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Missionary (Mis)Adventures - Halleluiah Has Gas
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Pocket Full of Quarters Trek 2009
Missionary (Mis)Adventures
Halleluiah Has Gas
By Cheryle M. Touchton
The Pocket Full of Quarters Lady
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Halleluiah lives at the beach. It must not be good for his digestion because he has gas. Tonight, when we tried to turn off his gas, it kept right on burning.
Halleluiah is the camper van that Gail Golden, Belle the Missionary Dog, and I are traveling, living, and cooking in. He fuels his appliances by propane gas. After cooking dinner tonight, when I went to turn the burner off, the knob wouldn’t budge. It turns out that salt water air had corroded the burner knob. Life sure gets exciting in a camper when you can’t turn off a gas burner.
When I repeatedly tried to turn the knob, I burned my finger. Next, the hot pad I tried almost caught on fire. The washcloth didn’t work any better. Then I did what I do when I’m in over my head – I called Bob.
“Cheryle, you have to turn off the camper gas from outside,” Bob urgently instructed. Following his careful instructions, I went outside, leaving the camper door wide open.
Belle spotted two large dogs and bolted out the door. “Belle,” Gail screamed. “Come here.”
Realizing Belle was in trouble, I screamed her name and darted across the street to protect my dog from mistakenly protecting us. I ran out of cell range from my ear bud to my phone, leaving a panicked and confused Bob who had no idea what new drama had attacked his hapless wife.
After rescuing and scolding Belle, I dashed back to the burning flame and into cell range and begin to hear Bob shouting into my ear, “Cheryle, Cheryle…focus…talk to me…what is going on?”
After trying to calm him down, I followed his instructions and turned the gas off from the back, waited for the flame to stop burning, and got pliers to turn the corroded burner knob.
“Cheryle,” Bob said firmly, making it clear I was to concentrate on his words. “After you turn the gas back on, test it. Light a match and make sure no gas is coming from the stovetop.”
“What if I blow up?” I asked.
“Oh well,” he said dryly. “I guess I’ll see you in heaven.” No one blew up, burned up, or was eaten by big dogs but I do have a burned finger and two chipped acrylic nails.
When the excitement was over, I looked at Gail and said, “Welcome to my world.”
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Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Gail Golden at 904 316-5462.
This ministry exists because people like you are called to help fund the work of the kingdom. To help keep the Pocket Full of Quarters Lady on the road as a traveling missionary, send your tax deductible contribution to Pocket Full of Change Ministries, POB 51205, Jacksonville Beach, Florida 32240 or go to the donate button on the home page of this website.
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