An awesome trucking love story...

by Barb Sosmena
(Abu Dhabi, UAE)

December 27, 2008

Dear Friends,

I’d like to share with you some background highlights of an awesome story, our story to be exact… It surfaced a little over 8 years ago, originating on opposite sides of the planet.
I, Barb had recently made a major, life-changing decision to alter the course of my life.

I had spent 27 years of my life dedicated to spreading The Good News (the Word of God) utilizing the media of communication. I was a member of the Daughters of St. Paul, an international group of women who dedicate their life, energies and talents to spreading the Gospel.

Like any lifelong commitment, motivations need come from a clear understanding of one’s life-purpose. In my case, I arrived at that clarity of motivation only after 27 years.

I realized that I needed to be true to myself and to God; this is where and when the life-changing decision took place. I chose to leave that particular life of commitment and very soon after found the path that God had intended for me to follow.

I knew this with surety because I finally found the peace of heart that I had been searching for during the previous 27 years!
As a member of the Daughters of St. Paul, I had learned many technical skills (offset press operator, video duplication technician, “God’s sales rep”, artist…to name a few). However, it was the valuable lesson of “work as though it all depended on you, but trust because the outcome all depends on God” which led me to finding my new path in life!

For a couple of years I searched for my niche in the everyday life outside of the convent life that I had lived for those 27 years… Finally, I started my own business: Barb Rimmele’s Household Assistance Services.

Only a short 6 weeks after starting my business, did I receive my first email from my future husband in response to my Yahoo Personals ad. His messages arrived in my In box usually in the middle of the night. So I asked him if he worked the night shift or something like that. Imagine my surprise when he responded that he lived in Manila, Philippines!

We corresponded daily via email, instant messaging and for a while, even phone calls for 4 years, getting to know each other quite well. Finally, I decided to find out for sure if this gentleman was really the right person for me to live with for the rest of my life.

I re-financed my house mortgage and made a trip from St. Louis, MO to Manila, Philippines to find out… The moment I arrived and met him in person, I realized that he was truly the person God wanted me to spend the rest of my life with!

We arranged a Civil Marriage ceremony shortly before my return to St. Louis, MO. It was another 3 long years before we were able to live in the same country. In the course of those 3 years, my husband, Joel, moved from Manila Philippines to Abu Dhabi, UAE (United Arab Emirates).

I gave my business to a young woman in St. Louis who was in urgent need of a steady income; then packed up a few of my belongings and flew to Abu Dhabi, UAE with $1,800 in my pocket on December 15th 2007.

At long last we were able to live together as husband and wife! In the ensuing year, two thoughts/saying have sustained us through some very difficult times.
“If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans!” And “The joy is in the journey, not the destination!”

After sending out literally hundreds of copies of my resume’ during the first six months after my arrival, I finally was able to obtain employment with a local airline company. One thing we learned very quickly is that in this particular country, there is a law which prohibits employers from hiring anyone near 60 years old for any position except an executive position.

Joel has an extensive array of skills which he has utilized in the course of his life, among them being an OTR tractor/trailer driver for several years.

His dream is to again be on the road as a long-distance driver, most specifically in the USA. I too welcome the idea of joining him as a Team Driver particularly back in the good ol’ USA!! However, to reach that goal will take us quite some time!

We started as of December 21st 2008, to set aside a monthly amount from my paycheck the equivalent of $546.44 for our “Truck fund” in order to buy our own rig in the USA whenever we are able to return there.

It will take us quite a while to accrue sufficient funds for a used tractor/trailer rig (with a sleeper) so that we can fulfill our dream. This is a time when we frequently need to remind ourselves of our two favorite sayings, particularly since we are not getting any younger!

Daily, Joel searches trucker websites in search of a trucking company and a rig…always reminding God of our hopes and dreams… At our current rate, it will take us a minimum of 3 years to save up enough funds for our dream rig.

We just wanted to share with you our awesome journey as it has unfolded over the past 8 years…
Regards,
Barb & Joel Sosmena