Update: We Have Arrived

Thank you all for your prayers! Our trip was quite eventful, but God was gracious and we arrived safely around midnight.

Part One: Snow — It was snowing yesterday morning when we left our house, which was quite unexpected. We knew snow was forecasted for the Sacramento area, but not for our area in Oregon. As we made our way south on I-5, the snow steadily increased and visibility went down. Thankfully, the pass over the mountains was unobstructed.

Part Two: Broken Alternator — As we entered California our car's battery suddenly died, the lights went out, and the speedometer started jumping. Although the car was still running, we knew that if we stopped or slowed down, we might not be able to start up again. For some reason, the battery wasn't being recharged. There was something wrong with the alternator. Thankfully, we were able to contact a repair shop in Redding that had a replacement alternator. We barely made it to the shop, after being forced to bring the car to a stop twice at traffic lights. The last time, we were afraid it wouldn't make it across the intersection.

Part Three: "Bowling" — While our car was being worked on, we had two hours to kill. We went to a nearby restaurant and noticed a bowling alley up the road. We finished eating quickly and made our way there, only to find that all the lanes were full. Instead, we spent our time enjoying some classic arcade games (i.e. The Simpsons).

Part Four: Fever — With the alternator replaced, we were on our way again. However, our little brother's temperature had gone up to 104.6º, requiring a quick stop for some children's Tylenol. By God's grace his temperature dropped.

Part Five: Hairpin Curves and More Snow — We finally reached Sacramento and began to make our way to the home of our local hosts. After navigating through incredibly curving roads in the dark, it began to snow again. But finally, at 11:30 PM, we arrived at our destination... About 5 hours later than we planned.