decided to take off with FAITH. I started driving and got on a highway pretty quick and of course I was constantly checking the temperature. But thank the Lord I got to drive about 60 miles with no problem. only when I was on a local 40 mile area for some time the temperature started going up. I pulled over and filled it with the water the brother provided for me and I ended up doing this about 4 times during the trip. Interestingly that very morning during the first stop, a brother and sister in Christ that live in a different state texted me saying they were praying in the morning for various brothers and sisters and I also came to my mind : D of course I told them what I told them. After the filling with water about 4 times I GOT TO THE CAMP SAFE AND SOUND!! (with my car not too sound lol) That day in the afternoon during the break time, I asked that mechanic brother if he can check my car. And eventually that brother and 3-4 other brothers got involved in working on my car. They took 3 hours of their time collecting the tools and working on my car (the brother whose place I slept over at brought tools and also on his way to the camp picked up the new water pump and timing belt for me : ] ). And here and there we asked around if they had other tools and though there were periods where with the lack of tools the work came to a pause and they had to search for tools or find a way to use alternative tools to get things done, eventually they got everything done and fixed my car!!What an amazing work of God, amazing love among the brethren, family in Christ. Coming to help, hospitality, prayer interceding from another state, safe drive and arrival in the midst of uncertainty, taking their time to help a brother, rejoicing together at God’s provision, mercy and final resolution, glory to God! Of course I paid the brother back for the things he got for me, showed appreciation for one of the brothers and am planning on sending the other main brother appreciation for his labor and love, but later I also found out it was just about time for my car to get new timing belt also. Isn’t the way God works amazing?If I need to go through a little difficult time but through it, God is glorified through His kindness and faithfulness shown, glory to Him! it is worth it. cf. 2 Cor 1:9-11In addition, there was actually another brother that had come out to help out and was willing to let me stay at his place and also was willing to lend me a car he had. Love you brother Wade.Do you have such a family in Christ? Because according to Jesus (John 13:34-35, Mt 25:31-46, Mk 10:29-30), according to the NT (Acts 2:44-47), such a family that is ACTUALLY like a family like this is what the true church really is (not even just local church, but as in this testimony, universal church). I hope you are a part of this - family in Christ.