Sometimes you’re the windshield...Sometimes you’re the bug

This line from one of my favorite singers, Mary Chapin Carpenter, sums us up right now.

As we were driving 9 hours in TLC with the kiddos from Bundibugyo to Kampala (with a needed break in Fort Portal), we had a lot of windshield time. At times, we could see for miles as we were on top of the ridges of the Rwenzori Mountains. At times, we could not see a foot past our front as the road was incredibly dusty from the “road work”. I just closed my eyes in prayer that that cars were not coming on our side of the road.

Even though our windows were down (no air conditioning), our windshield served to protect us from most of the debris, dirt, dust, exhaust, and bugs from the road. And as team leaders for our brave little band of missionaries in Bundibugyo, we have worked hard to be a buffer from much of the debris that exists to make it difficult to serve in Uganda. Before we left for the WHM leadership meetings in November, we filed for work/dependent papers for three of our teammates. And, thankfully, they were all granted. But we neglected to file our own...

Splat. Today, we are the bug.

Presently, Travis is with a missionary immigration logistics man at the immigration office, pleading for an extension of our “special pass” which is a bridge between a tourist visa and a work visa (for which we are applying, but Travis’s papers are held up at the ministry of health to recognize him as a doctor, etc, etc). And we are lacking one important paper, a paper that was initiated a year and a half ago.

If they do not extend mercy, we will be driving to Kenya tonight. Not a short drive, especially for three little ones who just got out of the car last night.

Would you join us in praying for a miracle...that immigration would extend mercy? These two words are not usually synonymous, so it would, indeed, be a miracle!

Or if we end up on the road again, for grace in the drive, for the ability to see God as our Great Shield, and that we can do all of this in time to make it back to Bundibugyo for Christmas?

I'll keep you posted...