Editors note: This just in from Kae Neufeld, Mackensy Cumin and Susan Dueck who are in Rwanda to help deliver healing retreats to YEGO recipients. It’s so perfect, and has such a beautiful lesson of patience and gratitude, that I reproduce it here in its entirety.
Challenge: The van needed air in the tires before we headed south to the Retreat Centre.
Miracle: We found a service station with a working air pump after only the third try.
Challenge: After about an hour and a half on the road our ride turned very bumpy.
Miracle: On the narrow road with no shoulders we were next to a turn out.
Challenge: We had a very flat tire.
Miracle: Jimmy our driver is a mechanic.
Challenge: The back of the van was piled high with our luggage and retreat supplies.
Miracle: When we unloaded everything and got at the spare tire it had air in it.
Challenge: We now needed a new tire because the spare was a small one for short trips only.
Miracle: The next service station was nearby.
Challenge: They had no tires.
Miracle: The fellow there hopped onto the back of a motorcycle and guided us to a station that had tires.
Challenge: They had tires here but there was no one who could sell us one.
Miracle: Jimmy, our driver, had a friend in the next village who could help us.
Challenge: In our rush to get a tire we were stopped by the police for speeding.
Miracle: Emmanuel, in his own words, humbled himself and pleaded our case, saying we were extremely sorry and that we would not speed again. No ticket.
Challenge: To meet up with Jimmy’s friend.
Miracle: We found him and the shop had a tire.
Challenge: We had to unload all the luggage again to get at the tire and put the spare tire back.
Miracle: The ground was dry so our luggage did not get dirty.
Challenge: The back door of the van would not stay up.
Miracle: Mackensy was tall enough to hold it up while all the unloading and loading took place.
Challenge: The used tire that was available had some holes.
Miracle: Plugs were inserted and the tire held air.
Challenge: We were two hours late for lunch at the Retreat Centre.
Miracle: There was a lovely hot lunch waiting for us.
We are blessed. Mackensy, Susan and Kae
Changing tire
Luggage
Mackensy holding door