For my entire adult like I have used alternative transportation. During my college years and pretty much through the 1980’s my main form of transportation was my bicycle. It was good exercise, got me most places I needed go, and was reliable. The rest of the time I either carpooled or took the bus. When I moved to Texas I found myself sick with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and unable to work. By the time I was awarded disability I was too sick to even care about a car. In 1996 God healed me but my economic situation was such that a car was just not a financial possibility. Though San Antonio Texas has a good bus system, it is not perfect and does not go many places. When I broke my foot last year the situation became even more difficult for me. I now was unable to walk to bus stops, which made getting around very difficult. Thankfully, my church came to my rescue and several folks started providing me transportation to church, the store, and other places I needed to get too. They were really a blessing.
Recently my economic situation has changed and I am now able to afford a car. So this past summer I started researching exactly what type of car I should get. If God had never called me to AOCCCI, my automotive needs would be totally different, but God did call me to this work and eventually I will no longer be living in one of the largest cities in the country. With that in mind I wanted a vehicle with good ground clearance and space inside. At the same time I did not want a vehicle that was so large it would be more car then I could handle, would be a gas guzzler, would be unsafe and/or break down often, or a color that would create a solar oven affect. So I spent a lot of time studying the different choices and praying. I went out and checked the possibilities for blind spots. Several friends told me I was wise for doing that and if they had done the same thing they would not have purchased the car they now owned because of the blind spots. So for anyone considering buying a car—do not forget to check for blind spots. You need to be able to see out of it when driving.
Another prayer request I had was for help. This was the first car I have ever purchased and I knew I needed some help or it would be easy for a car salesman to take advantage of me.
God answered both of my prayers. My friend’s husband has the gift of car buying. He has purchased many cars in his life and knows how to play the game well. He is a godly man and we prayed for God’s guidance in the car I should get. He also knew what to look for. Larry saw things I never even noticed. He also knew information I was ignorant of such as one dealership I had looked at also ran a car rental agency. He suspected the car I had looked at had been a rental and when he asked, the salesman confirmed it had been. In the end, with Larry’s help, I bought at very good price a 2006 Toyota Rav4. I do not believe I could have gotten a better car at a better price. Larry talked them down to $18,500 out the door (includes the TTL).
Of course after I signed the last piece of paper and wrote a check for the full price of the car, I had to follow Larry home to his house, in the dark, in my new car. Both of us would have been in a lot of trouble if we didn’t show the car to my friend (Larry’s wife
). When she saw it she promptly said, “I want one”, which Larry replied, “she what trouble you have caused”.Now that I have wheels, I am not stuck here in San Antonio anymore. Though money is still being raised for property, I can now start the process of looking. AOCCCI does need donations before property can be purchased, but we also need your prayers. Like buying a car, I have never purchased or even seriously looked for property. So your prayers are very important.
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