Answered Prayer....
Yesterday God so totally encouraged us with His care for us. Here is how he did it:
It all started a week and a half ago when our road trip to Madang for a regional conference and meetings with our partners. Regular readers will recall that Elias and Tim both became frequently and violently car sick during that trip. We found out in Madang that there were some empty seats on a plane going back home so Elizabeth and the two youngest boys were spared a repeat performance.
Thus it was early on Friday morning, Nate and Noah loaded up the mission's 4x4 and headed off for home. (The others were to be dropped off at the airport a little later by our partners.) About two hours into the trip, we were driving along minding our own business when KACHUNK! Screeeeech... the rear wheels on the Toyota just locked up. When we got out and surveyed the situation, there wasn't much we could do. I only had a small toolkit and the problem was obviously internal to the axle.
At that point the major concern for me was to get somewhere safe by dark. It was a fortnight* and we were about 10 km from the nearest village (and more than 240 km from home). Staying with the truck just would make us targets for theft, while hospitality and safety are available in most villages. At the same time, I didn't want to leave the truck to its doom. Vehicles left to themselves on the Highlands highway rarely survive the ordeal.
So Noah and I sat down and prayed. "God you know that we are not going to be able to fix this truck, will you give us wisdom on what to do next?"
Well, not even two minutes later, two of the dorm dads from Lapilo came cruising by on motorcycles. One of them is a professional mechanic. Imagine that: not only does God send some help, He sent a guy whose expertise is mechanics, and He sent them out before we had even left Madang. It turned out that our rear differential had lost a tooth which had subsequently jammed in the gears. By putting the truck in 4 wheel drive, we were able to drive forward.
***Note: those of you mechanically minded fellows who treat your machines with great care might want to skip this next paragraph as it contains descriptions of extreme machine torture...***
Herb (the mechanic) suggested that the best course of action was to keep the truck in 4 wheel drive, and go as far as we could toward home at about 20 mph. He warned me that the rear end could sieze up at any time and to stop regularly to cool the transfer case. So we took his advice. It was incredibly noisy - like putting 8-10 ball bearings in an industrial blender- and it was incredibly slow.
As we would drive through villages on the road, people would come out and point and yell to each other about the crazy white man who was obviously destroying his car. Then they would yell to me 'Hey, you've got a problem in the back of the car." I'd have to smile and wave "Yeah, I know." We spent the next 240 km shredding what was left of the differential gearing and praying that the next Kachunk! would not come.
Well, God did bring us home safe, all the way to our house. He encouraged us that He is not far off. He knows where we are and what we need. We were so thankful that He allowed us to put Elizabeth and the two boys on the flight, that He sent just the right guys along at just the right time, and that He brought us all the way home.
We were thinking that this week we would let you in on how our meetings went in Madang - especially the upcoming survey that we are planning into the Adelbert Mountain Range. We'll be saving that news for next week so stay tuned.
* Fortnight in Papua New Guinea is the payday that happens every other Friday here. It is the day when there is lots of money, lots of parties, lots of drinking, and rowdiness on the roads and in the towns. After 3:30 pm or so it is a very poor time to be out unless you are with lots of friends.
Things to be talking with God about:
- Praise that our time in Madang was fruitful and that we have made some plans as to tribal ministry.
- Praise for safety in travel back to Lapilo.
- Pray for preparations for the second term of school which begins Wednesday.
- Pray for plans to come together for Nate's trip into the Adelbert Mountains in November. He and the other guys are hoping to make contact with an unreached tribal group in that area.
- Pray for Elizabeth as she makes plans and settles back into a routine with the boys for school.
- Pray for the boys that they will continue to grow and develop in the Lord.
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| View into Ramu Valley from the Highlands Highway. Look carefully to spot a WWII airstrip somwhere in this picture. From Madang Trip 2008 |
It all started a week and a half ago when our road trip to Madang for a regional conference and meetings with our partners. Regular readers will recall that Elias and Tim both became frequently and violently car sick during that trip. We found out in Madang that there were some empty seats on a plane going back home so Elizabeth and the two youngest boys were spared a repeat performance.
 |
| Normal road conditions on the Highlands Highway. From Madang Trip 2008 |
Thus it was early on Friday morning, Nate and Noah loaded up the mission's 4x4 and headed off for home. (The others were to be dropped off at the airport a little later by our partners.) About two hours into the trip, we were driving along minding our own business when KACHUNK! Screeeeech... the rear wheels on the Toyota just locked up. When we got out and surveyed the situation, there wasn't much we could do. I only had a small toolkit and the problem was obviously internal to the axle.
 |
| Roadside 'gas station'. Fuel is served out of 4 liter bottles - buyer beware though - most gas bought here contains 10% or more water... From Madang Trip 2008 |
At that point the major concern for me was to get somewhere safe by dark. It was a fortnight* and we were about 10 km from the nearest village (and more than 240 km from home). Staying with the truck just would make us targets for theft, while hospitality and safety are available in most villages. At the same time, I didn't want to leave the truck to its doom. Vehicles left to themselves on the Highlands highway rarely survive the ordeal.
 |
| Noah and I take a break and rest the transfer case somewhere in the middle of our climb up the mountain. From Madang Trip 2008 |
So Noah and I sat down and prayed. "God you know that we are not going to be able to fix this truck, will you give us wisdom on what to do next?"
Well, not even two minutes later, two of the dorm dads from Lapilo came cruising by on motorcycles. One of them is a professional mechanic. Imagine that: not only does God send some help, He sent a guy whose expertise is mechanics, and He sent them out before we had even left Madang. It turned out that our rear differential had lost a tooth which had subsequently jammed in the gears. By putting the truck in 4 wheel drive, we were able to drive forward.
***Note: those of you mechanically minded fellows who treat your machines with great care might want to skip this next paragraph as it contains descriptions of extreme machine torture...***
Herb (the mechanic) suggested that the best course of action was to keep the truck in 4 wheel drive, and go as far as we could toward home at about 20 mph. He warned me that the rear end could sieze up at any time and to stop regularly to cool the transfer case. So we took his advice. It was incredibly noisy - like putting 8-10 ball bearings in an industrial blender- and it was incredibly slow.
As we would drive through villages on the road, people would come out and point and yell to each other about the crazy white man who was obviously destroying his car. Then they would yell to me 'Hey, you've got a problem in the back of the car." I'd have to smile and wave "Yeah, I know." We spent the next 240 km shredding what was left of the differential gearing and praying that the next Kachunk! would not come.
 |
| Small hamlets and some kinds of stalls that sell various food goods (rice, noodles, cooking oil etc are found along the road. From Madang Trip 2008 |
Well, God did bring us home safe, all the way to our house. He encouraged us that He is not far off. He knows where we are and what we need. We were so thankful that He allowed us to put Elizabeth and the two boys on the flight, that He sent just the right guys along at just the right time, and that He brought us all the way home.
We were thinking that this week we would let you in on how our meetings went in Madang - especially the upcoming survey that we are planning into the Adelbert Mountain Range. We'll be saving that news for next week so stay tuned.
* Fortnight in Papua New Guinea is the payday that happens every other Friday here. It is the day when there is lots of money, lots of parties, lots of drinking, and rowdiness on the roads and in the towns. After 3:30 pm or so it is a very poor time to be out unless you are with lots of friends.
Things to be talking with God about:
- Praise that our time in Madang was fruitful and that we have made some plans as to tribal ministry.
- Praise for safety in travel back to Lapilo.
- Pray for preparations for the second term of school which begins Wednesday.
- Pray for plans to come together for Nate's trip into the Adelbert Mountains in November. He and the other guys are hoping to make contact with an unreached tribal group in that area.
- Pray for Elizabeth as she makes plans and settles back into a routine with the boys for school.
- Pray for the boys that they will continue to grow and develop in the Lord.
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