ANSWERED
A follow-up to my prayer requests a few weeks back…
Your prayers were answered as we traveled. Hallelujah! We moved WITH hardship, but we were protected physically throughout. Our “Plan B” vehicle also needed repairs, which occurred on the side of the road. I am grateful for skilled roadside mechanics that answered our call for assistance.
One of our film sites in southern Burundi required us to travel 30 minutes off the paved road of which the final 500 meters was a sharp incline to arrive at a church atop the ridgeline. After the film we descended in darkness from the ridgeline and made our way to town for the night. The next day we traveled off road to visit a tourist site. We had a great time relaxing and enjoying Burundi, but the return trip to the main road was delayed by vehicle problems. The brake line broke! We weren’t moving that fast and managed to stop on a level spot of the mountainous road. Brake fluid sprayed against the inner wheel and streaked the unpaved road. We were fortunate to be in that particular spot of the road. A passing vehicle answered our call for help with the contact number for a local mechanic. We were able to share photos of the problem and describe the situation. The mechanic arrived over an hour later with the appropriate tools and parts and got right to work.
As the mechanic was working on the repairs along that dusty mountain road, the team and I recalled the treacherous descent from the church the previous night. Had we lost brake pressure at that moment, we surely would have had to ditch the vehicle along the rocky terrain. Our God protected us to have this failure on a manageable stretch of road instead of a rocky mountain path. Praise God for His protection!
Once the mechanic restored pressure to the braking system, we then observed a tire which had gone flat. Ugggggggh!!! Upon replacing the flat tire with the spare tire, we noticed the low tire pressure of our backup. Ooof!!! A well-placed handyman with a bicycle pump filled our tire with enough pressure to move on. We slowly proceeded to the main road on less than recommended tire pressure and serviceable brake pressure. We hobbled into the next town for restorative maintenance which allowed is to reach lodging for the night and ultimately continue on for the remainder of the trip.
Nevertheless, the film event itself was fulfilling. The team was surprised by the crowds this year. As we arrived at each location we were greeted by hordes of children. They were fascinated to see what we were unloading and to watch us set up. Slowly adults also stopped to observe what was happening. Some nights we estimated crowds of more than 400 people. It felt like we took over the village! Other nights saw crowds under 100 people. On one night equipment failure limited the full film from being shown but one of my teammates stepped up to share the story. Knowing the excitement of a film was the main attraction we vowed to return to this village with the full film in tow.
By the end of the trip, I don’t know what Plan we were on. Was it C, D, E? None of it surprised our knowing Father though. He cleared a safe path for us and allowed us to carry His story to these villages. I continue to feel His blessed invitation to be a part of it.
Thanks to all of you for your petitions to the Savior King on our behalf.
