I haven't been blogging lately on my own blog. January has been a month of trying to catch up and keep up a very fast pace as we head into the New Year. I still hope to post about some of the things we did for the holidays and this month.
But for now, let me post about a tender mercy we just experienced yesterday. I am feeling so much gratitude to our Heavenly Father and must take this occasion to write about it.
Saturday mornings, Mette drives down to Van Nuys to be part of a Ballroom Dance Class and Team. She loves going, but yesterday morning she was extra tired and got up a little late. She almost decided not to go at all, but she went anyway.
John and I and Hans said good-bye and I kissed her about 7:30 as she left. We then got ready and went to the Stake Center to take our assignment of cleaning the building starting at 8:00 am. I accidentally grabbed John's cellphone (which was turned off) and put it in my pocket to keep it with me as I went about cleaning. John need to call one of the members of his cleaning team and when I handed him the cellphone, I realized it was his, not mine. Mine was still at home. Anyway, about 10:00, a message finally got through to him from Mette that she had been in car accident, shortly after 8:00 am in Van Nuys at the intersection of Balboa and Burbank. As she got off the freeway there was a traffic light which she stopped at and then when she went again, she didn't notice another traffic light within about 50 feet. As she went across the white lines, she looked up and discovered it was a red light! Too late! A car coming from her passenger side ran into her front right wheel and fender area very hard, causing her to spin and be shoved sideways, facing the oncoming cars who were waiting at the red light. She crashed head on into one of them, braking the axle on that car, at the same time hitting two other cars on her drivers side. Her airbags both deployed, hitting her hard in the face, especially her upper lip. She looked over the airbags in the faces of people getting out of their cars and coming toward her, knowing that she had caused all this. She couldn't get out right away.
Fortunately, no one else seemed to be hurt, that in itself is a HUGE blessing, but her car was totaled and the car that hit her was totaled and the car with the broken axle was towed away, also.
Most everyone was nice to her and comforting her. The firemen took her vitals and asked her questions to see if she knew where she was and what day it was, etc. The tow truck driver, who John and I met later in the day when we drove down to the yard to see the car and sign a release to our insurance company, took us out to see the car. He told us he had tried to comfort her and give her some water to drink. He sees lots of wrecks every day, some really bad ones, and he said he never leaves the house without asking God to help him come back safe that night. I told him, yes, we ask for safety every day in our prayers as well, and this day with hearts full and tears streaming, we knelt in a prayer of gratitude for watching over Mette and keeping her from being hurt badly.
We are so thankful Mette was able to reach Ditte, who called Jeremy and he left work and went down to help Mette and drive her home. Thank you SOOO much, Jeremy. We felt so terrible we couldn't be reached....no one remembered where we were at the church cleaning...even Mette with all she went through, had forgotten that was where we were, so thank you again, Jeremy.
Here's the pictures of the car as we saw it in the Police Storage Yard in Van Nuys.....Poor little red Mitsubishi....it's done for!
But, as for Mette, her lip has gone down to almost normal and she is sore especially her shoulders and neck and her chest aches, probably from the impact of the seat belts and the airbags. But she is doing fine. We have been recipients this weekend of tender mercies that we can see clearly. I think many times we have them in our life, but we don't recognize them......not this time! When I woke this morning, the thought came clearly to me that my parents, grandma and grandpa Beecroft, were probably being guardian angles again. I know they watch over their children and grandchildren here on earth.
Don't ever leave home without kissing your loved ones and telling them you love them and praying for safety that day!
Erik and Cristin with Luke looking on! 
Erik and Cristin
Serving up Cake and Ice cream
Rance Peterson, John and Jonathan
Mette, Kirsten and Tyson
Ditte, Scotty and Haans and Else
Hans enjoying his video games
Some of our grandchildren watching a movie on Gramma's and Gramps Bed!
Else wth Mette handing her many presents!
Some of the employees and friends and family of Camarillo Lassen's Store on Else's last day of work held a small going away party in the back room
Some of the employees and friends and family of Camarillo Lassen's Store on Else's last day of work held a small going away party in the back room
