Last week, I said goodbye to a country and people I really love. It was hard, but I was excited for a new adventure with a new team in a new country. After squad debrief, we packed our bags and boarded a bus for a nice 12 hour bus ride to Botswana. It was actually pretty great. We had a bus to ourselves and didn’t have to worry about having more people than seats.
After 6ish hours, we reached the border Customs was easy and we were set to leave no-man’s-land. Except our drivers forgot a document. An important document.
In order for the bus to cross the border, our drivers needed one sheet. And they forgot it. What? How? I don’t know.
If we wanted to get to Botswana, we would either have to pray for another bus or hike. We prayed.
Our leadership team got into a huddle and prayed the Lord would give us a way into Botswana. I sat in my seat and instantly felt peace that we were going to make it. Either that or I was so tired that I wasn’t fully comprehending the seriousness of the situation.
A few minutes later, a van with only one passenger pulled up. Our logistics leaders and drivers called him over and talked to him. They came to some sort of agreement and the man left. As he turned around, the girls realized he had the word ANGEL printed on his back. We instantly knew the Lord sent him to help us.
An hour later, our squad was sitting on a new bus and made it safely across the border!
How cool is that?!
Fast forward a day and my team and I were sitting in our new home for the month. As we were sitting down for lunch, a man came to the door. He asked for a woman named Kelsey. We obviously don’t know a Kelsey, but there is another missionary staying with us. I got her because I thought maybe she knew who Kelsey was. She went to the door and pretty much told him to go away because kelsey doesn’t live here anymore. He argued with her for a while but eventually left.
A couple of hours later, we decided to go into town. As we were figuring out the locks, the same man returned. He kept saying he wanted to see Kelsey. He reaffirmed that she no longer lived here and that he needed to leave. He said that he just wanted to talk to us women. He latched onto Janele and was interested in her. Nettie put her foot down and threatened to call the police if he wouldn’t leave in the next five seconds. He did leave but said he would come back later.
Through both experiences, I realized the enemy does not want my team here. Our presence means something and the plan God has for us is great. We were slightly shaken by these events, but we also knew we have to stand together in order to face the enemy.
The man did come back and he has every day since. The enemy doesn’t quit but neither do we. We are already victorious because we have the Lord on our side.
