MON., AUG. 25 BACK AT ANDY'S

MONDAY AUG 15

WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY. THIS IS THE LAST DAY WITH THE FAMILY. TODAY, THE WOMEN WERE VERY FRIENDLY. FILOMI ASKED ME FOR RECIPES AND HOW TO MAKE DIFFERENT THINGS. SHE ALSO ASKED FOR ADVICE ON HOW TO FEED JOSHUA AND CARE FOR HIM. IT WAS SO DEAR. SHE AND HEPZI WERE IN THE KITCHEN, AND I CAME IN TO JOIN THEM. WE WERE PLAYING LITTLE BABY GAMES WITH JOHSUA. WE WERE TRYING TO GET HIME TO EAT. I WOULD CLAP AND WE ALL SAID OPEN, OPEN. THEY WERE GIVING HIM TOYS AND BEATING ON DRUM. THE PHARMACIST WAS HERE AND HE CAME IN TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. I LAUGHED AND SAID IT ONLY TOOK 5 PEOPLE TO FEED ONE LITTLE BOY. I SAT ON THE ONLY BENCH IN THE KITCHEN AND WE TALKED A LONG TIME. HEPZI IS WANTING A CHRISTIAN HUSBAND AND I PRAYED WITH HER. FILOMI AND HER HUSBAND ARE PRAYING FOR WHERE GOD WANTS THEM TO GO TO MINISTER AND WE PRAYED AS WELL. THE YOUNGER WOMEN COULD SPEAK QUITEN A BIT OF ENGLISH WHEN WE WERE ALONE. IT WAS A SPECIAL TIME TO BE THERE. PASTOR CAME INTO THE KITCHEN AND SAID, NO ONE HAS EVER COME INTO THE KITCHEN. I SAID IT IS WHERE THE WOMEN ARE AND WHERE THE HEART OF THE HOME IS AND I WANTED TO BE A PART.
THE DRIVERS ARE GODLY MEN. TWO OF THE YOUNG MEN WERE BROUGHT UP BY PASTOR AND HIS FAMILY, THEY FOUND THEM IN THE STREETS, TOOK THEM IN, EDUCATED THEM AND NOW THEY SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME DRIVING OR WORKING AROUND THE HOUSE. THESE MEN WERE HELPING THE WOMEN AND JOSHUA IS CRAZY FOR THEM, BECAUSE THEY CARRY HIM OUTSIDE AND PLAY WITH HIM.
IN THE EVENINGS, PASTOR AND HIS WIFE RAJAMMAL SAT OUT ON THE PORCH. EVERYONE MOVED AWAY FROM THAT AREA, AND THEY HAD THEIR PRIVATE TIME. THEIR VOICES WERE SO GENTLE AND TENDER, EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE SAYING, YOU COULD TELL THE WARMTH AND AFFECTION.
WE HAD A FINAL MEAL TOGETHER AND THE WOMEN CAME OUT AND ATE WITH ME. PASTOR PREM CUT A CD OF THE PICTURES THEY HAD TAKEN, SO I WILL LOAD THEM AT HOME. THE WHOLE DAY, PEOPLE CAME IN AND OUT. MANY ASKED ME TO PRAY FOR THEM. ONE SITUATION WAS VERY HARD. THE WIFE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR ADVANCED NURSING TRAINING. THE CHURCH IS SENDING HER. BUT, SHE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE HER FAMILY FOR 2 YEARS. THEY ARE ASKING HER MOTHER TO COME AND STAY BUT IT IS UNCERTAIN NOW. SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO TEACH NURSING AND WOULD WORK IN THE HOSPITAL FOR MUCH HIGHER WAGES. THIS WOULD CHANGE THE LIVES OF HER FAMILY BUT AT GREAT SACRIFICE. WE PRAYED TOGETHER. ONE COUPLE CAME TO SEE PASTOR, THEY HAD NO MONEY AND NO FOOD. WE PRAYED AND PASTOR WAS ABLE TO HELP THEM WITH RICE. THERE ARE SO MANY NEEDS.
MY HEART WAS HEAVY AS I PREPARED TO SAY GOODBYE. THEY EACH ASKED ME TO PRAY FOR THEM AND THEN THEY SANG SONGS AND PRAYED OVER ME. I SHED MANY TEARS AS I LEFT THIS HOME FILLED WITH GOD AND MUCH LOVE.
WE DROVE A LONG HARD DRIVE. THREE PASTORS WENT WITH ME. WE STOPPED AT A GARBAGE DUMP TO HAVE TEA. SERIOUSLY, ABOUT 1 ACRE OF GARBAGE, DOGS AND GOATS EATING. ABOUT 100 YARDS AWAY WAS A LITTLE HUT WITH TEA AND TREATS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I STAYED IN THE CAR AND DID NOT HAVE ANY TREATS. ABOUT 30KM FROM THE AIRPORT, WE HAD A FLAT TIRE. THEY DID HAVE A SPARE, BUT A BOLGONY SPARE. SMALLER TIRE IF YOU DID NOT KNOW. THERE IS NO OFF THE ROAD, SO WE WERE CHANGING THE TIRE IN THE ROAD. THEY WOULD NOT LET ME GET OUT AND TWO OF THE MEN STOOD BY THE CAR WHERE I WAS SITTING WHILE THE OTHER CHANGED THE TIRE. IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF A POLITICAL RALLY, VERY CROWDED LOUD MUSIC AND CRAZY WILD PEOPLE. I WAS PRAYING A LOT, AND IT WAS GETTING CLOSE TO MY PLANE TIME. WE FINALLY STARTED AGAIN, AND THE WHOLE CAR SHOOK. WE STOPPED AGAIN AND ONE OF THE GUYS GOT OUT AND LOOKED AT ALL TIRES AND GOT BACK IN AND SAID “WHEEL ALIGNMENT” I JUST CRACKED UP. HERE WE ARE IN THE WORST ROAD IN THE WORLD, A SMALL TIRE AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS THE PROBLEM. WE GOT TO THE AIRPORT ABOUT 45 MIN. BEFORE FLIGHT. THE GUY PUSHING THE WHEELCHAIR TIPPED ME OVER SIDEWAYS, BUT BEFORE I COULD TOUCH THE GROUND ALL THE GUARDS CAME AND GRABBED ME. THIS AIRPORT IS SO SMALL THAT THE SECURITY BAGGAGE CHECK WAS JUST BEFORE YOU GOT ON BOARD. THERE WERE ABOUT 10 GUARDS CHECKING ALL BAGS BUT THEY NEVER OPENED MINE.
A YOUNG MAN CAME AND SAT DOWN NEXT TO ME AND ASKED IF I HAD ENJOYED MY VISIST. HE WAS ON THE PLANE ON THURS. HE HELPED ME GET SETTLED ON THE PLANE. WHAT A RIOT. MY SEATBELT BROKE AND I WAS STUCK IN IT. THEY HAD TO TAKE HALF THE SEAT APART TO GET ME OUT. THEN I WENT TO THE BATHROOM. ICOULDN’T GET THE DOOR SHUT. THEN WHEN IT SHUT, I WAS STANDING WITH MY FACE TOUCHING THE DOOR AND MY LEGS AGAINST THE TOILET. I COULD NOT RAISE MY HANDS HARDLY. WHEN I WAS READY TO LEAVE, THE STEWARDESS HAD TO GET THE DOOR OPEN,
WHEN WE LANDED, 2 GUYS CAME TO TAKE ME AND MY BAGGAGE. THE MAN FROM THE PLANE CAME TO MAKE SURE I WAS TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE HE LEFT THE AIRPORT AND HE GAVE ME HIS BUSINESS CARD IF I NEEDED HELP. VERY KIND. WELLL, THE ADVENTURE WAS NOT OVER. IT WAS RAINING HORRIBLY, ANDY WAS NOT THERE TO MEET ME AND I HAD NO WORKING PHONE. ONE OF THE GUYS SORT OF SPOKE ENGLISH AND HE LET ME USE HIS PHONE TO CALL ANDY. THE ROADS WERE FLOODED WITH 3 FEET OF WATER AND MANY ACCIDENTS. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING AND IT TOOK HIME ALMOST 3 HOURS TO GET HERE. THE TWO GUYS WOULD NOT LEAVE ME FOR A MINUTE. THERE WERE THREE DOGS HAVING A BITING DOG FIGHT. YES INSIDE THE AIRPORT. ONE MAN MISSED HIS PLANE AND STARTED SCREAMING AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF SECURITY GUARDS CAME RUNNING. MANY STRANGE PEOPLE TRYING TO KEEP OUT OF THE RAIN, SO I WAS GLAD THE MEN WOULDN’T LEAVE ME. I CAME IN AT 9 PM AND WAITED UNTIL ABOUT 10:30. NO FOOD. IT WAS AWFUL RIDE HOME AFTER MIDNIGHT, BUT SAFE AT LAST. I WAS EXHAUSTED BUT GOOD. PLEASE SCROOL DOWN AND READ THE REST OF THE WEEK.