At that point, John was back out from more communication with the towing company. Steve told him to tell them to come out. They said it would be about an hour before they arrived.

Steve was hoping to be able to give his Feed My Sheep session, but as the time drew closer, it was evident that he was needed in the bus driver’s seat. They used the video recording of the session. We were so grateful that in Oklahoma City we had recorded sessions, just in case we would have a use for them in the event someone was sick and couldn’t fill in for them.

A bobcat arrived that put a large steel plate under the left-front wheel loader’s tire because it was beginning to break through the asphalt. While waiting for the tow truck to arrive, they kept trying to lift the bus with the wheel loader and to put smaller timbers under the wheel. However, each time they did, the timber just sunk into the muck out-of-sight.

The concern always was getting the bus out without damaging it. There was a strong possibility through this whole process that when Uriah was freed, he wouldn’t be drivable even to the point of the frame being permanently damaged.

Steve was able to do part of his Keeping Hearts session, although I did the first 1/2 hour without him. Joseph stepped in to do John’s parts of both sessions for the young people, since John needed to stay outside. Jesse filled in Joseph’s part on Dwelling Together in Unity. It was a team effort, and everyone had good attitudes in switching the roles in which they were used to.

When the tow truck arrived, he tried lifting the back end. That went on for a while but it wasn’t working.

That is when the final attempt came. Some of the family were in giving sessions, and they weren’t aware of the grave danger that Uriah was in! Only Dad, Sarah, John, Jesse, and Mary knew that Uriah might not be drivable.

“O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble” (Isaiah 33:2).