We were out of the house by 4 am to make sure we got to the bus station when boarding started at 4:30am. There were still people on the streets, walking & celebrating and blowing their vuzuzwelas as we drove to the bus station and got our last minute instructions from Kalengule. We missed the coach bus that goes directly from Lusaka to Lilongwe, so we were going to have to make a couple of extra stops along the way, but Kayla and I were pretty confident that we’d be okay (at least we pretended to be confident J).
We were on the bus by 4:20, ready to go; and we waited, and waited, and waited. Around 5:30am, maybe later because I was in & out of sleep as we sat at the terminal, we finally pulled out of the bus station and started our journey towards Lilongwe. The bus must have been fairly new because the seats were covered in plastic, which made Kayla and I both think of plastic sofa covers that people use back home to protect their furniture. The ride went pretty smoothly, except when I started to get dripped on from the vent above my head. It was raining outside and somehow there was a leak (so much for riding on a newer bus!) right above my head. Thank God for chitenjes (remember those fabrics I told you about) which helped me to stay mostly dry.
We seemed to be making pretty good time and were hoping to arrive in Chipata between 11:30 & 12:00, but our timing was a little off and we didn’t get to Chipata until closer to 1:00pm. Now came the fun part (I said facetiously) of finding a taxi to take us to the border without getting ripped off because we’re white. Thankfully, God was watching over us and helped us get our bags quickly (which were mysteriously muddy even though they shouldn’t have been anywhere on the ground) and the negotiating began. Two different taxi drivers were fighting saying they saw me first and they could take us to the border for only 20,000 Zambian Kwacha (that’s about $4 USD). Kalengule had told us that was the maximum we should expect to pay, so I told them that was a little steep for us and I would have to talk with my friend (Kayla was in search of a paper to document Zambian’s win). One of them said he would give me a discount and only charge 15,000 Zambian Kwacha each. I talked with Kayla when she got back and we agreed that price was good and we went to the taxi. There was a gentleman standing near the car and he asked if we were taking it to the border. We said yes and he said that he would take it also – he just didn’t want to get swindled. I don’t know what it was that made us look as if the taxi driver was honest, but it turned into a huge blessing to have that gentleman with us.
As we were driving, rather quickly, to the border, the gentleman, named Luzzie, asked how much Malawi Kwacha the ride cost and the driver said he only takes Zambian Kwacha and that they’ll just exchange some money at the border. Kalengule had warned us against using those men because they were crooks, so when we got to the border, Kayla asked Luzzie if he wanted us to pay with our Zambian Kwacha and he could just give us the Malawi Kwacha. He agreed and then stayed with us through both border offices and even helped to carry our bags. It was fun to talk with the Zambian Immigration Officer about the game and share in his excitement for his country. J
We got through both Immigration Offices without a hassle and Luzzie continued to help us with our bags as we went in search of our next taxi to take us to Mchinji to find a minibus to Lilongwe. We found a taxi with a woman named Ana Buhl from Argentina. The driver charged us 500 Malawi Kwacha (about 3 USD), which was a little more than we were expecting, but Luzzie said he would pay for it and we figured it would be easier to just get in and go because we needed to try and catch the Coach back to Blantyre.
We had a wonderful conversation with Ana and Luzzie, getting to know them a little bit better. Ana has been traveling for about a month – she plans to be traveling for five months total, though she misses her husband so she may go back to the Netherlands sooner rather than later. She was such a delight to talk with – I’ve posted some pictures (or I will soon) so you can see Ana and Luzzie; two guardian angels that God sent to help Kayla and I along our journey.
Once we got out of the taxi, there were lots of minibuses to choose from and Luzzie again helped us (all 3 of us including Ana) to find one that was about to leave for Lilongwe. It didn’t leave as quickly as we had hoped and we were worried about catching the Coach bus on time. It was about 2:30pm when we finally pulled away and we knew it took about an hour and a half to get to Lilongwe and the Coach leaves at 4:30pm. Nothing like cutting it close! Luzzie helped calm our fears a bit because he said we should make it there in plenty of time. He was getting picked up by his son and he said that he would go with us to our stop and then have his son drop us at the bus station – another huge blessing from God! Luzzie also told Ana that he would help her arrange housing for the couple of nights she would be in Lilongwe, even if that meant having her stay at his house.
We started to get a little anxious about our arrival to Lilongwe because we were stopped at a police blockade and actually had to get out for them to search the minibus. This was the first time we’ve had to do that and we knew it was taking precious time that we didn’t have to waste. Then, once we got going again, we stopped again to fill up with fuel. Thankfully, the fuel crisis has stabilized a little bit and the queue for fuel was not a long one. Still, it took time and Kayla and I began to worry that we would have to stay in Lilongwe and finish traveling the next day. Oh yeah, and it started raining hard enough to cover the roads and cause small rivers to be rushing down the either side of the road; definitely sending lots of prayers to God that we would make it on time!
God heard our prayers, our frantic, worried and hurried prayers. J We arrived at our minibus stop and Pastor Nkosi was there to greet us. We introduced him to Luzzie as we got our bags and put them in his son’s car. This was an awesome ‘God moment’ because when Luzzie saw Pastor Nkosi, he recognized him! They had worked together at the same school before and Luzzie’s son, Louis, also knew Pastor Nkosi. This just confirmed that God’s hand was upon us as Ana, Kayla and I climbed into the back of the car and rushed to the bus station. The first coach had already left and so we were on our way to the AXA coach station – the bus we’ve taken from Lilongwe in the past. It was already 4:30pm and that was when the bus was supposed to leave.
Praise God, we pulled into the AXA station at 4:35pm and the bus was still there!! We rushed inside to pay for our tickets, Luzzie helped to load our bags onto the bus, we took a quick picture with him and then we were on the bus headed for home. Hallelujah! Since we were the last two people on the bus, we weren’t able to sit next to each other, but we were both just so grateful to know that we would be in Blantyre by the evening.
It was a fairly uneventful ride home – I had a nice conversation with the woman next to me and the snacks they served on the bus were a welcome treat since we hadn’t eaten much throughout the whole day. We arrived in Blantyre around 9:30 and were welcomed home by Chisomo and Pastor Nihaka. Pastor Nihaka is such a kind man – he had bought us chicken dinners from the Chicken Inn so that we would have something to eat for dinner. It was a welcome treat to enjoy before falling quickly asleep in our beds.
God is an awesome God and Kayla and I were very blessed to meet Luzzie and Ana. We’re hoping to see Luzzie again when he comes to Blantyre for a Thanksgiving service with his church next weekend. He sent us a message letting us know that Ana was staying with his family and that he had taken her to see the Botanical Gardens in Lilongwe and would help her get to the train station for the next part of her journey. Kayla and I both agree that Luzzie is a kindred spirit with Pastor Nihaka – both men putting others’ needs before their own and doing whatever is in their power to help.
Prayers & Praises:
- I had a chance to spend another weekend in Mangochi with Zuriel. It was a wonderful time, though it is bittersweet because it may be the last time I see him for quite some time. Please pray for us both as we figure out the next steps in our relationship and how we plan to deal with the long, long distance aspect
- Dorothy’s neighbor’s daughter just lost her infant child last week. The baby got sick (we’re not sure with what) and went to the hospital, but they were unable to save the baby. Please pray for the family that they know God is with them in their mourning and that they have support from family and friends around them.
- This is our last week to teach the kids – I’m excited to see them again since it will have been 2 weeks since I’ve seen then because of our trip to Zambia – I pray that it is a good week for all and that my frustrations are minimal
- HUGE PRAISES for our safe travel to and from Zambia. It can always be a little nerve-wracking traveling to new places (especially when that travel includes crossing international borders), but Kayla and I were blessed to have a lot of people helping us get the proper transport to allow us to arrive safely.
- Lots of praises as well for the time spent with the Kaoma family. Spending time in their home definitely made me glad that I get to see and be with my family soon. J Our God is great and it is awesome to know that we truly are brothers and sisters in Him, no matter where we live on earth.
- Just in case this is my last post before I’m state-side again (I’m not sure how much time I’ll have in these last few days to write and post my thoughts while still in Malawi), please pray for traveling mercies for Kayla and I as we head back to the US. We leaved on Feb. 29th, arriving early morning in New York on March 1st. Kayla then heads home to Ohio, while I begin another adventure as I head to Dallas, Texas for a GCI conference.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.