Disclaimer: I know this post is long, but please hang in… it’s a CRAZY story!!!
Even before I began the world race, I knew it would be hard. I knew I would miss my family and my friends and the comforts American life so effortlessly offers on a silver platter. However, despite knowing these things, it took 6 weeks in Africa to really understand them. And understand them I did. I’ve always been someone who has thrived in a life best summed up as “ever-changing.” So our monotonous African ministry of going door to door has been difficult to say the least. I pray every day for God to give me eyes to see each house as a new and different story, which in reality it is – but this is just one of those things that’s easier said than done. Despite my lack of interest at times, God has showed me nothing but grace. He has showed me that it’s okay to struggle along this next month. It’s not going to be easy, but the more I lean on Him, the more support I receive from Him in return. He also has showed me that my lack of effort for HIS people is unacceptable. Yes, I may be going through trial in my own life, but that will never be a valid enough reason for me to shine the light of His kingdom any dimmer than my absolute brightest. He has seeds for me to plant, and even if I don’t immediately see the fruits of those seeds, I’ve been learning it was never and will never be my fruit to see anyways. All I can do is be obedient and trust in His perfect timing. For He is ever faithful. I experienced firsthand a sliver of His abounding faithfulness this week…
Unexpectedly, we got 4 days of ministry off, so we decided to take this time and hike Mt. Mulanje, the highest peak in Malawi. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since researching Malawi when I first applied for the Race. As you can imagine, I was more than excited and knew this was an answered prayer and blessing from God. An opportunity of rest in the midst of the weeks of difficulty I was still sorting through.
We got ready and left at 3A.M. on Wednesday. It took over 6 hours to get there so we didn’t begin hiking until noon that day. Because of the rainy season, the normal trail was too muddy to hike so we had to take the shorter and steeper trail up…… this trail turned out to be 5 hours of straight incline!!!!!!! Although I was in awe of the beauty around me, there were times where I thought I might not make it to the top. Finally, Meagan and I made it to Chambe Hut. We had a restful night where we cooked over the fire and slept in the heat of the dying embers. The next morning we woke up and began heading back down the mountain. On the way down we took a detour and stopped by a breathtaking waterfall at the base of the mountain. The water fell into a large pool we could jump into and swim in. Being a person who sees God so clearly while surrounded by raw creation, my soul was full. We finished the short hike back down to the lodge and began the drive back to Lilongwe.
Along the way our drivers kept stopping on the side of the road. When they did this they would leave the van running with the doors open and it made us really uncomfortable. We kept asking them why they were stopping so much and their only answer was “to go to the bathroom.” We were all very weirded out but couldn’t do anything so we settled in for the rest of the trip.
Soon, my teammate Katie taps my shoulder and says “I’m 98% sure our drivers are drunk.” At that moment I look out the windshield and our van was veering into oncoming traffic. We start yelling and he swerves back into the correct lane within meters of a head-on collision. We try to ask him what’s going on and his words are so slurred he can barely speak English. He starts driving again, promising to drive slower and our van is immediately in the other lane again. We barely miss another head-on collision and scream at the driver to pull over. Up to this moment, I had never felt like I was going to die and I had just experienced that feeling twice in a 5 minute time period. I was shook to the core and sending messages of gratitude to heaven that we were alive. However, we still had a large problem at hand. By this point it was darkening by the minute and our options were running slim. We were in the middle of nowhere, hours away from any other sort of transportation. We couldn’t simply stay on the side of the road, because being stranded would be extremely dangerous. We came to the conclusion that one of us was going to have to drive the rest of the way home. I got out of the van, walked to the drivers side door and demanded the driver get out. Luckily for us, he was too intoxicated to put up a fight so I climbed in. Once the drivers were settled in the back, we started off. I was still a little shaky from the events that had just occurred, but I had to pull it together quick and commit all my focus on driving. It was dark, raining, foggy, and the narrow African road was lined with oncoming vehicles on one side and pedestrians on the other. I knew it was Jesus whose hands held the wheel and not my own. He guided us through the less than ideal weather, numerous police stops (literally a miracle none of them confronted me), and supplied us with the serenity and confidence to make it home. When we arrived back at Mabuya, I was exhausted in every sense.
Two days later, I’m still processing everything. Jesus had a lot for me to take away from this day. It began like a dream; I felt as if the hard things I was going through were finally put to rest for awhile – I didn’t know how short this while would be. It quickly took a turn into one of the most traumatizing experiences I’ve ever had. Despite my whiplash, I was reminded of a verse I’ve been mediating on this month – it’s pretty spot on for my life recently: Romans 12:12 – “Rejoice in hope. Be patient in suffering. Persevere in prayer.” Through it all I must give up my constantly changing life to an unchanging God. I’m learning that everything comes down to the character of our Father. His faithfulness. His protection. His mercy. His goodness. His love for us. All I can do is be willing to say yes to the things He asks me to do, and then have faith in the outcome. It’s only then I can be confident all will be well.
I have to apologize for my absence of posts the past few months. It’s been hard to put my thoughts and experiences into words. Know I am praying for all of you and I hope this week you can see the presence of God and His blessings filling your lives. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Love,
Olivia
p.s. The halfway point of the Race is in only 3 short days!!!! I know, I’m shocked too! It’s flying by and I get to see my parents in a little over 6 weeks. Thanks again for all the support!
