Crazy East Coast Trip

"Would you like to go to the east coast?  We go and do ministry and it will be good. "

Every time we get invited to go on trips with nationals, I'm always a little nervous because I know that I'll be in for a crazy experience.  However, those crazy experiences always end up in GREAT stories and so that usually wins me over.  This past trip to the east coast was no different.

The trip started out at 8am with us and six sl-ians getting on a bus that's similar to a school bus and driving for 8 and half hours.  This bus ride was ROUGH.  The bus would pick up people as we drove by to the point where the itty bitty aisle between the two rows of seats was full with THREE rows of people.  I really don't know how they did it.  All I'll say is I've never had more armpits, butts, and babies sitting on me and in my face than that day.  While we drove down this hot dusty road in the middle of nowhere we got a phone call from one of our team members telling us about the earthquake in Indonesia.  They said that a tsunami was scheduled to hit the east coast...right where we were headed.  As if this bus ride couldn't get any worse, we now have that going for us.  We were praying and trying to think through what on earth we should do.  If we got off the bus, we were in the middle of nowhere.  Like...it looked like Africa desert folks.  We finally got a call back saying that tsunami warning had been lifted and everything was OK.  PTL!

Pre Tsunami Scare...and early on in the insane bus ride.  We're all still smiles.  

By the time we get to the east coast, we're tired and hot.  The woman we were staying with runs up and greets us and begins leading us down these roads to get to her house.  She fed us lunch (it was 5:30pm) and then told us we could bathe if we wanted.  Hmm...bathe... It was beginning to get dark out, and I was in desperate need of a shower but there was a slight dilemma.  The "bathroom" consisted of a tank outside of the squatty potty.  Open...for all the world to see.  Ash and I quickly got a lesson on how to wrap ourselves in a wrap, tie it securely, and begin our bucket bath.  We made sure we had our "torch" (flashlight) set up and we were good to go.  Just hold onto your wrap tightly or things may get semi awkward.  :) They fixed us dinner at 10pm and then we laid down on the floor to go to sleep.  It was a giant sl-ian sleepover.  Minus the sleep...

Top Photo is our lovely "toliet" for the week.  I had to deal with  giant flying cochroaches while trying not to pee on  myself in that bathroom.  *sigh*  And here's our "shower".  Just made you thankful for your bathroom didn't I?

The next two days we went around and visited some of their friends and prayed with them as well as did some sight seeing.  Some of the sl-ians we were with had never been to the east coast so this was vacation time for them.  We went to the hot wells, and a "resort" beach where everyone went and had a "bath in the ocean".  So here we are, two white girls traveling around with a group of sl-ians, in an area where most people had never even seen a white person.  Yes...we were like zoo animals, being studied.  By the end of the second day being there I had had about enough.  We had absolutely no privacy and all of the "ministry" that we had been promised to be doing was not happening.  As we were trying to come up with excuses of why we had to leave early, an overwhelming guilt came over me.  "I can't leave.  I told them I would stay until Sunday.  I don't want to ruin this friendship."  Dang conscience...

The SL resort.  Packed with Mus. people all "bathing in the water" fully clothed.  Silly silly.  

The next day our friend came and apologized to us saying that many things had been cancelled due to the tsunami warning.  She also apologized because we had so many people with us, it was difficult to do ministry.  She then told us to get ready because we were going to this all Mus. area and meeting some of her friends for the day.  We get there and there is a mosque on every corner and road signs are in Tamil and Arabic.  What country were we in???  We walked (and walked and walked) to her friends house which was on a little "farm" next to the beach.  We shared the woman at the well story with them and asked if they wanted the henna design that goes along with the story.  We got out our two henna cones and girls came from all over.  And then that's when God totally began refilling our henna cones.  (OK, I know you think I'm crazy now, but really He did.  One henna cone usually only lasts for three, maybe four drawings.  Ash and I each did about eight to nine drawings with only two henna cones!)

Girls with the woman at the well story on their hands.  

After we ate lunch the family took us to the beach.  Of course after the beach they wanted us to stay for tea.  (I promise, mus. people are the most hospitable people you will ever meet.  They also won't take no for an answer.)  We had spent almost the entire day there and as we were leaving and waving goodbye to our new friends, I couldn't help but think how thankful I was that we stayed.  The Lord blessed our time tremendously.

This chicken wasn't so lucky...However he was very tasty.  The freshest chicken I think I've eaten. 

Me with Abu Bakah (what an awesome name) and some of his many many grandkids!

Walking to the beach with our new friends. 

That Sunday we were asked to "preach" at one of the churches in town.  We shared the Prodigal Son story and shared our testimonies and about our ministry.  They then asked for us to lead the youth group.  You can't help but laugh.  I mean, I don't like getting up in front and speaking to a group of people and I REALLY enjoy being prepared, but that's just not how things work over here.  At all.  However, when you just open your mouth and begin sharing your heart with others, God gives you the words to say.  He also works in really neat ways.  We met a girl in the youth who feels led to be doing ministry with Mus. people and just so happens to work in the capital of our country...which is where we live.  :) We're planning on meeting with her soon.

That evening we got on the train...(I'll spare you the details of the train from hades, but let's just say it was ten times WORSE than the bus ride there), and finally arrived back home to the "big city" at 5:30 am.  Completly exhausted and thankful to be home, I thought again about how the Lord blessed the rest of our time on the east.  His strength is the only way I got through that week.  That week was a reminder that we truly can do all things with Him.  I can't explain all of the stories and my thoughts on this.  I know that many of you who read this won't understand fully what that week was like.  But I'm thankful that through all the craziness, of tsunami warnings, to extremely different living conditions, to having no privacy whatsoever, He is in control.  He is my joy and most certainly my strength.

And I was right.  This trip gave us an abundant amount of stories that I'll spare you since, I've already written a novel.  :)