Wrestling at the Zoo!

Looking back on this week is a bit of a blur! We left GA on Saturday, going to the Columbia area of South Carolina. We have been at Tony's RV with our list. Great news! The slide out works as it should! Our stove is back where it should be!! Our kitchen faucet doesn't leak anymore! Oh, life is good! It was discovered that our bathroom faucet was leaking also, which I didn't realize. John & I bought new faucets to be installed and I installed the bathroom one. I didn't want to tackle the kitchen one, but I knew I could do the bathroom one. I watched how the kitchen faucet was installed, so next time, I may consider it... The washer/dryer was replaced & worked until I touched it. As if taking the old one out & bringing the new one in wasn't bad enough, they had to take the new one back out to investigate why it had stopped working. I said I was just not meant to cook or clean. Poor John didn't get much of a housewife when he married me! The wonderful guys here got the machine working again & I've washed several loads of clothes with no problem. They left it out of the rig & hooked it up for me to use, in case it was uncooperative again. So far, so good! The real test will be once they bring it in - again.

Sunday we went to church at Trinity Presbyterian in Columbia, SC. We had gone there when we were previously in the area. Last time was near Veteran's Day & there was a parishoner who was retired from our military & proudly wore his uniform to church while someone explained what the different patches meant & what he had to do to earn them. This Sunday we heard the parable of The Prodigal Son. I had always related to the older brother, who'd been loyal to his father & stayed around to do the work that needed to be done, while the younger brother had asked for his inheritance early & took off to see the world. Before he knew it, he had squandered his money & had no place to live & no food to eat. He decided to return home & ask his father to hire him, as his father's servants we well taken care of. From a distance, his father saw him & ran to him, hugging him. He called for sandals for his feet & a good robe to wrap around him. A party was planned & it seemed no expense was spared. The older son saw this & was outraged that his irresponsible brother was getting such wonderful treatment while he stayed & helped his father with the chores. Well, the preacher went on to help me understand that the younger brother realized that he had sinned & didn't deserve any of this, but his father was so happy to have him home, and it filled the son's heart with such joy - to be forgiven! The father explained to the older son, that, 'what's mine is yours, and always has been, but your brother, who was lost, is now found!' How wonderful is that?! Thank you Jesus! Read more in Luke 15:10!

After the enlightening service, we met friends for lunch & that was the perfect way to spend our Sunday. They invited us to their house for supper later in the week too. It was great to spend so much time together! They gave us passes to the zoo in Columbia, so John & I used those on Thursday & had fun seeing so many animals. We couldn't help but compare it to our last zoo trip, in Vietnam. We didn't remember seeing bears in Vietnam & the two that were here were wrestling. There were several school groups at the zoo that day & it was so funny to hear the kids chant to the bears "Wrestle! Wrestle! Wrestle!"

I was sure to wear my green Dale Earnhardt Jr. shirt on Wednesday so I didn't get pinched!

There was no race this week, but stay tuned! I'll be sure to keep you posted!