Miracles.

So, we witnessed at least one miracle this week and I'm inclined to
think two.

First of all, we have been having a terrible time with the district
medical officer (MCD) here. He is really controlling and just seems to
try to make trouble. Two Congolese doctors (from very near where Gary
grew up, and speaking the same local dialect) were here and came to work
for a year, but they and James had been working on getting them
authorization for over a month and the MCD was doing everything he could
to prevent it. So, the hospital over in Koza, Cameroon has been without
a doctor since our friends the Shanks left 4 months ago. So, James took
them over there to work and they were welcomed with open arms. So, the
Shanks had left some stuff for us which will be really useful to us, and
James was willing to bring it back for us. James was on his way home,
stopping over in the capital to pick up the new docs and the van broke
down. Since the new docs were coming in that night, he had to get there
to meet them, so he left the van at a shop to be fixed and he went on to
the capital. Well, when Gary heard, we were sure without a miracle we
would never see all that stuff! So, we started praying for angels to
protect it and then Gary called our good friend and taxi driver in the
capital, Emma and asked him to go down first thing in the morning and
just be with the van. The border closes at night, and the van was still
in Cameroon, so he couldn't go then, but we would still do what we
could. He went early in the morning and of course he didn't know what
all had been there, but at least there was still stuff in the van!
Anyway, as far as we know it was all still there and they were able to
repair the van quite quickly and James and the new doctors, Olen and
Danae and their son, Lyle (almost 2) made it safely home. We really feel
like the angels watched over the stuff that night.

So, while we were praying for the van, I decided we should pray for the
container too. Several months ago, James shipped a container full of
medical supplies, etc and more than a month ago we had heard that it
left the port in Cameroon. We were also able to put some things in it,
but since we hadn't heard anything for so long I was starting to wonder
if we would ever see it. No one could seem to tell us where it was, and
James has had one that disappeared after arriving in Cameroon. So, I
prayed that it would be protected as well, and arrive here safely.
Within a day or two, it was in Chad! So, Thurs, Gary and James went to
start the paperwork and Gary is going back tomorrow to try to finish
that. Please pray for them that it will go smoothly and quickly and they
have some heavy, tricky things to unload as it is loaded with a forklift
and we don't have such a thing here!