We were excited to show Grandma the beautiful city of Perth, Western Australia. So excited in fact that we decided to go a day sooner than we had planned. So we booked an additional night, scheduled the appointment with the U.S. Embassy to get Sofia her U.S. citizenship and got all packed and ready to go. The kids were more excited than anyone. Ava was especially excited and decided she would do the honors of looking after our one and only key to our Land Cruiser until it was time to go. Cory was packing up the car and I was feeding Sofie, and we both knew she had the keys...but for some reason we were both too distracted to say, wait a minute, I don't think that is such a good idea for you to hold on to it.
So as we were almost all packed up to go, Cory needed the keys to unlock the back door to the Land Cruiser. So we asked Ava where they were. And much to her dismay, they had fallen out of her pocket where she had so carefully placed them. You see, Ava has quite the bounce in her step. It is winter here and it gets dark around 5:30, it was about 4:30 in the afternoon.
So we started searching the front yard where the kids were playing. We searched the vehicle where they were also playing. We searched the front room, the kitchen, my bedroom, the hallway, even on to the girls room. Nothing! We had three adults searching...and still nothing! By this time, Ava was in tears feeling so guilty. We kept trying to reassure her that it was okay, we would find them and it wasn't her fault...but she has a bit of a sensitive conscience....even if her sensitivity only lasts for a little while. Luckily, she recovers quickly. :)
The search soon escalated to unpacking and repacking all the luggage and then on to systematically cleaning every room in the house. By this time, it was dark and way past when we wanted to leave. We had an appointment with the U.S. Embassy at 10:30 am, so we figured as long as we found the key and left by 2 am, we would still make it.
We said individual prayers and a group prayer, but still nothing. By 8:30, we had cleaned almost every room and searched every inch. We put the kids to bed and I had given up hope, Cory's mom was wondering when she should book a flight to Perth to catch her flight home, since it didn't look like we would be dropping her off.
Eventually, we gave up and went to bed. I kept wondering why Heavenly Father wasn't answering our prayers! At, about 2 am Sofie woke up for a feed and as I got out of bed, I heard something fall off the bed, it sounded like keys! So I searched...but it wasn't, just a toy truck.
It's too bad we didn't have a spare key. On top of not having a spare key, this isn't a very easily replaced key. When we woke up in the morning we started investigating our options as far as getting a replacement key. Unfortunately, not only would it be thousands of dollars due to the electronic chip in the key, it also wouldn't be something we could get done in an hour so we could be on our merry way...it would take days, maybe even weeks in this outback town! It seemed as if there was no solution. All hope was lost. Cory went down to work to see if there was a spare key laying around the office there since it was a work vehicle.
The kids woke up eager to know if we'd found it to no avail. I know, this is a small matter, but I was a little upset that the Lord hadn't answered our prayers. I was feeling dejected and disappointed about the whole situation.
Side story, our fridge broke down the day before Sofie was born. Then Cory fixed it, then it broke again, then it was fixed again then it broke again. So we had a spare fridge out on our back porch that we were keeping all of our food in at the moment while we were in between fridges. We keep it out there because it is super ugly! Anyways, I was getting the kids breakfast and so I was pulling out the milk from the fridge and as I did, something small and black and key like caught my eye under our outdoor couch...I squinted my eyes in disbelief of what I was seeing since I had actually just been out there looking. I even took the cushions off of that very couch and looked under them to find nothing. Yet sure enough, it was the key. Just sitting there unsuspectingly under the couch all along!
As you can imagine, I came in screaming that I had found the missing key. I called Cory over joyed that we didn't have to spend thousands to replace the key and that we could make it to Perth with Grandma afterall. Hip hip hooray!
Shortly there after, we packed up the car and hit the road. And all the pain and frustration melted away and was forgotten and we had a marvelous trip to Perth. We had to change our appointment to the U.S. Embassy and we had to pay for a night that we didn't actually stay, but I can't help but think that there is a certain reason we were supposed to leave Wednesday night, and we needed lost keys to keep us from it.
Now, I'm not one to draw metaphors from simple things in life on a regular basis, but I can't help but think how this small experience parallels a major trial we are facing right now in our lives.
Shortly after Sofie was born, we found out that the company Cory works for had lost the work they thought they had and would possibly have to file bankruptcy. Eventually, they did file bankruptcy and are still in the process of doing so. So as soon as the administration wraps things up, and doesn't need Cory any more, Cory will be out of a job. Either he needs to find work here and someone who would be willing to sponsor him, or we will need to return to the states. It has been a huge drama and quite the trying situation. The weight of the stress has been crushing, to both Cory and myself. This uncertain job situation has been dragging on for over two months and I keep wondering why Heavenly Father isn't answering our prayers.
Now if the key adventure taught me anything, it is that Heavenly Father does answer our prayers but it will be on His time table, not ours. And that while waiting for the proper time, we need to be patient and bear all things, hope all things and believe all things. I think in a small way, the adventure of the lost keys was preparing me for this patience testing trial of faith that we are currently enduring.
Now we still don't know if we are staying or going, and it looks as though we still won't know for a while, but if there is one thing that my Heavenly Father has done for me through this trial is He hasn't left me comfortless. He has come to me and given me peace. And for that I am grateful.
One morning in particular, when I was extra stressed about what we were going to do, where we were going to live, how we were going to live, I had read the scripture in 2 Nephi command us to "Feast upon the words of Christ and He will show you all things what ye should do." (I'm paraphrasing...) So I decided that that is what I must do. So I began reading the words of Christ found in 3 Nephi. And on that particular morning, when I was feeling the weight of our situation, I read 3 Nephi 13:25-34. It's a long passage, but verses 30 to 32 read, "Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithall shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." It was a direct answer to my prayers and brought me the much needed peace that I was seeking. That is just one of the many tender mercies my Father in Heaven has given me during this trying time.
Alright, enough being serious, on to the exciting and beautiful city of Perth!
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