Matt’s Mishaps

“Serving overseas as a small-town boy from America is intense, stressful and humorous! Enjoy a light-hearted story with me from our last 20 years overseas!”

– Matt 

Yoder Loader Van

We have a friend who sells vehicles in small-town America and who found us something to drive when back in the States.  Our travels always take us to the East Coast. When once near Washington DC, we stayed in the home of a couple whose daughter had been recently married.  Driving an extended white Chevy Express van doesn’t turn any heads in the small-town Indiana or even seem that big compared to many four door pickup trucks.  It is definitely less common in D.C.  

Two of our sons got their Indiana driver’s licenses and learned to drive using a large van.  After you learn to drive a “Yoder Loader,” you can drive about anything.  One son’s experience driving a large van served him well as he then got a job driving Amish pastries to restaurants and businesses.

When the DC area couple saw us pull up in their driveway in the long white van, he said, “Oh, you’ve got a big ‘Yoder Loader’.”  His daughter had just married into a Yoder family and they were driven with other family members to the wedding in a white van like ours.  It did seem big compared to his little hybrid parked in their garage.  However, he commuted for hours each day in East Coast traffic.

Vehicles overseas and people’s perceptions of them are from a whole different galaxy.  I remember when a national pastor friend, who had six daughters, was looking for a vehicle for their family of eight.  A member of his church offered them a vehicle. The pastor told him it was too big – it was a Ford Escort!  

Something similar ever happen to you?   Contact me and let me hear your story!

mattsmishaps@gmail.com    Matt’s Mishaps, PO BOX 114, Grabill, IN  46741