Village Ventures Africa

I may still say before I write the negatives…how blessed I am to have chosen not to drive to Diema myself…But…..
This morning at 5.15 I had to be at the bus station to check on my baggage..it was after 7 am before that was finished..
I think we left around 7.30 am finally..
The bus full of mosquitoes and flies..

I sit in a row of three seats at the front, luckily there’s 2 slim young women occupying the other seats..but still it’s hot, the girls obviously come from a small village somewhere and have very little..it also seems there’s an aroma…generally really…from hot sweaty bodies to smells of urine here n there..
I almost in the first 2 hours it was almost unbearable….in fact I wanted to get of and thumb a lift..
Then after some 40 mins on the road the main driver got on the bus…he went berserk, as someone chose to sit almost in the front window if the bus..and that was taboo..it’s was were the drivers slept.. !!!
It seemed we were going no where, the driver stopped the bus jumped out screaming..I got ready again to get of the bus when a slim older man with goaty beard..came to the rescue and changed places with the guy who had overloaded and blocked the drivers vision…
Of we went again..
I resigned myself to my fate..praying all would be well throughout..
I had relaxed a little..a funny video had been put on .it made me laugh..quick toilet stop ..I chose the the back of the bus.. hopefully where no one could see me…then up and away again…..

There was a bang!!!! We had a burst tyre…it took 1 hour to repair it…I just walked a long way away .. in the heat of the day..there’s was no where to sit!!so what else should I do..
Luckily another sonef bus came along had a spare tyre…we were of again!!!

We travelled the whole day, with short bush toilets..I’d find a darkish place…no other option..a nightmare…
Worse was to come…
We didn’t arrive at the border until 2 am..I asked where I could sleep..I was shown a plastic mat on the ground..now I was really feeling the stress..for a few moments after putting up my mosquito tent I lay on the filthy ground..and knew it wasn’t possible for me to lay there for 1 hour let alone sleep..
I packed up my things, got back on the mosquito ridden bus.. sat in my seat crying softly….its so hard ..anyway the night passed..I lived to see daylight…
Once I was recognised at the border my papers,passport were quickly prepared, but then I had to wait for the other 35!!!

It seemed I would never arrive in Diema before dark, I was lucky..we arrived around 3pm.

As we pulled into the parking spot, I looked around at the dirt everywhere, dishevelled people, roaming dogs and all manner of animals…and wondered why am I here!!!

Then once I entered my own compound area and learned of the stories relating to our work here over 18 years I understood..the why..and am grateful and humbled to be a part of our father’s plan here in this corner of his vineyard..
Thankyou again for all you’ve done to allow me that honour and privilege..