Surprised by Lord’s Providence: A Missionary’s Chronicle

I first published this article in 2011. It has since been updated and published in French at TPSG.

The year is 1999. The US Department of Education is awarding fellowships to study African languages abroad. I have the privilege of qualifying, having studied Swahili for two years in my MA program at UCLA. When I receive the news that I have been selected, I jump for joy! Then, I quickly start making plans for the rest of my summer. If the government is going to hand me a free plane ticket to East Africa, I might as well find other ways to serve Christ while I’m there. 

Short-Term Mission Opportunity

My church at the time is sending a short-term mission team to South Africa, and even though it is last minute, they graciously allow me to join them. All I need to do is to secure passage from Zanzibar, Tanzania to Polokwane, South Africa. 

I look into plane tickets, but they are astronomical, so I decide to venture south by land. I commit my travel plans to the Lord, asking him to guide and watch over me. I've travelled solo in the past and have never been alone for long, as other backpackers are easy to spot and tag along with. I assume this trip will be no different. I am sorely mistaken.

In Search of Travel Companions

I take the ferry from the island of Zanzibar to the mainland and jump in a cab to the train station. As soon as I arrive, I scan the vast waiting area to discover a sea of locals and not a single backpacker. Then, in the far corner, I spot a small group of Europeans, but when I approach them, they give me the cold shoulder. I soon realize that I am on my own. And that is when it dawns on me: Most Africans don't have time or money to waste gallivanting around the continent. They use the trains to get from their villages to the capital and back. That's it. So, the likelihood of meeting someone here whose destination reaches beyond their own country’s border is slim to none.

In the Dark

I’m tempted to panic, as I have over 3,000 kilometres and four countries to traverse and no idea how to find my way. Keep in mind that this is 1999, an age before the widespread use of cell phones, social media, and travel apps, so I have no way of googling anything. I’m in the dark. But I once again entrust my ways to the Lord, I pay for my ticket, and head for my sleeping compartment. There I find two Tanzanian women saying goodbye to relatives who are seeing them off. 

God’s Stunning Provision

As the train sets off on its long journey, the three of us get settled in. We proceeded to introduce ourselves. Right away, the two women are taken aback to see a North American speaking Swahili. So I explain that I have just spent the previous six weeks living with a Zanzibari family, immersed in their language and culture. I add that I’m meeting friends from church in a small city just north of Johannesburg, South Africa.

 

"What about you? Where are you headed?" I ask them. 

 

"Johannesburg, South Africa," they reply. 

 

"Nooooooooooooo waaaaaaay!!!!" I exclaim.

 

My cry of joy and disbelief can be heard ringing down the corridor. Humanly speaking, this is impossible! Out of the hundreds of people travelling on that train that day, the Lord places me in the one cabin with two women whose destination is within 300 kilometers of my own. They eagerly invite me to join their caravan and help me navigate traversing three international borders unknown to me. 

Blessed to be a Blessing

God is so good! And this arrangement turns out to be just as beneficial to my two new friends. Lydia, a woman in her early forties, is married to a South African man and lives there with her family. Josephine, a much older woman, has a daughter who lives in Johannesburg and is taking advantage of having a travel companion who knows the way. 

What an unexpected way for God to answer my prayer. Not only does the Lord lead me safely to my destination, but he also allows me to be a blessing along the way. Josephine has recently suffered a stroke, so in addition to carrying my own luggage, I help shoulder the weight of hers. The three of us make a perfect match.  

Highlights of the Journey

The next four days are a wild ride, to say the least. Highlights include:

• A two-day and one-night, 1700 km train ride from Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania to Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia.
• A 200 km minivan ride from Kapiri Mposhi to Lusaka, Zambia's capital city.
• A 700 km overnight bus ride from Lusaka, Zambia to Harare, Zimbabwe's capital city.
• Another 580 km bus ride from Harare to Beitbridge, South Africa.
• A ride with a stranger we met at the border crossing from Beitbridge to a town a couple hours from Johannesburg – I don't recommend this behaviour!
• An unexpected overnight stay at a hotel along the way to avoid further travel with said stranger, who turned out to be very strange indeed!
• A final bus ride to Polokwane, South Africa, where I bid farewell to my travel companions and met up with missionaries. 

Returning in Peace

The Lord blesses me with two wonderful weeks ministering alongside the team from my church. The journey back to Dar-es-Salaam for my flight home is more relaxed, as I know my way a bit more and have seen the Lord at work every step of my journey up to this point. My adventures heading back to Tanzania include:

 

·      White water rafting on the Zambezi River, which is said to be the best white water rafting in the world.

·      Touring Victoria Falls, the Niagara Falls of Africa.

·      Enjoying the company of European backpackers far friendlier than the ones I met in Dar es Salaam on the first leg of my trip.  

The Lord’s Great Faithfulness

All in all, in the summer of 1999 the Lord manifests his faithfulness to me in amazing ways, guiding and protecting me as I seek to trust him and honour him with my life. To God be the Glory!