Traveling Mercies

So I know you weren't worried but I'm safe and sound back at home in Bundibugyo. You weren't worried because you didn't know you should have been...and you shouldn't have anyways really because worrying doesn't do anyone any good afterall...Ashley and I drove to Kampala on Tuesday and returned on Thursday with lots of supplies and groceries, 2 visitors and a new teammate. The Batmobile was packed (and equipped with 4 beautiful brand spankin' new tires - it's funny the things we get excited about around here :).

This trip was the first time I've driven out without a veteran team member along for the trip. So it was just Ashley and I for the trip out of the district. And it got off to a bit of a rocky start...well, actually getting off was the problem...evidently your 4 wheel drive cannot be in neutral if you expect to move forward (or in any direction actually) at all (even if your regular stick shift is in gear...) well, you live and you learn. We thought we'd tried everything but in the end had to wake Pat up (it was 6:30am or so at this point), she shifted the 4 wheel drive out of neutral and PRESTO! the car moved forward...details details. So, after jiggling the door lock up and down to get the drivers' side rear door open to load stuff into the back seat, and after more jiggling of the drivers' side seat belt in order to get it latched, after waking Pat up to find out we were just being stupid, we were on our way at about 6:50am.

Ashley skillfully drove out of the district for the first time, and I drove from Fort to Kampala. At one point on "the other side of the mountain" there were boulders and smaller rocks in the road, obvious evidence of a rockslide. "Wow. Look at that" we both said as we swallowed our pride and realized that driving the Bundibugyo road, and really at all in Uganda, we are totally at the mercy of our Father in Heaven. What if we were on that exact part of the road when the rockslide happened...what if? But, we weren't. On our return trip back into the district I was struck again by the immensity of mercy we are shown on a daily basis here, I said a quick "thank you God for your mercy" prayer and maneuvered the vehicle around the boulders and on our way. No car trouble, no punctured tires, no accidents, no rockslides, no getting stuck in the mud...and the list goes on. Thank you God for your traveling mercies on us.