You never know what can happen when you're traveling around the world. With all the different ways to get around, all the different people helping you get there, and all the roads you've never been on… you can imagine that it could be a bit confusing.
We are currently living in Kigali, Rwanda with two other teams. The women of Awakened Ezekiels and Steadfast Pursuit. For this month, we decided to mix up our teams and work together. So we took the three teams and split them into two.
Last Sunday, my "team" for the week decided to take motorcycle taxi's to our ministry site. We were going to a church that we had been to once before, in a village we were not entirely familiar with. From our house, we had to walk up a dirt road and to the "moto" corner. We were able to tell them where we needed to go, and before I knew it, my driver took off. He had to fill his gas tank before we left for the village.
I didn't know at the time that we were going to fill the tank, so I just figured we would find our way to the church with the others tailing close behind. I realized, rather quickly, that this was not the case. My driver filled up his tank, and we headed back toward where the team was at, only to find that they had left.
Now, I didn't know how to get to the village, and I didn't know the name of the church. I don't have a working phone, or a phone number for the pastor. I was relying on my driver to get me where I needed to go— As we were cruising down the streets, I thought maybe we would catch up to the rest of the group, however, this was not the case. We got to the end of the pavement road, and turned onto a dirt path.
A few minutes later, we were lost.
You may be wondering, where was the rest of my team while all of this was happening? They got to the church just fine, minus one member… Me. Here are some of their reactions:
"So,we all got on the motos and I remember that Amanda was first out of the parking lot. I quickly then lost sight of her. To be honest, at the moment, I was just scared for my own life as we were speeding down the dirt road. When I got off the moto and paid for our team, I realized Amanda was gone. I immediately told our contact that she was missing and he then sent someone on a moto to look for her. I was worried but my first thought was to pray. So our team prayed for her and tried to go in church and focus on the service we were running that morning. All I could do was continue praying and anxiously wait for the phone call telling us that she was safe. Once that happened, we all rejoiced…all of the church had been praying for her safe return. It was so cool to see how we truly are a body of Christ and when one of us was lost, the whole body was focused on finding her. Praise Jesus!" – Julia (Steadfast Pursuit)
"When we arrived at the church and didn't see Amanda and her moto taxi, I was freaking out inside, but trying to stay calm on the outside. I began to pray out loud, to myself, with the team, and eventually the whole church was praying for Amanda's safe travel. After 20 or so minutes, our Pastor requested that we go on with the program as usual, but I could not bring myself to go inside the church until Amanda showed up on her bike. So I stayed outside while everyone else went inside to worship and listen to the message one of our girls was giving. Oddly enough, it was a message on HOPE; and how we have to have faith in God even if we are confused, or cannot foresee the outcome. I felt as if one of my children had gone missing, so as I overheard Chaney preaching about faith + hope, I began to pray for faith that God had been with Amanda the past hour, and for confidence in the hope that she is fine. A couple of minutes later our Pastor received a call that Amanda had made it safely back home and the whole church stopped momentarily from the sermon to rejoice and give thanks for God's faithfulness. Hallelujah!" -Alexandra (Strenght in Variance)
"The drive to the church was a bit crazy. Our bikes took off at different times and sped around corners and up and down bumpy dirt roads… looking back- I realized that I didn't see Amanda, but at the time- keeping track of everyone wasn't a top priority. Once we arrived at the church and realized we were a moto and an Amanda short, my first thought was 'it would be Amanda'… but after that I began to worry. I led a prayer for our team and held out hope that she would round the corner at any moment. But as the minutes ticked away, my mind began to race through the possibilities of what could have happened to her… and of course I couldn't help but think of the worst. She was in a foreign country on a motorbike with a strange man. And as Chaney said a prayer in front of the congregation for Amanda's safety, tears started to roll down my cheeks. All of us anxiously prayed in our seats, waiting for a phone call… which thankfully, eventually came. For all of our talk, when we're faced with a fear- sometimes its just hard to trust the Lord. But despite the holes in my faith, Jesus still stood firm. And now Amanda has an exciting story to tell." -Chelsea (Awakened Ezekiels)
The moto driver and I stopped at around 20 different churches, trying to find my team. After maybe a half hour, I offered to pay him double the original price agreed on, to take me back home. Under the impression that he understood what I said, I was relieved when we drove away from the 7th church. But I soon realized that we were not headed back home. In fact, we stopped at 13 churches after that.
When we finally exhausted two hours worth of looking for my group, he gave up and drove me back home. As we turned down the hill towards our house, my contact's wife was driving up (on her way to look for their "lost sheep"). Before the car was even stopped she was climbing out with open arms and a look of relief across her face. She gathered me up in a big African Mother hug– which are one of the best kind– and thanked God that I was home safe.
We walked down to the church together, and Pastor Moise called Pastor Paul to tell them that I was safely home. Ever since then, anytime I see Pastor Paul he says, and I quote "You once was lost, but God found you…" It never fails. At the church in the village, I am known as the "Lost Sheep".
What does this story prove? God is faithful… When we are lost, straying away from our path, or not sure of our surroundings, he is always there to pull us back in and guide us home.
