Livingstone to Choma to Mapanza

Lynne and Sikutanta on the ferry to Botswana for the Safari.

Lioness we saw next to her freshly killed elephant.

June 28, 2013    

               “Back in the saddle again!”, as my friend and childhood hero Gene Autry would say.  Back home at NDO for the first morning devotion on Luke 9:23 and Galatians 2:20.  Missed seeing the Rosemont Team at devotion, but they are winging their way home to you.  I did not take my computer to Livingstone with us, and now wish I had so that I could have written and kept up with all that was happening.  Now I will have to try to remember all of the remarkable and memorable events from our journey to Livingstone.

               Our trip from Livingstone to Choma (where my friend Blu picked us up) was on a big blue motor coach.  It takes 3 hours to drive in the bus from Livingstone to Choma.  Our motor coach left Livingstone at 9 a.m. and made 4 stops (one was a mandatory weigh station).  We were also slowed several times by traffic.  We still managed to pull into Choma at 11 a.m. on schedule.  Our bus was flying!!!  They served us a drink, a snack and a copy of the Zambian Post to read on our trip.  It was air conditioned and they played Christian praise music (I think it was Hillsong) the entire journey.  Blu says it is business class.  We rode to Macha Hospital in the cab of the Canter, and in the back of the Canter back to NDO.   I received 16 enthusiastic hugs on our return to NDO, all the while they were shouting, “Papa Larry.”  They had counted the days we were gone-four!!  For them it was too long.

               I am still praising Mwami leza (LORD God) for the opportunity to teach in the market place.  After I wrote down the ABC Bible study for them, they asked me to go through a passage with them.  I had my journal in my backpack, so I shared with them my study of Romans 8:9-11.   As I previously blogged, they asked me to give them some passages I would recommend studying.  After studying the passage they asked, “What time tomorrow will you be here?”  I told them that if our vehicle was repaired I would be on my way to Mapanza.  They asked about the vehicle, and I explained what was wrong and Wes’s efforts to find the part.  One of the guys said, “Tell Wes I am glad his vehicle is broken.  I praise God for what you have shared with us today!”   I told them the Holy Spirit shared with them through me.  One of them said, “Like Moses?”  I told them that, yes Moses had claimed he was not a good speaker and that God told Moses He would give him the words to say.  Time passed quickly as we sat there in the market on the main street of Livingstone breaking bread and worshiping together.  I kept thinking that Dr. David Livingstone would smile to see the Gospel so freely shared in Zambia.

               Let me share with you how God led Wes to the part needed to fix the bus.  After the Rosemont Team dropped us off at Ngolide Lodge (pronounced in-goh-lee-day) Wes and Laurie offered to take us to immigration to get an extension on our visa.  The original visa was only for 30 days and would expire before we are to leave.  As we are leaving the lodge, we pass an Indian lady (not American Indian).  Wes asked her if she was the owner.  She said yes.  She and her husband own the lodge and the Indian restaurant across the street.  Wes explained that he would need to delay his check out and possibly Lynne and I would need a room if the bus was not repaired.  She then gave Wes the name of a local mechanic her husband uses and gave Wes her husband’s phone number.   Wes then told her about NDO and gave her a business card.  Throughout the day and evening her husband either called Wes or found Wes and spoke face to face with him about repairing the bus.  After dinner that night, we met the husband when we were returning to the lodge.  He asked Wes if he had tried to junk yard down the street.  Wes said no, and got directions.  Wes visited the junkyard the next morning after dropping us at the bus station (I use the words “bus station” loosely).   No, the junkyard did not have the part, but the owner called someone who did have the part!!!  Yes, it was a God thing!!! As my friend Toby so eloquently put it, out here in the bush your only choice is to pray and trust in God’s provision.  Our God is faithful, but does not always answer in the way we expect.  BTW, the owners said they would like to contribute to the orphanage and send some toys for the kids.  Also BTW, while we were at the market Wes met a lady from Kenya who works for BIC and is willing to send pens, pencils and backpacks for the students at NDO.  Praise God for a broken van, and for turning what could be a negative into opportunities.

               I know this blog is long enough or almost too long!!  So I will conclude.  If you are interested in the ABC Bible study I shared in the market, drop me an e-mail (larryninas@gmail.com) or message me on Facebook.  It is a Navigator’s study method, but I have adapted it to fit my needs.  If you use it a couple of time you will be able to do it without looking at the notes. BTW if the caption on the picture with "Sikutanta" confuses you, read yesterday's blog post.  Thank you for contiuing