torsdag 15. mars 2012

That's just God

In the five months that I have spent in Uganda I have had many good talks with my host Michael. He has shared much of his life with us, and he really has some amazing stories to tell. When he reaches a point in a story where it obvious that God really has intervened in his life, Michael usually says "that's just God". As in "this can't be human's work. God must have done something in this situation". This weekend we had an experience like this...

Last saturday was the day for Team Focus Uganda, which consists of Håkon, Malin, Maria and me, to go on a safari. We had made reservations at Sambiya River Lodge from saturday to sunday, and we had planned for a boat safari on sunday morning. Our friend Erique Umeni joined us as a driver and travel companion. We had planned to leave Lira at around 2PM, but since this is Africa, Erique of course had to deliver the car over two hours late. This meant that we could not take the route with the ferry that crosses the Nile (it stops going at 5PM), and we had to take the long route on the south side of the park.

It was already dark when we arrived at the main entrance of the national park. And of course, the gates were closed. The lady that controlled the gate came up to us and told us that "sadly, you are too late. The gates close at 7PM, and it's now 8:15." Dang it. Just barely too late...

It was really the message that we didn't want to get. We had already paid the 300 000 shillings (app. 700 kroner) for accomodation, and none of us wanted to spend the night in a car in the middle of the jungle. That is, personally I would have thought that would be awesome, but I decided not to tell anyone, as I could sense that my travelling companions had a different opinion :P

Erique talked to the lady and literally pleaded with her to let us in. We were all, Erique included, silently praying, but it really seemed like there was no way we could be let in to the park. The lady was a lango, which means that she comes from the same area in Uganda as Erique. This was good, since they could then speak to each other in the local language. Of course, it also meant that we, the norwegians, couldn't understand what was going on at all.

We continued silently praying, and at some point Erique left the car to follow the lady inside, to see if there was anything that could be done to let us into the park. We remained in the car and continued to pray. Our biggest question to God was this: "Why are You letting this happen? If everything works for the good of Your kingdom, then how does this?"

After a few minutes Erique and the lady came back to us with a message: They would let us into the park! Our friend Doris has now risked her job to help a pack of stranded youngsters in need. After first being so steadfast on her "no", she is no saying she will let us in! Praise God! Amen!

After leaving the main entrance, we were all really just thanking God for what had just taken place. But on the way to our hotel, we hit something as strange as a broken down car. The car contained a pack of russians on their way from Murchison Falls to Entebbe, wherefrom they would fly home the following day. But on the way they had run out of fuel. Now, they met with their only possible rescue from a seemingly hopeless situation. Since the gates to the national park had already closed, there really shouldn't be any more cars going through the national park until the next morning. But here is a car filled with four norwegians and a half-british ugandan. They pleaded with us as we had pleaded with Doris, and we all realized we really had to help these poor guys.


We couldn't give them our fuel, but we ensured them that as soon as we arrived at the hotel we would get someone, anyone, to bring them the fuel they needed. There was no mobile network where they had stranded, so we had to go all the way to our hotel before we could do something for these poor russians. When we arrived at the hotel we made some phone calls, and after some struggling, finally Doris, our friend at the gate, hero of the day, had gotten a hold of someone that could bring them the fuel they needed. Praise God! Amen!


We don't know if the russians reached their flight, but we're hoping for the best.

After this very eventful evening, we really needed to sit down and reflect on everything that had happened. This evening God had used Erique's uncle to be late in delivering the car, which made us leave to late for the ferry and have to take the other route. There He used, through our prayers, Doris, to make her risk her job in order to let us into the park. Then He used usto help a pack of stranded russians along the way to get someone to get some fuel for them. Then He again used Doris to get this man to bring them the fuel.


That's just God...

2 kommentarer:

  1. I would really love to see some photos here for us readers to better understand your experience :)

    So I'm waiting for photos in your next post.

    SvarSlett
  2. Yeap, other blogs from your "exchange tradition" group provide readers with lots of photos and if you ask me that's right, because photos help you to share your experience with us.

    SvarSlett