04/26/2024
I was on my way to Walmart for a quick errand. I turned left onto Lake Elmo Drive and noticed two large doors up at a mechanic shop that I drive passed nearly every day. This time as I went by, the Lord spoke to me and said, "Turn around and go back. Visit with the man in charge about the noise under the hood of your motorhome." I did a U-turn and drove back to the garage. I saw a white-haired man with a white mustache working on a motor out front. There were so many cars parked around the area it looked like a used car lot indicating it is a trusted place to do business.
Sharon and I had recently purchased a motorhome for our itinerant ministry. There is an annoying sound coming from the engine area that is giving me serious concern. The possibility of being stranded in the middle of nowhere is overwhelming, so, I set out on an intense journey to find a mechanic to help solve my problem. I called mechanics around our city of Billings, MT seeking answers to no avail. I got a lot of ideas and guesses, but nothing definitive. I took it to a mechanic shop and after 30 minutes the answer was, "I am not sure what is making the noise. We will start by replacing parts until we find the right one." I was discouraged.
I walked up to the man at the garage on my way to Walmart and said, "Are you the man in charge." He said, "Yes, I am. How can I help you?" I began to tell him the details about my search for answers on my motorhome and that I can't find a mechanic who can tell me for sure what is causing the noise. I had literally called around the country looking for an answer.
I concluded by telling him I am an itinerant minister and I need this motorhome for my ministry. He quickly informed me he is a minister as well and began to share that he purchased the garage to train men released from prison to be mechanics giving them a new direction in life. I was amazed. He is credentialed with Evangelical Free Church and helped Pastor Vern Streeter start Harvest Church in Billings that now averages over 2,000 a Sunday in three services. He served as the director for Montana Rescue Mission in Billings several years ago and works with the local law enforcement. My mechanical issue had just turned into a "God moment."
Then he began to address my problem by telling me he has an engineering degree and suspects the noise is coming from the power steering pump and began to explain how it works and why it is making the noise. I literally begin to feel tears welling up in my eyes as I realize I am experiencing a divine appointment. It is amazing what happens when Jesus shows up.
“There is an oil seal where the shaft comes out of the pump and attaches to the serpentine belt pulley”, he explained. “In time the rubber seal on the shaft develops microscopic holes like pin holes and when it pumps oil, it sucks a tiny amount of air through the rubber on the seal. It ultimately escapes out the top of the oil reservoir. The noise is generated as the pump propeller inside rotates at a high rate of speed mixing oil and air together.
The last question I asked my new friend was what he recommends I do to fix my problem. He said, "Replace the power steering pump."
