Eventful Trip to West Virginia

Note: I'm sorry this has take me a really long time to post, but I couldn't leave it out.  God is so good.

Another note: Yes, this is a long, wordy post, but I had to write it all out because it is an awesome story of God's care and protection.  

One Friday in September began our *almost* annual trip to "Uncle Tom's Cabin," in WV, which belongs to a dear friend of ours ("Aunt" Judy) from church.  From our attempts at calculations, this was the Groves' 9th time!  Most of the time we've gone with the M. family, and some of the time with other friends.  (see pictures from other years here and here.)  The weekend started out pretty normally - fun of course.  

Swimming in the river

Mr. M and Calvin

look closely - two sunbathers :)

See the fish?!

Then an evening of Taboo - a favorite at Camp.

Games are always a big hit at Camp (especially late at night).
Then a game of Pride and Prejudice trivia (for the late-nighters) in the chicken house - converted to bedroom.   Mr. M. was the only one who knew most of the answers - he won!

After a huge breakfast (eggs, yogurt, granola, fruit, and delicious cinnamon rolls) we got ready to head out to the meadow to ride ATVs.  Aunt Judy gave us all a warning about the danger and how her daughter who’s a missionary doctor in Africa would never ride one herself.  But she’s been driving one for ten years and we’ve been riding ATVs pretty much every year, so we were looking forward to one of our highlights of camp.  

the truck ride...

  When we got to the farm, Mrs. M., Julia, and Abby started walking up the hill because they didn’t want to ride in the truck.  Then Aunt Judy took the first ATV and headed up the gravel trail up towards the meadow.  Next, Mr. M, Mommy, Jason, Jessica, Joanna, Kara, and I headed up in the pickup (the kids in the back).  Finally, Daddy rode the second ATV with Jeannine and Calvin on the back. 

   As Mrs. M and the girls were walking up the hill, Julia was getting tired of walking, so Mrs. M started singing part of Psalm 91.  Then Aunt Judy drove up and offered Julia a ride up the hill so she wouldn’t have to walk.  As they drove up the steep gravel hill, Aunt Judy tried to avoid some ruts, lost control, and started rolling backwards.  Then Aunt Judy and Julia jumped/fell off and they’re pretty sure the ATV rolled right over them.  Abby and Mrs. M. heard/saw it happen and ran to see if they were ok.  The truck crew came next.  All we saw was the ATV sitting there with no one on it and Julia running to meet us and tell us, “Help!  It’s Aunt Judy!” (or something like that).  We had no idea what had happened, but it was obviously bad, so those of us in the back started praying really hard.  Next came Daddy on the other ATV, and as soon as he got to the scene, he whipped off his shirt to wrap around Aunt Judy’s leg which was bleeding badly.  Another shirt was wrapped around her arm, which was also cut badly.  We called 911 on the one cell phone that actually had connection there (a huge blessing!), and Aunt Judy (thankfully still conscious) gave them directions about how to get there, and kept saying, “Hurry, I’m about to pass out, I’m losing a lot of blood.”  We then lifted Aunt Judy into the back of the pickup and drove off with Mrs. M. holding the shirt around her arm, me holding the shirt around her leg (we were gripping so tight our hands were shaky when we finally let go) and Joanna to hold us in.  (One of the many providences was that we took the truck - we usually just take the ATVs and our feet).  So we drove down the hill, through the field, and down the road.  When we saw the ambulance coming the other way with the sirens on we waved and honked wildly and pulled off the road (another providence - right where we met the ambulance there was an open place to pull off - there were fences along the road everywhere else!).  

The paramedics were wonderful and extremely relaxed which helped us calm down.  The gash on her leg was about three inches long, as was the one on her arm (which was about 1-1/2 or 2 inches wide!).  Aunt Judy was wonderful and cheerful as usual - she even pretended to faint when she saw the wound (which scared us - or at least me!)  As they were putting her in the ambulance, Mr. M. filmed her message to posterity: “I hope you do this well when you’re my age!” 

Mommy went with her to the hospital, where the doctors and nurses were lined up expecting a trauma patient after hearing about the accident!  God was watching over her!!  After LOTS of x-rays and getting all stitched up, she got back and was received by a happy crowd - so thankful she and Julia were safe.  

The rest of the weekend was more joyful and sober at the same time.

The survivors

Psalm 103:1, 3-5

 


 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
² Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
 Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Later...

We enjoyed some shooting practice...

the targets

quick quiz: is this Joanna or Janelle??

Dinner!!!!

Keeping warm... and silly

A late night game of rummycube with the girls.  

Once everyone else was in bed, Kara, Joanna, Jessica, and I had a little spa...
We had to pick cucumbers out of the leftover salad from dinner and *quietly* fill the bin with hot water...cup by cup... :)

strawberry kiwi fascial mask

relaxing...

We usually go to the local Baptist church on Sunday morning, but we had church at camp this time.  

Breakfast

Singing Psalm 121, a camp favorite in the West Virginia hills, and one that meant so much more to us after the accident.

Psalm 121 

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;

From where shall my help come?

² 

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

³ 

He will not allow your foot to slip;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

⁴ 

Behold, He who keeps Israel

Will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ 

The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade on your right hand.

⁶ 

The sun will not smite you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

⁷ 

The Lord will protect you from all evil;

He will keep your soul.

⁸ 

The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in

From this time forth and forever.

Parting family photos

Praying before we leave

   Aunt Judy said her motto is Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” and it's so true - she healed wonderfully and never once complained!  We all caravanned back together Sunday evening, stopping for dinner at a park about half way home.  

Part of Psalm 91, which Mrs. M and the girls were singing as the walked up the hill says,

Psalm 91:9-12, 14-16

"For you have made the LORD, my refuge, 

Even the Most High, your dwelling place.

No evil will befall you, 
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

For He will give His angels charge concerning you,

To guard you in all your ways.

They will bear you up in their hands, 

That you do not strike your foot against a stone...

Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him securely on high because he has known My name.

He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation."

A few days later, Julia was reading her Bible and read this verse.  It reminded her of how God rescued her and Aunt Judy:

Psalm 113:7  

"He raises the poor from the dust

And lifts the needy from the ash heap"

This was a good reminder of God's goodness and protection of us all the time.  
Praise the Lord for His love and care!

~Janelle