AFTER (the picture doesn't do justice to show all the damage, but just so you will have an idea)
If you read my status on Facebook you know that our Prado Land Cruiser is totaled. We let the director of Shalom Ministries borrow it to take his sisters to visit their mother and take their brother to the hospital, and they got in an accident where it rolled 3 times. Luckily no one was badly hurt, except for the Prado. And of course there is not insurance here so now we are without a vehicle. Not the worse thing in the world, but if you knew where we lived you would understand how essential it is for us to have one, especially with the ministry we are involved in. Unfortunately we can't just go out and buy a new one because the kind of vehicle we need for our area is very expensive and hard to come by. We are hoping to be able to sell some of the parts of our wrecked Prado, but we are not sure what is still in tact. When you car rolls like that it does all kind of damage and can even damage the engine and frame of the vehicle, but we are praying that we can salvage something from it.
There is a lot to learn in this situation, and God continually reminds us that He is in control and we need to depend on HIM for EVERYTHING! Living here just forces us to do that more, which is not a bad thing.
Ironically about 3 weeks ago we were studying Habakkuk in school with the kids. After the nation of Judah continually rejects God plea to turn back to Him and repent they continue in their ways. God explains to Habakkuk that they will be under captivity of the Babylonians. Despite his struggle with the events that are to happen, Habakkuk decides to praise God's wisdom in spite of the fact that he doesn't fully understand His ways. My favorite part of the whole book is the end when Habakkuk concludes:
Chapter 3:16-19
I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.
I don't want to be over dramatic and think that my situation comes close to Habakkuk's. I have all the things he knew he wouldn't have (even if it is beans and rice and porridge everyday). I have more than enough to rejoice about. However in the triviality of my circumstances I want to respond like Habakkuk. When I don't understand how things are going or things are not coming out like I had planned, I want to stand like Habakkuk and Job in ALL areas and not just what my emotions tell me.
I know I seem needy in the prayer request area, but if you could please pray that God would provide a way for us to have another vehicle and continue to provide our monthly needs here. Oh, and if you have time check out our website we just updated some things.
I leave you with this:
Michaela
We will pray for you. If it's any consolation (?) we never had a vehicle (but also no kids...) and we carried all of our supplies in duffles, via bus (the bigger ones are much better than matatu) to Mbale. We stayed the night at The LandMark- it's an Indian restaurant too. Then we'd take a taxi/boda to the bus station and it typically left around 9am. We'd hit Kotido within six hours or so depending on the roads. It's not the best and it's bumpy and loud and no comparison to the buses int he south but it gets you there.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the car. Major bummer.
Georgia,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your suggestions. The hardest thing is having the kids (and being pregnant)when emergencies arise, but God is in control and He knows best. We also use the vehicle a lot for ministry stuff, but again, we know it will work itself out.