GOD'S MARVELOUS MYSTERIOUS WAYS

God’s marvellous mysterious ways I stand amazed at the continued miracles and most of the time I am dumb founded at the sequel of events and mysterious ways that God uses to assist me to continue to bring the word of God to needy people.

I left New Xanagas, Botswana for South Africa on Tuesday 21 February 2012, to finalise the outreach trip, in March/April and to apply for a new drivers license. The trip was planned according to available budget and finances were calculated to the nearest cent. On my way I had to stop to find accommodation for the out reach teams who will be travelling the same rout in April. The village of Kang is the halfway mark between Pretoria and New Xanagas and my plan is to fill up in Kang and get accommodation prices at camps, B&B’s etc. Our budgets are cut to the bone and we try to find accommodation at the lowest rate possible. The Tazz/car – Blessing’s encounter with a cow last year made me more aware and careful of animals on the road. (We hit a cow side on). I leave early in the morning and there is quite a lot of traffic (animals walk over or sleep on roads at night), we run over a rabbit. While constantly navigating through the animal traffic an eagle or falcon flies away from road kill directly into blessings nose, feathers fly and I stop to see if there is any damage luckily none – not even a sneeze from blessing with a feather stuck in his nose. At about 08h00 and 75 km from Kang the road is clear as far as I can see and with no sign of animals I drive at 130 km per hour. Suddenly a steenbok runs out of the bushes and onto the road in front of me. The only reaction I have time for is to say a word I will not mention here and take my foot of the petrol. (later I thank God that I did not have time to brake or swerve). We hit the buck head-on with a tremendous bang and I look in the rear view mirror but see no buck lying in the road. The heat gage immediately moves up to the red and while slowing down I see a Bushman along the road pointing at the car. As I slow down to 80km there is a noise as I bump/drive over the buck, it was stuck to the front of the car. The cars engine cuts out as I navigate the car to the shade of a tree along the road, the heat gage in red. On inspection I find the radiator badly damaged, my number plate is missing and a broken mudguard. I cannot see any damage to the engine but realize that I will not be able to drive any further. There is no mobile reception in the area and I will have to rely on passing motorists to help. As I walk back searching for my number plate I see no sign of the Bushman, buck or my number plate – as if nothing happened. We blessed some lucky San family with a good meal. After flagging down and requesting assistance from various passers by, I wait for help from the Village of Kang. At 11h00 no help has arrived and I realise that I will have to take a chance to leave blessing alone, hike to Kang and find help myself. (They steal the wheels from unattended cars). A Herrero man drops me of in Kang at a diesel mechanic/farmer business. Immediately the family assist me and we tow blessing to the workshop. We try unsuccessfully to find a replacement radiator and the mechanic magically repairs the battered radiator to work without a sign of any leaking water. At 17h00 we start blessing and water shoots out of the head and we realise that the head gasket needs to be replaced. We will only be able to repair it the next day. The family invite me to a Game Farm where the mechanic needs to do some repairs to a diesel pump. We will sleep over at the Game Farm and repair blessing the next day - Wednesday.

The Family at the Game Farm warmly receive us and we all have a wonderful evening together. As I explain my work with Campus Crusade for Christ, Jesus Film Project, GAINSA, Macedonian Project etc and reason for my trip to South Africa the Game Farm family offer accommodation for the out reach team, at no cost. They further offer assistance with training the San/Bushman on their farm in New Xanagas. While I am constantly calculating and am concerned about the unexpected costs for the repairs to blessing (the gasket, radiator and the labour to the car could be close to P 5000 and more). Both families pray and assure me that they will assist to get me on the road again. On Wednesday at 19h00 after working throughout the day blessing is repaired and I can continue with my journey. At first I travel slowly nursing the car that wants to overheat as the repaired and damaged radiator is only functioning at half it’s capacity. Before leaving Kang I am stunned when the mechanic tells me to pay him only P1 500 for the repairs to blessing when I am in South Africa (2 days labour, parts and all) and they borrow me P 300 for petrol as i am unable to draw money as funds that was supposed to come through into my account for this trip, did not. I top up blessing with the P 300 and as I start my journey clouds form in the distance. I pray for a safe journey, it is very hot and rain will help so much to cool the overheating blessing. And then I see it, over the road in front of me – Yes!!!! – You are right! A beautiful rainbow. With tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat I thank God for His constant, support, my protection and the mysterious ways that He provides for all my needs. Pham-Pham – Abundance!!