Original plan:
Arrive in Jo’burg, get on bus, and take a 28-30 hour bus ride to Malawi
as a squad, then split to our various ministries throughout the vastness of
Malawi.
Reality:
By the time the rest of the squad arrived around 10 am, it had already
been shared that out original bus plans were not going to be working for us, so
we set up camp in the airport and start praying for God to work out and reveal
His plan to us, and provide a way. It wasn’t until 5 pm that day that we began
our four trip rounds from the airport to our impromptu hostel.
We got there and got to settle into our rooms, most of us deliriously
tired from the days of travel, and so excited for beds. What was supposed to be
one night, turned into three days and two nights, and was yet another gift from
God and example of His sovereignty. While there we were blessed with amazing
rapport with their incredible staff, and were even allowed to hold a worship
session in the reception area while the staff excitedly watched and even took
part. It was such a blessing to be there, and have even more time together as a
full squad, resting, worship, and making new contacts.
While there we also got the opportunity to befriend another world
traveler from Portland who was staying there, named Louis. Through those three
days we got to hear all about his independent travels and share our experiences
and our faith, which was awesome.
And then Tuesday came, and we were finally set to be on our way. The
bus, a 65 person charter bus, with no air conditioning, but enough windows and
comfortable seats, arrived a little after 2, and we began packing out luggage
underneath and ourselves on board. Half way through the packs, we realized that
the cargo space would hold no more, and to save us from having to cram 30
something packs onto the bus which perfectly held all 65 of us racers plus our
two drivers, they left to get a trailer for all of our packs. They returned
around 5, and to save us loads of time in traffic, we ate our dinner there at
the compound and we finally on the road at 6 pm.
I was excited and blessed to sit next to my Tarjie (Alicia) and we
started the journey in anxious anticipation of the sites we were about to see
and our assumed arrival late the next night. We were blessed with a gorgeous
African sunset as we set of, marveling at the hills of South Africa.
We finally arrived at the South Africa-Zimbabwe border around 4 am, and
unloaded to go through to get our stamps and move on. 6 HOURS later, we were on
our way. We were treated with such indifference, and flat out rudeness, as
their border guards blatantly took their time processing us, after requiring
unnecessary payment for visa, despite our strictly transit purpose. It was
quite an introduction to our border crossing extravaganza though, that is for
sure.
So yea, after 6 unnecessary hours at the border we were so excited to
be on the road once again, and happy to have to breeze of our movement flowing
through the windows. New problem: The Zimbabwe-Mozambique border closes at 6
pm, and we had a 12 hour drive to get there… and thanks to our delay, we were
leaving there at 10 am, pretty behind schedule. We stopped once for food and
bathroom, and pressed onward.
**Worth it moment of a lifetime: seeing a two separate groups of
baboons pass in front of us on the road and gather on either side of us on our
ride through Zimbabwe.**
Sure enough, we arrived at a closed border much later that night, and
with no other choice, the 67 of us prepared ourselves for our stay at the
border on the bus. After one final bathroom opportunity, the doors were locked,
and we began our night on the parked bus.
Now, the nights here in Africa aren’t too hot, in fact, they are rather
pleasant. It is a completely different story when there are 67 people on a bus,
who’s only ventilation comes from the small windows lining the tops of the huge
seat windows for viewing. That night was a night of purification in ALL of our
hearts, and brought more than a few people to the brink of metal breakdown, but
through all of it, and the experiences to come, God had a purpose. I woke up at
2 in the morning, sure far more hours than that had passed, and had to stand
and stick my head out of the window to escape the humid sauna like interior of
the sweltering bus.
Freedom came when the sun came up, and it was deemed safe enough to
venture outside into the beloved cool air of the morning, where we waiting
until the border opened at 6 am. The night was indeed rough, but through it God
totally spoke to each of us, and purified us, while also making it finally feel
like the world race that most of us had to some degree imagined. I know that
when I woke up at 2, and questioned for a moment if I could make it, tempted in
my delirium to lash out, or attempt escape, I stopped, realizing the futility
of such thinking, and understood that what little discomfort I was feeling was
incomparable to the true suffering Jesus endured for my, rather OUR, salvation.
And in that, I found joy that I could suffer, even in the slightest, in order
to bring THAT truth to those He died for, counting it a privilege to have an
opportunity to do it without comfort. It was a good reality check too, which
helped remind me why I am on the race. I am not here for comfort, and I am not
here for the sake of travel. I am here to share the love Christ at ANY cost,
and through ANY circumstance. I signed up for life and focus altering
discomfort, so I chose to relish instead in it, allowing God to melt away any
sense of entitlement in me with the collecting sweat all over my face and body.
6 am finally came, and we were the first people through out of
Zimbabwe, and on we went to the entry of Mozambique side, sure that our
troubles were over.
We managed to get every one’s passports into to the office, waiting to
acquire their once again corruptly required visas (with payment) within 2 hours
of getting there, leaving us expectantly excited that we would indeed make it
to the Mozambique’s border with Malawi before it closed at 8pm. The border
people at that border were, however, the worst. Despite the fact that the visas
were already paid for, and they had no reason to rudely detain us, it was a
full 7 HOURS before we finally entered their country.
By this point it was clear how evidently Satan was fighting against us,
and that he was desperately trying to stop us and discourage us. But we, the P
Squad, were not going to have any of it. There, in the hot and dirty area
between borders, we came together and worshiped the Lord, singing songs of
praise and redemption, fighting against the powers of darkness, and thanking
the Lord for the victory He had already won for us. We worshipped together,
gaining deeper and deeper unity, as we prayed our hearts out, and lived out the
life of God given joy in all situations that we claim. Discouraging, though the
situation may have been, it was a beautiful experience, and yet another way
which God purified us, and reminded us of our absolute dependence on Him.
Finally, after leaving the Zimbabwe side of the border around 7 am, our
passports were returned to us at 2:30 pm, and onward we raced again in to
Mozambique, praying to make our third and final border in time. 2 hours in, we
got to a bridge which crossed a beautiful and HUGE river which flows all the
way through Zimbabwe, and was a necessity to reach Malawi, to find it under
construction. Prayers began flying hoping that we would not only be able to
cross, but do it in enough time as well. We lined up in the long cue of
vehicles waiting for our turn to go across the bridge which had been reduced to
one lane. 20 minutes and a whole lot of prayer and praise later we were once
again on our way, excited and thankful, only to be stopped a few miles later by
their random road blocks. Robbing us of even more of our precious time, they
made us all get off the bus and present our passports, before being allowed to
re-board and continue.
Onward we went, still praying that we would make it before the border closed
at 8, and through the grace of God, we made it there at 7:52, sure that our
travels were finally almost done. Upon arrival, we were informed that the
border actually closes at 9 pm, an obvious blessing……. Other than the fact that
the random rainstorm that passed through earlier knocked out all of the power
at 7, closing the border, and freeing the workers and security guards of their
duties for the day.
No joke. Although at that point
all I could do was laugh.
SO once again we began to prepare ourselves and our hearts for yet
another night on our bus haven. This time, to prevent mental breakdowns, or
dehydration, which left my poor Schmee puking out of the window in the wee
hours of the morning the last time, we decided to change it up a little bit.
Parked, this time in a somewhat safer place than the previous night, and around
parked semis, next in line for the border, our wonderful and courageous men
agreed to stay outside of the bus, guarding us in shifts, and relieving the bus
of their overwhelming capacity to produce heat. We ladies then spread out 3 to
a 5 seater row, getting a far better night’s sleep than before.
FINALLY, 6 am on Friday morning, we got in line to get stamped out of
Mozambique, and by a little before 9 am,
we were finally in MALAWI, and headed for our final stop on that bus, in Blantyre.
It truly was a glorious feeling, driving into the beautiful Malawian scenery,
free from the toil of border crossing at last…for at least a month.
We arrived in Blantyre in the early afternoon, and unloaded. I was so
thankful to finally be off of that bus for the last time, but so thankful for
all that had transpired throughout that week.
In so many ways God worked out His perfect will for us, exuding His
sovereignty and deepening our reverence and dependency on Him. I am so thankful
that He took so much care of us, by fuddling our bus plans for 3 days so that
we could recuperate from our flights, resting at an amazing hostel, and having
time together as a squad to worship and rest. It was such a reminder that even
when our plans seem to fail, and stress begins to rear its ugly little head,
all you have to do is trust in God, ad realize that in the pursuit of HIS will,
there are no mistakes, and there is always purpose.
I am also so thankful for every second of the discomfort and
frustration we felt as a squad though our border stays and crossings, because
it allowed God to work in our hearts, strengthening, purifying, and changing us
for the better. Thankful because it forced me to put into practice the things I
believe in, as I had to fight my flesh to stay joyful, and actively cast out
doubt as I held fast to my trust and security in the Lord. And thankful because
it once again stripped me of any sense of an ability to control, well,
anything. By foiling all of our plans and attempts, God allowed us to be
reminded that HE is in control, not just of our situations, but of our lives,
and the necessity of allowing Him to have all of it. All of that put me in such
a good place for ministry, making me EVEN more excited to get to our place, and
all the more intentional in seeking HIS
will and HIS purpose in all things and at all times.
My team, and team Truth, are now staying in our beautiful new home in
Zomba, Malawi, and already, just a few days in, I am in love with a people and
place, like I have never been before. But that’s a whole different story. 🙂
