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Chief Engineer Bill Whitt carefully navigated the utility Gator over the deep snow as he attempted to make his way to the top of Soda Mountain. It's Bill's job to maintain the many Better Life television transmitters scattered across Oregon and parts of California. Some mountain top sites are easier to reach than others, but in this case heavy snow made the road up the hill quite challenging. All of a sudden, without warning, the snow gave way and the vehicle sank into a deep air pocket that left the Gator up to its rooftop in snow. Bill reached for one of the snow shoes he brought, digging away some of the surrounding snow before attempting to back out of the pit. Providentially, the Gator's special tank like tread known as Mattracks were able to catch enough solid ground to allow him to back out of his icy predicament. Bill then made use of both snow shoes to trudge the rest of the way up the mountain to the transmitter.

Later, as he strapped the Gator back on its trailer, Bill thanked God that he was able to safely finish the job during daylight hours. It's situations like this that make Bill's job one of the most arduous if not exciting ones at Better Life Broadcasting Network.

As you might imagine, having the proper equipment is key to the safety and effectiveness of our engineers. In addition the utility Gator, Bill, and his assistant Jeff, also relied on an old Jeep Cherokee to get them up to the top of some of Oregon's highest peaks, but with two hundred thousand miles on it, the truck was quickly nearing the end of its useful reliable life.

Earlier this year Better Life Broadcasting viewer Mike Dunks heard that there was a need for a new engineering truck. Mike, who owns a truck repair business with his son, thought this was a project he could take on. He teamed up with his friend Kendall Everett and they began raising funds for the vehicle. Mike and Kendall solicited local churches and others and the donations began to come in. One man donated a Jeep that was sold and the profits put toward the endeavor. Mike said, "Donations ranged from "$3 to $3,500."

Meanwhile, Better Life board member, Bruce Fjarli, found a used truck in good condition that he thought would meet Better Life's needs. The 2001 Dodge v8 4x4 used to be a lineman's truck so it was already partially ready for engineering work. After looking over the vehicle the decision was made to purchase it.

A trailer was used to transport the truck from Medford up to Eugene where Mike's son Michael had his mechanic Randy Kuhl begin fixing it up. Mike visited local vendors and was pleased to find that many of them were willing to provide parts for the truck at very reduced cost, which was surprising in this difficult economy. Tires were mounted and balanced for free. New rims were offered at a heavily discounted price and even the vinyl signage was provided at a savings. Kendall provided the detailing and in the end, many hours of labor were donated to see the dream of a new truck become a reality.

The truck is far more than just a regular pickup. "A new comparable truck could easily be 60 thousand dollars," said Mike. This is partly because of all the extra accessories the truck needs to do it's job. This includes a 5 kilo watt generator, special off road bumper, twelve thousand pound Warn brand winch and a service body with specialized compartments.

The new truck's first job was to take the engineers up Mt. Bluie to service the tower that broadcasts to all of Grants Pass. Bill said, "It's a much better drive, more stable and safer too."

We thank all those who donated their time, talent and money to this project. Our engineering staff is now well equipped to service Better Life transmitters throughout the state of Oregon and California with a safer, more reliable vehicle.

Mike says, his work isn't through. He's already set his sights on raising money for a new Jeep for the Better Life Engineers! This second, more economical vehicle will be useful for light jobs, or for those times that the engineers need to travel to two locations at the same time.

If you'd like to donate funds for an engineering Jeep, or perhaps you have a Jeep you'd like to donate, please contact us at:

Better Life Broadcasting Network

P.O. Box 766 Grants Pass,

OR 97528 (541) 474-3089

betterlifetv.tv

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