Jenny and I trudge through the hot overcrowded streets of Varanasi. The early morning traffic comes to a near standstill as car horns echo throughout the city in an endless annoyance to my not fully awake ears. Jenny wants a banana and I need to go to the ATM.
The busy streets are filled with cows, vendors, beggars, and traffic. We finally stumble upon the perfect banana and continue our journey to the ATM. At the ATM machine I stand utterly confused at the amounts of money to choose from. Tiredness has taken its toll on me this morning, my brain is unable to convert the currency in my head. Out of sheer panic as the line grows outside the ATM machine, I choose an absurd sum of around $300 USD. I leave the machine utterly frustrated at India and yet God’s providence remains. From The sleepless night before to the ATM withdrawal his plan is unfolding unbeknownst to me.
That afternoon we are set to travel by car to visit the Taj Mahal, a mere 16 hours away by car.
As my team of 7 squeezes into the small SUV, 3 of the guys sit in the trunk area while the 4 ladies all share the middle seat, God’s providence remains.
The heat quickly fills every void in the car. Traffic stands still as the sun sets, sweat pours down our faces, huge trucks box our seamlessly tiny car in. My mom’s voice fills my head, “Never get stuck in between semi trucks.” The sleepless night drags on filled with dinner and multiple chai stops. Tiredness grows as we sweat out our frustrations. I watch over my teammates as they drift off to sleep wishing I had the same skills. Yet God’s providence remains. 6 am and we are just a few hours away from Agra and our destination. Stopped on the side of the road a huge tree stands guard as we go to the bathroom, no secret to anyone around. In life, before I do anything I know will suck, I usually say to myself, “It could always be worse.” Today, I said it out loud providing for some comic relief. God is faithful.
We arrived at the city of Agra tired, hungry and grumpy. We continue our day of touring the famous city. The Red Fort and Taj Mahal consumed our day. Well worth the visit but the heat of the day combined with no sleep has me longing to get back to Varanasi, I am tired yet hopeful that I will be able to sleep in the car on the way home. Dinner comes and goes as we climb back into the cramped car finally heading home. My hope of sleep is dashed as the temperature rises in the car far hotter than on the way to the Taj Mahal. Jenny and Jeanne keep switching places from the seat to the floor of the car. Jenny is struggling to find comfort in the heat and cramped situation. Bible verses fill the car as we all struggle with the current situation. God’s providence remains in the sweat and discomfort.
4 am and I am awakened by Aaron Hong yelling my name asking if I’m okay. Unresponsive I can hear the worry growing in his voice so I mumble the most annoyed yes I can. I open my eyes and happily notice my flip flops are still on my feet; I heard that shoes are the first thing to fly off in car accidents. I look at the window and see the huge metal truck right next to me, but my window not even cracked. I feel my face noticing that it’s definitely broken in my opinion, it’s so swollen. I must have hit the seat in front of me. I look over at Jeanne still sitting on the floor. I wonder how quickly everyone else got out of the car. Jeanne has pain in her back, don’t move and don’t let anyone move you I say as I jump out of the car to the cries of Jenny screaming, “Help Caleb is having a seizure.”
God’s providence remains as Kate goes into shock and Aaron Shugars begins to feel the full extent of his injuries. I quickly put Aaron Hong in charge of the developing situation. The “ambulance” finally arrives and I direct the men as best I can on how to get Jeanne out of the car despite a language barrier.
Jenny, Kate and I are taken in the back of a police truck while the others ride in the ambulance.
God’s providence remains as Jenny realizes the full extent of the situation and Kate wants to know if I’m okay. Hours pass and the sun begins to rise as we roll up to the hospital only to find that this building is far from a hospital.
But Gods providence remains in the blood stained walls, needles and trash cover the floor, blood is everywhere, death is among us.
But the father is there as we fill out countless papers with names and addresses. Aaron Hong keeps in constant communication with our leadership. Jenny’s diligence in remembering all our parents’ names. God’s providence remains as I ask Aaron Shugars to check himself for internal bleeding, thankfully finding none. My thoughts remain on the fact that this hospital can’t treat us. We are soon moved to a different hospital which actually turns out to be a free clinic.
God’s providence remains as we spend all day here amongst the dirty trash covered floors full of needles and old bandages. Old men laying on their death bed, a mother distraught over her infant, the injured being brought in and out, blood and urine stained beds, death surrounds us once more. The father cries with us.
Finally, once again we are loaded into an ambulance having to pay our way back to Varanasi, still 2 hours away. The father is faithful as I have already had to pay for my, X-ray, CT scan and now the ride back in the ambulance.
God’s providence remains as we each tell our perspective of the car accident, we laugh and cry together, we are family.
I am alive like I’ve never been before. This day has been like a gift to me. I am deeply and fully alive knowing and living why I was born; I love this chaos.
We arrive back in Varanasi only to finally go to the last hospital. God’s providence remains as the doctor delivers the joyful news that no bones are broken. We rest in God’s presence exhausted from this 3 day ordeal.
God’s providence remains as I pay for countless medicines and hospital bills. The father knew.
Days following the car accident I read endless articles about families and tourists killed in car accidents on the very road we had almost encountered our father. The statistics convey an even darker message, “1 person dies every minute on Indian roads.” God’s providence remains. We are alive.
A sincere thank you to our squad leaders who spent countless hours praying and watching over us, thank you Jeremy, Stephanie, and Esther.
Also, thank you to our families and friends for their endless prayers from half a world away.
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. -Romans 11:36
