What a crazy past couple of days. Yesterday I gave you a brief glimpse of what happened on Tuesday…now I can bring you up to today, Thursday. Wednesday I was feeling a bit better as I mentioned in that post but ate very little as, excuse my bluntness, I was visiting the bathroom quite regularly. After breakfast and updating the blog I wasn’t feeling up to par so I went and took a nap (again thanks Pastor Wachira and Catherine for the bed!). While I was sleeping Chuck and Pastor went for a walk around the area, he lives in Githurai (sorry I didn’t take any photos, first I wasn’t prepared for an overnight visit and second I wasn’t feeling up to walking around with my mention of the bathroom situation). After returning we had lunch, although I only had a few spoonfuls, but what I had was delicious. Catherine makes some very yummy mukimo. Then it was off to the service department to pick up the truck, which they told us the day before would be done mid-morning, then they changed that to “you better come at 3:30”. We arrived shortly after 3:30 and while I was trying to stay upright (I was feeling very weak and very achy all over) Chuck discussed with the payment department how to pay…we thought we’d be able to use our debit card. The lady said yes we could as long as the bank could verify it…what does that mean? To them it means if the card goes through the machine and is accepted, ok so we didn’t have to make sure the bank was open for them to call and verify our transaction. Then at 4:10 (you will see why I knew the exact time) we were informed the card machines weren’t working, meaning we’d have to get cash but lo’ and behold banks close at 4! Chuck talked with the head person about what could be done and while we were waiting for an answer the mechanic said we couldn’t take the vehicle that night, it wasn’t finished.
Here comes a God moment for me. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to stay with our friends overnight again but I was sick, tired, sore and wanted to be home and definitely did NOT want to spend another day being sick in Nairobi at a service station. I got out my iPod and headed to the bathroom to cry my eyes out and get some frustrations out. The song that came on was Bridge Over Troubled Water:
When you’re weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all
I’m on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can’t be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
When you’re down and out
When you’re on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you
I’ll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Sail on Silver Girl,
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
If you need a friend
I’m sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
while listening it released those tears and helped me feel the presence of God, He was in this situation with me and would see me through.
I came out of the bathroom feeling, not physically better, but emotionally better. Then Chuck informed me the mechanic was only saying the work wasn’t done, not that the truck couldn’t be driven – Thank you God! Chuck said he would take me home and come back in the morning to finish the work on the truck. Those were words that sounded oh so sweet to me…going home.
The trip home wasn’t easy: traffic jams, us coming up to a green light and a bus creeping through the red right in front of us and yelling at us for not letting him through..which we had no choice unless we wanted to hit him, bumps, potholes, carts & people on the side of the road. Plus it was raining and dark. I was praying just to be home, I really wanted a pair of ruby red slippers!
We made it home safely thanks to God’s protection and helping Chuck maneuver through Nairobi and beyond. We unpacked the truck and went to bed..whew! It was a crazy past couple of days.
I feel funny writing this post as it seems to be full of my frustrations, but that was life here in Kenya the past few days…full of frustrations but I was able to see and appreciate moments of wonderful fellowship with our friends, seeing God provide a place to lay my head at night, knowing God was my bridge over this troubled time and having a loving husband who was willing to drive me all the way back home.