When it rains . . . .

It pours.  Both literally and figuratively.  The rainy season has begun with a few impressive storms this week, refreshing downpours swept along the mountainsides by grey winds.  But I’m speaking more of the way that time-consuming brokeness of the world problems seem to come in downpours.  Yesterday, for instance.  The clinical officer assigned to the HIV clinic did not show up, leaving Scott with 70-some patients to see alone, that’s after his regular ultrasound clinic.  When he got home from that he found our workers sitting by our broken lawnmower, and the grass still long.  While they were sitting they alertly noticed that there was something odd under the car:  one of the two main bolts that stabilizes the steering system had sheered off.  He spent the afternoon trying to address that issue, and in the midst of that work and a conference call with WHM in the US did not remember to flip switches for our internet system, which was a problem for the whole team, and rather discouraging to use limited power (our batteries are limping a bit now that it’s raining again) for naught.  By that time it was time to inject our sick cow with antibiotics.  Since the man who milks didn’t come it was up to Luke and Scott to wrangle the cow to the ground with a nifty rope system we learned from fellow missionary to Kenya/former vet George Mixon.  When that exhausting procedure was over (and note we can’t drink the milk for a week because of the injections, which significantly affects our normal food supply) he ended the day tinkering with our fridge, which is after lots of work now slightly cooler than room temperature.  I had to throw away molded food.  The last straw was when he opened the kerosene tank to top it off with fuel, a dead mouse was floating in there.  Unfortunately the removal of the mouse did not significantly improve fridge function. Fridges and cars are luxuries, and I feel a bit guilty even noticing their lack of function, but it does drag us down to be constantly assaulted with things that don’t work, especially things that really help our family survive here.  It was a long day.

We asked our team to pray, a day like that seems to be a sign of more spiritual battles in the heavenly realms . . . And I’m glad to report that we see some progress.  God can use these practical life details to encourage us just as powerfully as the enemy can use them to drag us down.  The patients were cared for, the cow is better, Scott fixed the lawnmower, and was able to ride his motorcycle up to Bundibugyo and find a functional replacement bolt.  He was getting Michael’s help to craft two new bushings (rubber pads) for that when Michael said, wait, let’s check in my car, I heard something rolling around on the back floor and it may be what you need.  Sure enough  there were two bushings of exactly the right size. I don’t know how they came to be there but that small gift was a real encouragement to us.

So pray for the pouring down of the Spirit.  And pray for faith, that we would accept the difficult days in this life and look through them to see the power and goodness of God.