Highway Rodeo by Brandon Evans

God on the Move!

So my wife Candace and I decide we’ll take a little ride out on the bike to Bible study two Sunday nights ago. We ‘kitted-up’ in the leather jackets, 2 pairs of pants and boots – in this cold weather much warmth is needed.
We quickly prayed inside our house for God’s angels to encamp around us and the blood of Jesus to cover us while we travel, as we so often do when going anywhere. It was around 5:45pm when we left from Midrand, and headed for Petra Ministries in Randburg. We got onto the highway, and Candace had this really bad feeling about an accident, so she just thought well maybe it’s because I haven’t been on the bike for awhile, then again she had another thought and so she rebuked the thought and just continued to pray.

I for some reason noticed the reflective yellow and black chevron signs on the side of the highway and noticed these sand bags on the bottom part of the signs, holding them in place and I thought imagine hitting one of those sandbags on the bike.
I thought ‘that’s nonsense, stop thinking about that’.
About 3 km further on we were taking it easy, doing +- 120km per hour in the fast lane on a downhill just after William Nicol Drive. Before I had time to react, we
launched right over a hard rubberized bottom block. This is the part which holds the chevron sign upright, it had been left right in the center of the fast lane.
Candace flew in the air, still holding onto me with both hands, her feet and bum in the air and both feet landed perfectly back on her footrests, there was no speed wobbles or anything. It was as if the Lords’ angels had kept us perfectly centered as we hit this block of hardened rubber straight on.

If any of you know anything about bikes, this is a Ducati 996R, weighing in at 198 Kilograms, fully loaded with Candace and I thereon. The suspension bottomed out at the back and we slowly got to Church. We had an awesome time at Bible study and then our friend Matt asked us to come around for some coffee. We agreed and asked him and our mom Linda to follow us to the nearest petrol station, just to make sure all was in order with the bike. The bike felt fine on the way there and we chatted awhile and then decided to pray for the Lords protection over us travelling back home etc, once again asking for God’s angels to go ahead and prepare the way and encamp about us as we travel. We left the station and had some coffee at Matt’s place, it was just after midnight and time for us to get going after some cool fellowship and prayer.

We got back on the highway and started the slow journey home, we could feel the bike getting lower and at this stage the bike was scrapping the ground at the bottom over every little bump, so we took the Midrand turn-off and turned right to head home and at around 30 km/h the back wheel just totally seized up and the bike came to a quick stop, there were no cars around this time of the morning and it was dark. The whole back seat and exhaust pipes under were lying on the back wheel, a bracket that holds the suspension had bust. This could have happened at any part of the highway even around one of the corners, that could have been disastrous.

We hopped off the bike and I lifted the back seat and tried to push the bike to the side of the road for safety, I kept having visions of having to push the bike all the way home (+-5km) while holding the back seat off the back wheel, uphills, down hills etc etc. Oh and did I mentioned we had no mobile/cell phone on us either (LOL!)
There we were stranded… next thing Candace says ‘Lord we need someone with a bakkie (Pick up truck) to help us.’
Next thing… out of nowhere this red bakkie with a yellow warning light on the roof comes past, travelling in the opposite direction, so I throw my hand up to wave him down and it looks like he’s going to carry on driving onto the on-ramp of the highway, next thing he swerves and makes a U-turn and stops just behind us.
Patrick (God Bless him!) listens as I explain the whole story and he agrees to help us out, so we load all 198 kilos of bike onto the back of the bakkie and I sit on top of the bike as Patrick slowly drives us home to safety. Well, we got home in one peace and sat on the bed and just marvelled at how God was so faithful in getting us to Church and back home again and everything that happened in between. So don’t ever under estimate the power of prayer and remember, that in all things

‘God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’ (Romans 8:28)

The report back on the bike is: Ro,b a Superbike racing mechanic has assessed the damage, which is the following:
* Front Axle (To be replaced)* Front Rim (He can have this repaired)
* Rear Rim (He can have this repaired)* Stabiliser arm and rose joints

Rob said it doesn’t look like the rear shock is leaking however he can only assess that properly once he has the Stabiliser arm, he said: Whatever you hit… you hit it HARD! You are very lucky you didn’t get hurt. (Thanks and God Bless you Rob!)

Thank-you Father God in Jesus’ name for Your Grace, Mercy and for answered prayer, for your angels and for using people around us to help us where there seemed to be no hope. Amen!

It is so important to share testimonies with one another and at combined cell church group last week Wednesday Candace and I shared this testimony with everyone and one of the members at Church heard it and sms’ed and phoned us the next day, she had just been in a similar situation, stranded with her car etc and God came through for her, this really encouraged her, so look out for Luisa’s testimony coming soon to Regener8ed… God is soooo Good! Love you all!