WHAT A TRIP!!! @ 29 Dec 2009

To catch you up on my friends who came from America, they left Christmas night and were delayed in London because of the terrorist activity. They missed all their connecting flights...but are finally home...and are sick. Please pray for Heather, Josh, and Clint. I left Nairobi on the morning of the 27th and reached Eldoret with no problems. I started my long journey home this morning at 4:30am. If all went well, I should have been home in time for lunch. That did not happen! The road to Turkana has many dried river beds called logas. Being dry most of the year, you just drive over the sand and go on. There is a really long, deep loga at a village called Kalibok. My guys from Turkana told me they had more rain on Christmas. While I continue to praise God for this answer to prayer...I also knew it would present me with a problem at Kalibok. When I arrived at this loga this morning, there were literally hundreds...possibly a thousand people stranded. All were waiting for the water to drop enough so their modes of transportation could cross (buses, private cars and trucks). I drove up to the front of the line and got out to survey the situation myself. The water was over the top of my jeans and flowing very fast. However, people were able to cross. I walked out with them and as far as I could see...nothing but fast moving water!! I walked around the bend and saw a Toyota Hilux pickup that tried to cross and it was not dead in the water (literally). The water was flowing over the hood by several inches. I turned around at that point and made the decision I would have to wait like everyone else! URG!! When I got back to my truck, I placed a rock at the edge of the water to see if it was getting deeper or doing down. It was going down!! I waited about 2 hours and the water dropped about a foot in depth. The lori (semi truck) behind me asked me to move my truck...he was going to give it a try. I knew from past experience, I should go ahead of him because if he did not make it...he would block the road until a dozer could come (several days??) and drag him out of the muck. So I prayed, prayed, prayed...locked my truck into low 4-wheel drive, and started into the water. The loga is about 350-400 yards in length. The further I got into the water, naturally, the deeper the water got. When I reached the spot of the flooded Toyota Hilux, I made the decision to leave the road (praying the water would be lower out of the hole made by the road). I made it passed the truck! As I made my way back to where the road is supposed to be, the water began to freely flow over my hood and doors...several inches up the windows. Then I hit an unseen hole and the truck dropped down....what seemed to me in my terrified state...about 3 feet. The water completely covered my windshield and I was praying that it would not reach the end of my snorkel and flood my engine. I was also praying that the truck would just keep moving and not stick there. The truck began to struggle in the mud and the many waters that are pushing at the driver's side. I literally cried out for God's help. At that very moment, it seemed to me that an unseen hand just gently pushed the back of my truck and got me through that mess. I broke into tears of joy and shouts of praise!! I still had a long way to go before I was clear of the water. Again the fast moving flood began to flow over my hood...and again God delivered in a mighty way!! My engine stayed strong, my tires continued to find traction, and the truck kept moving. As the water level began to drop, the hundred of folks on the Lodwar side of the loga broke into cheers! I got out to survey the damage to my truck (there seems to be none) and was greeted like a celebrity! They all said they would have to spend the night there...and they would be talking of the white man in his Toyota Prado and his God that got him through!! I am home now and am still in awe at what God did today. My night guard came in about 6pm and was shocked to find me home. He said no truck has reached Lodwar today. That everyone is saying the loga at Kalibok has closed the road. I told him they do not know me and my God! I know some of you may read this and think it was a very stupid thing I did by trying to cross. I will quickly agree with you. All I can say is that in my heart of hearts, I knew God would help me cross. I start seminar on Monday. Please pray. We will finish our survey of the Old Testament. We will cover all the prophetic books in a week!! Happy New Year!! Much love to you and thankfulness to God, Ekiru