Crossing the River

If you come out of the New Day property and turn right, you immediately reach a low water crossing bridge. It floods several tiimes during the rainy season. This route is 45 minutes from our main shopping town, Choma. If you come out of the property and turn left, you will go about an hour on a dirt road to get to tarmac. Then you can either go to Choma (another hour) or back to Lusaka (about 3 hours). On Sunday morning, the kids and I were supposed to meet the team in Choma. I had to buy orphanage groceries, and then I was going to continue with the team to Lusaka while Debbie headed back to New Day with the groceries. At 7am, I turned out of New Day to the left and this is what I saw...

We have crossed this bridge numerous times with water on it, but I wasn't sure how much I could cross with. Also, there was a tree stuck in the middle of the bridge. I immediately, without giving it much thought, turned around to head the other way. I called Blu & let him know I would be about 2 hours late. As I drove about 10 minutes, I started second-guessing myself. I could have crossed it! I passed two friends on the road, Godfrey & Savior, and I almost turned around, asking them to remove the tree so that I could cross. (Sidenote: I would NEVER have crossed with my kids in the car - I would have crossed alone and had Mulenga carry them over!) I really hesitated with what to do - I didn't want the team to have to wait for me and I just didn't know what to do! I remember thinking, "I turned around with no hesitation - that was my first instinct so that must be what I was supposed to do." On this route, there is a long bridge about 40 minutes down the road that is sometimes impassable. I started praying that I could pass. Instead, I got about 20 minutes down the road and came to a very small bridge that was completely flooded. My heart sank and I called Blu, telling him there was no way I could get out. He said "We'll come get you! Send us the grocery list and we'll get what the orphanage needs and meet you across the bridge and carry things over." So I turned around yet again and headed back to the small bridge. The tree had been removed, but the kids & I waited it out until Blu, Debbie, & Kenny arrived. When they got there they carried all of the groceries and our luggage across, and then the kids, me, and Debbie!

It was definitely an adventure, but the most amazing part of the story is that later that day, two different people emailed me to say that God woke them up and they started praying for us, right at the time I was making the decision on whether or not to cross the river. Isn't God amazing?? What an awesome reminder that he is Jehovah Roi - the God who sees!

(On a sidenote - Mulenga called yesterday to say that he drove into Mapanza to get some diesel and the hood of the truck welded and when he headed back to New Day, the bridge was once again flooded. He spent the night beside the river in the truck! Please pray that the government will build us a new bridge!)