Off-Roading (It was a part of the training!!)

I am going to post more about the training. We are actually still processing it all....and will probably post a lengthly entry on the Travels and Musings blog. (So keep an eye on that one for more info.) Since this is our family blog, I am going to tell you about parts of the training worth photographing!

We had an off-road elective. The idea is that so many times, highly educated, city-living missionaries go overseas, only to flip their vehicles when in off-roading situations. We were actually given the opportunity to "practice" driving off-road....up crazy "obstacles" and down steep hills and over huge boulders and through deep mud. Now....I know what you might be thinking....Adrienne doesn't know how to drive a manual transmission car.

THAT is why I signed up for the elective WITHOUT Caleb. He is a wonderful husband, but not the most patient when teaching someone to drive.

Meet my carpool: (Me, Carol and Barbara)

AKA Peppers Angels!

(John Peppers was our instructor...he was in the car, too.)

Notice the steep drop off below:

This is the first and only hill that I got stuck in. Peppers actually (I don't know how) managed to tell me exactly what to do to get "un-stuck". After stalling a few times and screaming a few times, I made it up the hill. In case you were wondering, I got stuck in the rut on the top left hand side....just to the left of the big shiny rock that I was "aiming for" and missed!

Carol- the Pro!
Barbara and I- she was super fast! The course took me 45 minutes to complete. It took her about 20. Maybe it was because I was in first gear the whole time! (Shhhhh! Don't tell Caleb!)

Since we had more time on our hands (I told you Barbara was super fast), I was asked to give Carol directions. Notice- her car has a sun shield. She was essentially "blind-folded". I had to direct her so that two of her tires were on two tiny golf balls. Yes...it was as hard as it sounds!

Pepper's Angels pose again:

SO much fun!

Caleb actually went first, but since this is my blog, I decided to post his pictures after mine!

Fun times.

Sometimes, when the car went into a rut, your window was literally touching the ground. Did I mention how fun this was??

This picture doesn't exactly show you, but this obstacle was the equivalent of going up then down a triangle:

MUD!

This was a "dry day". Caleb went back a couple days later after it had rained for about 24 hours.

Ben was a little jealous, so we took him "off-roading", too!

Here's a picture of Buna and Ben:

If you ever have the chance to do this....I highly encourage it!