19th of May
So there I was sitting in the tiny Zambian international airport, waiting
2 hours for my flight trying to be nice to people but to also keep my head down
and try not to draw attention to myself. I sat reading a book my friend had
lent to me called Thr3e by Ted Dekker it’s a thriller written by a Christian
Author, really good, anyway as I was sitting there someone commented on my book
and ask how I was enjoying it and then he advised me to read a trilogy by the
same author. And somehow talking to a complete stranger at the airport made me
feel calmer and I left it was God trying to reassure me that he was with me.
Then the flight to Johannesburg was a breeze, I went and had a coffee and
realised how much South Africans love their football (Soccer) there was a big
screen near where I was sitting and there were at least 30 people watching and
cheering and at one stage someone got a goal and a waitress from my cafe came
out and cheered and danced around, the excitement was contagious. I arrived in
Johannesburg at 3:30pm but my bus didn’t leave til 6:30pm and so I was walking
around trying to find something to do, and 2 men who had uniforms with the
words Porters approached me and ask where I was heading I said I had to catch a
bus and one of the men was like Ok follow me, he took hold of my suitcase and
strode off. I tried to explain the my bus wasn’t due to leave for another hour
and a half, he said they can leave anytime so I needed to go now, and I couldn’t
be bothered arguing so I followed him, praying the whole time that this guy
wouldn’t steal my bag and beat me or something and we arrived to the bus stop
nice and safe and sound. And I thanked him very much and he bluntly said, “Now
you pay me.” And I was taken aback because the only money I seemed to have were
big notes, I was getting flustered and a nice man next to me offered to pay and
the Porter man looked and him and said, “did I help you? No, so why would you
give me money.” Then I finally found some coins and gave them to him, he looked
at them disappointed the left. A South African lady next to me apologised,
she said, “I hate how they demand you
tip them, its so rude and they always target foreigners, it makes me embarrassed
to be South African.” I said, “thanks for the concern but explain that I was
ok. I understand it happens”
I then begun to talk to the man next to me he was traveling from England
and we chatted about everything from his reason for travel, to all
about his family and Australia and I was again really reassuring to sit and
have a completely safe and fun conversation with a complete stranger.
Once he had left though I got worried that maybe I was at a wrong bus
shelter, and thought I need to go to the toilet but what if I’m in the toilet
and it comes and leaves without me. And as I was thinking this the city bug bus
pulled in and a flood of relief fell on me. I went out and met the driver and
ask whether it was the 6:30pm bus because at that stage it was only 5:40pm he said
he was running ahead of schedule and I was welcome to hop on early, and come to
get petrol and come back. Which really was an answer to prayer because it meant
I didn’t have to worry about missing the bus because I was already on it and
when he went to fill up petrol the station had a shop and toilet so I could go
in not worrying about having to drag around my suitcase and I could by some tea
and snacks for my 4 hour ride.
And this whole day from the moment I left the team I physically felt like
my right hand was being held, it was tingly but not in a bad way, God wanted to
physically reveal to me his presence and reassurance that I could trust him
completely. How cool is that. And so we arrived safely to Nelspruit and was
picked up by a hands at work member, chatted in the car. We arrived at my final
destination the Hands at work Hub at 11:30pm and it was there I got meet my new
roommate and soon to be best buddy/soul mate :D Ashley a bubbly Canadian who is
similar to me in SO many ways. I walk in the door turn on the light and she
practically sits right up in bed, she had been waiting patiently to meet me, she couldn't sleep until I got there, no matter how late or jet lagged she was... So sweet.
The friendships, the family, and my individual Hands journey begins.....
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