It was Thursday and I got a text from her saying that her radiator was out and she couldn't take it in till Friday morning so the trip was being postponed. Friday comes and she takes it in the minute they open and they tell her it is the radiator for sure and it will take a couple hours to fix. About 4 hours later she is freaking out cause she hasn't heard anything so her dad calls and they say they haven't even started cause they don't have the part so he goes and buys it and takes it to them. 2 hours later he calls again and they say they will be done soon. At about 3 that afternoon she finally got it back and then went and got the front two tires replaced and they told her the back two were fine. I went over that night to stay the night and we left bright and early very eager to be going! We made it to Flagstaff without a problem and got gas and some breakfast and then were on our way again. We put the top down and were just having the time of our lives. We stopped in Page for gas and made it into Utah and to a little, small town called Orderville where we stopped to use the restroom. About 15 miles outside of Orderville the radio turned off so we took the faceplate off wondering if it had overheated. Then all of a sudden her speedometer, clock, and rmp all dropped to zero and turned off! We pull over and then her car stalls. We turn it off and start to say a prayer when her clock comes back on. We say the prayer and try turning it back on only to have her car alarm go off. First thing out of my mouth, "You have a car alarm!!!" We then pop the hood and stand on the side and realize our cell service is coming and going. After about 20 min. a mother and son finally stopped to help us! Only problems was they didn't know anything about cars and had no tools. Then a man from Colorado stopped and started helping us and we got it working again right as the Sheriff pulled up. So we started driving again and said a prayer of thanks only to have it die on us again! The sheriff and thankfully driven behind us so he stopped and after talking to Hair Genius's dad called a tow truck from Orderville to come pick us up. About this time, Sharkey (a mechanic) drove by and stopped to take a look with no success :(
The tow truck finally got to us about 2 hours after our initial breakdown and he took us back to Orderville where they worked on the car and broke the windows. (They rolled down on their own and wouldn't roll back up) We were then informed her alternator had gone out! I was finally able to call my mother and tell her I was ok and what was going on when someone lended us their cell phone cause we had ZERO service there! The mechanic told us he would have to tow us to St. George on Monday cause he didn't have the part there. Thankfully Hair Genius's future roommate's brother had just married the daughter of the woman who owned the only Hotel in the town and she put us up for FREE in the HONEYMOON SUITE.
There was definitely a mirror above our bed and everything! It was intense, the bed was so high a stepping stool was needed to get into it! On Sunday some very kind people invited us to their house for dinner and were very nice and talked to us and made us feel very welcome.
On Monday we were taken to St. George where they fixed the alternator and we hit the road again! Only problem was when we got to the freeway and accelerated we heard a grinding/ticking noise so we headed back to the mechanic to be safe and found out her belt broke! They fixed that and we left again happy and optimistic...at least trying to be. We were about 1 mile outside of Beaver when her back passenger seat tire shredded! A very kind man stopped and helped us change the tire (even filing the donut tire up with air cause it was flat) and told us where to get it fixed. We got to the Chevron and they gave us two brand new tires for $10 above cost cause they felt so bad for us and how horrible our trip had been going! I then said I was driving and we went on our way and FINALLY made it to Provo Monday night, where we got Hair Genius all settled in. I then flew home on Tuesday and was ever so grateful for it. Let me just say I only had two outfits for this entire trip cause I only thought it was going to be a two day trip! Needless to say my clothes and myself were filthy.
Even though the trip did not go according to plan and I would not repeat it for anything I do know how blessed we were. We were blessed that when the problems accured we were in a habitated area where kind people stopped and helped us. We were in a place where the people asked what they could do for us the minute they realized our predicament. We were able to get all the problems fixed. And we had people both in Utah and in Arizona praying and watching out for us. The Lord was really taking care of us on that trip and for that I am eternally grateful.
